Grinding Gear Games' mammoth ARPGPath of Exileis well-known for taking build diversity seriously. After over adecade’s worth of consistent updates, fresh mechanics introduced with every season, and a sequel on the way, this spiritual successor to theDiabloseries hooked players with aseemingly endless wealth of choicesand unprecedented theorycrafting. It really does cater toevery possible style of play.
However, even with all that potential, some builds are clearly better than others and have secured their spot in the meta because of their ability to clear entire maps in mere minutes. The bow-wielding Rangerand her Ascendancy classesfit the bill quite nicely. Starting with the highest Dexterity and as swift as the arrows she looses, she’s a great pick fortackling any content. Below are some of the best builds for the Ranger.
6Flicker Strike Raider
A Cold-Based Ranger Build With Frenzy Charges
The Flicker Strike Raider is a powerful Ranger build that’s been around for its fair share of Leagues now, and for good reason - it’s ability to blitz through all the content is almost unparalleled. The bulk of its power comes from a specific Forbidden Shako setup that swaps all physical damage to cold, including the normally physical Flicker Strike skill.
Wearing Farrul’s Fur armor pushes damage even further by increasing the uptime on Frenzy Charges, making the Avatar of the Slaughter passive from the Raider Ascendancy tree absolutely lethal. Plus, wielding a Paradoxica Vaal Rapier (preferably with elemental penetration) means cold skill hit even harder on top of all that. While it’s not one particularly suited for the start of a new League, the potentially insane damage output is sure to pique player interest.
5Caustic Arrow Pathfinder
Deals Chaos Damage Over Time In A Targeted Area
Inflicting Chaos damage that eats away at enemy health over time is the basis of the Caustic Arrow Pathfinder build, and it’s one that’s very satisfying for players who prefer damage-over-time strategies. Slotting the Caustic Arrow gem lets players rain down projectiles in a targeted area, inflicting Chaos damage upfront while draining their remaining life with a lingering ground effect.
The Nature’s Reprisal node from the Pathfinder Ascendancy skill tree allows the Ranger to inflict Wither on targets, increasing the Chaos damage they take and improving its effectiveness by 50%. This makes it a decent League starter, although survivability isn’t the build’s strongest aspect. However, wearing the Lightning Coil armor converts half of physical damage taken to lightning, making it easier to stay alive. Players should also look out for a Widowhail bow and a quiver with a damage-over-time multiplier to get the most out of this build.
4Tornado Shot Deadeye
Looses Piercing Projectiles In All Directions
While Tornado Shot has seen its fair share of tweaks and outright nerfs, especially in the Necropolis League, it remains a powerful bow skill when paired with the Deadeye. That’s because it still packs a punch that can completely wipe the screen clean. Players should be on the lookout for a Crystallized Omniscience amulet for its elemental penetration bonus, while the Black Sun Crest helmet gives the Ranger a substantial boost to her stats across the board.
The Manaforged Arrows support gem can also be slotted alongside Ensnaring Arrow and Frenzy to further increase damage output, since this will build up Frenzy Charges and cause enemies to take 20% more damage from projectiles. Be warned though, this build can be quite costly and require a couple ofMirrors of Kalandra, so it’s best suited as a second or third character during a League.
3Toxic Rain Pathfinder
Similar to Caustic Arrow, the Toxic Rain skill calls down a barrage of deadly projectiles at the target location. But here’s the twist - it also creates Spore Pods that deal chaos damage-over-time to any enemy dumb enough to wander into it. And any gear that increases a skill’s area of effect also makes the Spore Pods bigger, meaning they cover a wider area. The sweet spot to aim for is 39% increased AoE so they don’t overlap too much.
For survivability, the trusty Lightning Coil armor converts 50% of physical damage to lightning, while the Impossible Escape Viridian Jewel boosts elemental resistances. On top of that, this build can take advantage of the Petrified Blood spell to protect the lower half of its health pool, causing instant damage to instead be spread out over time instead. For a League start, players will rely on a Ballista Totem setup to fire Toxic Rain until they gather the right gear and skill gems.
2Elemental Hit of the Spectrum Deadeye
Deals Three Types Of Elemental Damage At Once
Introduced in the Necropolis League, Elemental Hit of the Spectrum is a special Transfigured gem that lets players deal three different types of elemental damage at the same time. This allows the Ranger to inflict the Freeze, Shock and Ignite status effects at once without relying on a tri-element bow. Plus, the skill deals even more damage based on how many elemental statuses are applied to the enemy.
The beauty of this build is in its versatility. Players can pretty much choose whatever bow skill gems they like to trigger Elemental Hit of the Spectrum, including Blast Rain, Storm Rain, and Ensnaring Arrow. Add in a Nimis topaz ring, the Headhunter leather belt, or aMageblood heavy beltalongside the Manaforged Arrows support skill and this Ranger can fill the entire screen with projectiles.
1Lightning Arrow Deadeye
Hits Enemies Multiple Times With Elemental Damage
Aside from its insane damage potential, the thing that makes a Lightning Arrow build so enticing is just how easy it is to set up. Players can put this build together with minimal effort, since they can rely on gear found during the main campaign. That means fewer headaches from farming. It uses a tri-element bow with the Trinity support gem to increase elemental damage and elemental penetration. Then, piercing and the Returning Projectiles gem allow arrows to hit every enemy twice.
While this setup is fantastic at clearing maps, it’s lacking in single-target scenarios. Slotting the Artillery Ballista gem, however, lets this build comfortably deal with bosses. At endgame, players should look for the Crystallized Omniscience amulet to boost elemental penetration even further, and combine that with the Hydrri’s Ire armor for an additional 30% spell suppression and added cold damage.
