Updated for Path of Exile 2 Early Access
The Best Crafty Guides by Odealo
Guide notes |
August 31, 2025 - Updated for path 0.3, included Deflection to massively improve survivability |
Build Overview | |||
Tags: [RANGED] [ELEMENTAL] [LIFE] | |||
Budget: Defenses: |
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Boss DPS: AoE: |
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The Lightning Bow Deadeye is currently one of the strongest archetypes. It deals mostly Lightning Damage, so you will frequently Shock, increasing your DPS even more. Lightning Arrow is a basic Attack that creates Chaining Beams upon Hitting an Enemy. Combined with Herald of Thunder and a Tornado Shot, your clear speed is one of the highest in the game. Lightning Rods is, on the other hand, a much better skill against stationary targets, as it deals extremely high damage in the exact spot where the Rods are. These Rods don't just deal damage passively; you have to activate them. To do so, Hit them with a Chaining Lightning beam sourced from Lightning Arrow.
Pick Deadeye for Tailwind and Additional Projectile for all your Skills. Your damage heavily relies on additional Projectiles and Attack Speed. Try to keep a close distance from your enemies to get the damage bonus from Point Blank. Gathering Winds increases Evasion, makes you move, and attack faster. With high Evasion, Wind Ward becomes a great tool to mitigate the damage that you cannot Evade, and you can achieve an equally high chance to Deflect incoming Damage, reducing it by half. This Archetype can suit many other Ascendency Classes as well, although Deadeye is usually the strongest and fastest option.
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Attacks with Lightning Arrow to slay regular enemies. Against bosses, stack a few Lightning Rods, create Tornados, and Mark Enemy with Voltaic Mark. Additionally, use Barrage with Lightning Arrows for additional Repeats as often as possible - you don't need Frenzy Charges to make it effective. Herald of Thunder will greatly increase your clear speed, but does nothing against Bosses without additional, weaker Enemies to Trigger the on-kill effects. You can use Wind Dancer instead for better Evasion Rating. You will also mount Rhoa for a massive mobility boost - but it can be dangerous to use against Bosses if you get Stunned. It can be replaced with Mirage Archer, which mimics your abilities.
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PROS |
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CONS |
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Start with Lightning Arrow and Lightning Rods. It's similar to how you will play it later on. Keep upgrading your Bow as you level up and continue picking up nodes with Lightning and Projectile Damage on them. Rings and Gloves with Added Damage for Attacks are also insanely valuable. Lightning type is generally the best, but any will do as long as the amount is high.
[DPS] Lightning Arrow setup | |
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Lightning Arrow - Sends a Lightning Arrow, which will hit three additional enemies near its target with beams of lightning |
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Rapid Attacks II |
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Elemental Armanent II |
[DPS] Lightning Rod setup | |
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Lightning Rod - Fires Arrows that stay in the ground; you can then Hit the Rod with a Chaining beam from the Lightning Arrow. Use it against tough targets. |
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Magnified Area II |
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Elemental Armanent II |
Final Skill Tree:
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Click on the image to open the Passive Tree preview in a new window Or import the build into PoB: |
Ascendancy points:
Preferably in this order:
[DPS] Lightning Arrow setup | |
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Lightning Arrow - Sends a Lightning Arrow, which will hit three additional enemies near its target with beams of lightning, making it great for clearing packs of mobs. |
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Innervate - can be replaced by Lightning Exposure against Bosses. |
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Elemental Armanent II |
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Rapid Attacks II |
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Lightning Attunement |
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Stoicism II |
[DPS] Lightning Rod setup | |
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Lightning Rod - Fires Arrows that stay in the ground; you can then Hit the Rod with a Chaining beam from the Lightning Arrow, Ball Lightning, and Orb of Storms. It is your main source of Damage against Bosses. |
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Rigwald's Ferocity - bind this Skill to Weapon Set 2 to get a massive bonus to Damage. |
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Magnified Area I |
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Stoicism II |
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Lightning Attunement |
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Elemental Armanent II |
[UTILITY] Herald of Thunder setup | |
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Herald of Thunder - After killing a Shocked Enemy, your next Attacks will trigger a Lightning Bolt that deals Attack Damage in a small radius. It can be triggered by any other non-Herald Attack. |
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Overreach |
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Longshot II |
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Elemental Armanent II |
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Elemental Focus |
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Lightning Attunement |
[UTILITY] Barrage setup | |
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Barrage - Next, empowered Attacks fires extra arrows. Use with Lightning Arrow. |
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Cooldown Recovery II |
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Rapid Casting II |
[UTILITY] Mark setup | |
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Voltaic Mark - Marked enemy is easier to Shock, and has an increased effect on them. Use it to further boost your Damage against Bosses. |
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Prolonged Duration II |
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Rapid Casting II |
[UTILITY] Ghost Dance setup | |
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Ghost Dance - creates Ghost Shrouds that restore your Energy Shield if you get Hit. The recovery is based on your Evasion Rating. |
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Compressed Duration II |
[UTILITY] Rhoa Mount setup | |
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Rhoa Mount - A Mount that makes you move much faster and Attack with no Movement Speed penalty. Be careful, getting Stunned will probably lead to your death. |
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Loyalty |
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Meat Shield II |
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Elemental Army |
[UTILITY] Tornado Shot setup | |
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Tornado Shot - creates a Tornado that absorbs your Projectiles and fires them around it. Use it to trigger more Rods at once against Bosses. |
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Overabundance II |
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Prolonged Duration II |
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Rapid Attacks II |
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Living Lightning II |
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On your Bow look for high Physical and Lightning Damage, Gem Level for Projectile Skills, and additional Arrows. On Quiver, look for flat Lightning Damage and any increases to your Damage, Projectile Speed, or Attack Speed. You can also get a bit of flat Damage on your Rings and Gloves, while the Amulet can improve the Projectile Skill Gem Levels. To use all the Persistent Buffs, you will need some extra Spirit, but if you are short on budget, you can manually swap them around depending on the content you are running. Dexterity and Intelligence are required to equip skills and equipment. For defense, you should acquire high amounts of Life, Evasion, and Energy Shield. Later on, include Deflection Rating as well. Of course, you will need to cap your Elemental and Chaos Resistance, and sparkle a bit of Item Rarity as well. To sustain Mana, a single modifier that grants Mana Leech will be enough.
Stat priorities on items:
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Min. requirements: Bow Attacks fire an additional Arrow 400+ DPS Optional affixes: # to Level of all Projectile Skills |
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Min. requirements: 40% increased Damage with Bow Skills Adds # Physical/Lightning Damage to Attacks +2 to Level of all Projectile Skills Optional affixes: +# to Dexterity % increased Attack Speed % increased Projectile Speed % chance to Pierce an Enemy |
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Min. requirements: Adds 30 Physical or Lightning Damage to Attacks +80 to maximum Life Optional affixes: Elemental and Chaos Resistance Attributes Leech #% of Physical Attack Damage as Mana |
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Min. requirements: +80 to maximum Life +50 total Elemental and Chaos Resistance +30 total Attributes Optional affixes: +# to Spirit +# to Level of all Projectile Skills |
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Min. requirements: +140 to maximum Life +1400 Evasion Rating Optional affixes: +# to Spirit Elemental and Chaos Resistance Gain Deflection Rating equal to #% of Evasion Rating Attributes |
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Min. requirements: +100 to maximum Life +50 total Elemental and Chaos Resistance Optional affixes: % increased Attack Speed Attributes Gain Deflection Rating equal to #% of Evasion Rating Leech #% of Physical Attack Damage as Mana Added Physical or Lightning Damage to Attacks |
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Min. requirements: +30% increased Movement Speed +100 to maximum Life +40 total Elemental and Chaos Resistance Optional affixes: Attributes Gain Deflection Rating equal to #% of Evasion Rating |
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Min. requirements: +100 to maximum Life +300 to Energy Shield +50 total Elemental and Chaos Resistance Optional affixes: Attributes |
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Min. requirements: +150 to maximum Life +50 total Elemental and Chaos Resistance Optional affixes: Strength +# Charm Slot |
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Optional affixes: % increased bonuses gained from Equipped Quiver % increased Attack/Elemental/Lightning Damage % increased Damage with Bows % increased Attack Speed % increased Attack Speed with Bows Damage Penetrates (5–10)% Lightning Resistance % increased Movement Speed |
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