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PoE 2 Build

Explosive Shot Early Endgame Build

Mercenary

Gemling Legionnaire

Creator

End Game

By Fervor Gaming

Updated on Dec 19, 2024

Dec 19, 2024

Build Overview

Welcome to my early-game Explosive Shot Mercenary build. This build deviates significantly from the Grenadier playstyle, focusing heavily on exposure to deal substantial physical and fire damage to enemies in a large AoE. We enhance this build with a combination of Gas Trap, Brick Armor, Artillery Ballista to draw aggro, Culling Strike, and Leap Slam for mobility and a bit of defense.

The build is very comfortable, boasting over 2,000 HP, more than 300 Strength, around 50% Evasion and Armor, and high resistances. It’s a fantastic alternative for Mercenary players who want to explore a playstyle outside of the traditional Grenadier approach.

Equipment

Set 1

Set 2

Our primary focus with this build is to ensure you have a very strong Dryad Crossbow. For non-Gemling Legionnaire players, if you're having trouble with Gas Grenades hitting enemies, you can opt for a Bombardment Crossbow, as it provides an additional projectile.

Major Build Focus:

Use a high-physical-damage bow to maximize damage output.
Cover resistances with your rings and accessories to maintain survivability.
Ensure your armor pieces have stats prioritized in this order:
1. Life for increased durability.
2. Percentage increase to Evasion and Armor for improved defenses.
3. Resistances to mitigate elemental damage.
  Gear Stats:
Boots: Prioritize Movement Speed.
Gloves: Focus on Attack Speed.
Amulet: Look for All Attributes and Spirit.
Flask Setup:
Choose flasks with:
- Increased amount recovered.
- Reduced amount used to maintain flask charges in tougher situations.
  Charm Selection:
Equip a Thawing Charm with:
- Guard for additional protection.
- Charge per second gained for sustained resource management.

Skill Gems

Support Gem Requirements:

Str 30

Dex 30

Int 10

Explosive Shot

Gas Grenade

Herald of Ash

Artillery Ballista

Leap Slam

Passive Tree

main:

122

set 1:

set 2:

We expand this build from the previous passive tree by removing all grenade-focused passives and instead shifting towards a projectile crossbow playstyle. This adjustment aligns better with the mechanics and benefits of the build.

A heavy priority is placed on Strength, followed by Dexterity and Intelligence. It’s crucial to ensure you have enough Dexterity and Intelligence to meet your build’s requirements until you ascend for the third time. Beyond that point, Strength becomes your primary focus, as it provides the majority of the benefits needed for the build’s success.

Atlas Tree

For the Atlas, I'm heading towards Essence and Loot Quality and Quantity, but you can adjust this based on your preferences. Focusing on Waystones could be a better alternative for sustain, but this is my choice because I enjoy crafting more.

How it Plays

The build is extremely simplistic compared to previous builds. Here's how it works:

Core Gameplay:

Explosive Shot: Your primary damage-dealing ability.
Artillery Ballista: Use this against tougher enemies, ensuring it has Culling Strike for executing low-health enemies.
Gas Grenade: Corrode enemy armor to make them more vulnerable to physical damage.
Leap Slam: Use for mobility or escaping dangerous situations.

This build is very straightforward, delivering solid damage while being easy to play without requiring much thought or complexity.