S-TIER | BUILD MERCENAIRE INFERNAL CRY GEMLING (@josiahyeet) | SAISON 5

Build Video

Build Overview

This « Shout 2 Win » build by creator @josiahyeet leverages the Gemling Legionnaire ascendancy of the Mercenary to turn a simple shout into a killing machine. The concept is as effective as it is comfortable: press Infernal Cry, the shout applies Corrupting Blood (stacking bleed that deals damage over time), and everything on screen melts. This is the archetype of the one button blaster — a single-button build that clears maps effortlessly while remaining capable of handling tough bosses.

The class’s greatest strength comes from its quality stacking mechanic: the Gemling Legionnaire ascendancy doubles the quality value of each gem, which multiplies the effects of warcries and supports tenfold. For clearing maps, Herald of Blood causes enemies to explode for 15% of their bleed, creating chain reactions that kill off-screen packs.

This version is a single-target-focused update. Thanks to the new spear + shield setup and the Blood Hunt skill, the author reaches nearly 1 million DPS on a boss by consuming accumulated bleed — enough to kill a boss with 3.8 million life in just a few seconds. The build was showcased in T15 6-mod content with 100% delirium and 100% abyss efficiency (irradiated tablet), without ever being in danger.

Strengths / Weaknesses

Skill Gem Setup by Step

This build offers 3 progression steps from leveling to the final build. Select a step to view the corresponding skill gem setup.

Spear + 100% armour applied to ele dmg New Spear Setup Old Qstaff Setup

Spear + 100% armour applied to ele dmg

13 skills • 41 gemmes

Coup de lanceSpear Stab

Virtuous BarrierVirtuous Barrier

Jet de lanceSpear Throw

ParadeParry

Flèche mande-orageStormcaller Arrow

Cri infernalInfernal Cry

Armure de récupérationScavenged Plating

Régulation des chargesCharge Regulation

Barrière magmatiqueMagma Barrier

Armure arctiqueArctic Armour

Pluie de flèchesRain of Arrows

Héraut du sangHerald of Blood

Traque sanguinaireBlood Hunt

New Spear Setup

12 skills • 39 gemmes

Virtuous BarrierVirtuous Barrier

Jet de lanceSpear Throw

ParadeParry

Héraut du sangHerald of Blood

Flèche mande-orageStormcaller Arrow

Armure arctiqueArctic Armour

Armure de récupérationScavenged Plating

Barrière magmatiqueMagma Barrier

Pluie de flèchesRain of Arrows

Cri infernalInfernal Cry

Traque sanguinaireBlood Hunt

Régulation des chargesCharge Regulation

Old Qstaff Setup

10 skills • 34 gemmes

Virtuous BarrierVirtuous Barrier

Héraut du sangHerald of Blood

Cri sismiqueSeismic Cry

BlasphèmeBlasphemy

Héraut de la cendreHerald of Ash

Grenade assourdissanteFlash Grenade

Armure de récupérationScavenged Plating

Armure arctiqueArctic Armour

Cri infernalInfernal Cry

BerserkBerserk

Recommended Equipment

The absolute priority of this build is the gem level of Infernal Cry: the higher the warcry’s level, the harder Corrupting Blood hits. The goal is to reach a level 40 Infernal Cry thanks to the « + to Level of all Fire Skills » bonuses found on weapons.

• Main hand (spear): the Saitha’s Spear. The stat to prioritize is « + to Level of all Fire Skills » to push Infernal Cry as high as possible — by far the most important stat on the weapon.
• off-hand: the Sunsplinter, which also grants + to Level of all Fire Skills — the key complement to the spear for maximizing Infernal Cry’s level.
• Helmet: Crown of the Victor, a unique helmet that ties the build together.
• Body Armour: Atziri’s Splendour, a unique chest that provides a very solid defensive and resource base.
• Belt: Darkness Enthroned, the unique belt that multiplies the effect of the abyss jewels socketed into it.
• Jewellery: the Fireflower amulet and two Safrin’s Resolve rings.
• Shield: essential for unlocking block and stacking block chance, the build’s defensive cornerstone.
• Secondary weapon set (bow): an Obliterator Bow dedicated to debuff — Rain of Arrows to shatter armour and apply incision, Stormcaller Arrow to shock the boss.
• Rare pieces: gloves and boots with as many resistances and as much life as possible. The author recommends upgrading these rares with better resistance rolls to free up room for defensive augments.
• Jewels: aim for the « armour applies to elemental damage » augment (around 40%) to fill the build’s only real defensive gap.

The full gear setup of the optimised build is detailed in the interactive grid below; hover over each piece to see its exact stats.

Gameplay Tips

• In maps (mapping): stay on the spear + shield set and spam Infernal Cry. Corrupting Blood and the explosions from Herald of Blood do the rest — let the packs die off-screen and keep moving.
• On bosses (single-target): switch to the bow set to apply the debuff. Cast Rain of Arrows (armour break + incision) and Stormcaller Arrow (shock), then switch back to the spear and use Blood Hunt to consume the bleed: the enemy loses 25% of the consumed bleed (32% with Gemling quality stacking), one or two uses is all you need to finish the boss.
• Keep your warcries active: Echoing Cry doubles warcry charges and remains preferable to Raging Cry or Eternal Rage for consistency.
• Stack block: Magma Barrier and passive tree nodes push your block chance. A key node even increases damage for each 1% of block chance — at 37% block, that’s nearly 40% more damage, combining offense and defense in a single investment.
• Survivability: keep Arctic Armour, double Vitality I, and Cannibalism I (with your remaining spirit) to stay comfortable even in juicy content.

The Core of the Build: Corrupting Blood and Infernal Cry

All the power of this build rests on Corrupting Blood applied by Infernal Cry. When you use the warcry, you apply a stackable bleed that eats away at enemy life over time. It is damage that does not depend on continuous hits: once applied, it works on its own while you move.

Scaling comes from three levers: the level of Infernal Cry (aim for level 40), gem quality doubled by the Gemling Legionnaire ascendancy, and physical/bleed damage supports such as Brutality I and Bleed. The more intense the bleed, the harder the explosions from Herald of Blood hit (15% of the bleed).

The New Blood Hunt Single-Target Setup

The big change in this update is Blood Hunt on the spear + shield set. The skill dashes your character toward the target, triggers a blood explosion and consumes accumulated bleed. The enemy then loses life equal to 25% of the bleed consumed, and thanks to Gemling quality, that number climbs to 32% in a single hit.

In practice, you stack bleed on the boss, then one or two uses of Blood Hunt are enough to melt it. That’s how the creator reaches nearly 1 million DPS on single-target, whereas before he was capped at a much lower figure. The skill is also very satisfying to play: you teleport to the enemy, making combat feel dynamic.

The Debuff Combo: Armour Break and Shock

To maximise boss damage, the build uses a secondary weapon set (bow) dedicated to debuffing. Rain of Arrows is used to break armour and apply incision, while Stormcaller Arrow applies shock, which increases the damage the enemy takes.

One subtlety to be aware of: base armor break does not directly affect this damage type, but sources such as Uruks Smelting and small passives granting « damage against enemies with broken armour » do provide a gain (5–10%), on top of the 20–40% additional physical damage taken when armour is broken. Shock, on the other hand, works fully and remains a priority.

Cast on Dodge: The Endgame Path

The creator is actively testing an endgame evolution built around Cast on Dodge (spells triggered on dodge). The idea is to pair it with useful spells like Reputation that fire automatically with every roll. At 20% quality, the skill costs 85 Spirit and increases dodge roll distance.

This path pairs well with boots that improve dodge speed and distance, for an ultra-mobile and stylish playstyle. If you go with this setup using boots that restore Energy Shield on dodge, it becomes worthwhile to shift toward an armour + Energy Shield defence layer. It’s still experimental, but the creator believes it’s likely the most comfortable direction for endgame.

Skill Tree