Path of Exile 2: Mercenary Leveling Guide

This Path of Exile 2 Mercenary leveling guide outlines optimal skills, gems, passive skills, and items to ensure a smooth progression to the endgame. Mercenaries, while easy to level, require strategic build choices for maximum effectiveness.

Early Game Strategy: Initially, focus on Fragmentation Shot and Permafrost Shot. Fragmentation Shot excels in close-quarters combat, while Permafrost Shot's freezing effect boosts Fragmentation Shot damage.

Mid-to-Late Game Power Spike: Unlocking Grenades transforms the playstyle. The combination of Explosive Grenade, Gas Grenade, and Explosive Shot creates a powerful AoE clear and single-target damage strategy. Detonation skills maximize this synergy. Ripwire Ballista provides a distraction, and Glacial Bolt offers crowd control. Consider swapping Glacial Bolt for Oil Grenade against bosses. Galvanic Shards provides a low-risk option for clearing weaker enemies. Herald of Ash provides additional damage over time.

Use Lesser Jeweller's Orbs to add support gem sockets to your key skills.

Passive Skill Tree Prioritization: Focus on Cluster Bombs, Repeating Explosives, and Iron Reflexes. Cluster Bombs increases grenade projectiles, Repeating Explosives provides a chance for double explosions, and Iron Reflexes mitigates the armor/evasion penalty of the Sorcery Ward ascendancy (recommended for leveling). Also prioritize Cooldown Reduction, Projectile & Grenade Damage, and Area of Effect. Crossbow skills and Armor/Evasion nodes are secondary unless needed.

Essential Item Modifiers & Stats: Prioritize Crossbow upgrades. Focus on Dexterity, Strength, Armor, Evasion, Elemental Resistances (excluding Chaos), Physical and Elemental Damage, Mana on Hit, and Resistances. Rarity, Movement Speed, and Attack Speed are beneficial but not essential. A Bombard Crossbow significantly enhances grenade damage.

Remember to upgrade your lowest-level gear first. This build emphasizes synergy between skills and strategic gem choices to ensure a smooth and powerful leveling experience for your Mercenary.