List of PoE 2 Grenade Skill Gems

Grenade is a gem tag on some Crossbow skills. Grenades have a cooldown and a fuse duration, rather than the reload mechanics of ammunition skills.

Grenade Skills

• Grenade Skills are only usable when wielding a Crossbow. They have cooldowns, but generally deliver high damage or powerful utility.
• Grenade Skills have a fuse duration and will generally not explode until the fuse has expired, so they are strongest when you aim carefully and predict enemy movements.
• Grenades cannot Fork or Chain.

List of Grenade Skill Gems

• Explosive Grenade (1). Tags: Attack, AoE, Projectile, Grenade, Fire, Duration, Detonator. Fires a bouncing Grenade that unleashes a devastating fiery blast when its fuse expires.
• Flash Grenade (3). Tags: Attack, AoE, Projectile, Grenade, Duration. Fires a bouncing Grenade that unleashes a Blinding, Stunning explosion when its fuse expires. This explosion can Blind both Allies and Enemies.
• Gas Grenade (5). Tags: Attack, AoE, Projectile, Grenade, Fire, Chaos, Duration. Fires a bouncing Grenade that causes a burst of Poison gas when its fuse expires, damaging enemies and leaving behind a growing Poison cloud. Burning effects or Detonator skills will cause the cloud to explode in a fiery blast.
• Voltaic Grenade (7). Tags: Attack, AoE, Projectile, Grenade, Lightning, Duration. Fires a bouncing Grenade that discharges an Electrocuting Lightning blast when its fuse expires.
• Oil Grenade (9). Tags: Attack, AoE, Projectile, Grenade, Fire, Duration. Fires a bouncing Grenade that bursts in a spray of Oil when the fuse expires or when it impacts an Enemy, dealing minimal damage but covering the ground and nearby enemies in Oil. Oil created this way can be Ignited by Detonator Skills or Ignited Ground.
• Cluster Grenade (13). Tags: Attack, AoE, Projectile, Grenade, Fire, Duration. Fires a bouncing Grenade that explodes when its fuse expires, throwing out a nova of mini Grenades that explode when they come to a stop.

Mechanics and Interactions

Grenades in PoE 2 operate on unique mechanics that enhance their strategic use:

• Detonation Synergy: Grenades can be detonated using skills like Explosive Shot, which can ignite oil or gas grenades for devastating chain reactions.
• Long Fuse: Supports Skills which fire Grenades, causing those Grenades to have much higher duration and damage.
• Payload: Supports Skills which fire Grenades, giving fired Grenades a chance to activate again, but lengthening their cooldowns.

Building the Grenade Mercenary

The Grenade Mercenary class excels at ranged combat while utilizing grenades for both offense and crowd control. Here are some key aspects of building an effective Grenade Mercenary:

• Skill Selection: Focus on skills that maximize grenade effectiveness. Essential skills include Explosive Shot for damage and Flash Grenade for crowd control.
• Passive Skill Tree: Invest in nodes that enhance area damage and projectile effectiveness. Notable nodes like "Devastation" and "Cluster Bombs" can significantly improve grenade performance.
• Equipment Choices: The Bombard Crossbow is critical for this build as it adds extra projectiles to grenade attacks, enhancing both AoE coverage and damage output.

Tips

The playstyle of the Grenade Mercenary revolves around setting up traps and controlling the battlefield:

• Setup Phase: Before engaging enemies, players should deploy Gas and Oil grenades strategically to prepare for combat. This setup allows for maximum damage when detonating grenades.
• Engagement Tactics: Use Flash Grenade as an opening move against groups to blind enemies and create space. Follow up with Explosive Grenades to capitalize on the chaos created.
• Mobility and Positioning: Maintaining distance from enemies is crucial. Utilize movement skills effectively to avoid damage while waiting for grenades to detonate.