The Mercenary class in Path of Exile 2 brings an exciting, fast-paced playstyle that feels like controlling a commando tearing through enemies with devastating ranged attacks. Armed with a Crossbow, the Mercenary has access to specialized abilities, including transforming bolts into spread shots, launching grenades, and switching between elemental ammo. With the right Skill Gems and a well-optimized build, this class becomes a relentless powerhouse capable of clearing entire hordes with ease.

In this guide, we'll cover the best Skill Gems for Mercenary builds, and highlight the strongest Support Gems and passive skill combinations.

The Best Skill Gems for Mercenary Builds

Skill Gems determine how the Mercenary delivers devastating ranged damage, with each offering unique mechanics and opportunities for customization. Here are some of the best Skill Gems that perfectly complement the Mercenary's versatile combat style:

    Shrapnel Shot

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

        Why It's Great: Shrapnel Shot is perfect for clearing packs of enemies and dealing with tightly grouped mobs. Pair it with area-enhancing Support Gems to increase its coverage and damage radius.

    Explosive Grenade

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

        Why It's Great: Explosive Grenade is excellent for crowd control and applying burn damage over time. Combined with elemental Support Gems, this skill can hit like a truck and provide consistent damage.

    Piercing Bolt

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

        Why It's Great: Piercing Bolt is ideal for linear pathways or situations where enemies line up. Using Support Gems like Increased Projectile Damage or Greater Multiple Projectiles further amplifies its effectiveness.

    Frost Bolt Volley

        Effect: Fires multiple frost projectiles that deal cold damage, slowing enemies.

        Why It's Great: Slowing down mobs while dealing consistent cold damage makes Frost Bolt Volley a fantastic defensive and offensive tool. Pair it with cold damage multipliers and Support Gems like Hypothermia to enhance its power.

    Elemental Barrage

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

        Why It's Great: This skill capitalizes on elemental ammo, allowing for flexible damage types like fire, cold, or lightning. Support Gems like Elemental Focus and Faster Attacks can turn Elemental Barrage into a DPS powerhouse.

Best Support Gems to Maximize Mercenary Skills

Support Gems enhance the performance of your chosen Skill Gems by modifying their properties, increasing damage, or adding new effects. Here are some of the most optimal Support Gems for Mercenary builds:

    Greater Multiple Projectiles: Increases the number of projectiles fired, making skills like Shrapnel Shot or Frost Bolt Volley much more effective for crowd clearing.

    Elemental Focus: Boosts elemental damage while preventing status ailments, which is perfect for elemental ammo builds.

    Increased Critical Strikes: Improves critical hit chance, turning skills like Piercing Bolt into deadly single-target tools.

    Faster Attacks: Reduces attack time, allowing you to unleash more bolts and grenades in a shorter period.

    Added Fire/Cold/Lightning Damage: Scales your elemental damage further, depending on which type you're focusing on.

The key to an effective build is matching the Support Gems to your playstyle. For example, combining Elemental Barrage with Faster Attacks and Elemental Focus creates a high-speed, high-damage elemental setup, while Shrapnel Shot with Greater Multiple Projectiles and Increased Area of Effect excels at clearing large packs.

Passive Skills to Complement Mercenary Builds

To get the most out of the Mercenary's Skill Gems, the right passive skills must be prioritized on the skill tree. Look for nodes that enhance:

    Projectile Damage: Scales the overall damage output of your ranged attacks.

    Elemental Damage: If your build uses elemental ammo or skills like Explosive Grenade, increasing elemental multipliers is essential.

    Attack Speed: Faster attacks mean higher DPS, which is crucial for quick, efficient clearing.

    Critical Strike Multiplier: Boosts damage when you land critical hits, especially useful for skills like Piercing Bolt or Frost Bolt Volley.

Strategically combining these passive nodes with your Skill Gems and Support Gems will give your Mercenary the raw power and speed to dominate any encounter.

Conclusion

The Mercenary class in Path of Exile 2 offers a unique and thrilling gameplay experience, blending versatility, speed, and raw power. By focusing on the best Skill Gems, optimizing your Support Gems, and utilizing the right passive skills, you can create a devastatingly efficient build.

Leveraging POE 2 Currency is key to taking your build to the next level, enabling you to craft superior gear, trade for rare POE 2 items, and fine-tune your setup. Whether you're blasting enemies with Shrapnel Shot or freezing them with Frost Bolt Volley, mastering the Mercenary class will make you a force to be reckoned with in Path of Exile 2.

MMOexp POE 2 Team