In Path of Exile 2, the Grenade Mercenary class is one of the POE 2 Currency most exciting and dynamic options for players who enjoy explosive, ranged combat. With the ability to wield high-damage grenades and tactical support abilities, the Grenade Mercenary excels at crowd control and rapid clearing. However, like any class, optimal leveling requires the right strategy, gear, and skill choices. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you level up your Grenade Mercenary effectively.
Early Levels (1-25)
In the early stages of the game, focus on building your core damage abilities while maintaining survivability. Grenade Mercenaries start with basic skills that provide solid damage and AoE (Area of Effect) clear. Start by selecting grenades that deal elemental damage, which scale well in the early game. Here’s how to approach the first few acts:
Skill Selection: Early on, focus on basic grenades that deal fire or chaos damage, as these types of grenades scale better in the initial stages. Use Fire Grenade or Chaos Grenade to deal consistent damage to enemies while progressing through the acts.
Passive Skill Tree: Prioritize Health and Damage nodes early on. Look for nodes that increase your explosive damage, radius, and survivability. Energy Shield is a useful investment as a secondary defense layer for your Mercenary.
Gear: Gear with +% elemental damage or +% grenade throw speed is crucial. Additionally, prioritize life and resistances to increase your overall tankiness. Early on, don’t be afraid to use random gear drops, as long as they give basic stats to survive the oncoming waves of enemies.
Mid Levels (25-50)
By this stage, your Grenade Mercenary should begin to excel in dealing with larger groups of enemies. It's time to invest in more advanced grenade skills and enhance your defenses.
Skill Selection: Grenade Cluster is an excellent skill for mid-game. This skill can launch multiple grenades at once, providing high burst damage and AoE clearing. Additionally, consider adding utility skills like Smoke Screen to avoid enemy hits and Tactical Retreat for mobility.
Passive Skill Tree: Now, focus on adding Explosion Radius, Projectile Speed, and Cooldown Reduction. These will enhance your ability to clear enemies efficiently. Don’t neglect the Life Leech and Elemental Resistances nodes to sustain yourself in tougher areas.
Gear: Upgrade your gear to include Increased Area of Effect modifiers and +% Fire/Chaos Damage. Look for items with Increased Mana Regeneration or Mana Leech to sustain your abilities more effectively.
Late Levels (50-100)
In the late game, the Grenade Mercenary truly shines. By now, you should have access to some of the game’s most potent grenades and support abilities. This is the stage where you’ll need to focus on end-game gear and powerful synergies.
Skill Selection: By this point, your primary grenade should be Cluster Grenade or Seismic Grenade, both of which deal massive damage in a wide radius. Support this with defensive skills like Shrapnel Armor or Defensive Grenade to add layers of protection and explosive utility to your Mercenary’s skill set.
Passive Skill Tree: Focus on Mana Efficiency, Increased Explosive Damage, and Grenade Damage Over Time nodes. These will allow your Mercenary to deal damage over extended fights while keeping the grenade spam active. Maximizing your Critical Strike Chance and Critical Strike Multiplier will give you additional damage scaling.
Gear: Gear up with items that provide +% Maximum Life, Elemental Resistances, and Explosive Damage Bonuses. Increased Attack Speed and Cooldown Recovery Speed are also excellent choices to ensure your grenades are always available. Don’t forget about Flasks—flasks that grant you Increased Movement Speed or Damage Reduction can make a buy POE 2 Currency world of difference in harder fights.
Conclusion
Leveling up a Grenade Mercenary in Path of Exile 2 is a journey that requires a balanced approach between offense and defense. Early on, focus on elemental damage and survivability, while later, enhance your grenade skills and synergize your gear for maximum damage. If you follow this guide and stay adaptable, your Grenade Mercenary will become a powerhouse capable of obliterating anything in their path.