Zero Aim Screen Clear Grenade Build POE 2
Path of Exile 2’s grenade archetype has exploded into prominence in patch 0.4 thanks to a combination of skill buffs, support gem synergies, and ascendancy routes that let you stack rapid detonation mechanics into a high-speed, no-aim screen-clearing machine. This guide walks you from campaign leveling to endgame optimization, explaining the core mechanics behind the Explosive Grenade and Explosive Shot pairing, the passive and ascendancy choices that unlock infinite DPS grenade potential, and the gear and gem priorities that let you dominate maps and bosses alike. The build’s core identity is simple: throw grenades rapidly, detonate explosive bolts or shots in tight windows, and multiply damage through projectile and explosion synergies while maintaining mobility and survivability. Community creators and build pages have shown that when tuned correctly this playstyle clears screens faster than many traditional ranged builds and scales exceptionally well into late-game content.
How the build works and why it’s meta
At its heart the build combines two complementary mechanics: Explosive Grenade as a primary area-of-effect source and Explosive Shot (or similar detonation-triggering skills) to create rapid, stacked explosions. Grenades provide large explosion radii and strong base damage, while explosive bolts or shots detonate on contact or on a short fuse, allowing you to chain detonations and multiply damage per target. The meta shift in 0.4 came from buffs to grenade cooldown recovery, projectile interactions, and support gems that increase explosion frequency and damage scaling. When you stack cooldown recovery, projectile count, and explosion multipliers, the result is effectively continuous explosion uptime—hence the “infinite DPS” label used by creators. This playstyle benefits from both raw area damage and concentrated single-target scaling, making it versatile for mapping and bossing.
Core skill setup and gem priorities
Your primary skill choices are Explosive Grenade and Explosive Shot (or a detonation-supporting shot skill). The goal is to have grenades land and then immediately trigger detonations from shots or other explosion sources. Prioritize support gems that increase projectile count, explosion damage, and cooldown recovery. Key supports include Elemental Armament, Multishot (or equivalents that increase projectile density), Increased Area of Effect for mapping, and Cooldown Recovery or Grenade Cooldown Recovery Rate nodes/gems to keep uptime high. Early campaign progression often uses Contagion or Frost Bomb for utility and clear until you can fully pivot to the explosive synergy. Community leveling guides recommend a staged gem progression: start with basic grenade and utility gems, then slot in Explosive Shot and projectile supports around level 30–33 when the ascendancy and passive spikes become available.
Passive tree and ascendancy choices
The passive tree should prioritize projectile damage, explosion multipliers, grenade cooldown recovery, and attack/cast speed depending on your chosen trigger method. For ranger-focused variants, the Deadeye ascendancy is a natural fit because it grants projectile bonuses, attack speed, and utility nodes that increase projectile count and effectiveness. If you prefer a more hybrid or caster-like approach, other ascendancies that boost area damage and cooldown recovery can work, but Deadeye’s projectile synergies are particularly potent for the Explosive Grenade Infinite DPS concept. The passive pathing should also pick up life and resistances early to avoid one-shot scenarios; grenades can be delayed in damage application, which sometimes makes survivability feel awkward if you’re not prepared. Community planners show a typical progression that secures two projectile nodes early, then invests in grenade-specific cooldown and cluster nodes as soon as available.
Gear priorities and stat targets
Gear choices revolve around maximizing projectile and explosion damage while maintaining enough defenses to survive high-tier content. Prioritize:
Weapon: Crossbows or ranged weapons that grant flat physical or elemental damage to projectiles; some builds use specific unique weapons that boost projectile count or explosion damage.
Rings and Amulet: Flat elemental damage, projectile damage, and cooldown recovery affixes; movement speed on boots is essential for mapping.
Body Armour: Look for life, resistances, and any affixes that increase area or explosion damage.
Jewels: Large passive jewels that add projectile damage, explosion multipliers, or cooldown recovery are high value. Aim for a balance of life, resistances, projectile damage, and cooldown recovery. If you lean into crit or elemental scaling, adjust gear to support those mechanics (crit chance, crit multiplier, or elemental penetration). Community gear lists emphasize movement speed and flat damage on early campaign items to speed leveling and transition into endgame pieces later.
Playstyle and combat flow
The playstyle is fast and rhythm-based. You throw grenades in patterns that maximize overlap, then immediately fire or trigger detonations with Explosive Shot or other detonation sources. The ideal rhythm is to maintain grenade placement density while detonating in split seconds to chain explosions across groups. This results in massive screen clear and sustained single-target pressure when focused on bosses. Mobility is crucial: you should be constantly repositioning to avoid telegraphed boss mechanics while keeping your grenade clusters on the target. Use movement skills or quick repositioning to kite and reapply grenade clusters. The build rewards players who can manage timing and positioning rather than raw aim—this is why many creators call it a “no-aim screen clear machine.”
Leveling route and early game tips
Start with a simple grenade setup and utility gems like Contagion or Frost Bomb for early clear. Prioritize movement speed on boots and flat damage on early weapons. Around level 10–33, begin pivoting to the grenade/explosive synergy: slot in Explosive Shot and a projectile support, and pick up the first projectile nodes on the passive tree. Community leveling guides recommend securing one point in Strength and Intelligence early if you need to equip specific weapons or utility gems, then respec later once your core build is established. Use early transmutes and augments on rings and crossbows to get flat damage and movement speed. By the time you reach maps, you should have the core gem setup and ascendancy choices that let you scale into the endgame.
Mapping and atlas strategy
For mapping, prioritize mods that don’t punish projectile or area playstyles—avoid heavy reflect or projectile-damage-reflect combinations. Use increased area of effect for clear maps and switch to increased damage for bosses. The build excels at dense map packs; use movement speed and positioning to keep grenade clusters overlapping on large groups. If you run into map mods that punish your playstyle, consider swapping to a more single-target oriented support or using utility flasks that increase survivability. Community atlas trees and mapping guides show that this grenade variant handles most map content with ease when properly geared.
Defensive tuning and survivability
Grenade builds can feel glassy if you over-prioritize damage. To avoid this, invest in life nodes, resistances, and defensive flasks. Consider hybrid defenses like life-on-hit or life leech if your trigger method supports it. Movement and positioning are your best defenses—avoid standing in telegraphed boss attacks and use mobility to reposition between grenade volleys. If you prefer a tankier approach, pick up nodes that grant stun threshold increases or damage mitigation. Many successful players balance offense and defense by using flasks that grant temporary damage reduction or movement boosts during heavy encounters.
Endgame scaling and boss strategies
For bosses, concentrate grenade clusters on the target and use detonation timing to maximize single-target multipliers. Swap to single-target supports if necessary and consider using a secondary skill or utility to handle mechanics that punish projectile spam. Endgame tuning often involves swapping jewels and weapon affixes to increase single-target damage while keeping enough area for add control. The build’s strength is its ability to maintain near-constant explosion uptime; for bosses, this translates to sustained high DPS rather than burst windows, which is excellent for long fights. Community creators demonstrate that with the right gear and passive investment, this build can clear endgame bosses reliably.
Recommended gems and alternatives
Primary: Explosive Grenade, Explosive Shot (or equivalent detonation skill). Supports to prioritize: Elemental Armament, Multishot or projectile-increasing supports, Increased Area of Effect for mapping, Cooldown Recovery or grenade cooldown nodes/gems. Utility: Contagion for early clear, Frost Bomb for control, movement skills for repositioning. Alternatives: If you prefer a more caster-like feel, swap to supports that increase elemental damage and crit; if you want more single-target, use supports that boost concentrated damage and penetration. The build is flexible and supports multiple playstyles while keeping the explosive core intact.
Flasks, enchantments, and micro-optimizations
Use flasks that boost movement speed, damage, and survivability. Consider a flask with instant life recovery for clutch moments and one that grants temporary damage reduction for heavy boss mechanics. Enchantments that increase projectile damage or explosion multipliers are high value. Micro-optimizations include timing your cooldown recovery windows with flask usage and using movement to reposition grenade clusters for maximum overlap. Small adjustments to gem levels and support choices can yield large DPS gains once you hit endgame thresholds.
Solo self-found (SSF) and party considerations
This build is SSF-friendly because it relies on core skill synergies rather than rare uniques, though certain unique items can accelerate power spikes. In party play, your screen-clear potential makes you an excellent pack clearer and support for bosses by controlling add waves. Coordinate with party members to avoid overlapping mechanics that punish area damage and to ensure you’re not stealing crucial buffs or debuffs. Community guides note that grenade builds have been used successfully in both solo and group contexts in 0.4.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
A few pitfalls commonly seen: over-investing in raw damage while neglecting life and resistances; failing to manage grenade placement and detonation timing; and ignoring cooldown recovery mechanics that are central to maintaining continuous explosion uptime. Avoid these by balancing offense and defense, practicing the throw-and-detonate rhythm, and prioritizing cooldown recovery on the passive tree and gear. Many players also forget to swap supports between mapping and bossing—keep two gem sets ready for quick swaps.
Build variants and customization
You can pivot the core grenade concept into several variants: a pure Deadeye projectile-focused ranger, a hybrid mercenary/merc-like variant that uses gas or frost grenades for utility, or a crit/elemental-focused caster variant. Each variant changes gear and passive priorities but keeps the explosive synergy intact. Choose the variant that matches your preferred playstyle—speedrunning, mapping, or bossing—and tune jewels and weapon affixes accordingly. Community build pages show multiple successful variants, each with trade-offs in speed, survivability, and gear cost.
Final tuning checklist
Core gems slotted and leveled: Explosive Grenade + Explosive Shot.
Passive tree: projectile nodes, grenade cooldown recovery, life.
Ascendancy: Deadeye or equivalent projectile-focused class.
Gear: movement speed boots, flat damage on weapons, projectile/explosion affixes on rings and jewels.
Flasks: movement, instant life, damage reduction.
Playstyle: throw, detonate, reposition—repeat. If you tick these boxes you’ll have a build that clears maps quickly and scales into endgame bosses with consistent, sustained damage.
FAQ
Q: Is this build viable for league start in Path of Exile 2 0.4? A: Yes. The grenade archetype is a strong league-start option because it uses accessible gems and scales well with early flat damage and movement speed. Community leveling guides show successful league starts and fast map progression with this approach.
Q: Do I need unique items to make this build work? A: No. The core synergy relies on skill and support interactions rather than rare uniques, making it SSF-friendly. Unique items can accelerate power spikes but are not mandatory.
Q: Which ascendancy is best for infinite DPS? A: Deadeye is commonly recommended for projectile-focused variants due to its projectile and speed bonuses, but other ascendancies that boost area or cooldown recovery can also work depending on your variant.
Q: How do I handle reflect or projectile-reflect map mods? A: Swap to single-target supports or reduce projectile count temporarily; consider using a secondary skill for reflect-heavy maps. Defensive flasks and careful positioning also help.
Q: What’s the best way to improve single-target boss damage? A: Increase single-target supports, swap jewels for single-target multipliers, and focus grenade cluster placement directly on the boss while maintaining detonation rhythm.
Mapping Gem Link Set and Priority Order
Linked gems (6‑link): Explosive Grenade + Multishot + Elemental Armament + Increased Area of Effect + Cooldown Recovery + Second Wind
Explosive Grenade (primary) — level this first; quality that increases Cooldown Recovery Rate is valuable for uptime.
Multishot — raises projectile density so your grenade clusters overlap and clear packs faster.
Elemental Armament — boosts elemental conversion and damage scaling for the explosions.
Increased Area of Effect — mapping priority to maximize clear radius and pack coverage.
Cooldown Recovery — reduces grenade downtime so you keep explosion uptime near-continuous.
Second Wind — utility support that helps sustain throws and pairs well with movement playstyle.
Notes for mapping: Keep Explosive Grenade at the highest gem level you can afford; prioritize quality for cooldown recovery early. Use this linked set for dense map packs and speed clears; swap Increased Area of Effect out for Concentrated Effect only if a map’s density is low and you need tighter single-target focus.
Bossing Gem Link Set and Priority Order
Linked gems (6‑link): Explosive Grenade + Explosive Shot + Fire Penetration + Payload (or Exploit Weakness) + Cooldown Recovery + Adhesive Grenades (or Short Fuse)
Explosive Grenade (primary) — keep leveled and maintain quality that helps cooldown if possible.
Explosive Shot (detonation trigger) — this is the core single-target multiplier; use it to detonate grenade clusters rapidly.
Fire Penetration — increases effective damage against high-resistance bosses.
Payload or Exploit Weakness — choose Payload for raw explosion scaling or Exploit Weakness for consistent boss vulnerability.
Cooldown Recovery — essential to keep sustained DPS during long boss phases.
Adhesive Grenades or Short Fuse — Adhesive Grenades increases stickiness and damage over time; Short Fuse tightens detonation timing for burst windows.
Notes for bossing: Swap Increased Area of Effect (mapping set) for Fire Penetration or Explosive Shot to concentrate damage. Prioritize Explosive Shot and Cooldown Recovery gem levels to maintain continuous detonation cycles on single targets. For long fights, consider a 5‑link plus a separate utility 1‑link (movement or defensive) if you need flask or mobility flexibility.
Gem Leveling, Quality, and Swap Tips
Leveling priority: raise Explosive Grenade first, then the detonation/trigger gem (e.g., Explosive Shot), then projectile/support gems. Aim to have your primary 6‑link at least in the mid‑20s before entering high‑tier maps.
Quality choices: prioritize Cooldown Recovery quality on Explosive Grenade and any gem that lists cooldown recovery as a quality bonus. For supports, quality that increases projectile count or area is useful for mapping; quality that increases damage or penetration is better for bossing.
Quick swap routine: keep two weapon or chest setups if possible (one optimized for mapping with Increased Area of Effect, one for bossing with Fire Penetration/Explosive Shot). Use the in‑game quick‑swap or stash tabs to change gem links between map and boss encounters to avoid lengthy reconfiguration mid‑run.
Practical micro‑optimizations
Keep Cooldown Recovery gem and passive nodes synchronized so you never hit long downtime windows; this is the single biggest quality‑of‑life DPS multiplier.
For mapping, favor projectile density (Multishot + Elemental Armament) over single‑target penetration. For bossing, invert that priority.
If a map or boss punishes projectiles (reflect or projectile‑reflect), switch to a single‑target support set and use a secondary skill for safe progression.
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