What are the Mercenary ascendancies in PoE 2?

The Mercenary has 3 ascendancies in patch 0.5.4b: Witchhunter, Gemling Legionnaire, Tactician. Str/Dex crossbow soldier — ammunition swapping, grenades and battlefield control.

How do you unlock the Mercenary ascendancy in PoE 2?

Complete your first Ascendancy Trial in Act 2 — the Trial of the Sekhemas in Traitor’s Passage (defeat Balbala) or a Trial of Chaos. That unlocks your chosen Mercenary ascendancy and the first 2 of 8 ascendancy points.

Can you switch between Mercenary ascendancies?

Yes — since patch 0.5.0 you can change to a different Mercenary ascendancy: refund all allocated ascendancy points (gold), re-run a trial granting your current point count, then re-ascend at the Ascension device and pick the new one.

PoE 2 Mercenary Ascendancies

Verified 2026-07-04 · patch 0.5.4b · STRDEX

The Mercenary has 3 ascendancies in patch 0.5.4b: Witchhunter, Gemling Legionnaire and Tactician. Str/Dex crossbow soldier — ammunition swapping, grenades and battlefield control. Unlock your ascendancy in Act 2 via an Ascendancy Trial, and switch between them any time for gold.

WitchhunterB-tier

Mercenary ascendancy

Anti-caster gunner — sorcery culling and decimating crossbow fire.

crossbowanti-magicburst

Current standing: Great boss-culling identity; middle of the pack for overall clear this patch.

Full Witchhunterguide — notables, best skills & FAQ →

Gemling LegionnaireA-tier

Mercenary ascendancy

Gem-augmented soldier — flexes skill-gem requirements into raw stat power.

gemsattributesflex

Current standing: Gem flexibility enables off-meta tech (incl. Twister variants) — quietly strong all league.

Full Gemling Legionnaireguide — notables, best skills & FAQ →

TacticianB-tier

Mercenary ascendancy

Battlefield commander — banners, called shots and squad-level control.

bannerssupportcrossbow

Current standing: Strong party value; solo it wants specific setups to keep up with the S-tiers.

Full Tacticianguide — notables, best skills & FAQ →

Tier ranks are editorial — community meta consensus (maxroll · mobalytics · game8 0.5 tier lists), editorial — checked 2026-07-03.

Play any Mercenary ascendancy today: trial carry for the ascendancy points, or a leveling service to get there faster.

How to unlock (0.5.4b)

Reach Traitor’s Passage in Act 2 and complete the Trial of the Sekhemas (defeat Balbala) — or run a Trial of Chaos — to choose your Mercenary ascendancy and earn points 1–2. The remaining points come in pairs from harder trials, up to all 8: full points & trials table + tracker →

FAQ

What are the Mercenary ascendancies in PoE 2?: The Mercenary has 3 ascendancies in patch 0.5.4b: Witchhunter, Gemling Legionnaire, Tactician. Str/Dex crossbow soldier — ammunition swapping, grenades and battlefield control.
How do you unlock the Mercenary ascendancy in PoE 2?: Complete your first Ascendancy Trial in Act 2 — the Trial of the Sekhemas in Traitor’s Passage (defeat Balbala) or a Trial of Chaos. That unlocks your chosen Mercenary ascendancy and the first 2 of 8 ascendancy points.
Can you switch between Mercenary ascendancies?: Yes — since patch 0.5.0 you can change to a different Mercenary ascendancy: refund all allocated ascendancy points (gold), re-run a trial granting your current point count, then re-ascend at the Ascension device and pick the new one.

Compare every class on the ascendancy hub, see the full tier list, or respec if Mercenary isn’t working out.

Roster verified against patch 0.5.4b (2026-07-02). Class and ascendancy art is in-game artwork © Grinding Gear Games, used for identification. Tier ranks are editorial. Last verified 2026-07-04. Timesaver.gg is not affiliated with Grinding Gear Games.