Mercenary Build Guide: Dominate Path of Exile 2 with Bladeswinger

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

Tired of fantasy tropes in Path of Exile 2? Embrace the Mercenary class for a top-down, Doom-like experience! Ditch the swords and bows; your trusty crossbow is your key to obliterating hordes of enemies. This guide focuses on building an effective Mercenary in PoE2's early access version (0.1.0f). Note that Grinding Gear Games (GGG) may implement changes affecting this guide's accuracy in the full release.

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The Mercenary's Versatility

While capable of wielding any weapon, the Mercenary shines with crossbows. Think of it as a hybrid of automatic rifle, shotgun, and grenade launcher – your ultimate tool for ranged combat. Forget close-quarters combat; let your crossbow do the talking!

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Key Attributes and Early Game Skills

Dexterity is paramount. Maximize it through gear and passive skills. Prioritize Evasion over Armor. Movement speed is crucial for dodging attacks. Allocate Strength and Intelligence as needed for equipment or skill requirements.

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Early Game Skill Choices:

• Fragmentation Rounds: Useful initially, but quickly outclassed. Consider Brutality and Leverage support gems.

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• Permafrost Bolts: A strong starting skill. Freeze and immobilize enemies with Frost Nexus and Leverage support gems. Double Barrel adds more bolts but increases reload time (mitigable later).

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• Explosive Grenade: Excellent for crowd control. Scattershot throws three grenades, albeit with reduced damage. Second Wind is a valuable support gem.

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• Gas Grenade: Creates a poisonous cloud. 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.

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• Galvanic Shards (Act 2): Transforms your crossbow into an automatic shotgun. Conduction and Lightning Infusion support gems significantly increase damage.

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• Herald of Thunder: An excellent buff, especially with Galvanic Shards and Conduction. Requires 30 spirit units.

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• Explosive Shot: Combines well with grenades; explosions detonate nearby grenades. Fire Infusion boosts fire damage. Offers ranged AoE and an alternative to Galvanic Shards.

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Passive Skill Tree Recommendations

Prioritize nodes increasing projectile damage:

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

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These suggestions provide a solid foundation. Experiment to discover your optimal build and enjoy the explosive gameplay!