MercenaryThis is a build guide for progressing through campaign. See the endgame version here.
This is one of the best levelling builds for Mercenary. I've completed campaign in 3:46 with this build.
Use your favourite features in-game with our Desktop AppPoE 2 [0.5.5] Twister Mercenary Levelling
Build Overview
Strengths and Weaknesses
- Shatter & Blow Up Packs
- Great Single Target
- VERY Squishy
Build Variants
Level 1-14 (Act 1)
Level 15-28 (Act 2)
Level 29-58+ (Act 3+)
This is the setup for Act 1.
IMPORTANT:
Start by creating a Huntress, killing the miller, and stashing your 
Hardwood Spear, 
Leather Buckler, and 
Whirling Slash. Take the gem from Renly, cut 
Twister, and stash that as well. Then swap over to your Mercenary.
Regex: "!(uiv)" "spear|mov|[egdl] da.* to a"
Weapon (in set 1): Use the highest Attacks per second Spear you can find (for Whirling Slash).
Weapon (in set 2): %IPD / Flat > +# Projectile Skills
Boots: Movement Speed > Resists / Life / Evasion
Rings: Flat Damage > Resists / Life
Gloves: Flat Damage > Resists / Life / Evasion
Helmet/Body Armour: Resists / Life / Evasion
Amulet: +# Projectile Skills > Life / Resists
Belt: 
Rawhide Belt with Resists / Life
Skill Gems
Level 1-14 (Act 1)
Level 15-28 (Act 2)
Level 29-58+ (Act 3+)
Support Gem Requirements:
Str 10
Dex 10
Int 5
1
Whirling Slash
Level 1
•
Set 1
2
Twister
Set 2
3
War Banner
4
Disengage
5
Barrage
6
Fangs of Frost
7
Parry
Gem Priority
+5
Upgrading Priority: Twister (Don't upgrade Whirling Slash)
Level 1 Skill Gems:
- Renly: Twister
- Clearfell:
Disengage
Level 3 Skill Gems:
- The Rust King:
Fangs of Frost (Drop this when you get Frost Nexus on Twister) - Lachlann: Upgrade Twister
Level 5 Skill Gems:
- Leitis:
Barrage - Vastiri Outskirts, Zarka:
Ice-Tipped Arrows
Level 7 Skill Gems:
- Halani Gates Reward:
Freezing Mark - Kabala (Do the Keth zones 2nd for this gem to be level 7):
Tame Beast
Tier 1 Support Gems:
- The Grelwood, Areagne: Retreat I for Twister
- Tomb of the Consort, Haunted Treasure: Rage I for Whirling Slash
- Ogham Village, The Executioner: Rapid Attacks I for Whirling Slash
- The Manor Ramparts, The Gallows: Prolonged Duration I for
War Banner
Passive Tree
Level 1-14 (Act 1)
Level 15-28 (Act 2)
Level 29-58+ (Act 3+)
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 Dexterity
Abandoned Prison — Goddess of Justice
30% increased Life Recovery from Flasks
Halls of the Dead — Tasalio's Test
+5 to Intelligence
Halls of the Dead — Ngamahu's Test
+5 to Strength
Halls of the Dead — Tribal Medicine
30% increased Armour, Evasion and Energy Shield
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
12% increased Cooldown Recovery Rate
Kriar Village — Lythara, the Wayward Spear
+40 to Spirit
Howling Caves — The Abominable Yeti
Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points
How it Plays
Clearing Monsters:
Use Whirling Slash 2-3 times before Twister.
When you get Ice-Tipped Arrows, cast it before Twister. It converts the Physical Damage of Twister to Cold Damage, allowing it to Freeze and generate Chilled Ground via Frost Nexus.
You can also use Barrage to clear big packs and improve single target.
Single Target:
Same as clear, but use War Banner, which gives 25% more attack damage, and increased attack speed.
You also have Freezing Mark for more Freeze Buildup and 30% of damage gained as cold.
You'll need to use 
Parry + Fangs of Frost on bosses to get Chilled Ground. When you get Ice-Tipped Arrows and Frost Nexus on Twister you can stop using Parry and Fangs of Frost.
Passive Bonuses
Ascendancy:
Skip your first Ascendancy. You'll want to take 
Advanced Thaumaturgy when you can get 4 total ascendancy points.
FAQ
My ice-tipped arrows isn't working / tornadoes not doing cold damage?
Ice-Tipped Arrows needs to be set to the same weapon set as Twister (Weapon Set 2)
What are the pink and green lines in the tree?
Pink passives are Weapon Set 1 passives. Green passives are Weapon Set 2 passives.
Why weapon set 1 for whirling slash?
In endgame, you get Rigwald's Ferocity, which gives increased attack speed to Whirling Slash if it's in Weapon Set 1.
Why barrage on weapon set 1?
Dance with Death only works with our weapon set 1 because we have a sceptre in weapon set 2. The bonus from dance with death applies to Barrage as well, giving it 25% more skill speed.
How is Dance with Death working?
In weapon set 1 (whirling slash), we have no offhand, so Dance with Death works on weapon set 1, but does nothing for weapon set 2. You cannot put keystones on a specific weapon set, that's why it's not a weapon set point.
Why use Charged Mark on Freezing Mark?
It gives Shocked Ground for free when the mark is activated.
How do you get the benefit from 
Hail?
Ice-Tipped Arrows causes Twister to become empowered.
How are we generating Frenzy Charges for Barrage?
We are using 
Combat Frenzy
Comments
10K
KONGU•18d ago
I would add Pounce since there are alot of lvl 3 gems dropping. There are a lot of situations in which you can escape a dicey situation or jump over an obstacle to shave off some seconds.
0
P
Ph03n1xfin•2m ago
whats the gem cutter prims oder
0
R
Ryan_1_2_3_4•2m ago
Which beast do we tame?
0
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Ph03n1xfin•2m ago
why does the twister number change in act 1 and 2 but set stays the same weapon set 2 right its confusing even though it says whitch set the skill is and the colors is right the number in twister changes to 1 in act 2 and in act on the number is 2
0
Krasnor2010•2m ago
Plot Armori seriously dont know how u so easily get past act 2 boss. i am 1 controller and 27 attempts in and it is mind boggling. i get to 2nd stage, and between the tornados, boss, 2x fire tunnels, i get smoked every time. Almost all my skills are lvl 8, i have all gems, 45% resists. im not sure if i just dont mash in the right order, fast enough, but it is maddening right about now. Especially since i did act 1 faster than ever before and at the lowest level ever for me.
0
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clemclemdu53•2m ago
when do i need to drop a frost nexus ?
3
B
BustNHeadsDaily•2m ago
the filter sounds are broken
1
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