Grenade Mercenary Leveling Guide for Path of Exile 2

Table of contents

Intro

Unleash a barrage of explosive power with the Grenade Mercenary, a dynamic build for the Witchhunter or Gemling Legionnaire classes in Path of Exile 2. This guide will take you through leveling step-by-step, focusing on optimal skill progression, passive tree allocation, and gearing tips. Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned player, this guide ensures your journey is smooth and impactful. For additional assistance, visit Onlyfarms.gg to enhance your leveling experience with tailored services and item bundles.

Skill Progression Guide

Act 1 Skills

Skill Purpose
Fragmentation Rounds Close-range damage dealer to start your journey.
Permafrost Bolts Freezes enemies, making them vulnerable to Fragmentation Rounds.
Explosive Grenade Clears large packs with powerful area damage.

Early Strategy

  • Use Permafrost Bolts to freeze enemies.
  • Follow up with Fragmentation Rounds for high damage explosions.
  • Transition to Explosive Grenades for larger groups or tougher foes.

Flash Grenade: Your Offense and Defense

  • Engrave Flash Grenade with your first Level 3 Uncut Skill Gem and pair it with Scattershot for area control.
  • Later, add Overpower for additional stun power, making it a reliable tool for clearing packs and staggering bosses.

Becoming a Grenadier

Final Act 1 Skill Strategy

Grenade Order Purpose
Flash Grenades Stun and control groups of enemies.
Gas Grenades Apply lingering damage and crowd control.
Explosive Grenades Deliver the finishing blow to packs or staggered bosses.

Act 2 Skills: Explosive Shot and Grenade Upgrades

New Skills Details
Explosive Shot Detonates grenades instantly, supported by Pierce and Martial Tempo for swift execution.
Voltaic Grenade Adds Shock and Electrocute effects, boosting overall damage.
Oil Grenade Reduces Fire Resistance and enhances burning damage, synergizing with Explosive Grenade.

Cruel Difficulty: Refining Your Build

As you progress into Cruel difficulty, focus on refining your core damage setup. By this point, choose your primary damage skill—Gas Grenade, Explosive Grenade, or Voltaic Grenade—and enhance it with the best Support Gems available.

Cruel Skill Loadout

Skill Support Gems
Flash Grenade Scattershot, Overpower, Devastate.
Explosive Grenade Fire Infusion, Primal Armament, Concentrated Effect.
Oil Grenade Strip Away, Encumbrance Persistence.
Explosive Shot Pierce, Martial Tempo, Nimble Reload.

 

Tips for Optimizing Your Build

  • Gem Progression:
    • Use high-level Uncut Gems (up to Level 14) to scale your skills into the endgame.
    • Add additional support sockets with Lesser Jeweller’s Orbs for more impactful skill setups.
  • Spirit Skills:
    • Combine Wind Dancer, Time of Need, or Overwhelming Presence for tailored buffs.
    • Experiment with combinations like Time of Need + Clarity for a beginner-friendly playstyle.
  • Gear Focus:
    • Use high Physical Damage Crossbows with Fire Damage or Lightning Damage modifiers to match your primary skill.
    • Equip Desert Rune for added damage versatility.

Grenade Skill Rotations

Main Damage Rotation – Bosses

  • Engage with Flash Grenade to stagger the boss and control the area.
  • Use Oil Grenade to reduce Fire Resistance and boost damage.
  • Throw Explosive Grenades (or your chosen primary grenade type).
  • Detonate with Explosive Shot when grenades are deployed or if the boss becomes threatening.
  • Maintain Flash Grenade spam while dodging and repositioning.
  • Optionally, use Gas Grenade for Armor Break and Daze to enhance stuns.

 

This rotation ensures consistent damage while maximizing crowd control and survivability.

Passives

The Grenadier Mercenary passive tree focuses on grenade-specific nodes and attributes to optimize damage and utility.

Key Passive Nodes Effect
Grenadier Core node for grenade effectiveness and damage boosts.
Volatile Catalyst Increases grenade damage and area of effect.
Cluster Bombs Improves grenade spread and versatility, ideal for clearing packs.
Polymathy Resolves Attribute issues and provides additional Life through Strength scaling.
Adrenaline Rush Boosts movement speed during combat, enhancing clear speed and survivability.
Repeating Explosives Enables chain explosions from grenades for massive area damage.
Cull the Hordes Provides additional damage against Rares and Bosses, improving single-target efficiency.
Perfect Opportunity Boosts damage against stunned enemies and grants Lucky damage rolls, synergizing with crossbows.

Ascendancy Choices

Witchhunter Ascendancy

Node Effect
Zealous Inquisition Grants increased area of effect and explosions on kill, perfect for clearing packs.
Pitiless Killer Provides Culling Strike, instantly killing enemies below specific life thresholds.

Gemling Legionnaire Ascendancy (Optional for Endgame Builds)

Node Effect
Crystalline Potential Adds 12% Quality to Skill Gems, boosting area of effect and cooldown reduction for grenades.
Implanted Gems Increases Skill Gem Levels and Quality, improving damage and utility scaling.

 

Beginner Tip: Witchhunter is recommended for its beginner-friendly area damage and progression ease. Choose Gemling Legionnaire only if you plan to transition into a specialized endgame build.

Gearing Tips

Important Gear Stats

Priority Stats to Look For
Damage High Physical Damage, Added Elemental Damage (Fire/Lightning), + Skill Levels.
Mana Sustain Mana on Kill, Increased Mana Recovery, Mana Regeneration, Mana Flasks with “Increased Recovery.”
Survivability Life, Resistances, Movement Speed, Strength (for Life scaling).

Recommended Weapons

Weapon Recommended Base Mods to Prioritize
Crossbow Bombard Crossbow (Act 3) / Advanced Bombard Crossbow High Physical Damage, Added Fire Damage.
Runes Use Iron Runes for Physical Damage or Glacial Runes early for Freeze effects.

Guaranteed Lesser Jeweller’s Orb

  • In Act 3, obtain a Lesser Jeweller’s Orb from a chest in Sandswept Marsh.
  • Use this to add a third support socket to your primary skill for enhanced damage or utility.

Cruel Difficulty and Endgame Preparation

Skill Refinement

  • Focus on your primary grenade type (Explosive, Gas, or Voltaic) and allocate best support gems accordingly.
  • Upgrade all skill gems with higher-level Uncut Gems to scale damage.

Late-Game Gear Goals

  • Prioritize an Advanced Bombard Crossbow with good physical damage modifiers.
  • Upgrade Life and Mana Flasks to their highest available tiers.
  • Utilize Artificer’s Orbs to optimize gear sockets and runes for additional scaling.

Summary

The Grenade Mercenary Witchhunter combines explosive gameplay with strong crowd control and defensive options, making it ideal for beginners and veterans alike. By mastering grenade skill rotations, leveraging passives, and optimizing gear, you’ll dominate Path of Exile 2’s campaign and transition smoothly into endgame.

Need help with gearing or progression? Visit Onlyfarms.gg for premium leveling assistance, tailored item bundles, and expert support to maximize your potential.