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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 is your setup from the end of Act 1, all the way to the interludes.

Equipment

item
1
item
4
item
7
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6
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5
item
3
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2
Equipment Priority
+10

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

IMPORTANT: Click here for a very detailed guide on how to get good weapons in Act 2 and beyond.

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: Look out for Pearlescent Amulet in Singing Caverns in Act 4. For mods: +# to level of all projectile skills > Life / Resists

Belt: Rawhide Belt or Plate Belt with Resists / Life / Armour

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Weapon: Our level 33 weapon essentially mirrors what you did for the Varnished Crossbow, but this time you're looking for a Bombard Crossbow. You'll then use this new crossbow until level 59 when you get a Cannonade Crossbow.

If/when you pick up Iron Reflexes, you can use Armour, Armour+Evasion, or Evasion gear.

Skill Gems

Support Gem Requirements:

Str 20

Dex 25

Int 5

1

Explosive Grenade

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2

Flash Grenade

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3

Gas Grenade

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4

Oil Grenade

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5

Attrition

6

Herald of Ash

7

Frost Bomb

8

Pounce

Set 2

Gem Priority
+10

Frost Bomb cannot apply exposure to enemies above a certain level depending on the level of the gem. When it's no longer applying exposure, drop it. For example a level 1 Frost Bomb only works on monsters level 20 and below.

First Level 5 Skill Gem: Gas Grenade

Upgrading priority: Explosive Grenade > Gas Grenade > Flash Grenade

Tier 2 Support Gem Order:

  1. Multishot II for Explosive Grenade
  2. Multishot II for Gas Grenade
  3. Multishot II for Flash Grenade
  4. Elemental Armament II for Explosive Grenade
  5. Elemental Armament II for Gas Grenade
  6. Others, see skill gem list above (Not Important)


First Lesser Jeweller's Orb (Buried Shrines in Act 2): Explosive Grenade, Magnified Area I (Replace with Deliberation when you get a Tier 3 Support Gem)

Second Lesser Jeweller's Orb (Sandswept Marsh in Act 3): Gas Grenade, Magnified Area I (Replace with Deliberation when you get a second Tier 3 Support Gem)

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

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Table of Contents

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