As Path of Exile 2 makes waves in the ARPG scene with its revamped systems, stunning visuals, and deep character customization, one class stands out for players who enjoy tactical combat and inventive approaches to warfare: the Mercenary. More than just a fighter, the Mercenary is a strategic powerhouse—part soldier, part scientist, and all about efficiency through firepower, gadgets, and POE2 Currency.

In a game where brutal melee warriors and elemental mages often dominate the spotlight, the Mercenary carves out a unique niche. Whether you're a seasoned Path of Exile veteran or a newcomer dipping your toes into the chaos of Wraeclast for the first time, this guide will walk you through the best early access Mercenary build—from weapon choices to passive skills, gear suggestions, and key strategies—to help you dominate enemies from the start.

Who is the Mercenary in Path of Exile 2?

The Mercenary is unlike any other class in Path of Exile 2. While other archetypes focus on brute strength or mystical arts, the Mercenary leans into technological warfare. This character combines military experience with a unique arsenal of advanced weapons, including grenades, crossbows, mines, and traps.

Mechanically, this makes the Mercenary a hybrid class: versatile in both ranged and close-quarter combat. But what sets them apart is their ability to manipulate the battlefield using tactics and tools, not just brute force.

Core Playstyle and Philosophy

The Mercenary doesn’t just dive into fights—they set the terms of battle. With clever positioning, AoE crowd control, and burst damage from explosives, you’ll find yourself playing smarter, not harder. The Mercenary is perfect for players who enjoy:

Planning ambushes.

Using terrain to their advantage.

Utilizing multiple damage types.

Having options to deal with any enemy situation.

This class rewards forethought and reaction, and while its learning curve is steeper than more straightforward builds, the payoff is immense.

The Best Mercenary Build: Grenade & Crossbow Tactician

This build focuses on combining area-denial tools like grenades with the high DPS precision of crossbows, allowing you to control crowds and snipe priority targets with ruthless efficiency.

Primary Skills:

Fragmentation Grenade (AoE Burst):

This skill deals heavy fire or physical damage in an area and can be lobbed over obstacles.

Great for softening up mobs or finishing off weakened packs.

Upgrade path: Add burning effect or bleed chance depending on enemy resistances.

Piercing Crossbow Shot (Ranged DPS):

Fires a bolt that pierces through multiple enemies, ideal for lining up foes.

Scales with projectile speed and damage.

Can be linked with modifiers like Chain, Additional Projectiles, or Critical Chance.

Tactical Retreat (Mobility + Utility):

Dash skill that leaves a trap or explosive behind.

Perfect for repositioning while damaging or stunning pursuing enemies.

EMP Grenade (Debuff Utility):

Temporarily disables enemy auras and reduces resistances.

Key for dealing with magic-resistant foes and elite monsters.

Trap Deployment (Control):

Lay mines or caltrops that slow or bleed enemies.

Ideal for kiting bosses and setting up killing zones.

Passive Tree Priorities

In early access, the Mercenary has access to a hybrid passive tree that lets you invest in ranged damage, area control, and trap efficiency. Focus your early points on the following:

Key Passive Nodes:

Explosive Mastery – Increases grenade radius and damage.

Tactical Deployment – Boosts trap cooldown recovery and duration.

Projectile Warfare – Enhances crossbow attack speed and crit chance.

Field Engineer – Boosts area skills and applies vulnerability to enemies hit by AoE.

Military Precision – Grants accuracy, evasion, and projectile piercing.

The build can branch into more specialized paths later, but these early-game nodes offer solid survivability, crowd control, and high burst damage.

Best Gear for the Mercenary Build

Weapons:

High-Damage Crossbow (Rare/Unique):

Prioritize attack speed, crit chance, and elemental conversion.

Early uniques like Vulcan's Eye (fictional example) offer fire-based scaling for grenades.

Grenade Launcher (Off-hand or Utility Slot):

Some builds allow switching between weapon sets or attaching secondary skills via grenade belts.

Armor:

Focus on gear that increases:

Evasion Rating (for survivability),

Energy Shield (for hybrid defense),

Trap cooldown reduction and grenade damage modifiers.

Recommended Early Mods:

to Grenade Skills

Increased Projectile Speed

Reduced Trap Deployment Delay

+% Area Damage

Increased Damage Over Time

Jewels and Flasks

Jewels:

Explosives Expert’s Eye – Increases grenade radius and damage over time.

Ranged Dominance – Buffs projectile damage and status ailments like burning or bleeding.

Flasks:

Quartz Flask – Grants phasing and evasion.

Sulphur Flask – Creates a consecrated ground that regenerates life.

Stibnite Flask – Blinds enemies and boosts evasion, excellent for kiting.

Early Game Strategy:

Clear Speed: Use grenades to initiate fights. Chain them into mobs to reduce their numbers before closing in or retreating.

Boss Fights: Use traps to kite and slow bosses. Fire crossbow shots from range while dodging.

Map Control: Your EMP and crowd-control grenades make you invaluable in team play and solo scenarios. Block off corridors, trigger choke-point ambushes, and use terrain tactically.

Mobility: Never stay still. Use Tactical Retreat to reposition and leave traps or explosions behind for pursuing enemies.

Scaling Into Midgame

As you progress through early access, you can begin customizing your Mercenary for more status ailment focus (like bleeding or ignite) or trap-centric gameplay, depending on your preferred approach. Start investing in:

Bleed Explosions (for AoE synergy).

Trap Chain Reaction nodes (for bomb builds).

Crossbow Elemental Infusion (convert phys to fire or lightning).

Depending on the enemies and environments, you can respec into fire-heavy builds (if fighting undead) or physical/bleed builds (against armor-heavy targets).

Why Choose the Mercenary in POE2 Early Access?

The Mercenary is one of the most flexible, satisfying, and innovative classes available in early access. If you like:

Playing a thinker’s class.

Using clever tools over brute strength.

Maintaining control of the battlefield.

Blending technology and tactics in an ARPG setting.

Then the Mercenary is tailor-made for you.

While the learning curve is steeper than that of melee or caster classes, once you get the hang of juggling grenades, repositioning, and weaving in crossbow shots, it becomes a highly rewarding experience. Every fight becomes a puzzle to solve, and victory is often determined before the first shot is fired.

Conclusion

Path of Exile 2 Currency Orbs opens the door to new playstyles and innovative class design, and the Mercenary exemplifies this evolution. With its blend of calculated combat and explosive flair, this class turns every encounter into a tactical challenge. By mastering the Grenade & Crossbow Tactician build, you’ll not only survive early access—you’ll thrive.

Whether you’re planting traps to funnel enemies into fiery oblivion or unleashing pinpoint crossbow shots from behind a line of mines, this build rewards those who outsmart the chaos.

So, gear up, stay mobile, and remember: In Wraeclast, knowledge is just as deadly as steel.