Path of Exile 2: Mercenary Class Guide
The Mercenary class in Path of Exile 2 offers a unique, dynamic playstyle built around the use of a crossbow and grenades, with a strong focus on mobility, versatility, and ranged damage. As a hybrid Strength and Dexterity class, the Mercenary is capable of adapting to various combat situations, making it an excellent choice for players who like flexibility and fast-paced gameplay. Below is everything you need to know about the Mercenary class, its Ascendancy Classes, and how to optimize your build for both leveling and endgame content.
Mercenary Class Overview
The Mercenary is all about versatility. Wielding a crossbow that can switch between various ammo types, the Mercenary is well-suited for taking on different enemies and challenges. Whether you're facing crowds of monsters or solo bosses, the Mercenary has a solution in his arsenal.
Key features of the Mercenary class include:
Ammo Types: The Mercenary can switch between multiple ammo types that grant different effects. This makes the Mercenary adaptable in both offense and defense:
Explosive Grenade: Deals fire damage.
Flash Grenade: Blinds enemies, providing crowd control.
Voltaic Grenade: Deals lightning damage.
Oil Grenade: Slows enemies and applies Fire Exposure for extra damage.
Crossbow Mastery: Mercenaries are proficient with crossbows, which differ from other projectile-based weapons in that they offer more versatility with different types of ammunition and skill effects.
Skill Focus: The Mercenary excels at long-range combat with a crossbow and can use grenades for crowd control and utility. This makes them great for both mapping and bossing.
If you're a fan of moving around quickly, adapting to different combat scenarios, and delivering damage from a distance, the Mercenary will provide a satisfying experience.
Mercenary Ascendancy Classes
The Mercenary has two Ascendancy Classes to choose from: Witch Hunter and Gemling Legionnaire. Both offer unique abilities and advantages that cater to different playstyles.
Witch Hunter
The Witch Hunter is a highly offensive and defensive subclass designed for high damage output and utility, especially when facing bosses or dense packs of enemies. Key traits of the Witch Hunter include:
Offensive Skills:
Culling Strike: Allows you to deal the final blow to enemies below a certain health threshold, ensuring you can eliminate tough enemies quickly.
Decimating Strike: Deals extra damage to enemies at the edge of their health, providing a huge DPS boost.
Defensive Utility:
Concentration: A unique stat that reduces the Cooldown Recovery Rate of enemies. This makes it much harder for bosses or tougher monsters to use their powerful attacks, giving you the upper hand in prolonged fights.
Sorcery Ward: Grants an elemental barrier that recharges over time but reduces Armor and Evasion by 50%. This makes you more resistant to elemental damage but requires you to balance your defense stats.
Clear Speed:
Zealous Inquisition: Increases the chance for enemies to explode upon death, allowing you to clear packs quickly. This is especially powerful in areas with dense mobs.
Overall, the Witch Hunter is a great choice for players looking for strong DPS, mobility, and defensive utility with minimal build complexity. It provides a straightforward and efficient playstyle with fewer requirements for game knowledge and setup.
Gemling Legionnaire
The Gemling Legionnaire subclass focuses on optimizing your Skill Gems and Attributes, making it more suited for players who enjoy min-maxing and build crafting. Key features of the Gemling Legionnaire include:
Adaptive Capability:
This allows you to meet the Attribute Requirements of your gems using whichever of your highest attributes is available (Strength or Dexterity). This means you can specialize in one stat while still maintaining the ability to use any Skill Gems, giving you flexibility in your build choices.
Advanced Thaumaturgy:
This notably reduces the cost of your Skills by 30% while increasing their Attribute Requirements. The key here is to push your Strength or Dexterity to a level where these increased requirements are easily met, allowing you to enjoy the 30% cost reduction without sacrificing access to essential skills.
Skill Slot Bonuses:
The Gemling Legionnaire also benefits from an increased number of Skill Gem Slots and offers unique mechanics for using Support Gems to boost your resistances.
Overall, the Gemling Legionnaire is a more complex subclass that requires an understanding of Path of Exile 2's deep Attribute and Skill Gem systems. While it can yield powerful results with the right setup, it may be less accessible for beginners.
Recommended Playstyle and Build Tips
Witch Hunter is better suited for players who prefer a simpler, effective playstyle with a focus on powerful damage and clear speed.
Gemling Legionnaire is ideal for advanced players who enjoy building around gem synergy, attribute management, and optimizing skill costs.
Recommended Gear and Crafting
For Mercenaries, crossbows are the primary source of damage, so upgrading your crossbow regularly is essential. Look for items that provide bonuses to Physical Damage, Projectile Damage, Attack Speed, and Critical Chance. Also, pay attention to elemental resistances, Life, and Mana regeneration.
Bombard Crossbow is an excellent choice early on and will likely serve you well throughout much of the game.
Kaom's Way can offer added defense and life leech, making it a great option for sustaining during tougher fights.
Crafting in Path of Exile 2 has been simplified compared to its predecessor, so you'll want to keep an eye out for items with desirable mods (e.g., Physical Damage, Projectile Damage, Life, and Resistances) and upgrade them as needed using Regal Orbs or Exalted Orbs.
Conclusion
The Mercenary class in Path of Exile 2 offers a highly adaptable and mobile playstyle, with the ability to switch between different ammo types and grenades to suit any situation. Whether you choose the Witch Hunter for straightforward power and utility or the Gemling Legionnaire for a more complex and specialized build, the Mercenary provides excellent ranged damage, mobility, and flexibility.
To further enhance your build, consider acquiring POE 2 Currency and POE 2 Items to obtain powerful gear, crafting materials, and essential upgrades. With the right setup, the Mercenary is capable of dominating both mapping and boss fights with ease.