Path of Exile 2: Grenade Mercenary Endgame Build Guide

The Grenade Mercenary in Path of Exile 2 (PoE 2) offers an explosive and highly effective endgame build for clearing high-tier Atlas maps. Unlike other builds that focus on crossbows or elemental projectiles, this Grenade Mercenary build revolves around maximizing AoE explosions, controlling crowds, and leveraging Fire damage to obliterate everything in its path.

Best Grenade Mercenary Skill & Support Gems

Core Skills

Explosive Grenade - Your main source of damage. It's a Fire-based AoE attack with a delayed explosion. This skill benefits greatly from Projectile and Fire damage support.

Explosive Shot - A variation of Explosive Grenade, it's more directed and useful for single-target damage but still retains high AoE damage.

Flash Grenade - Use this skill for crowd control. It interrupts enemy actions and blinds enemies, while also creating space when things get crowded.

Gas Grenade - Slows and poisons enemies, synergizing with Explosive Shot and Explosive Grenade for massive Fire damage amplification.

Oil Grenade - When used with Explosive Grenade or Explosive Shot, it ignites and reduces enemy Fire Resistance, boosting your damage.

Ripwire Ballista - This skill is useful for distraction and keeping enemies focused on your Ballista during tough mob encounters, like Rituals.

Glacial Bolt - Not used often, but it's great for walling off enemies and creating space when you're overwhelmed, especially with Fortress and Glacier Support Gems.

Herald of Ash - A great Spirit ability that causes overkill explosions on death, spreading Fire damage to nearby enemies. Essential for maximizing the explosive synergy.

Sorcery Ward - This skill comes from the Witchhunter Ascendancy and provides Elemental damage mitigation while adding a Shield for additional defense against non-physical damage.

Support Gems

Overpower: Increases your damage when the enemy is at low HP, great for finishing off mobs after your initial grenades detonate.

Scattershot: Increases the number of projectiles fired by Explosive Grenade, allowing you to cover a wider area.

Payload: Further boosts the damage of Explosive Grenades by increasing the explosive impact.

Fortress and Glacier Support: Both can be linked to Glacial Bolt for an added layer of defense and control.

Grenade Mercenary Build Passive Skills & Ascendancy

Key Passive Skills

Devastation: Increases both Area Damage and Area of Effect size by 15%, a key node for expanding the coverage of your explosive grenades.

Overwhelm: Although it reduces your Attack Speed by 5%, it increases stun buildup and damage by 40% when using 2H weapons, which is beneficial for the Crossbow.

Cluster Bombs: This node is a game-changer. It causes Grenades to fire an additional projectile, effectively multiplying your damage and increasing AoE size.

Authority: Provides a 20% increase to the Area of Effect size and boosts your Cooldown Recovery by 10%, allowing you to quickly repeat grenade throws.

Crushing Judgement: Increases Armor Break duration and Area damage by 25%, helping you soften up enemies before your big grenades go off.

Smoke Inhalation: Grants 15% Fire Resistance penetration and makes Damaging Ailments last 15% longer. This will synergize well with your Fire-based grenades and increase overall damage output.

Repeating Explosives: Provides a 15% chance to fire two grenades instead of one. The more grenades you throw, the higher your damage output.

Survivability

While offensive damage is the main focus, some defensive options can be included:

Evasion and Armor nodes near the Grenade/Crossbow cluster can improve your survivability.

Elemental Resistances (especially Fire and Lightning) should be considered, especially if you're struggling in high-tier Waystones.

Best Ascendancy: Witchhunter

The Witchhunter Ascendancy is the best choice for this build due to the Culling Strike and Elemental damage perks it provides. Here's why:

Pitiless Killer: Grants Culling Strike, which instantly kills enemies below a certain HP threshold. This works wonders when clearing large packs and eliminating stragglers quickly.

Obsessive Rituals: Grants Sorcery Ward, which reduces Armor and Evasion by 50%, but also adds a shield that blocks all Elemental damage. This will help against high-tier bosses and elemental casters.

Area of Effect: Increases the Area of Effect for all attacks by 10%, which works synergistically with your grenades and fireball explosions.

Zealous Inquisition: Adds a 10% chance to blow up enemies upon kill, dealing their max HP in AoE damage to surrounding enemies. This is excellent for clearing dense packs.

Ascendancy Progression

Start with Pitiless Killer for the Culling Strike.

Move to Obsessive Rituals for Sorcery Ward.

Area of Effect should be taken next to ensure your explosions hit more targets.

Lastly, grab Zealous Inquisition for improved AoE damage and clearing potential.

Best Grenade Mercenary Gearing & Modifiers

Required Equipment: Bombard Crossbow

The Bombard Crossbow is the most critical item for the Grenade Mercenary build, as it adds an extra projectile to your grenades. When paired with the Cluster Bombs passive, this effectively triples the AoE range and damage, ensuring that every grenade thrown has a massive impact.

Key Modifiers for Bombard Crossbow:

Increased Physical Damage (both flat and percentage)

Increased Elemental Damage, particularly Fire

Bonus levels to Projectile or Fire skills

Mana/Life Restoration on Hit or Kill

Increased Attack Speed

Increased Dexterity or Strength

After crafting or acquiring a good Bombard Crossbow, use Artificer's Orbs to create Rune Slots and slot Iron Runes for a 40% increase in Physical damage.

Other Gear Modifiers:

Increased Physical Damage (both flat and percentage)

Increased Elemental Damage, especially Fire

Increased Area of Effect

Elemental Resistances (except Chaos)

Mana/Life Restoration on Hit or Kill

Increased Movement Speed

Increased Critical Hit Chance

Bonus Attributes (Dexterity and Strength)

Belts and Charms:

Look out for Belts that grant extra Charm slots. These provide significant survivability by allowing you to mitigate status effects or bolster defensive stats.

Grenade Mercenary Endgame Strategy & Playstyle

The Grenade Mercenary playstyle revolves around planning and timing, as the grenades do not explode instantly. Here's how to handle it in the endgame:

Basic Rotation for Groups:

Throw a Gas Grenade into the heart of the mob to slow and poison.

Use Oil Grenade at the front of the mob, reducing Fire Resistance for the upcoming explosions.

Detonate Explosive Grenades, igniting the Oil for a chain reaction that decimates the enemies.

Crowd Control and Escape:

Flash Grenade is essential when you're overwhelmed. It will interrupt enemy actions and buy you precious time for repositioning.

Ripwire Ballista is invaluable in wave-based events like Rituals or Trials, distracting mobs and giving you time to clear tougher enemies.

Dealing with Tougher Enemies:

When facing bosses or tankier enemies, rotate through your Gas Grenade and Oil Grenade to reduce Fire resistance and control their movement. Then, use Explosive Grenades to maximize damage. Make sure to always keep a Flash Grenade handy for emergency escapes.

Surviving the Endgame:

While Sorcery Ward provides elemental defense, remember that Mercenaries cannot face tank bosses or tough enemies. Ranged attacks and kiting are your primary means of survival.

By maintaining your positioning and strategically using Flash Grenades and Ripwire Ballista, you can maintain steady damage output while avoiding unnecessary risks.

If you also have Path of Exile 2 items and Path of Exile 2 currency, are you considering crafting or modifying any items to further optimize your character for such a strategy? MMOexp can suggest some good item types or mods to focus on if you're looking for an extra edge!