Looking for a lightning-fast, screen-clearing powerhouse in Path of Exile 2? The Lightning Arrow Deadeye Ranger is just for you. The build is top-notch for players who want a quick character, with great speed and map clearing while also bossing surprisingly well. Let's dive deeper into what makes this build effective and how you can create your own.
Path of Exile 2 Ranger Deadeye Build
Why Choose Lightning Arrow Deadeye?
This is a well-oiled machine for efficiency and fun. Here's why it is among the best:
- Amazing Map Clearing: The chain reaction explosions from Lightning Arrow with Herald of Thunder and Herald of Ice annihilate whole screens of enemies. Great for fast mapping and breach farming.
- Much Improved Bossing: In Path of Exile 1, bosses were generally an issue. In Path of Exile 2, this build obliterates pinnacle bosses. Mechanics become less relevant.
- League Starter Viability: Much like its PoE1 counterpart, this build is sturdy and viable right from the early stages. It's a good league starter.
- Scalable Endgame Power: Be it on a tight budget or with significant currency, this build scales amazingly well. Investment increases damage and clear.
Core Skills to Master
1. Lightning Arrow: The Heart of the Build
You get Lightning Arrow early, and it's your primary skill. It converts physical damage to lightning and chains between enemies. Key support gems include:
- Martial Tempo: For attack speed boost, making the build feel smooth and responsive.
- Ice Bite: Adds cold damage on freeze, essential for triggering Herald of Ice and maximizing damage.
- Overcharge: Increases shock magnitude at the cost of duration – perfect for quick boss bursts.
- Primal Armament: Significantly increases weapon elemental damage.
- Inspiration: Reduces mana cost, keeping your mana sustainable.
Focus on getting flat cold damage on your bow, quiver, and rings to ensure both freezing and shocking enemies. This is crucial for Herald synergy.
2. Lightning Rod: Your Boss-Melting Tool
Lightning Rod is where your single-target damage comes from. Support it with:
- Scattershot: Adds projectiles for wider coverage. Even with reduced damage per projectile, it's a net gain in many situations.
- Concentrated Effect: Giant area damage increase; ideal for focused boss damage.
- Close Combat: Extra damage to nearby enemies synergizing with melee-range bossing.
- Rising Tempest: Elemental damage boost, scaling off recent skill variety.
Utilize Lightning Rod to set up fields of damage underneath bosses, then quickly detonate them for devastating damage with Orb of Storms and Cast on Shock.
3. Herald of Thunder & Herald of Ice: Synergistic Screen Clear
Both Heralds are key to explosive clear speed. Utilize Infusions to improve interaction:
- Herald of Thunder: With Cold Infusion - The lightning will turn to cold and enable freezes and explosive Herald of Ice detonations.
- Herald of Ice: (with Lightning Infusion) Converts cold to lightning, scaling shock chance and creating a feedback loop of freezes and shocks.
4. Wind Dancer: Evasion and Defense
Wind Dancer provides evasion and knockback as bonus defense. Socket with Blind for survivability.
5. Orb of Storms & Cast on Shock: Boss DPS Amplifiers
These are primarily used for bosses and rare elites. Orb of Storms, with Chain, Persistence, Unleash, and Overabundance, rapidly triggers Lightning Rods. Cast on Shock with Ball Lightning and support gems like Deceleration, Impetus, and Energy Retention further amplifies boss damage by creating even more Lightning Rod triggers.
Passive Tree Highlights
While a full passive tree guide is extensive, here are key nodes to prioritize:
- Early Game: Take Attack Speed, Movement Speed, and damage nodes. Offense is your best defense early on.
- Master Fletching: Significant damage to bow builds, largely from quivers.
- Feathered Fletching: Projectile speed becomes a great damage multiplier.
- Proficiency: Dexterity benefits attribute nodes and gem/gear requirements.
- Lightning Rod: PASSIVE NODE Big damage multiplier as this isn't a crit build.
- Acrobatics: High dodge chance, but requires investment in evasion rating.
Ascendancy: Deadeye – The Obvious Choice
Deadeye is practically built for this playstyle. Key Ascendancy nodes include:
- Gathering Winds: Tailwind is essential for speed and evasion, a core Deadeye buff.
- Endless Munitions: Additional projectile for even more damage and clear.
- Point Blank: Damage boost at close range, effective for bossing with Lightning Rod.
- Wind Ward: Damage reduction per Tailwind, improving survivability.
Gear Priorities
Focus on these stats on your following items:
- Bow: High physical DPS, flat cold damage, +skill levels, attack speed, additional arrows. Consider Widowhail for quiver-focused builds.
- Quiver: Flat cold damage, arrow speed, projectile speed, bow skill damage, attack speed, +skill levels, dexterity/intelligence.
- Gloves: Hand of Wisdom and Action (Unique) – BiS for intelligence scaling.
- Armor: Evasion, life, resistances, spirit.
- Rings: Flat cold damage, life, rarity, resistances, intelligence, attack speed. For pinnacle bosses, consider Thief's Torment (Unique) for mana on hit.
- Amulet: Stats (intelligence), +projectile skill levels, life, resistances, rarity. Anoint Essence of the Mountain for cold damage.
- Belt: Headhunter (Unique) – amazing for breach farming, if affordable.
Get Ready to Zoom and Boom
The Lightning Arrow Deadeye Ranger is a build in Path of Exile 2 that brings a close to perfect combination of speed, power, and gameplay satisfaction. Be it early levels or breach farming in the late game, this build will get you there. Power up your bow, ready your arrows, and light Wraeclast up.
