Best Mercenary Beginner build in Path of Exile 2

Discover everything you need to know about Best Mercenary Beginner Build in Path of Exile 2 including skills, stats, and gear.

Path of Exile 2 has received an initial release on December 6, 2024. There is a total of 12 distinct Classes, each granting its own uniqueness in the game. Unfortunately, the Classes in Path of Exile 2 are gender-locked, meaning you cannot choose the gender of a specific Class as it is predetermined. Selecting the best beginner build is crucial at the early stages because gameplay depends on it. Explore the Mercenary Build in Path of Exile 2 and see how she redefines summoner gameplay! In this guide, we’ll discuss the Best Mercenary Build in Path of Exile 2 including the best gear and passive skills to use.

Mercenary build in Path of Exile 2 Explored

This setup is very unique because we’re going to be freezing enemies with Permafrost Bolts which gives us Frost fires, so then we’ll be able to drop explosive grenades. This build is great against bosses and other larger enemy groups as we can see the enemy while the fuse is going on. We can detonate our AoE skills and clear anything and everything in our way. Pick the Witch Hunter Ascendancy but if you’re leveling then the basic Mercenary class will work as well.

In this full overview of the setup, we will explain what skill gems and skill links should you focus on. Then as well, we’ll see what is the best gear and how to get it for both the leveling and midgame. And then finally we will go over the passive skill tree, stats, your skill rotations and even what charms should you use, so we would be able to get the highest damage possible, and much more.

Mercenary Build Pros	Mercenary Build Cons
High Burst Damage	Complex Resource Management
Crowd Control	Limited Defense
Versatility	Steep Learning Curve

Best Mercenary skills and support gems in Path of Exile 2

Here are the best beginner skills and support gems that you should use in the initial stages of the Path of Exile 2.

• Fragmentation Rounds
• Crossbow Shot
• Permafrost Bolts
  • Glaciation (Support Gems)
  • Ice Bite (Support Gems)
  • Deep Freeze (Support Gems)
• Explosive Grenade
  • Frostfire (Support Gems)
  • Concentrated Effect (Support Gems)
  • Primal Armament (Support Gems)
  • Eternal Flame (Support Gems)
  • Searing Flame (Support Gems)
• Explosive Shot
  • Wildfire (Support Gems)
  • Nimble Reload (Support Gems)
• Herald of Ash
  • Clarity (Support Gems)
  • Vitality (Support Gems)
  • Precision (Support Gems)
• Flash Grenade
  • Brutality (Support Gems)
• High Velocity Rounds
  • Scattershot (Support Gems)
  • Double Barrel (Support Gems)
• Galvanic Shield
  • Lightning Infusion (Support Gems)
  • Pierce (Support Gems)
• Voltaic Grenade
  • Second Wind (Support Gems)
  • Conduction (Support Gems)

Fragmentation Rounds

Loads your crossbow with piercing bolts that fragment in flight. If you hit a frozen enemy, they consume the freeze and cause an explosion.

Crossbow Shot

Fires a bolt for your crossbow.

Permafrost Bolts

Loads your Crossbow with icy bolts that fragment in fights, damaging enemies on hit and in a small cone behind their final target. The icy coating in the bolts makes them extremely potent at freezing enemies.

• 1 Bolt loaded per clip.

Glaciation (Support Gems)

Supports any skill that hits enemies, making it more effective at freezing enemies.

• DNT 50% more freeze buildup.

Ice Bite (Support Gems)

Supports attack you use yourself. Freezing an enemy with supported skills infuses all of your attacks with cold damage for a short time.

• Attacks gain 35% of damage as cold damage for 3 seconds on freezing an enemy with supported skills.

Deep Freeze (Support Gems)

Supports any skill that hits enemies, causing the freeze it inflicts to last longer.

• 50% increased freeze duration on enemies.

Explosive Grenade

Fire a bouncing grenade that unleashes a devastating blast when its fuse expires. The explosion radius is 1.9 meters and the fuse duration is 2.5 seconds.

• Converts 80% of physical damage to fire damage.

Frostfire (Support Gems)

Supports any skill that hits enemies causing it to consume freeze on igniting a frozen enemy to boost the effect of the ignite.

• Cannot freeze
• Consume freeze from enemies when igniting them
• 100% more magnitude of ignite inflicted on frozen targets with supported skills

Concentrated Effect (Support Gems)

Supports any skill with an area of effect, causing that area to be smaller but any area damage it deals to be higher.

• 50% less area of effect
• Supported skills deal 40% more area damage

Primal Armament (Support Gems)

Support Attacks that use a weapon, causing them to deal more weapon elemental damage.

• 25% more weapon elemental damage

Eternal Flame (Support Gems)

Supports any skill that hits enemies, causing its ignites to be inflicted less often but last longer.

• 100% increased ignite duration on enemies
• Supported skills have 25% less chance to ignite

Searing Flame (Support Gems)

Supports any skill that hits enemies, causing inflicted ignites to deal more damage but its hits to deal less damage.

• Supported skills deal 25% less damage with hits
• 75% more magnitude of ignite inflicted

Explosive Shot

Loads your crossbow with flaming bolts that explode in impact. The explosion will cause any grenades in its area of effect to also explode.

• 1 Bolt loaded per clip
• 30% less reload speed

Wildfire (Support Gems)

Supports any skill that hits enemies, spreading ignites it to inflict to nearby enemies after a delay.

• Ignites inflicted to supported skills spread to otherenemies that stay within 1.5 meters for 2 seconds.

Nimble Reload (Support Gems)

Supports crossbow ammunition skills, causing them to reload bolts significantly faster.

• Supported skills have 60% increased crossbow reload speed.

Herald of Ash

While active, enemies sufficiently overkill with attacks will cause an explosion that ingites nearby enemies based on the overall damage dealt.

Clarity (Support Gems)

Supports persistent buff skills, causing you to gain increased mana regeneration while the skill is active.

• 30% increased mana regeneration rate while a supported skill is active.

Vitality (Support Gems)

Supports persistent buff skills, causing you to gain life regeneration while the skill is active.

• Regenerate 1% of life per second while a supported skill is active.

Precision (Support Gems)

Supports persistent buff skills, causing you to gain increased accuracy while the skill is active.

• 30% increased accuracy rating while a supported skill is active.

Flash Grenade

Fires a bouncing grenade that unleashes a blinding stunning explosion when its fuse expires. This explosion can blind both allies and enemies.

• Blinds enemies
• 100% more stun buildup

Brutality (Support Gems)

Supports any skill that deals damage, boosting its physical damage at the expense of all other damage types.

• Deals no elemental damage
• Deals no Chaos damage
• Supported skills deal 35% more physical damage

High Velocity Rounds

Loads your crossbow with piercing bolts that can consume fully broken armour on enemies to deal extra damage.

• 1 bolt loaded per clip

Scattershot (Support Gems)

Supports projectile skills, making them fire extra projectiles. Also lowers attack and cast speed of supported skills, as well as lessening their damage.

• Fires 2 additional projectiles
• Supported skills deal 20% less damage
• Supported skills have 20% less attack and cast speed

Double Barrel (Support Gems)

Supports crossbow ammunition skills, causing them to load an extra bolt at the cost of reload speed.

• Supported skills load an additional bolt
• Supported skills have 1% less reload speed

Galvanic Shards

Loads your crossbow with a clip of charged bolts that fragment in flight, releasing chaining lightning beams when they hit enemies. Using this skill again reloads the clip.

• 5 bolts loaded per clip
• 50% less reload speed

Lightning Infusion (Support Gems)

Supports attacks, causing them to gain lightning damage but deal less cold and fire damage.

• Supported attacks gain 25% of damage as extra lightning damage
• Supported attacks deal 50% less cold and fire damage

Pierce (Support Gems)

Supports projectile skills, making their projectiles pierce an enemy but deal less damage after doing so.

• Projectiles from supported skills pierce an enemy
• Projectiles from supported skills deal 100% less damage if they’ve pierced an enemy

Voltaic Grenade

Fires a bouncing grenade that discharges an electrocuting lightning blast when its fuse expires.

• Lightning damage from this skill contributes to electrocution buildup
• Converts 80% of physical damage to lightning damage
• 50% more electrocution buildup

Second Wind (Support Gems)

Supports skills with cooldowns, giving them extra use of thar cooldown. Cannot support instant or triggered skills.

• Supported skills have twice as many cooldown uses
• Supported skills have 50% less cooldown recovery rate

Conduction (Support Gems)

Supports any skill that hits enemies, making it more likely to shock.

• Supported skills have a 100% greater chance of shock

Mercenary Leveling Setup POE2

Let’s quickly take a look at our leveling setup, which we can use up until about level 25. First, we’ve got High Velocity Rounds with Double Barrel and Scattershot. Next, we have Flash Grenade with the Second Wind. Third, we got the Galvanic: Shards with a Pierce and Lightning Infusion. Finally, we’ve Ripwire Ballista with Brutality and Lockdown.

This is your basic setup until you get an explosive shot which happens from about level 22 or 25. While leveling, we’ll use the High Velocity Rounds and Flash Grenade for a single target and then Galvanic: Shards with a Lightning Infusion and Pierce for AoE damage. As I said you’re able to get an explosive shot at level 22 which then will open up the door to detonate your grenades. Also, once you get a good crossbow that has some combination of flat physical damage, increased physical damage, and flat firing damage, then you should probably go ignite.

Best Mercenary Stat Priorities

Here are some stats that you should prioritize using your passive board and through gear as well.

Regular Stats

• Dexterity
• Strength
• Intelligence

Dexterity is a crucial stat for Mercenary because it allows you to equip gear with high evasion and combine evasion and armour. Strength and Intelligence are also recommended to equip powerful support gems like Double Barrel and Frost Nexus and stronger early access abilities like Herald of Ash.

Defensive Stats

• Evasion
• Movement Speed
• Armour

Evasion in Path of Exile 2 is a defensive stat for the Mercenary because it allows you to run away from enemies while firing your crossbow in combat. Also, consider the movement speed that you can obtain from the Ranger skill tree to the right of the Mercenary tree. If you somehow get swarmed in melee there’s no harm in some armour.

Offensive Stats

• Projectile damage
• Chance to inflict ailments
• Weapon swap speed
• Grenade AoE

Projectile damage is best for Mercenary in the early game. We recommend you focus on buffing your ailments to freeze and ignite enemies with ammo types. Add some additional AoE to boost the effectiveness of your grenades. Grab weapon swap speed because it allows you to quickly swap crossbows for combo ammo types and unique devastating effects.

Best Mercenary Passive Skills

Path of Exile 2 offers passive skill nodes that we recommend to grab when you got a chance because they’re highly effective.

• Defiance- 80% increased armour and evasion rating when on low life.
• Cluster Bombs- 50% increased grenade fuse duration, grenade skills fire an additional projectile.
• Quick-change Act- 50% increased weapon swap speed
• Heavy ammunition- 8% reduced attack speed, 40% increased projectile damage, 40% increased projectile stun buildup
• Blur- 4% increased movement speed, 20% increased evasion rating, +10 dexterity
• Exposed Wounds- 15% increased chance to inflict ailments, breaks 30% increased armour on enemies affected by ailments
• Ricochet- 15% increased projectile damage, projectiles have a 10% chance to chain an additional time
• Feel No Pain- 20% increased armour and evasion rating, 20% increased stun threshold
• Remorseless- 15% increased projectile damage, 30% increased stun buildup against enemies within two meters, +5 strength, and dexterity

How Skill Tree is set in POE2

For most new players, the passive skill tree is extremely daunting but actually, it’s quite simple. A character is granted one passive skill point every time they level up and are sometimes even granted more from completing certain quests. In extremely simple we have the intelligence section which focuses on spell damage, summoning, and elemental damage.

Next, we have the Dexterity section which is more focused on ranged combat, evasion, and speed. At the bottom left, we have the Strength section which is more melee and defense-oriented. Next, we’ve passive nodes and they are split into two categories. The small passives that grant minor bonuses such as a small increase in attack speed, spell damage, melee damage, or attributes.

Second, we’ve notable passives. These are larger passive points that grant greater bonuses than the smaller ones but they have stats on them that are often closely related to the small passives leading up to them. Think of these as checkpoints to work towards. On top of this, we have a third passive point but is not entirely compared to the two others. For the third one, we have the keystones which are build changing character defining that often provide a massive amount of power with a downside. However, these downsides can be reduced or worked towards.

Following a specific setup is extremely useful and understanding the passive skill tree can make or break your character. Investing more time in this specific section will definitely upgrade your knowledge of the game.

Best Mercenary Gear

Your weapon in Path of Exile 2 is the crucial upgrade to look at. Physical rolls and flat damage of any type are also important as your skills themselves do a lot of conversions. Update your base-type gear for defenses.

Gear Slot	Gear	Requirement	Effect
Main Hand Weapon	Advanced Dyad Crossbow	69 dex, 69 str, 55 level	Loads an additional bolt (65-84)% increased physical damage Adds (21-31) to (36-53) physical damage Adds (13-19) to (20-30) fire damage to attacks
Helmet	Shielded Helm	34 dex, 34 str, 33 level	77 armour 66 evasion rating
Body Armour	Advanced Explorer Armour	67 dex, 67str, 59 level	187 armour 170 evasion rating
Belt	Mail Belt	40 level	(15-20)% reduced Flask Charges used
Gloves	Bolstered Mitts	44 str, 27 level	58 armour
Boots	Stacked Sabatons	32 dex, 32 str, 33 level	56 armour 50 evasion rating
Ring 1	Ruby Ring	8 level	+(20-30)% to fire resistance
Ring 2	Sapphire Ring	12 level	+(20-30)% to Cold Resistance
Amulet	Jade Amulet	8 level	+(10-15) to Dexterity
Charms	Amethyst Charm	40 level	Used when you take chaos damage from a hit
Charms	Antidote Charm	24 level	Used when you become poisoned
Charms	Topaz Charm	5 level	Used when you take lightning damage from a hit
Mana Flask	Colossal Mana Flask	30 level	Boost to mana recovery

Mercenary Charms

You’ll unlock Charms during Act 1 and by completing the campaign. These charms act as passive nodes by giving you a bit of breeding room against specific elements. Charms are incredibly useful as having the right one equipped at the right time can save you from dying. If you’re struggling with certain bosses then look into what damage type they’re using and then use that specific charm to increase your resistance.  

How to Play Mercenary in Path of Exile 2

Mercenary in Path of Exile 2 involves unique mechanics and strategic versatility. This Strength/Dexterity hybrid Class allows you to use heavier gear and attack speed. Use only those gear that complements both attributes and increases the utility skills and crossbow damage output. Choosing the right Ascendancy is crucial as it customizes your playstyle to the next level. Positioning is important while playing in this Class, so use crossbows to maintain distance from melee enemies and swap between your two equipped crossbows.

Upgrade your attachments and ammo skills but begin with basic crossbow skills. Look for unique gear that also enhances elemental damage, cooldown speed for grenades, and ranged attack damage. Invest in those nodes, ensuring you increase projectile damage, attack speed, and utility effects. You need to practice switching between crossbows and ammo types to maximize the Class potential.

Prioritize the Witchhunter Ascendancy due to its capability to dominate enemies in comat. The Witchhunter focuses on critical strikes, utility, and crowd control. This is the best choice for taking down the magic user’s enemies. It boosts your defense against magic but offers less defense against physical attacks. This Ascendancy disrupts spell casters, slowing their cast interval. It can explode enemies and doubles for undead enemies and demons.

The Gemling Legionnaire emphasizes gem-based mechanics to build flexibility. They can gain additional skill slots and enhance elemental resistance without bypassing attribute requirements for skill gems. This is the secondary choice for you if you want your build to be more flexible.

Best Path of Exile 2 Mercenary Build Summary

FAQs about Best Mercenary Beginner build in Path of Exile 2 (POE 2)?

1. How important is gear for my Mercenary build?

Gear for Mercenary build impacts your effectiveness in combat, survivability, and overall gameplay. Weapons and accessories often provide bonuses to damage, attack speed, or critical hit chance. Use Armour for health resistance, and reduce against specific damage types. Many Mercenary builds depend on gear that synergizes with their abilities. Higher-tier gear often provides unique bonuses to increase your build’s capabilities.

2. Can I respec my Mercenary build if I make a mistake?

Yes, you can respec your Mercenary build by refunding passive skill points through The Hooded One, an NPC located in the Clearfell Encampment. Complete the “Sorrow Among Stones” quest in Act 1, to unlock this feature. However, it will take you 2 to 5 hours, depending on your pace.

3. How do I acquire Mercenary new skills?

The mercenary class in Path of Exile 2 has a wide variety of skills, primarily centered around crossbow attacks and grenade abilities. Getting new skills involves obtaining skill gems that you can socket into the equipment to grant corresponding abilities. You can obtain the skill gems while progressing through the campaign or you can purchase the skill gems from the vendors. Use the support gems to increase the strengthen the effects of your primary skills.

4. What’s the best way to level up the Mercenary build quickly?

The best way to level up the Mercenary build quickly is by selecting skills, ascendancies, and equipment, and employing synergistic combat techniques. Enhance your gear and equipment and optimize the skill gem selection.

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