If you want a league starter that doesn't turn every tough rare into a trip back to town, Grenade Tactician is hard to beat. I've seen plenty of people bounce off early PoE 2 because they pick something flashy and spend the whole campaign face-planting. This one's calmer. You play at range, you keep moving, and you let your tools do the messy work, which is why a lot of folks point new players toward U4GM guides and similar references when they're trying to keep the first week simple.



When the build actually "clicks"
Early on, you're mostly getting by with Explosive Grenade and Explosive Shot and learning the rhythm. Then around level 40, things start to feel different in a good way. Mirage Archer and Mortar Cannon turn you from "shooting stuff" into setting up a fight. Even with the Patch 0.4 cooldown on Mirage Archer, it's not a dealbreaker. You drop it, you reposition, you toss grenades, and the screen still stays busy. The big change is you stop standing still to force damage, and you start playing like you're kiting on purpose.



Damage comes from layering, not one button
The cleanest endgame loop is stacking effects so packs don't get a chance to breathe. Explosive Shot with Nova Projectiles and Fork spreads triggers wide, which makes your grenades feel like they're everywhere at once. Your Mortar Cannon setup is the steady hitter, especially when you link it with Ratha's Assault and Urgent Totems. And don't sleep on Voltaic Grenade. The Electrocution is practical, not flashy: bosses slow down, windows open up, and you can keep your distance without panicking. Defensively, Wind Dancer plus War Banner is the kind of "small" layer that saves you when you mess up a dodge.



Weapon swap is free power if you treat it like a habit
A lot of players ignore weapon swap because it sounds fiddly, but here it's basically a second build stapled onto the first. Set I can be your comfort mode: mobility, reservation help, whatever keeps you alive while mapping. Set II is where you lean into totem and projectile scaling for burstier moments. It's not about perfect timing; you'll just get used to swapping before a boss room or an ugly rare. For gear, Constricting Command and Valako's Vice are worth chasing because they actually change how smooth the build feels, and on the ascendancy side, taking A Solid Plan first makes everything less awkward, then Suppressing Fire, and then Right Where We Want Them to push damage when enemies are locked down.



Keeping the run smooth in the long haul
You'll notice the build rewards patience more than reflexes. Toss, step, set a totem, step again. When you do hit a wall, it's usually because damage is fine but your links or upgrades are lagging behind, and that's when people start looking at trade priorities and budgeting their crafting with PoE 2 Currency so they can keep the character progressing without turning every upgrade into a grind.
Instant PoE 2 currency for smoother gameplay—click: https://www.u4gm.com/path-of-exile-2-currency