Best Path of Exile 2 Mercenary build

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The best POE 2 merc build is focused on armor, evasion, frost and fire

Path of Exile 2 Classes
(Image credit: Grinding Gear Games)

The best Path of Exile 2 Mercenary build is based around using the Crossbow and Grenades for unsurpassed long-range supremacy and elemental damage, while also managing a surprising amount of durability for those few enemies that break through your assault. The POE2 Merc is probably the strongest class in the game right now, and this build is how you take it from powerful to overpowered, based around working towards the Witchhunter, one of the two Path of Exile 2 Ascendencies for the Merc.

Best Mercenary build in Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2 Mercenary build

(Image credit: Grinding Gear Games)

The best POE 2 Mercenary build focuses on the following elements:

  • Elemental damage (mainly frost and fire) in crossbow and grenade skills
  • Focusing on defensive evasion, mobility and armor

With these elements you can then work towards the Witch Hunter ascendancy and all the prizes therein. We have to credit Mobalytics user FearlessDumbo for inspiring many of the choices behind this build, and providing the central point around which the build can be tested and experimented with.

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The key here is that the Mercenary is capable of ridiculous damage at range, so by leaning into that with some clever skill synergies, not to mention protecting yourself from the melee enemies that manage to get through your barrage, you can pretty decisively prove why the Merc is top of the list in the Path of Exile 2 class tier list. If you want to build towards it yourself, here's the key skills, equipment for your loadout, and more besides.

  • Equipment
    • Weapon: Crossbow (Physical Damage/Attack Speed/Reloading/Fire/Frost)
    • Head: Helm (Armor/Evasion)
    • Body: Explorer Armor (prioritise evasion/energy shield buffs)
    • Hands: Mitts/Gauntlets (attack speed/health and mana leech/damage increase)
    • Belt: Max life/defense buffs
    • Boots: Sabatons/Leggings (movement speed/armor/evasion)
    • Amulet: Armor/Evasion/defense/Strength and Dex buff
  • Skill Gems
    • Crossbow Shot
    • Explosive Grenade: Frostfire/Primal Armament/Concentrated Effect/Eternal Flame/Searing Flame
    • Permafrost Bolts: Glaciation/Deep Freeze/Ice Bite
    • Explosive Shot: Wildfire/Nimble Reload
    • Flash Grenade: Brutality
    • High Velocity Rounds: Scattershot/Double Barrel/Execute
    • Galvanic Shards: Lightning Infusion/Pierce
  • Passive Skills
    • Work towards Reload Speed, Grenade effects, Crossbow buffs, Strength and Dexterity buffs
  • Ascendencies
    • Witch Hunter
      • Zealous Inquisition
      • Pitiless Killer
      • Witchbane

The way to play here is by keeping a constant distance and using your grenades and crossbow to hold the enemy at bay - frost to freeze them and fire to maintain damage. A near-constant barrage of fire should eventually be possible, while your armor should keep you safe from any that break through the line. Later on you'll want to lean even more into the freezing and ignition status effects, and make you know how to trade in Path of Exile 2 wisely - the right crossbow can make or break a build like this.

Want to go from long-range to close quarters? We've also got the best Path of Exile 2 Monk build for you to try out, based around sparking lightning damage and the Invoker ascendency.

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Joel Franey
Joel Franey
Guides Editor, GamesRadar+

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.