Path of Exile 2 is set to shake up the ARPG genre with new classes, mechanics, and systems-and the Mercenary is leading the charge. As one of the six playable classes in early access, the Mercenary offers a bold new playstyle centered around Crossbows, Ammo types, and WASD movement. This class blends tactical gunplay with traditional PoE depth, creating a hybrid experience for longtime fans and newcomers alike.

Whether you're a curious veteran or a fresh recruit, this comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about the Mercenary class: its core mechanics, weapon system, available skills, and powerful Ascendancy options.

Mercenary Overview: A STR/DEX Hybrid

The Mercenary begins on the passive skill tree between Strength and Dexterity, similar to the Duelist. This allows for hybrid scaling, enabling tankiness, mobility, and damage all in one package.

The defining feature of the Mercenary is the Crossbow, a brand-new weapon type exclusive to this class. These weapons bring an entirely different flavor compared to traditional bows or spells. Unlike bows that require draw time, Crossbows fire instantly, bringing a more responsive, shooter-like feeling to combat.

WASD Movement System

One of the most significant changes coming with the Mercenary is the WASD movement system. For the first time in Path of Exile, players can move their character using the keyboard rather than clicking. This means you can strafe, circle enemies, and aim your Crossbow independently with the mouse, mirroring twin-stick shooter mechanics.

Best of all, this feature isn't exclusive to the Mercenary. All classes can toggle between click-to-move and WASD, though it shines brightest with ranged, tactical playstyles like the Mercenary.

Crossbows: New Weapon, New Playstyle

Crossbows in PoE 2 aren't just cosmetic-they come with built-in firing skills. Each Crossbow equips a different attack style, and you can dual-wield two Crossbows to switch seamlessly between them in combat.

Example Crossbow Skills:

Rapid Shot: High-speed, low-damage fire (like an assault rifle).

Power Shot: Slow, high-damage precision shot (like a sniper rifle).

Burst Shot: Medium-speed, wide-spread shot (like a shotgun).

When using a skill tied to your secondary Crossbow, your character automatically switches weapons, maintaining fluid gameplay. You can clear trash mobs with Burst Shot and then swap to Power Shot for elite enemies-no manual weapon switching required.

Ammo Types: Modular Customization

Crossbow skills are further enhanced by Ammo Skills, which can be toggled on and off to change the behavior of your shots. These function similarly to auras or stance skills in PoE 1.

Known Ammo Types:

Armor Piercing Ammo: Pierces enemies, excellent for waves of enemies in a line.

Incendiary Ammo: Applies burn and synergizes with explosive effects.

Permafrost Ammo: Chills and freezes targets, offering crowd control.

Ammo types combine dynamically with Crossbow skills. For instance, an Incendiary Burst Shot can ignite a group of enemies, while a Permafrost Power Shot can freeze a boss for easier damage windows. You can toggle between multiple ammo types on the fly, making the Mercenary an adaptable combatant.

Attachments and Grenades: Extra Utility

Attachments are a new form of Skill Gem available only to Crossbow users. These slot into your off-hand gear and act like active skills, such as grenades or traps. Unlike Quivers, they don't add stats but allow extra skills to be slotted-effectively giving Mercenaries more buttons and options than other classes.

Examples of attachment skills include:

Explosive Grenade Launcher

Flash Grenade Launcher

Fragmentation Rounds

Support Gems can modify these attachments, meaning your grenades can scale with area, damage, cooldowns, and more.

Mercenary Skill Gems

PoE 2 has showcased a variety of Mercenary-exclusive skill gems so far, including:

Rapid Shot

Power Shot

Incendiary Shot

Glacial Bolt

Ice Shards

Explosive Shot

High Velocity Rounds

Flash Grenade

Explosive Grenade

These skills support various combinations between fire rate, status effects, and utility, giving Mercenaries a huge arsenal to tailor their build.

Ascendancy Classes for the Mercenary

At launch, the Mercenary will have access to two Ascendancy classes, with a third added later.

1. Witch Hunter

The Witch Hunter is a versatile Ascendancy that enhances both offensive burst and survivability. Notable perks include:

First-hit burst damage

Enemy spellcasting delay

Boss execution mechanics

It's ideal for players who want to deal high damage in short windows while maintaining some crowd control and sustain.

2. Gemling Legionnaire

True to its name, the Gemling Legionnaire is all about Skill Gem synergy. This Ascendancy grants:

Increased Skill Gem slots

Enhanced gem quality

Bonus elemental resistances

It caters to high-skill players who want to micromanage a large toolkit and experiment with multiple skills on one character.

3. Tactician (Coming Soon)

Added in the Dawn of the Hunt update, the Tactician Ascendancy will further expand the Mercenary's strategic playstyle. Details are limited, but it's expected to blend positioning, cooldown control, and ammo economy into a finely tuned package.

Final Thoughts

The Mercenary is unlike anything Path of Exile has offered before. With responsive Crossbow combat, ammo management, and WASD movement, it offers a refreshing fusion of shooter mechanics and ARPG depth.

Whether you're melting mobs with Incendiary Burst Shot or freezing bosses with Permafrost Power Shot, the Mercenary promises dynamic gameplay and build diversity. With multiple Ascendancies and skill combinations, this class is poised to become a favorite when Path of Exile 2 enters Early Access.

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