My Path of Exile 2 Ranger build makes the best use of an underrated powerhouse, capable of dishing out huge quantities of damage while being nimble enough to escape from danger at a moment’s notice.
This build takes the standard bow and arrow combo to the next level, augmenting it with electricity and ice. It’ll carry you through the first part of the game, and we will update the build with the best ascendancy in the coming days. Read on and find out how to make your ranger a top-tier damage dealer among the Path of Exile 2 classes.
Best Ranger Build in Path of Exile 2
Our Ranger build for Path of Exile 2 is all about harnessing elemental damage, specifically lightning and ice damage, as well as accuracy. These attributes combine to make a character who can hit like a freight train before jetting out of danger.
The inspiration for this build’s backbone comes from Mobalytics’ Fubgun, who put together a superb lightning damage build that’s inspired our own. Let’s break this build down into its core components and what you need to look for.
- Equipment
- Weapon: shortbow/Warden Bow, look for buffs that add lightning damage, increase physical damage, increase dexterity, or increase the bonuses you get from your quiver.
- Quiver: Fire Quivers, which add fire damage to your attacks, are always a good option but look for ones that also add physical damage to your attacks or restore a portion of your health upon killing an enemy.
- Head: Look for helmets, hats or masks that will increase evasion, dexterity and accuracy.
- Body: As with helmets, body armour that increases dexterity, evasion and accuracy are the order of the day.
- Bracers/Gloves: On this build, we’ve been running Northpaw Suede Bracers, which add to physical damage output and increase critical damage.
- Belt: Flask charge and flask recovery buffs
- Shoes: Movement speed and dexterity buffs
- Amulet: Dexterity/maximum life buffs
- Skill Gems:
- Bow shot
- Lightning Arrow: Pierce, Chain
- Lightning Rod: Scattershot
- Escape Shot: Frost Nexus
- Stormcaller Arrow
- Freezing Salvo: Magnified Effect
- Herald of Thunder: Innervate
- Wind Dancer
- Snipe
- Passive Skills:
- Focus on the skills that boost projectile damage right out of the gate until you reach Honed Instincts. After that, focus on skills that increase accuracy, stat buffs, and increased quiver bonuses. Some important skills to grab include Eagle Eye, Blur, Vile Wounds, and Master Fletching.
How the Build Works
The build works by synthesizing passive and active lightning skills to absolutely wreck opponents, while also giving you ice skills that you can use to add some distance between yourself and the various monsters rampaging around Wraeclast. Your normal combat routine will involve throwing down Lightning Rod as your first move to benefit from its fantastic AoE lightning effect, before bombarding enemies with Lightning Arrow.
If you find yourself facing enemies that can easily kill you, hit them with Freezing Salvo to temporarily freeze them in place, before using Lightning Rod and Lightning Arrow for some easy kills. Escape Shot is also tremendous for getting out of trouble which Wind Dancer’s increased evasion will also help with. Herald of Thunder adds extra punch to your attacks by releasing lightning bolts after killing a shocked enemy with attack damage.
Snipe and Stormcaller Arrow are good against bosses, dealing increased critical and lightning damage, but they aren’t the quickest, so you’ll want to wait until a boss is either a decent way away from you or is distracted by another player.
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