Summary
Mercenary farming has become one of the most reliable currency strategies in Path of Exile, offering a steady stream of raw Divine Orbs and valuable loot that can rival even the best POE buy currency methods in terms of efficiency. This guide covers the complete setup, variants, and techniques to maximize your profits from this popular farming method, whether you're running white maps for speed or eight-mod maps for higher returns.
Overview of the Strategy
The mercenary boss rush strategy focuses on rapidly farming Mercenaries in tier zero maps for raw currency drops, with the potential for massive jackpot items like Mageblood or Headhunter belts. While this is fundamentally a gambling strategy, it remains consistently profitable even without hitting the big drops .
Expected Returns:
Fast players: 15-20 divines/hour (without jackpot drops)
Slower players: 8-10 divines/hour
Significant profit comes from belt drops like Mageblood and Headhunter
Core Mechanics
The strategy revolves around killing Mercenaries quickly and efficiently. The key is speed—you want to complete maps in 30 seconds or less to maximize your encounters per hour. More maps mean more Mercenaries, more anomalies, and ultimately more profit .
The real power of this strategy comes from pairing it with fast boss-rushing layouts like City Square. The consistent layout and quick access to the boss arena make it ideal for this farming method .
Two Main Variants
Variant 1: Basic Boss Rush (Recommended for Weaker Builds)
This is the simpler, safer version of the strategy.
Scarab Setup:
Scarab of Renown
Scarab of Infamy
Method:
Use a white (unmodded) map or Templar Astrolabe
Rush to the map boss
Kill the Mercenary
Leave immediately
Don't worry about clearing anything else
This variant prioritizes speed above all else. The minimal investment keeps risk low while maintaining consistent returns .
Variant 2: Full Clear Setup (Higher Risk, Higher Reward)
This version is more dangerous but can yield better returns if your build can handle it.
Scarab Setup:
Scarab of Renown
Scarab of Infamy
Surprising Alliances Scarab
2x Anarchy Scarabs
Method:
Full clear the map
Kill every Wild Mercenary
Kill all Rogue Exiles (they can spawn accompanied by Mercenaries)
Why This Is More Dangerous:
Ruckus node (8% chance for 20 additional exiles) can spawn massive numbers of Mercenaries
Wild Mercenaries have increased difficulty for each additional Mercenary in the area
If your build is on the weaker side, stick to the basic variant .
White Maps vs. Eight-Mod Maps
This is an important distinction that affects both difficulty and profit.
White Maps (Zero Mods)
Pros: Fast, easy, safe
Cons: Fewer anomalies, less ground loot
Best for: Weaker characters, beginners
Eight-Mod Maps
Pros: More anomalies, more ground loot, higher potential profit
Cons: Harder enemies, more dangerous
Best for: Strong builds that can handle the difficulty
Key Insight: Mercenaries themselves don't get any benefit from map modifiers—they drop the same loot regardless. The advantage of eight-mod maps is that they spawn more anomalies and improve ground loot from regular monsters, which can add significant profit over time .
Map Selection
Best Map: City Square
City Square is the preferred map for this strategy because:
The boss arena is in the center
Consistent, predictable layout
Located in the bottom-left quadrant for access to valuable anomalies
Why Bottom-Left Corner Matters
The bottom-left quadrant offers two extremely powerful anomalies:
The Gambler District: Can yield multiple divines
Kadira: High-value rewards
The Gambler District is particularly notable—if you're short on gold, open it only 3-4 times instead of all five, but it's always worth doing. Many players have reported multiple divine sacks from this anomaly .
Atlas Passive Tree
For Eight-Mod Maps
Take full map effect and quantity nodes to maximize loot from the map itself. While Mercenaries aren't affected by quantity, regular monsters, the boss, and anomalies are .
Prioritize:
Map effect wheels
Quantity bonuses
Guaranteed loot tiles
For White Maps
Spec out of map effect and quantity nodes entirely. Instead, invest in guaranteed loot tiles like:
Heist caches
Lost shipments
Other guaranteed reward nodes
These provide consistent value regardless of map modifiers .
With the Anarchy Setup
If running the full clear variant, you need additional points for:
Ruckus node (8% chance for 20 additional exiles)
Auto-XL points
How to Run Each Map
Basic Flow
Enter the map (City Square recommended)
Locate the Mercenary (usually near the boss)
Inspect the Mercenary's gear
Kill the Mercenary and the map boss
Grab any valuable drops
Look for any anomaly procs (Lost Shipments, etc.)
Exit and repeat
What to Look For on Mercenaries
Priority Items:
Belt slot - Potential Mageblood or Headhunter
Currency slot - Where most raw currency drops
Amulet slot - Can contain valuable uniques
Other item slots generally matter less, though weapons can also be valuable.
Lost Shipment Procs
When you see a Lost Shipment proc, it's worth backtracking to claim it. These can contain valuable items—some players have reported finding Sacred Orbs and valuable tattoos from them .
Pricing and Selling Mercenaries
This is where the strategy becomes more complex. Some Mercenaries can be worth hundreds of divines, or even mirrors in rare cases.
How to Price Check Mercenaries
Use dedicated Mercenary pricing websites (available via PoE trade sites) to check values.
What Makes a Mercenary Valuable:
Multiple aura skills (Grace, Hatred, Determination)
Six-linked equipment
Powerful ranged abilities
Desirable support gem combinations
Example High-Value Combinations:
Ice Shot + Returning Projectiles
Ballista Shot
Grace + Hatred aura setup
Some players have reported selling Mercenaries for 5-10 divines regularly, with premium ones reaching 25+ divines .
When to Make a Warrant
Making a Mercenary into a warrant has almost no downside—you just don't get the current loot, but they'll have the same loot next map anyway. If you think you have a valuable Mercenary:
Challenge them
Obtain the warrant
Paste it into a pricing tool
Important Tips
Kill Order Matters
If you're running the scarab setup that spawns Wild Mercenaries, kill the Wild Mercenaries before the main one. If the main Mercenary dies first, the Wild ones can become untargetable and you'll lose their loot .
Damage over time builds have an advantage here—if a Wild Mercenary is affected by a lethal DoT before the main one dies, it can still die afterward and drop loot .
Don't Over-Invest in Difficulty
While the anarchy variant is tempting, the increased difficulty often isn't worth it. Some Mercenary modifiers—especially powerful fire damage over time effects—can instantly kill even well-geared characters . For consistent profits, the safer and faster basic variant usually wins in the long run .
Use the Right Map Device Options
For the basic strat, using a Templar Astrolabe can add extra value without slowing you down. The boss drop additional scarabs modifier is particularly valuable .
Final Thoughts
The mercenary boss rush strategy is an excellent way to generate consistent currency in Path of Exile. It's flexible enough for both new and experienced players, with variants that suit different build strengths and risk tolerances.
While the basic version is simple and safe, the full clear variant offers higher potential rewards for players with strong builds. Either way, the combination of fast map completion, valuable Mercenary drops, and powerful anomalies in the bottom-left quadrant makes this one of the most reliable farming strategies currently available.
Remember: speed is your greatest asset. The faster you complete maps, the more Mercenaries you encounter, the more anomalies you trigger, and the more profit you generate. Keep the loop tight, stay focused, and the currency will follow—if you're ever short on time or just want to skip the grind, MMOEXP offers reliable and cheap POE currency to help you gear up without the hassle.
