Path of Exile 2 introduces an exciting array of classes, and the Mercenary stands out as a dynamic ranged specialist armed with a Crossbow. This class combines precision, versatility, and speed, delivering devastating damage through skillful use of bolts, grenades, and elemental ammo. Whether you prefer clearing hordes of enemies or focusing on challenging single-target encounters, the Mercenary’s toolkit offers endless possibilities for customization. This guide explores the best Skill Gems, Support Gems,Path of Exile 2 Orbs and passive skill combinations to create an unstoppable Mercenary build.

The Mercenary Class: A Snapshot

The Mercenary feels like a commando tearing through enemies with precision and devastating ranged attacks. The Crossbow is the class’s signature weapon, allowing for a variety of skill combinations and playstyles. The ability to swap between elemental bolts, spread shots, and grenades ensures the Mercenary excels in any scenario.

Key Features:

Versatile Damage: Switch between fire, cold, and lightning ammo to exploit enemy weaknesses.

Area Control: Skills like Shrapnel Shot and Explosive Grenade clear out enemy hordes efficiently.

Fast-Paced Combat: Optimized attack speed and movement allow for quick repositioning and relentless offense.

To fully realize the potential of the Mercenary class, it’s essential to select the right Skill Gems and optimize them with powerful Support Gems and passives.

Best Skill Gems for Mercenary Builds

Skill Gems define the Mercenary’s playstyle, offering unique mechanics and opportunities for synergy. Below are some of the best Skill Gems tailored for Mercenary builds:

1. Shrapnel Shot

Effect: Fires bolts that explode into a cone-shaped spread, dealing area-of-effect damage.

Why It’s Great: Shrapnel Shot excels at clearing tightly packed enemy groups. It’s a reliable primary skill for crowd control, especially when paired with Support Gems that enhance its area of effect and damage.

Recommended Supports:

Greater Multiple Projectiles: Expands the number of projectiles, increasing coverage.

Increased Area of Effect: Boosts the skill’s radius, allowing you to hit more enemies.

Added Fire Damage: Infuses bolts with fire, scaling area-of-effect damage further.

2. Explosive Grenade

Effect: Launches a grenade that deals fire damage in a wide area.

Why It’s Great: This skill provides excellent crowd control and applies burn damage over time, making it a valuable addition to any elemental-based build.

Recommended Supports:

Elemental Focus: Increases elemental damage while preventing burn overlaps.

Controlled Destruction: Scales spell damage for higher fire damage output.

Increased Burning Damage: Amplifies the effectiveness of burn over time.

3. Piercing Bolt

Effect: Fires a single projectile that pierces through multiple enemies.

Why It’s Great: Ideal for clearing linear pathways or taking down aligned enemies, Piercing Bolt is a precision tool for tactical play.

Recommended Supports:

Increased Projectile Damage: Boosts damage per target hit.

Greater Multiple Projectiles: Splits the shot into multiple piercing bolts.

Faster Attacks: Increases firing rate, ensuring quicker projectile output.

4. Frost Bolt Volley

Effect: Launches multiple frost projectiles that deal cold damage and slow enemies.

Why It’s Great: This skill combines damage and crowd control, making it invaluable for both offense and defense. Slowing enemies helps maintain control in chaotic battles.

Recommended Supports:

Hypothermia: Enhances damage against chilled enemies.

Cold Penetration: Increases damage by bypassing enemy cold resistance.

Increased Duration: Prolongs the slow effect from cold damage.

5. Elemental Barrage

Effect: Rapidly fires bolts imbued with elemental properties, dealing damage in quick succession.

Why It’s Great: Perfect for builds utilizing elemental ammo, this skill provides high DPS and versatility.

Recommended Supports:

Faster Attacks: Reduces attack animation time for increased bolt output.

Elemental Focus: Scales elemental damage, making each barrage more lethal.

Added Lightning Damage: Adds shock potential, increasing DPS and utility.

Best Support Gems for Mercenary Builds

Support Gems are critical for amplifying the effectiveness of your Skill Gems. They add modifiers that enhance damage, utility, or both. Here are the top Support Gems for the Mercenary:

1. Greater Multiple Projectiles

Effect: Increases the number of projectiles fired.

Why It’s Great: Perfect for area-of-effect skills like Shrapnel Shot or Frost Bolt Volley, this gem maximizes crowd-clearing efficiency.

2. Elemental Focus

Effect: Boosts elemental damage but prevents status ailments.

Why It’s Great: For builds focusing on raw elemental damage, this gem ensures maximum output without relying on secondary effects.

3. Faster Attacks

Effect: Reduces attack time for faster skill execution.

Why It’s Great: A must-have for high DPS builds, this gem allows you to unleash more skills in less time.

4. Increased Critical Strikes

Effect: Improves the chance of landing critical hits.

Why It’s Great: Essential for builds emphasizing critical damage, especially when paired with high-damage skills like Piercing Bolt.

5. Added Fire/Cold/Lightning Damage

Effect: Infuses skills with additional elemental damage.

Why It’s Great: This gem scales elemental builds, adding significant damage based on your chosen element.

Passive Skills to Optimize Mercenary Builds

Passive skills in Path of Exile 2 enhance the Mercenary’s abilities by boosting damage, survivability, and utility. Here’s what to prioritize:

1. Projectile Damage

Why It’s Important: This increases the base damage of ranged attacks, making skills like Piercing Bolt and Elemental Barrage more effective.

2. Elemental Damage

Why It’s Important: If your build uses elemental skills or ammo, investing in elemental damage multipliers is critical for scaling your DPS.

3. Attack Speed

Why It’s Important: Faster attacks translate to higher DPS and smoother gameplay, especially for skills requiring rapid execution.

4. Critical Strike Multiplier

Why It’s Important: Amplifies the damage of critical hits, making it a core stat for precision-focused builds.

5. Area of Effect

Why It’s Important: Expands the range of skills like Shrapnel Shot and Explosive Grenade, increasing their utility in clearing mobs.

Tips for a Successful Mercenary Build

Balance Offense and Defense: While maximizing damage is crucial, don’t neglect survivability. Invest in passive nodes that improve life, evasion, or resistances.

Leverage Elemental Ammo: Switching between elemental types allows you to exploit enemy weaknesses effectively.

Craft Your Gear: Use Path of Exile 2 Currency to craft or trade for gear that complements your build.

Test and Adjust: Experiment with different Skill and Support Gem combinations to find the synergy that best fits your play style.

Conclusion

The Mercenary class in Path of Exile 2 is a versatile and exciting choice, combining high-speed combat with devastating ranged attacks. By selecting the best Skill Gems like Shrapnel Shot, Explosive Grenade, and Elemental Barrage, and optimizing them with powerful Support Gems, you can create a build tailored to any scenario. Pair these skills with passive nodes that boost projectile damage, attack speed, and elemental multipliers, and you’ll be unstoppable.

Path of Exile 2’s complexity rewards careful planning, and the Mercenary offers endless opportunities for creative builds. Whether you’re tackling hordes or taking down powerful bosses, mastering the Mercenary class will make you a force to be reckoned with in Wraeclast.