Path of Exile 2: Gas Grenade Pathfinder build guide (0.3.0)

Path of Exile 2’s Gas Grenade Pathfinder is a build for people not looking to play a Deadeye yet again. It’s still a fun, ranged build, but it’s focused around one of my favorite skills/gameplay styles, and that’s Poison! Whether I’m playing a Witch or a Ranger, I’m probably going to gravitate to some kind of poison in my build.

This particular build has a few ways to play it, but I’m going with the non-Crit version, because it’s cheaper, and easier to set up in my estimation. Whether you’re mapping, or fighting single-target bosses, the Gas Grenade Pathfinder’s got something in its toolkit to succeed with. It’s a great build, and here’s how you can set this endgame build up for yourself.

---

Pros and Cons of the Gas Grenade Pathfinder build in Path of Exile 2

I’m a huge fan of the Gas Grenade Pathfinder build in Path of Exile 2, due to its incredibly strong map clear. It’s great at harming things all around, but any build that requires specific Jewels, that also in turn, level up specific skills to get the most out of it is frustrating, to say the least. You probably won’t need to do that to feel like a good Pathfinder, but it is ideal.

Pros

• Has reliable, fast clear, thanks to the spread on Contagious Contamination.
• Decently tanky, so you won’t feel quite as squishy, thanks to your equipment.
• Solid damage, whether using AOE or single-target options.

Cons

• The damage in this build isn’t immediate, due to Grenade Fuse.
• It can be very frustrating to get the perfect Jewels to make this build really pop off.

---

How does a Gas Grenade Pathfinder work in Path of Exile 2?

Gas Grenade Pathfinder is a very easy way to play Path of Exile 2. Whether leveling or in the endgame, your strategy isn’t going to be too different. The build uses Gas Grenade to drop huge clouds of poison that constantly damage enemies. You combine this with skills/traits that spread the poison further, and increases the amount of damage it does.

It’s a build that has plenty of Evasion, as well as Energy Shield, to keep you nice and safe while you drop pools of constant poison on your defenses. Between these, Wind Dancer, and Ghost Dance, you are pretty safe in this build.

---

How to play a Gas Grenade Pathfinder in Path of Exile 2

For the most part, this is a one-button build. You drop Gas Grenade on your enemies, and through your traits and skill gems, it obliterates your opponents. It will spread around as a Pathfinder, thanks to Contagious Contamination, which spreads poison when you kill enemies, within 1.5 metres. That’s a solid reach. Even if your target is beefy, Path of Exile 2’s Gas Grenade Pathfinder has a solution.

This Path of Exile 2 Gas Grenade Pathfinder is excellent and slaying bosses and waves of enemies alike (Image via GGG/YouTube@Dreamcore)

If it’s a tanky foe, such as a named enemy or a boss, after you drop the Gas Grenade on them, you use Despair, and then Toxic Domain, and stack a few Gas Grenades on top of them, to make sure they perish quickly. Despair reduces Chaos Resistance (more damage from Poison), and Toxic Domain adds damage on single-targets.

You also want to have Withering Presence active, to make nearby enemies take more Chaos Damage, and thus, are harmed more by poison.

---

Best Gas Grenade Pathfinder endgame Skill Gem setup for Path of Exile 2

The skill setup is pretty simple for the Gas Grenade Pathfinder in Path of Exile 2. You only have one skill that’s going to need to be upgraded to five slots, and that’s of course, Gas Grenade. That really cuts down on Jeweler’s Orbs, for sure. The only real hard part of it is finding a Arakali’s Lust drop, as it’s one of the new Lineage Support gems.

If you’re a player that uses a two-weapon set and swaps between them, you want Despair linked to your second weapon set, and Gas Grenade/Toxic Domain on your first. Personally, I don’t really fiddle with weapon swapping very much, but I’m going to have to with this build, as it pertains to gearing.

• Gas Grenade: Arakali’s Lust, Deadly Poison II, Elemental Armament II, Persistent Ground III, Encroaching Ground (swap for Elemental Focus on bosses)
• Ghost Dance: Compressed Duration II
• Wind Dancer: Blind II, Maim, Magnified Area II
• Despair: Heightened Curse, Prolonged Duration II, Efficiency II
• Withering Presence: Prolonged Duration II, Clarity I
• Toxic Domain: Escalating Poison, Deadly Poison II, Long Fuse II

As you’re leveling up, you’re still using Gas Grenade (Bursting Plague, Corrosion) to clear, alongside Contagion (Unleash). When dealing with bosses, you’ll load Explosive Grenade to pop when they spawn, keep Gas Cloud up and spam High Velocity Rounds.

---

BiS itemization options for Path of Exile 2’s Gas Grenade Pathfinder build

At least gearing this build isn't as bad as some others are (Image via GGG/YouTube@Dreamcore)

This build is not one that’s going to be crazy heavy on Uniques, though there are a few you’ll certainly want to have around to get the most out of it. I would say if anything, Plaguefinger is a must-have for a Gas Grenade Pathfinder, even better if you can get one that’s Corrupted with +1 Socket. Plaguefinger makes All Damage from Hits Contribute to Poison Magnitude, making it incredibly important all around.

Our main weapon is going to be a Siege Crossbow, and a second weapon set that features a Wand + Shield for Despair. Ideally, Cursecarver and Arvil’s Wheel. The only catch is, we want a Cursecarver that gives +4 to Despair, and Arvil’s Wheel to have as much Skill Effect Duration as possible.

It would also be nice to have a Prism of Belief jewel with Gas Grenade levels, and From Nothing near Chaos Inoculation on the skill tree. This is to make sure you can pick up the Pure Chaos and Wither Away talents, without being connected to them.

Gear Slot	Ideal Stats
Siege Crossbow	Grenade Skills Fire an additional Projectile, Fire Damage, Increased Elemental Damage with Attacks, Levels of Projectile Skills
Wand	Cursecarver (+4 to Despair)
Shield	Arvil's Wheel
Helmet	Elemental Resistances, Maximum Energy Shield,Increased Energy Shield, Maximum Life
Body	Elemental Resistances, Chaos Resistance, Evasion Rating, Increased Evaison and Energy Shield, Maximum Energy Shield
Boots	Movement Speed, Increased Evasion and Energy Shield, Resistances, Dexterity
Gloves	Plaguefinger
Amulet	Strength/Needed Stats, Maximum Energy Shield, Evasion Rating, Level of Projectile Skills
Rings	Elemental Resistances, Chaos Resistance
Charms	Staunching, Thawing, Grounding

---

Best Ascension nodes, Keystone Passives, and other notable nodes for Gas Grenade Pathfinder

Here's the way your talent tree is going to look (Image via GGG)

We’ll be crawling across the right side of the talent tree as Gas Grenade Pathfinder players in Path of Exile 2. There are quite a few notable nodes we’re going to want to make 100% certain we have, like Overwhelming Toxicity. It doubles the number of Poisons that targets can have at the same time, though it does decrease your Poison’s Duration.

Contagious Contamination is another must have in Path of Exile 2. It reads “The most Damaging Poison on Enemies you Kill is Spread to other Enemies within 1.5 metres”, so treat it like Contagion on a Witch, and make sure it’s in your build. Chaos Inoculation is fun, to make you immune to Chaos Damage and bleeding, but it does make your maximum life 1. Instead, we have plenty of Evasion, and Energy Shield.

As stated earlier, this, with the From Nothing jewel allows for Pure Chaos to get 100% of Damage as Extra Chaos Damage, and Wither Away, which gives you 20% increased Withered Magnitude, and Unwithered enemies are Withered for 8s when they enter your Presence.

I’m also a fan of Escalating Toxins, which gives increased Poison Duration for each Poison you’ve inflicted Recently. When you look at the image above, the green route is for your Second Weapon Set, so it’s all about Chaos Damage. The Pink/Fuschia route is for the First Weapon Set, and improves the functionality of your Grenades.

---

Check out our other Path of Exile 2 guides and features

• Path of Exile 2 Skill Gems and Gemcutting guide
• Path of Exile 2 Endgame systems guide
• Path of Exile 2 Item Crafting guide
• Path of Exile 2 Runes and Sockets guide
• Path of Exile 2 Defense guide: Energy Shield, Armor, and Evasion explained