Lightning Arrow Deadeye Endgame Build

Build Introduction

The Deadeye Lightning Ranger is the most popular build in Path of Exile 2 Rise of the Abyssal, accounting for almost 40% of all builds in Softcore and almost 20% of the builds in Hardcore. It was slightly nerfed in 0.4 but it is still one of the best builds in the game. There are a variety of potential ways to build the character but this one has the highest DPS numbers by a long shot while also maintaining more survivability than most other builds. Check out this Leveling Guide if you are still building up your Ranger!

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0.4 Changes

Bow Changes

• Bow Attacks fire X additional arrows has been changed to a “Surpass Chance.” 50% Surpass Chance means you fire one arrow half the time and two arrows the other half. At 100% chance you fire at least two arrows every time and additional Surpass Chance % starts working towards a third arrow.

Skill Changes

• Rhoa Mount no longer increases movement speed, but now has 100% reduced Movement Speed penalty from using Skills while mounted.
• Lightning Arrow is getting buffed from 40% to 80% conversion but can only activate a rod every 0.1 seconds
• Lightning Rod stack limit has been decreased to 10, making bossing more difficult for the character
• Companion cluster small passive skills now generally no longer grant both Companions deal increased Damage and increased Damage while your Companion is in your Presence.

Deadeye Ascendancy Changes

• Wind Ward has been removed. This previously granted 3% less damage taken per Tailwind. They added some of this back into the actual Tailwind skill itself.

• Tailwind now grants 2% Skill Speed instead of 3%, 10% evasion rating instead of 15%, and has added Prevent 1 of Damage from Deflected Hits per stack.

• Mirage Deadeye Node has been added to the Deadeye Ascendancy and activates on an Attack. Will need to test, but this is probably going to be the node to take to replace Wind Ward.

• Bullseye has been moved in the Ascendancy to require Called Shots and now applies 10 Critical Weakness instead of 5.

Thoughts on 0.4 Changes

• Rhoa Mount will be very useful as it is the only way to achieve 100% Movement Speed Penalty reduction.
• Map clearing speed should remain the same for the character.
• Deadeye is a little bit squishier this patch so adding a little bit more survivability will go a long way.
• Bossing will require some better gear as the Lightning Rod stack decrease took away a decent amount of damage.
• Tailwind still has the move speed and is still a fantastic node to take.
• Character is still S-tier.
• Called Shots and Bullseye are still probably not good enough to take.

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Strengths and Weaknesses

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Build Mechanics

This build functions by laying down Lightning Rods to Shock, followed by then using one Tornado Shot, then pressing Barrage before shooting Lightning Arrows into the mix to deal massive damage to enemies. This has been nerfed in 0.4 where the Tornado Shot and Barrage skills will not do nearly as much damage (Since the Rods can only be procced every 0.1s) so sometimes it will be best to just lay down the Lightning Rods and then use Lightning Arrow. This will usually take out most mobs by itself, but for certain Rares and Bosses using the full combo will be effective. Shocking them increases damage taken and when Electrocuted, you can take advantage by continuing to pummel them with Rods/Arrows.

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Skill Rotation

Follow the quick skill rotation below to progress through the campaign and clear groups of enemies in maps.

1. One to three shots of Lightning Rod depending on the density of the area.
2. One to two Lightning Arrows to kill.

Execute the steps below to optimize damage against bosses.

1. Place down Ball Lightning
2. Spam Lightning Rod.
3. Use Tornado Shot
4. Use Barrage.
5. Shoot a Lightning Arrow at the mass of Lightning Rods.

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Gameplay Tips

1. Make sure you are keeping distance and keeping up your Tailwind charges.
2. Mana on Kill on a Quiver is extremely useful to solve all mana problems for mapping. Having a Sapphire Jewel with Mana on Kill also works.
3. Make sure to cap Resistances and push for as close to 75% evasion as possible.
4. Remember your Bow and Quiver are the most important way to increase your damage, so always be looking for upgrades to these two pieces of gear.

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Skill and Support Gems

The main two Skills for this build are Lightning Arrow and Lightning Rod. Focus on getting the sockets of those up first before the rest of your skills.

The Spirit Gem setup requires 130 total Spirit. Completing bosses in the campaign rewards 100 base Spirit, so getting 30 more Spirit from gear is enough. Usually this Spirit can be found on an Amulet. Until you get enough, we recommend using Herald of Thunder and Rhoa Mount. If you happen to get to 160 Spirit, Ghost Dance is a great 4th option, though adding Clarity I and Vitality I can also be useful.

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Ascendancy

Deadeye is an extremely powerful Ascendency that focuses on increasing the speed of the build and character.

The order for picking nodes is as follows:

1. Gathering Winds – Tailwind gives a boost to Movement Speed, Skill Speed, and Evasion and builds up stacks so long as you do not get hit.
2. Point Blank/Far Shot – Point Blank is the better choice of the two as even though this build specializes in staying away from monsters, the amount of distance defined by the skill still favors Point Blank overall.
3. Endless Munitions – An additional projectile is extremely high value in this build so gaining them from the implicit on the bow and this node are both extremely valuable.
4. Mirage Deadeye – Creates a Mirage Archer on Attack (not Dodge roll like the skill) for added DPS

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Passive Skill Tree

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Jewels

The beneficial affixes for Jewels are listed below, ranked in order of importance. There are plenty of other affixes that are also great for the build including Elemental Damage, Lightning Damage, Increased Shock Duration, and more. That being said, try to prioritize rare Jewels with two prefixes and two suffixes.

• Best Prefixes
  1. Increased Bonuses Gained from Equipped Quiver
  2. Increased Projectile Damage
  3. Increased Damage with Bows
  4. Companions Deal Increased Damage
• Best Suffixes
  1. Increased Attack Speed
  2. Increased Movement Speed
  3. Increased Chance to Inflict Ailments

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Quest Reward Choices

Act 2 – 30% Increased Charm Charges Gained.
Act 3 – Grants 30% Increased Elemental Ailment Threshold or 25% Increased Mana Regeneration Rate if having Mana issues still.
Act 4 – Resistances for all choices.
Act 5 – Movement Speed or Elemental Resistances if needed.

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Gear and Affixes

The preferred gear for the “Build” is listed below with affixes ranked in order of importance. Prioritize gear with the correct base stats and beneficial explicit affixes.

Slot	Affixes	Notes
Main Hand	1. Increased Physical Damage 2. + to Level of All Projectile/Attack Skills 3. Added damage (physical/lightning) 4. Increased Attack Speed 5. Critical Damage Bonus/Critical Hit Chance	The highest DPS bow you can find is your best choice. Aim for a Dualstring/Twin/Gemini Bow to increase your kill speed with Surpass Chance, then look for whatever added damage you can. Physical and Lightning are best, followed by cold, then fire last.
Off Hand	1. Increased Damage with Bow Skills 2. + to Level of All Projectile Skills 3. Added damage (physical/lightning) 4. Increased Attack Speed 5. Critical Damage Bonus/Critical Hit Chance	The second most important piece of gear on the Ranger, bringing in even more damage. Really focus on a lot of added flat damage and Increased Damage with Bow Skills. Visceral Quivers are great for the additional Critical Hit Chance.
Helm	1. Maximum Life 2. Dexterity 3. Evasion 4. Resistances	Armor is going to be the same for all main pieces, looking to find more Life, Stats, Resistances, and Evasion. Remember by Maps you will want Resistances maxed or near maxed out! Energy Shield is beneficial too as another way to increase your effective hit pool. So look for armors that are either Evasion or energy shield focused (or a combination)
Body Armour	1. Maximum Life 2. Dexterity 3. Evasion 4. Resistances	Armor is going to be the same for all main pieces, looking to find more Life, Stats, Resistances, and Evasion. Remember by Maps you will want Resistances maxed or near maxed out! Energy Shield is beneficial too as another way to increase your effective hit pool. So look for armors that are either Evasion or energy shield focused (or a combination)
Gloves	1. Added Damage 2. Maximum Life 3. Dexterity 4. Evasion 5. Resistances	Rare gloves are recommended however Hand of Wisdom and Action is a unique glove that will improve the lightning damage from the build but it does shift the focus from Dexterity over to Intelligence, so be prepared to shift gear stat focus that way if you choose to run these gloves. If you choose to continue with Rare Gloves then focus on the same stats as usual.
Boots	1. Movement Speed 2. Maximum Life 3. Dexterity 4. Evasion 5. Resistances	Boots are going to be the same as other pieces of armor but Movement Speed is extremely important as the Ranger can be fragile and staying away from enemies is super important for this build.
Rings	1. Added Damage 2. Maximum Life 3. Stats 4. Resistances	Added Damage on Rings can help boost up your killing. Beyond that, the usual survivability is a great addition on any Ring with lots of Resistances and life possible. Also, keep a Thief’s Torment Ring on the side to help with mana issues during Boss Fights if necessary.
Amulet	1. Increased % Maximum Life 2. + to Level of Projectile Skills 3. Maximum Life 4. Stats 5. Spirit	Similar to Rings, but the higher + to Level of Projectile Skills the better for increasing damage output. Remember this is a great item to get additional Spirit so you can use all of your Skills.
Belt	1. Maximum Life 2. Resistances 3. Stats	A great slot to really stack up Resistances and help cap them.

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Flasks and Charms

Stone Charm – Preventing being Stunned is critical in allowing the Ranger to escape.

Thawing Charm – Preventing being Frozen is necessary for survival

Rite of Passage Charm – Grants Spirit of the Owl for 14 seconds

Life/Mana Flasks – Increased Amount Recovered is generally the best for this build, however other options can work as well including Instant Recovery if feeling like you are getting taken down too quickly.

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Changelog

December 11th, 2025: Guide updates for Patch 0.4.0
September 3rd, 2025: Guide fully updated for Patch 0.3.0
August 29th, 2025: Guide updates for Patch 0.3.0
May 8th, 2025: Updated for Patch 0.2e
April 1st, 2025: Guide created for Path of Exile II, Early Access