Mercenary
Monk
Ranger
Sorceress
Warrior
Witch
Build Introduction
The Lightning Ranger is a strong build that can take advantage of Shock and Electrocute to output insane damage while crowd-controlling enemies. It plays extremely well with the new WASD movement in Path of Exile 2 and spends most of its time evading enemies and killing from afar.
Video Guide
Strengths and Weaknesses
- Crowd control
- Large AoE
- Fast and evasive
- Fragile
- Early game boss DPS is low
Path of Building
Path of Building is a fantastic community made tool that lets you see how any change you make to your characters skill tree, gear, or skill gems will impact you. If you haven’t used POB before, you can find a useful beginner’s guide here.
Ascendency
At the end of Act II, you can select your first Ascendancy. Your options are Deadeye and Pathfinder. This choice is permanent so make sure you take time to determine which way you want to go. Deadeye is recommended for this build, but Pathfinder can still perform alright.
Deadeye
The Deadeye Ranger is one of the strongest ascendancies in the game with a focus on Frenzy Charges, Speed, and gaining advantages based on distance from monsters. If you want to ascend as a Deadeye Ranger, we recommend the following nodes to start:
- Gathering Winds – The value from this node is insane and builds perfectly with the idea of the Ranger to not get hit. Tailwind gives a boost to Movement Speed, Skill Speed, and Evasion and builds up stacks so long as you do not get hit. By far one of the best nodes of the class to take and the first for this build.
- Point Blank/Far Shot – This is a node where you choose whether to increase damage to nearby enemies or further away enemies. At first Far Shot seems to be best for a Ranger, however, after learning about the distance in Path of Exile 2 Point Blank actually ends up feeling stronger due to 7 meters in distance being too far away.
Pathfinder
The Pathfinder is often used for a different build style using concoctions. For this reason, Deadeye is recommended for this build. That being said, it can still be a viable ascendency for the Lightning Ranger.
- Running Assault – Due to the fragility of this build, getting hit can lead to difficult situations or death. Running Assault allows full utilization of WASD movement to shoot on the run and keep distance from enemies, making it an ideal skill.
- Relentless Pursuit – To further go along with Running Assault, Relentless Pursuit continues doubling down on survivability by avoiding getting hit by preventing slows from affecting the Ranger.
General Advice for Leveling
Path of Exile II’s campaign is not meant to be taken lightly. The following tips are things to keep in mind throughout the campaign and are applicable to all characters. This will help you have the smoothest leveling experience possible
- Pick up Magic(blue) and Rare(yellow) items to sell or disenchant.
- Check Vendors often (every time you return to town or level). Use vendor search feature to highlight rares/desirable stats.
- Collect socketed/superior items to salvage so you can add sockets/quality to gear.
- Dont skip secondary content (guaranteed drops etc).
- Use the Gambler.
- Don’t spam dodge roll.
- Dont rush. If you are feeling overwhelmed fall back, don’t move forward.
The most important thing to look for while leveling is an upgraded Bow whenever possible. The more damage output here, the easier the game will be. Additionally, gaining any additional projectiles will also massively increase overall damage.
For this reason, currency should often be used on found and vendored bows whenever possible. Gaining % Increased Physical Damage, + to Level of All Projectile Skills, and Added Damage are the best affixes to search for along the way. In trade leagues, searching for these bow upgrades is a great idea during any break or when DPS starts to feel low.
This build uses Dexterity as the primary attribute and you will want around 60-100 Spirit by end game depending on Skill Gems chosen.
Gear Progression and Stat Priority
Here we will have a section outlining stats to prioritize when upgrading your gear, notable leveling Uniques. Prioritize what stats on gear, what makes a good item, charms and what to use.
| Slot | Affixes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Main Hand | 1. Increased Physical Damage 2. + to Level of All Projectile Skills 3. Added damage 4. Increased Attack Speed | Using currency on Bows is generally the best strategy as you play through the game to try and roll a higher damage Bow. Additionally, in trade league that should be first priority for upgrades. Look for a Bow with the implicit of Fires an Additional Arrow for a big damage increase. |
| Off Hand | 1. Increased Physical Damage 2. + to Level of All Projectile Skills 3. Added (any) damage 4. Increased Attack Speed | The second most important piece of gear on the Ranger, bringing in even more damage. Prioritize right behind the Bow slot. |
| 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! |
| 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! |
| Gloves | 1. Added Damage 2. Maximum Life 3. Dexterity 4. Evasion 5. Resistances | Armor is going to be the same for all main pieces, looking to find more Life, Stats, Resistances, and Evasion. On gloves you can get some Added Damage as well to boost Damage up. Hand of Wisdom and Action is a great unique glove to add in! |
| 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 | Continuing the theme of glass cannon, 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. |
| Amulet | 1. Added Damage 2. + to Level of Projectile Skills 3. Maximum Life 4. Stats | Similar to Rings, but the higher + to Level of Projectile Skills the better for increasing damage output. |
| Belt | 1. Maximum Life 2. Resistances 3. Stats | A great slot to really stack up Resistances and help cap them. |
Levelling Uniques
Gloves – Hand of Wisdom and Action – if using this Unique, Intelligence becomes an extremely useful stat and is worth getting on your tree/items.
Flasks and Charms
Stone Charm – Preventing being Stunned is critical in allowing the Ranger to escape.
Life/Mana Flasks – Increased Amount Recovered (Saturated) is generally the best for this build, however other options can work as well.
Jewels
Jewels might not be a priority while leveling but list some affixes to look out for
| Best | Good |
| Recover % Mana on Kill | Increased Shock Duration |
| Increased Lightning Damage | Dexterity |
| Increased Attack Speed | Increased Magnitude of Shock |
| increased bonuses gained from Equipped Quiver | Increased Movement Speed |
| Increased Projectile Damage | Increased Chance to Inflict Ailments |
Act I
Here we will outline what skills you will be getting and when, and what supports you want to cut in what priority order.
| Skill Gem (In Order of Priority) | Support Gem 1 | Support Gem 2 | Optional |
|---|---|---|---|
 Lightning Arrow |  Martial Tempo |  Lightning Infusion | – |
 Lightning Rod |  Scattershot |  Conduction | – |
In Act I you should focus on getting your Lightning Arrow and Lightning Rod Skills. These skills will be combined, with Lightning Rods being placed down first and Lightning Arrows being shot into them. Overleveling and farming extra gear and levels will always be helpful in Path of Exile 2, especially for this character which can fall a bit behind on DPS if rushing too quickly.
Increasing the number of Lightning Rods you can lay on the ground and the speed at which you can fire into them will be a large part of your overall clear speed, so getting an early Scattershot supporting Lightning Rod and Martial Tempo supporting Lighting Arrow is key. Additionally, any added Lightning or Physical damage will be helpful so always make sure to seek items with these additions.
Act II
Here we will outline what skills you will be getting and when, and what supports you want to cut in what priority order.
| Skill Gem (In Order of Priority) | Support Gem 1 | Support Gem 2 | Optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning Arrow | Martial Tempo | Lightning Infusion |  Innervate |
| Lightning Rod | Scattershot | Conduction | – |
 Wind Dancer |  Clarity | – | – |
 Voltaic Mark |  Magnified Effect | – | – |
 Orb of Storms |  Chain | – | – |
Make sure you are checking vendors for bows and picking up any bow upgrade that you can find. Once a good bow is found, place 2 sockets in it (if it doesn’t have them already) and add lightning elemental damage runes. This will be a large damage boost and help your character keep up with clearing mobs as they enter the screen. Increased Damage on your Bow and Quiver are the most helpful ways to improve your character so always check those pieces of gear first.
For early game bosses you can either take a little bit of time and positioning to keep spamming Lightning Arrow and Rods, or you can add in Orb of Storms from the Sorceress gems (keep at a low level so it doesn’t cost too much intelligence) for big single target damage.
Act III
Here we will outline what skills you will be getting and when, and what supports you want to cut in what priority order.
| Skill Gem (In Order of Priority) | Support Gem 1 | Support Gem 2 | Optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning Arrow | Martial Tempo | Lightning Infusion | Innervate |
| Lightning Rod | Scattershot | Conduction |  Lightning Penetration |
| Wind Dancer | Clarity |  Vitality | – |
| Voltaic Mark | Magnified Effect | – | – |
| Orb of Storms | Chain | – | – |
 Herald of Thunder |  Lightning Mastery |  Elemental Focus | – |
Your core loop for skills will still remain pretty similar for this act but with additional support slots on your skills as you use Jeweller’s Orbs. In this act you will unlock Herald of Thunder and attach Elemental Focus and Lightning Mastery to it.
Additionally, if you have extra spirit reservation you can add Vitality to Wind Dancer or look at other supports that may feel helpful.
Acts I – III Cruel
| Skill Gem (In Order of Priority) | Support Gem 1 | Support Gem 2 | Support Gem 3 | Optional 1 | Optional 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning Arrow | Martial Tempo | Lightning Infusion | Innervate | – | – |
| Lightning Rod | Scattershot | Conduction | Lightning Penetration |  Electrocute | – |
| Wind Dancer | Clarity | Vitality | – | – | |
| Voltaic Mark | Magnified Effect | – | – | – | – |
| Orb of Storms | Chain |  Overabundance |  Unleash | – | – |
| Herald of Thunder | Lightning Mastery | Elemental Focus | – | – | – |
 Magnetic Salvo |  Overcharge |  Acceleration |  Heft | – | – |
Skill Rotation
Lay down Lightning Rods and then fire Lightning Arrows into them. Clean up with Magnetic Salvo to finish an area and move forward or deal high damage to bosses. Orb of Storms is also very useful for boss fights.
Progressing into Endgame
By the time maps come along, the Ranger will be clearing content extremely quickly. Survivability will start to become a big concern though so really make sure to top up your gear and get your resistances as close to max and a lot of life on gear.
In terms of skills, Electrocute will now become available for the 4th socket on Lightning Rod and with all the Electrocute Nodes in the Passive Tree Electrocution will build up extremely quickly, locking up most monsters and bosses within seconds!
This guide is mostly meant to get you to early maps. Progressing from there on out, will require you to follow the Endgame guide. We recommend doing this around level 80 and when you’ve amassed a little bit of currency to enable transitioning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to follow these Support Gem placements?
No! One of the nice things about Path of Exile 2 is that there are a million ways to shift the build up and still be successful. Feel free to move Supports around based on what you are enjoying and what is feeling best at the time.
Where should I focus my Currency?
All Currency should first and foremost go towards rolling any bows that you find. Getting a strong Bow is the most important way to increase DPS and keep your character competitive with the areas around. After that comes your quiver, followed by the rest your gear which is mainly going to be used for survivability.
Changelog
March 28th, 2025: Guide created for Path of Exile II, Early Access