Path of Exile 2 brings the Mercenary, a new class full of power and chaos. It uses WASD movement, crossbows, and special ammo to destroy everything in your way. Burn mobs, freeze bosses, and pierce defenses—this class can do it all.
In this Path of Exile 2 Mercenary guide, you’ll learn:
- What makes the Mercenary special in Path of Exile 2.
- How to use WASD movement and crossbows.
- Best ammo types like Incendiary, Permafrost, and Armor Piercing rounds.
- Differences between Witch Hunter and Gemling Legionnaire ascendancies.
- Tips to use grenades, attachments, and combos.
Let’s jump in and master the Mercenary in Path of Exile 2!
IMPORTANT NOTE:
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Path of Exile 2 Mercenary Guide | overview
Mercenary is here to ruin your life AND your enemies’ lives in Path of Exile 2. You thought you were ready? Guess what—you’re not. This isn’t your average point-and-click snoozefest. This is WASD combat, crossbow-slinging chaos, and ammo-swapping hellfire. You’re not walking into Wraeclast anymore; you’re storming it with an arsenal that puts the gods to shame. Rapid-fire? Explosions? Freezing everything in sight? Oh, it’s all here, and if you can’t handle it, go play checkers or something. The Mercenary is the class that turns enemies into ashes, the ground into a war zone, and your hands into sweaty, shaking messes of adrenaline and regret. Master it, or go home crying.
| Feature | Description |
| Core Weapon | The Crossbow—fires instantly, unlike bows. |
| Combat Style | WASD movement for maximum mobility and aiming freedom. |
| Ammo Types | Armor Piercing ammo, Incendiary, Permafrost—customize your damage and utility. |
| Firing Modes | Rapid Shot (assault rifle), Burst Shot crossbow (shotgun), Power Shot (sniper rifle). |
| Skill Synergies | Mix different ammo skills types and grenades for devastating combos like AoE nukes and freezes. |
| Grenade Skills | Flash Grenade, Explosive Grenade—crowd control and burst damage tools. |
| Attachments | Skill gems exclusive to Crossbows, adding extra firing modes or utility. |
| WASD Movement | Move like a shooter, not a clicker—welcome to the 21st century, ARPGs. |
| Ascendancy Options | Witch Hunter (bossing, explosions) or Gemling Legionnaire (flexibility, gems) and slow enemies, especially in pvp of grinding gear games and other playable classes who deal damage with powerful skills. |
| Skill Slots | Up to 3 extra skill slots with Gemling Legionnaire ascendancy. |
| Elemental Effects | Ignite, freeze, or pierce enemies—choose your method of destruction. |
| Passive Tree Proximity | Starts near Duelist—access Strength/Dexterity nodes for fast scaling to other classes. |
| Double Crossbow Loadout | Equip two crossbows, auto-swap firing modes during combat. |
| Best For | Both single-target boss melting and clearing mobs in waves. |
| Playstyle Identity | Top-down shooter meets ARPG chaos. |
| Support Gem Integration | Works seamlessly with standard and Crossbow-exclusive gems. |
| Customization Options | Ammo, grenades, attachments—builds are only limited by your imagination. |
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Path of Exile 2 Mercenary Guide | Skills
The Mercenary’s skills aren’t here to compliment your playstyle—they’re here to DOMINATE EVERYTHING. Every shot from your crossbow is a middle finger to the enemy, a one-way ticket to their funeral. Rapid Shot? Feels like spraying bullets from an assault rifle. Explosive Shot? A freakin’ grenade launcher strapped to your arm. And don’t even get me started on Incendiary Ammo—if you’re not setting the whole map on fire, are you even playing Mercenary? This class is not here to make friends; it’s here to wipe out hordes, freeze bosses in their tracks, and melt them into a puddle of regret. If you’re not using every ammo type, skill gem, and firing mode like your life depends on it, uninstall the game and go play Candy Crush with base classes on original path.
| Skill | Description |
| Rapid Shot | Fast-firing assault rifle mode. Perfect for mowing down mobs. |
| Power Shot | Heavy sniper-style attack for single-target annihilation. |
| Burst Shot | Shotgun-style blast—wreck groups of enemies up close. |
| Explosive Shot | AoE explosion with grenade launcher vibes. |
| Incendiary Shot | Fire-based attack—ignites enemies for devastating damage-over-time. |
| Ice Shards | Launch cold projectiles to slow and chill enemies. |
| Permafrost Ammo | Chills or freezes enemies, locking them in place for easy kills. |
| Armour Piercing Ammo | Penetrates enemy defenses and hits everything in its path. |
| Fragmentation Rounds | Scattershot projectiles that shred groups like confetti. |
| Explosive Grenade Launcher | Throw grenades for insane AoE damage. |
| Flash Grenade Launcher | Disorient and blind enemies, setting them up for the kill. |
| Glacial Bolt | Heavy cold projectile—freeze enemies to death in style. |
| High Velocity Rounds | Fast-moving bullets for long-range precision. |
| Incendiary Ammo | Add fire damage to any skill, burn everything, and laugh. |
| Sorcery Ward | Defensive skill to block spell-based damage—paired with Witch Hunter Ascendancy. |
| Adaptive Capability | Satisfy all gem attribute requirements with your highest stat—Gemling Legionnaire’s bread and butter mechanics to deal more damage with this character. |
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Path of Exile 2 Mercenary Guide | Core attributes
STR/DEX, baby! You think this class is about subtlety? Hell no. The Mercenary is built to destroy with raw strength and unmatched speed. STR gives you more muscle for damage, DEX gives you speed to dodge and annihilate. It’s a perfect cocktail of brutality. You start near the Duelist tree—prime real estate for scaling big hits and rapid attacks. Don’t waste your time with useless frills. Focus on damage, survivability, and making enemies cry.
| Attribute | Description |
| Strength | Increases damage, survivability, and helps you crush everything in your path. |
| Dexterity | Boosts attack speed, accuracy, and evasion—be fast, hit hard, don’t get hit & gain. |
| Starting Node | Starts near Duelist for access to STR/DEX-heavy parts of the passive tree gameplay form advantage. |
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Path of Exile 2 Mercenary Guide | Tips and tricks
If you want to master the Mercenary, you’ve got to play smarter, faster, and deadlier. This class isn’t here for finesse—it’s here to obliterate. Here’s your cheat sheet to wreck faces and dominate the battlefield. Follow these tips or stay stuck in the dirt.
| Tip | Why It Matters |
| Always swap ammo types | Incendiary burns, Permafrost freezes, Piercing wrecks armor—use the right tool. |
| Learn WASD movement | Get good at dodging while firing—you’re not a sitting duck anymore! |
| Use Burst Shot for mobs | It’s like a shotgun for clearing trash—fast, effective, satisfying. |
| Power Shot for bosses | Sniper-level precision and massive damage for big targets. |
| Double Crossbow Loadout | Equip one for AoE, one for single-target—switch seamlessly during combat. |
| Grenades are game-changers | Flash Grenades blind, Explosive Grenades nuke—use them constantly. |
| Focus on STR/DEX nodes | Maximize damage, attack speed, and survivability from the passive tree. |
| Experiment with attachments | Attachments add utility—customize to suit your build and playstyle. |
| Keep moving | Standing still is death—WASD controls are your best friend. |
| Master skill combos | Mix Rapid Shot with Permafrost or Incendiary for devastating synergy. |
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Path of Exile 2 Mercenary Guide | Ascendancy
Two choices, exile: Witch Hunter or Gemling Legionnaire. Pick one and prepare to annihilate. Witch Hunter is all about boss-crushing, spell-stopping, and making enemies explode like bloody fireworks. Gemling Legionnaire? You’re a goddamn walking gem forge—more slots, better stats, ultimate flexibility. These aren’t just upgrades; these are game-changers. Pick smart, or go back to noob town.
| Ascendancy | Key Features |
| Witch Hunter | – Witch Bane: Stops enemy spell spam by killing “concentration.” |
| – Zealous Inquisition: Enemies explode on death for massive AoE destruction. | |
| – Judge, Jury, and Executioner: Huge first-hit damage for boss fights. | |
| – Obsessive Rituals: Grants Sorcery Ward (spell protection). | |
| Gemling Legionnaire | – Crystalline Potential: Boosts quality of all skill gems (+12%). |
| – Integrated Efficiency: Adds +3 skill slots for more customization. | |
| – Theurgical Infusion: Increases max resistances based on gem colors. | |
| – Adaptive Capability: Meet gem requirements using your highest attribute. |
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Path of Exile 2 Mercenary Guide | Witch hunter
Witch Hunter doesn’t mess around. It’s built to destroy bosses, ruin demons, and scatter undead into ashes. First hit? Massive damage. Big enemies spamming spells? Shut them down. You kill something? It EXPLODES. Witch Hunter turns your crossbow and ammo skills into weapons of mass destruction. If you aren’t here to delete enemies and walk away like a goddamn badass, this isn’t your ascendancy.
| Node | Effect |
| Witch Bane | Stops enemies from using abilities by breaking their “concentration”—perfect for bosses. |
| Judge, Jury, and Executioner | Huge first-hit damage—delete chunks of enemy health instantly. |
| Obsessive Rituals | Grants Sorcery Ward to defend against spells but reduces armor and evasion by 50%. |
| Zealous Inquisition | Enemies you kill explode for 100% of their max HP as physical damage—doubles against demons. |
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Path of Exile 2 Mercenary Guide | Hemin legionnaire
Gemling Legionnaire isn’t just an ascendancy—it’s a walking, gem-powered death machine. You want more skills? Boom, extra slots. You want better stats? Crystalline Potential has you covered. Need resistances? This ascendancy laughs at elemental damage and tells it to sit down. It’s about pure customization and raw power—you’re not just a Mercenary anymore, you’re a goddamn gem-engineered weapon. If you can’t handle juggling skills and gems, stick to some basic class, because this one isn’t here to babysit.
| Node | Effect |
| Crystalline Potential | +12% quality to all skill gems—boosts power for new skill gems and old favorites alike. |
| Integrated Efficiency | +3 skill slots—run more skills, ammo types, and utility. |
| Theurgical Infusion | +1% to max resistances (Cold, Fire, Lightning) per 3 blue, red, or green support gems. |
| Adaptive Capability | Use your highest attribute for gem requirements—flexibility is king. |
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Conclusion
Mercenary is pure power. Crossbow. Explosions. WASD. You destroy everything—mobs, bosses, demons. Use ammo to burn, freeze, and pierce. Pick Witch Hunter to kill bosses fast. Pick Gemling Legionnaire to be flexible with skills and resistances.