Path of Exile 2: Explosive Shot Mercenary Build Guide

Build Overview

Welcome to the Explosive Shot Mercenary build, an early-game setup designed for massive physical and fire AoE damage. This build deviates from the traditional Grenadier approach by leveraging Explosive Shot and related abilities to control the battlefield and obliterate enemies with high-damage explosions.

With over 2,000 HP, 300+ Strength, and approximately 50% Evasion and Armor, the build boasts excellent survivability alongside high resistances. It's a fantastic alternative for Mercenary players seeking a unique playstyle focused on large-area damage and strategic positioning.

Core Features

Explosive Shot: The primary ability dealing significant physical and fire damage in a wide area.

Gas Trap: Weakens enemy armor, enhancing your physical damage output.

Artillery Ballista: A supportive skill to draw aggro, paired with Culling Strike for finishing low-health enemies.

Leap Slam: A mobility tool that doubles as a defensive escape mechanic.

Brick Armor: Provides additional defenses and sustain.

Equipment Recommendations

Weapon

Primary Focus: Use a Dryad Crossbow for its high physical damage output.

Alternative: For players struggling with Gas Grenades hitting enemies, consider a Bombardment Crossbow, which grants an additional projectile to improve area coverage.

Armor and Accessories

Chest and Helmet:

Prioritize Life, Evasion, and Armor percentages.

Aim for high-resistance rolls to cap elemental resistances.

Boots:

Focus on Movement Speed to enhance mobility.

Look for added Life or Evasion as secondary stats.

Gloves:

Prioritize Attack Speed and Strength for improved damage and survivability.

Amulet:

Seek All Attributes for balanced stat requirements.

Additional Spirit boosts resource management.

Rings:

Cover any missing resistances.

Look for Life Regeneration and Increased Damage.

Flask Setup

Life Flask:

Use a flask with Increased Amount Recovered and Reduced Amount Used.

Look for suffixes like Immunity to Bleeding or Poison Removal.

Utility Flask:

Include a Basalt Flask for additional physical damage reduction.

A Quicksilver Flask with Increased Duration aids mobility.

Mana Flask:

If mana sustains becomes an issue, use a flask with a % Increased Recovery Rate.

Skill Gems Setup

Explosive Shot: Max out this skill and link it to:

Elemental Damage with Attacks

Increased Area of Effect

Fire Penetration

Artillery Ballista: Link with:

Culling Strike

Added Fire Damage

Faster Attacks

Gas Trap: Link with:

Cluster Traps for wider coverage

Increased Duration

Leap Slam: Link with:

Faster Attacks

Fortify for additional defenses

Passive Tree Priorities

Strength Scaling: Focus heavily on Strength to boost life and physical damage.

Dexterity and Intelligence: Ensure you meet the requirements for all linked gems until your third Ascendancy.

Projectile Damage: Invest in nodes that improve projectile speed and damage for crossbow synergy.

Defenses: Pick up Evasion and Armor nodes to balance survivability.

Atlas Tree

Essences: Prioritize Essence nodes to craft better gear early on.

Loot Quality and Quantity: Focus on quantity bonuses to maximize overall item drops.

Optional:

Choose Waystones for sustain and map device bonuses.

If you enjoy crafting, invest in Harvest nodes for additional crafting materials.

Gameplay Tips

Core Rotation

Engage: Start fights by deploying Gas Trap to weaken enemies' armor.

Damage: Use Explosive Shot as your primary damage-dealing ability.

Support: Place Artillery Ballista near tougher enemies to draw aggro and apply Culling Strike.

Escape: Use Leap Slam for repositioning or avoiding dangerous mechanics.

Defensive Strategies

Maintain high evasion and armor to mitigate incoming damage.

Use Brick Armor and Flasks strategically during intense fights.

Keep resistances capped to survive elemental-heavy encounters.

Why Choose This Build?

This Explosive Shot Mercenary Build is perfect for players who:

Enjoy high AoE damage with a focus on physical and fire explosions.

Seek a robust early-game build that offers both offense and defense.

Want a simpler, less grenade-reliant playstyle compared to the Grenadier?

With this setup, you'll dominate early maps and progress smoothly into the endgame, all while experiencing the unique playstyle of an Explosive Shot-focused Mercenary.

your Explosive Shot-focused Mercenary will thrive, ensuring you dominate the early-game content and seamlessly progress into endgame challenges. If you prefer saving time, purchasing POE 2 currency and POE 2 items from reputable third-party platforms is an option.