Path of Exile 2: Lightning Arrow Deadeye endgame build guide

Lightning Arrow Deadeye is one of the strongest builds in Path of Exile 2’s current meta. It is an extremely well-rounded build, boasting solid single-target output and screen-wide clearing capabilities. Lightning Arrow can be played from the very beginning until well into the endgame and follows a steady progression route; if you have the time and money, this is your build.

As the name suggests, it combines the raw damage of Lightning Arrow with Deadeye’s Ascendancy nodes to create a powerhouse build that can decimate enemies with a long-distance Elemental barrage. The build is quite future-proof in terms of power and progression, so if you want something for the next league or a late starter, this is a perfect choice.

Pros and cons of the Lightning Arrow Deadeye build in Path of Exile 2

Even the Arbiter of Ash is no match for getting zapped repeatedly (Image via Grinding Gear Games | YouTube/@Fubgun)

Given that Lightning Arrow can be played from level 1 and the progression is rather simple from the jump, Lightning Arrow Deadeye has very few cons and most can be mitigated through clever build crafting and a little game knowledge.

Pros

Simplified rotation while clearing that turns into a 2-button build while facing a boss.
Tanky during mapping with its high evasion against mobs. Bossing becomes easier with a Gem swap for additional mitigation.
High damage output with multiple sources of shock, further boosting DPS.

Cons

Mana sustain can be a problem during boss fights. A Unique Ring can solve this, but if supply is hampered, it can become expensive.
Endgame can become quite expensive due to most items being in high demand.

How to play Lightning Arrow Deadeye in Path of Exile 2

Lightning Arrow Deadeye's playstyle is simple because you're mostly holding one key to dish out damage. The rest is simply automated via Spirit Gems. When it comes to bosses, you add the extra step of throwing down a couple of Lightning Rods around the boss. This will chain lightning strikes onto the boss and cause Ball Lightning from Cast on Shock to shotgun the boss.

Best Lightning Arrow Deadeye endgame Skill Gem setup in Path of Exile 2

Lightning Arrow will see you through most of your problems in Path of Exile 2, be it packs or bosses (Image via Grinding Gear Games | YouTube/@Fubgun)

The Support Gems noted here are not allocated in any specific order, so you should slot them in based on how many Jeweller's Orbs you can obtain.

Lightning Arrow: Martial Tempo - Inspiration - Primal Armament - Ice Bite - Innervate
Lightning Rod: Scattershot - Concentrated Effect - Close Combat - Overcharge - Rising Tempest
Cast on Shock: Ball Lightning - Deceleration - Impetus - Energy Retention
Herald of Ice: Conduction - Lightning Infusion - Cold Mastery - Lightning Penetration
Herald of Thunder: Glaciation - Cold Infusion - Longshot - Lightning Mastery - Cold Penetration
Orb of Storms: Chain - Persistence - Unleash - Overabundance
Wind Dancer: Blind
Ghost Dance: Fast Forward

Best-in-slot itemization options for Path of Exile 2 Lightning Arrow Deadeye endgame build

The Lightning Arrow Deadeye is very much dependent on well-rolled Rare gear more than any other build in the current meta of Path of Exile 2 Early Access. Having said that, it still needs two extremely powerful (and quite expensive) Unique items that put it in competition with other high-performance builds like the HoWA-Pillar Gemling Legionnaire.

The most important item in this entire build is your Bow. Getting one with high Physical and Elemental damage rolls will set you up for success. If you're using a Widowhail however, your Quiver will become the most important gear piece, but that's a different topic.

Intelligence scaling will boost your damage significantly, thanks to HoWA (Image via Grinding Gear Games | YouTube/@Fubgun)

Bows

Best base: Expert Dualstring Bow

Ideal stats:

% increased Physical Damage
Adds # to # Physical Damage
Adds # to # Cold Damage
% increased Attack Speed
Bow Attacks Fire an Additional Arrow (higher priority on a non-Dualstring bow)

Quiver

Best base: Primed Quiver

Ideal stats:

Adds #to # Physical Damage to Attacks
Adds #to # Cold damage to Attacks
+# to Level of all Projectile Skills
#% increased Attack Speed
Gain # Mana per Enemy Killed
+# to Dexterity

Body Armor

Best base: Expert Waxed Garb

Ideal stats:

#% increased Energy Shield and Evasion
+# to Maximum Life
+# to Spirit
+#% to Fire, Cold, Lightning, and Chaos Resistance
+# to Intelligence

Helmet

Best base: Expert Feathered Tiara

Ideal stats:

+# to Maximum Life
#% increased Energy Shield
+#% to Fire, Cold, Lightning, and Chaos Resistance
+# to Dexterity

Gloves

Your best-in-slot item for this slot is the Hand of Wisdom and Action Unique Gloves that use the build's natural high Dexterity gain to get insanely high attack speed. With careful pathing and gearing, Intelligence can also boost your DPS output. You can get a Rare Glove with the stats noted below instead if you don't have the money to get the HoWA.

Best base: Expert Spiral Wraps

Ideal stats:

Adds #to # Physical Damage to Attacks
Adds #to # Cold damage to Attacks
+# to Maximum Life
#% increased Energy Shield and Evasion
+#% to Fire, Cold, Lightning, and Chaos Resistance
+# to Dexterity/Intelligence

Boots

Best base: Expert Hunting Shoes

Ideal stats:

+# to Maximum Life
+#% to Movement Speed
#% increased Energy Shield
+#% to Fire, Cold, Lightning, and Chaos Resistance
+# to Dexterity

Ring

Best base: Breach Rings, upgrade with either Adaptive(Attribute) or Reaver (Attack) Catalysts

Ideal stats:

Adds #to # Physical/Cold/Lightning Damage to Attacks
+# to Maximum Life
+# to Intelligence
+#% to Fire, Cold, Lightning, and Chaos Resistance

Amulet

Best base: Solar Amulet / Stellar Amulet (Gold Amulet, if you have every stat sorted and want a little drop rate boost)

Amulet anointment choice: Doomsayer for clear, Pure Energy for defensive, or Patient Barrier if you have the money.

Ideal stats:

+# to Spirit
+#% to Fire, Cold, Lightning, and Chaos Resistance
+# to Maximum Life
+# to Level of all Projectile Skills
+# to Intelligence

Belt

The Ingenuity Unique Belt is the best-in-slot item for this slot, but similar to HoWA, it is expensive. If you don't have the required funds, get a Rare Belt with the following stats:

Best base: Fine Belt / Ornate Belt

Ideal stats:

+# to Maximum Life
+#% to Fire, Cold, Lightning, and Chaos Resistance
+# to Strength

As for the Jewels, you should get Emerald Jewels for their potent Evasion and Dexterity-oriented stat rolls. You should prioritize the following stats for Jewels:

#% increased Attack Speed with Bows
#% increased Attack Speed
#% increased Magnitude of Ailments you inflict
#% increased Projectile Damage
Projectiles have #% chance to Chain an additional time from terrain
#% increased Elemental Damage
#% increased Damage with Hits against Rare and Unique Enemies
#% increased Damage with Bows

Best Ascendancy nodes, Keystone Passives, and other notable nodes for Lightning Arrow Deadeye build in Path of Exile 2

Acrobatics can be a good choice for a Keystone, but the gearing will be much harder for that (Image via Grinding Gear Games | YouTube/@Fubgun)

Your Passive Tree will be very much dependent on your progression and ability to farm up currency so you can put more stats on your gear. The important nodes are:

Honed Instincts
Vile Wounds
Master Fletching
Escape Velocity
Catalysis
Maiming Strike
Acceleration
Pressure Points
Emboldened Avatar
Forces of Nature
Flash Storm
Lightning Rod
Coming Calamity
Feathered Fletching
Pierce the Heart
Falcon Technique
Beastial Skin
Enhanced Reflexes
Unbound Forces
Storm Swell
Storm Surge
Essence of the Mountain
Step Like Mist
Life from Death
Mindful Awareness
Flow State
Crashing Wave
Essence of the Storm

The ideal pathing would be to start with Honed Instincts - Vile Wounds - Master Fletching - Escape Velocity. From this point on, travel leftwards to Falcon Technique, and take Proficiency for a whopping 25 Dexterity. Go for Enhanced Reflexes and Beastial Skin next. Go back to the main route and travel downwards and path towards Coming Calamity and Pierce the Heart.

From the last fork in the path, go towards Acceleration, and then take Pressure Points - Forces of Nature - Emboldened Avatar - Flash Storm and then Lightning Rod. Then go back to the fork near Falcon Technique and take the three nodes: Unbound Forces, Storm Swell, and Storm Surge. Don't forget to take Catalysis and Maiming Strike.

For your final phase of pathing, you'll start taking the nodes near the Monk's starting area. Go for Life from Death after taking Step Like Mist.

The Ascendancy of choice is Deadeye. Here is the order in which you should take the Ascension nodes: