His blade in Path of Exile 2 is at your service: How to make a Mercenary build

Conquer Path of Exile 2 as a Mercenary: A Beginner's Guide

Tired of fantasy tropes in Path of Exile 2? The Mercenary class offers a unique, action-packed experience reminiscent of a top-down Doom-style shooter. Ditch the swords and magic; embrace the crossbow and unleash a hail of projectiles upon your enemies! This guide covers early-game strategies and build recommendations for version 0.1.0f. Note that Grinding Gear Games (GGG) may implement changes in the full release.

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Core Gameplay and Weapon Choice

The Mercenary, while capable of wielding any weapon, shines with crossbows. Consider it a versatile blend of automatic rifle, shotgun, and grenade launcher. Forget close-quarters combat; maintain distance and dominate from afar.

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Key Attributes and Stats

Dexterity is paramount. Prioritize it through gear and passive skill tree choices. Evasion trumps Armor; focus on maximizing evasion. Allocate Strength and Intelligence as needed for equipment and skill requirements. Movement speed is crucial for dodging attacks.

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Essential Early-Game Skills

• Fragmentation Rounds: A decent starting skill, but quickly surpassed by others. Consider Brutality and Leverage support gems for increased damage and critical strike chance against immobilized enemies.

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• Permafrost Bolts: A strong early-game choice. Freeze and immobilize enemies with frost projectiles. Pair with Frost Nexus and Leverage for enhanced freezing and critical strike chances. Double Barrel adds extra bolts but increases reload time (mitigable with increased attack speed).

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• Explosive Grenade: Exceptional for crowd control. Scattershot allows for three grenades instead of one (damage reduction is worthwhile). Second Wind provides additional support. Remember projectile physics and positioning for optimal effect.

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• Gas Grenade: Releases a cloud of poison gas. Corrosion reduces enemy armor, replacing Armour Piercing and High Velocity Rounds. Bursting Plague boosts damage. Detonate the gas with fire skills (like Explosive Grenade later Explosive Shot) for massive damage increases.

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• Galvanic Shards (Act 2): Transforms your crossbow into an automatic shotgun. Conduction and Lightning Infusion support gems significantly boost damage. High reload speed turns it into an effective automatic rifle.

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• Herald of Thunder: Excellent buff, especially with Galvanic Shards and Conduction. Provides 100% shock chance, triggering the Herald's effects. Requires 30 spirit units (obtainable by defeating an Act 1 boss).

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• Explosive Shot: Powerful AoE clearing, especially when combined with grenades. Fire Infusion increases fire damage. Offers ranged combat and an alternative damage type.

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Passive Skill Tree Recommendations

Prioritize nodes that increase projectile damage. Key nodes include:

• Remorseless: Increased projectile damage, stun buildup, and attribute bonuses.
• Ricochet: Increased projectile damage and chain chance.
• Blur: Movement speed, evasion, and dexterity.
• Heavy Ammunition: Reduced attack speed but significantly increased projectile damage and stun buildup.
• Careful Aim: Increased projectile damage and accuracy at close range.
• Cluster Bombs: Increased grenade fuse duration and additional projectiles.
• Adrenaline Rush: Increased movement and attack speed after kills.
• Doomsayer: Increased area of effect and damage for Herald skills.
• Instant Reload: Increased crossbow reload speed.
• Volatile Grenades: Reduced grenade fuse duration (use only if not using Explosive Shot).

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These skills and passive nodes provide a solid foundation for leveling your Mercenary to levels 20-25. Experiment with different skill combinations to discover your optimal build! Remember to adapt your strategy based on enemy types and challenges.