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PoE 2 Build

[0.5] Mercenary Grenades Leveling

presentationMercenary
Speed Leveling
Starter
0.5 RotA
Verified
Updated on May 29, 2026
May 29, 2026

Build Overview

This is a build guide for purely progressing through campaign. The idea is that you swap to another endgame build at that point.

This is one of the fastest leveling builds for Witchhunter, Tactician, and Gemling Legionnaire. It's the leaguestart version of the build that I used to win multiple Act 4 Boss Kill Races, and finish the campaign in 3:38.

Build Variants

This will be your setup for the majority of Act 1. Your goal is to get to level 14 by the time you start fighting Geonor, so that you can use Gas Grenade.

Equipment

item
1
item
4
item
6
item
5
item
2
item
7
item
3
Equipment Priority
+8

Vendor Regex (make sure to copy quotation marks as well): "!(uiv)" "cross|mov|[egdl] da.* to a"

Don't spend any Regals, Alcs, Runes, or Exalts until Act 2. You're saving them for the level 16 Varnished Crossbow

Weapon: Click here for a very detailed guide on how to get great weapons throughout campaign. Having a great weapon versus having a bad weapon drastically changes your damage, so I strongly recommend reading it.

Boots: Movement Speed > Resists / Life / Armour

Rings/glove: High flat damage (preferably lightning damage for shock) > Resists / Life

Helmet/Body Armour: Resists / Life / Armour

Amulet: +# to level of all projectile skills > Life / Resists

Belt: Rawhide Belt with Resists / Life / Armour

Skill Gems

Support Gem Requirements:

Str 5

Dex 10

Int 0

1

Explosive Grenade

supportmultishotplayer
supportelementalarmamentplayer
2

Flash Grenade

supportmultishotplayer
3

Attrition

4

Frost Bomb

5

Pounce

Set 2

Gem Priority
+3

Your first Level 1 Uncut Skill Gem that you get from Renly will be Explosive Grenade and then you must pick up the Skill Gem in Clearfell to cut Frost Bomb.

Make sure to get your first support gem from Areagne in The Grelwood, and cut Multishot I for Explosive Grenade.

First Level 3 Skill Gem (The Rust King): Upgrade Explosive Grenade

Second Level 3 Skill Gem (Lachlann): Flash Grenade.

Third Level 3 Skill Gem (Crowbell): Pounce

Upgrading priority: Explosive Grenade > Flash Grenade

Tier 1 Support Gem Order:

  1. Multishot I + Elemental Armament I for Explosive Grenade.
  2. Multishot I for Flash Grenade (which you'll put on Gas Grenade)
  3. Elemental Armament I for Gas Grenade (when you're level 14)

Passive Tree

main:
123
123
set 1:
20
20
set 2:
20
20

Quest Rewards

Check which quests you’ve completed on your character
Clearfell — Beira of the Rotten Pack
+10% to Cold Resistance
Hunting Grounds — The Crowbell
Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points
Freythorn — The King in the Mists
+30 to Spirit
Ogham Farmlands — Una's Hut
Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points
Ogham Manor — Candlemass, the Living Rite
+20 to maximum Life
Keth — Kabala, Constrictor Queen
Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points
Valley of the Titans — Medallion
30% increased Charm Charges gained
+1 Charm Slot
Deshar — Final Letter
Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points
The Spires of Deshar — Sisters of Garukhan
+10% to Lightning Resistance
Jungle Ruins — Mighty Silverfist
Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points
The Venom Crypts — Venom Draught
25% increased Stun Threshold
Jiquani's Machinarium — Blackjaw, the Remnant
+10% to Fire Resistance
The Azak Bog — Ignagduk, the Bog Witch
+30 to Spirit
The Molten Vault — The Molten Vault
Reforging Bench
Aggorat — Blood Sacrifice
Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points
Journey's End — Captain Hartlin
Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points
Skill Gem(Lv 13)
Delirium Drop
Eye of Hinekora — Navali's Rest
5% increased Maximum Mana
Halls of the Dead — Yama The White
Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points
Halls of the Dead — Tawhoa's Test
+5% to Lightning Resistance
Abandoned Prison — Goddess of Justice
30% increased Life Recovery from Flasks
Halls of the Dead — Tasalio's Test
+5% to Cold Resistance
Halls of the Dead — Ngamahu's Test
+5% to Fire Resistance
Wolvenhold — Oswin, the Dread Warden
Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points
The Khari Crossing — Akthi and Anundr
Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points
The Khari Crossing — Molten Shrine
5% increased Maximum Life
Qimah — Tabana's Pillar
+5% to all Elemental Resistances
Kriar Village — Lythara, the Wayward Spear
+40 to Spirit
Howling Caves — The Abominable Yeti
Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

How it Plays

In early Act 1, use Explosive Grenade and Fragmentation Rounds to clear trash monsters. You'll drop Fragmentation Rounds by the time you reach level 6. Flash Grenade is used to help clear trash monsters, and stun bosses. If your gear is strong enough, flash grenade can one shot entire packs.

At Level 14, your trash-clearing rotation becomes: throw Gas Grenade, then Explosive Grenade to detonate it. Throw them ahead and run past so mobs follow into the blasts.

For bosses, cast Gas Grenade, then Explosive Grenade, and continue throwing gas / explosive grenades on cooldown. Gas Grenade has a limit of 6, so before you start using Bombard Crossbow, you can cast Gas Grenade twice per Explosive Grenade (rather than once). Once you get Oil Grenade, you should throw one out before continuing your usual rotation.

From level 52 for clear, cast Cluster Grenade, and you will one shot the screen.

How it Works

Ascendancy:

This build doesn't require any ascendancy to clear campaign / T15s, so if you're planning to swap to another build in endgame, you can go straight into that.

Video Guide

Build Planner Export

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