Lightning Arrow Deadeye Necropolis 3.24 Guide

March 23, 2024 15 minutes

Build Overview

Bow characters have recently experienced significant buffs, propelling them into a prominent position for both newcomers and veterans seeking to master the endgame content of Path of Exile's latest expansion, Necropolis. Among the array of bow skills, Lightning Arrow stands out as an emblematic choice. Its gratifying gameplay and ability to clear areas swiftly have solidified its reputation.

The Crit-Based Bow builds, particularly our Lightning Arrow Deadeye build for the Necropolis 3.24 Guide, have always been known for their high investment and equally high reward. However, recent updates have substantially lowered the entry barriers, making these builds more accessible to a wider audience.

One pivotal update in Patch 3.21 (Crucible) was the introduction of Vengeant Cascade, an anoint that allowed attack projectiles to return, significantly enhancing Lightning Arrow's effectiveness and establishing it as a meta-defining skill for that league. Despite the complete overhaul of Vengeant Cascade, Lightning Arrow continues to thrive. Thanks to the ongoing enhancements to elemental Bow Builds, Lightning Arrow remains a formidable choice in Necropolis, offering excellent performance on a budget and making it an ideal league starter. This build guide, brought to you by WowCarry, aims to provide players with a comprehensive understanding of creating a potent Lightning Arrow Deadeye for the Necropolis expansion.

Pros and Cons

Pros Cons
1. Outstanding clear speed combined with high Movement Speed and robust single target damage ensures efficiency in various lucrative strategies. 1. Low Tankiness – susceptibility to burst damage from bosses or powerful rares can lead to frequent deaths.
2. Simple playstyle enables relaxed grinding. 2. Bossing requires learning curve – new players must familiarize themselves with boss mechanics, as the build's single target damage doesn't allow for easy boss fights.
3. Effective Allrounder – suitable for all content types. 3. Relatively gear-dependent – performance dips significantly without adequate gear, more so than spell-based league starters that rely on gem levels for damage. Challenges in Bow loot and crafts can be mitigated by minimal trading.
4. Excellent League Start viability – ranks among the quickest builds for unlocking the atlas.
5. High Scalability – offers continuous improvement potential, from league starter to investments worth multiple Mirrors.

This comprehensive overview highlights the Lightning Arrow Deadeye's strengths and areas for caution in the Necropolis 3.24 Guide, ensuring that players have a clear understanding of what to expect. Whether you're charging through maps or taking on the game's formidable bosses, this guide from WowCarry aims to equip you for success in Path of Exile's Necropolis expansion.

Build Main Mechanics

The Lightning Arrow Deadeye build, a standout in the Necropolis 3.24 Guide, capitalizes on elemental damage to dismantle enemies swiftly. At its core, the build focuses on amassing flat Elemental Damage, leveraging modifiers on the Bow alongside support from Added Cold Damage Support and Herald of Ice to bolster early damage output. This is complemented by additional flat damage from gear like Rings, Amulets, and Quivers, ensuring a broad damage spectrum.

Importantly, the build avoids specificity in elemental damage types, opting instead for generic modifiers that enhance all elemental damage, ensuring a balanced and potent offensive capability. The strategic use of Trinity Support is crucial, aiming for a balanced distribution of Lightning, Fire, and Cold damage to maximize Resonance and, by extension, damage output. This equilibrium is primarily achieved through a significant flat Lightning Damage presence, allowing for varied elemental dominance across attacks.

The build navigates the early game with options like Precise Technique, offering a viable alternative to Critical Strikes, thus simplifying early gear choices. Projectiles are enhanced via Pierce, chosen over Chain for its lower investment cost, though the latter can be integrated with a higher budget for improved clearing efficiency.

Returning Projectiles emerge as a powerful mechanic, doubling down on damage and enhancing life gain on hit. Far Shot and related mechanics further incentivize maintaining distance from enemies, optimizing projectile damage.

Defensively, the build leans on high Evasion, supplemented by Wind Dancer and specific gear crafts to mitigate physical damage. Spell Suppression is easily achieved through the passive tree, complementing the build's robust evasion and damage mitigation strategies. Life sustainability is ensured through Leech and Life Gain on Hit, allowing the Lightning Arrow Deadeye to thrive in the fast-paced and perilous environments of Path of Exile's Necropolis expansion. This guide by WowCarry is designed to equip you with the knowledge to master these mechanics for an efficient and enjoyable gameplay experience.

PoB, Passives and Gem Links

The Lightning Arrow Deadeye build incorporates a dynamic approach to its Passive Skill Tree, adaptable to various stages of progression in the Necropolis expansion. Here's the PoB link for more details. This flexibility ensures compatibility with a wide array of gear configurations, enhancing both efficiency and effectiveness.

Passive Skill Tree

Attributes adjustments and Spell Damage Suppression optimization are central to adapting the build according to gear availability. The build facilitates easy access to INT and STR through specific passives, catering to temporary needs based on gear constraints. With a foundational 80% Spell Suppression from the passive tree, augmented by gear-specific Evasion enhancements, the build prioritizes adaptability in its defensive strategy.

Accuracy tuning, based on in-game metrics, further tailors the build's offensive capabilities to individual gear profiles. The inclusion of mechanisms like the Depth Perception passive allows for precision enhancements, ensuring effectiveness across all content tiers.

Additional adaptative strategies, including temporary pickups like Survivalist for Elemental Resistances and specific Masteries for content-specific advantages, underscore the build's versatile framework.

Gem Links

The gem setup for Lightning Arrow and auxiliary skills underscores the build's crit-based architecture. With Lightning Arrow taking precedence for the initial 6-Link, the emphasis on quality and synergistic supports, such as Mirage Archer and Trinity Support, maximizes damage output. Critical Damage and Increased Critical Strikes Support alternatives cater to varying crit chance scenarios, while options for Elemental Damage with Attacks Support provide flexibility for atypical gear setups.

Artillery Ballista, serving as a secondary focus, aligns with the build's strategic diversity, benefiting from focused supports to enhance its offensive contribution without necessitating a 6-Link.

The Manaforged Arrows utility setup and Sniper’s Mark configurations demonstrate a nuanced approach to charge management and target marking, respectively, enhancing both utility and damage. The selection of Auras and Movement Skills, alongside an optional Immortal Call setup, balances the build's defensive and mobility needs, reflecting a comprehensive design philosophy tailored for the challenges of Necropolis.

This detailed breakdown, courtesy of WowCarry, aims to provide players with the insights needed to optimize their Lightning Arrow Deadeye build, ensuring a tailored and potent gameplay experience in Path of Exile's latest expansion.

Ascendancy, Pantheons and Deal with the Bandits

Ascendancy

The Lightning Arrow Deadeye build in Path of Exile's Necropolis expansion greatly benefits from strategic Ascendancy choices, each enhancing the build's prowess at different progression stages. Initiating with Gathering Winds, this passive amplifies our Action Speed, notably affecting Attack and Movement Speeds, vital for both offense and defense. Following, Far Shot enhances projectile damage over distance, synergizing perfectly with Lightning Arrow's mechanics.

The acquisition of Endless Munitions in the Merciless Labyrinth marks a significant power spike, offering additional arrows without the downsides of traditional support gems. This advancement not only broadens our attack spread but substantially boosts damage output. Focal Point, the final choice, amplifies Mark Effectiveness, providing a tangible boost against bosses and in high-density enemy scenarios.

Deal with the Bandits

For this Lightning Arrow Deadeye build, aligning with Alira offers a compelling blend of Critical Multiplier and Elemental Resistances, easing early gear acquisition while laying a solid foundation for critical damage scaling. This choice, tailored for budget-conscious setups, can be re-evaluated in higher investment scenarios, where the preference might shift towards additional passive points for even greater customization and power scaling.

Pantheons

The Pantheon system provides a layer of strategic customization, with the Major Pantheon Brine King offering crucial stun and freeze resistances, critical for maintaining mobility and combat effectiveness. The choice of Minor Pantheon is adaptable, with Soul of Garukhan as the default for its resistance to Shock and immunities to Blind & Maim. Alternatives like Soul of Yugul and Soul of Abberath offer tailored resistances to specific threats, underscoring the build's adaptability to various in-game challenges.

These selections, as detailed in this guide by WowCarry, underline the importance of strategic planning and adaptation within the Lightning Arrow Deadeye framework, ensuring players can navigate the diverse challenges of Path of Exile's Necropolis expansion with confidence.

Gear

For the Lightning Arrow Deadeye build in Path of Exile's Necropolis expansion, selecting the right gear is crucial for optimizing performance across all facets of gameplay. Key considerations include attaining sufficient Spell Suppression, high Accuracy, essential Attributes (STR and INT), and capping Elemental Resistances. Beyond these fundamentals, prioritizing Life, Evasion, and Damage enhancements can significantly elevate the build's efficacy.

Below is a detailed summary table outlining preferred stats for each gear slot, aimed at guiding players towards assembling their endgame setup:

Item Slot Item Name Key Stats
Bow High Elemental DPS Spine Bow High base Crit Chance, Elemental DPS
Quiver Rare Life, Crit Multiplier, Projectile Speed, Flat Elemental Damage, Damage with Bow Skills
Chest Rare / Hyrri's Ire Evasion, Resistances, Spell Suppression
Helmet Rare / Rat's Next Life, Evasion, Accuracy, INT, Resistances
Boots Rare Movement Speed, Life, Resistances, Spell Suppression
Gloves Rare Life, Accuracy, Attack Speed, Spell Suppression, Resistances
Amulet Rare / Hyrri's Truth Crit Multiplier, Life, INT, STR, Flat/% Elemental Damage
Rings Rare / The Taming Life, Resistances, Flat/% Elemental Damage, INT, STR
Belt Rare Life, Resistances, % Elemental Damage

This gear framework strives for a balance between essential defensive metrics and offensive capabilities. While Dexterity requirements are met via the passive tree, STR and INT may require gear adjustments. Moreover, capping Spell Suppression and meeting Accuracy thresholds are pivotal for sustaining performance in high-tier content.

Critical to the build's damage output are modifiers such as Crit Multiplier, % Elemental Damage with Attacks, Projectile Speed, and Attack Speed. The guide emphasizes versatility, allowing for unique item integrations without compromising fundamental build needs such as Resistances and Spell Suppression.

Through careful gear selection and optimization, as detailed in this guide by WowCarry, players can maximize the potential of their Lightning Arrow Deadeye build, ensuring readiness for the challenges presented in the Necropolis expansion of Path of Exile.

  • Bow

The Bow serves as the cornerstone of our damage output in the Lightning Arrow Deadeye build for Path of Exile's Necropolis expansion. While various base types exist, the Spine Bow is favored for its balanced Crit Chance and Attack Speed. Initially, as Crit is deprioritized for Precise Technique, bow base type importance diminishes, with faster bases like Thicket Bow and Grove Bow being preferred.

Elemental DPS is paramount, with base Crit Chance becoming crucial upon integrating Critical Strikes. Bows with suboptimal Crit Chances can be salvaged with Increased Critical Strikes Support. Players unsure between two bows can use Path of Building (PoB) for detailed comparisons, considering buffs and temporary effects.

Early acquisition strategies include identifying drops or utilizing Essences and Orbs of Alchemy on promising bases. For endgame, crafting with Shrieking Essences on a Spine Bow of item level 82+ is recommended, aiming for high Elemental Damage and, ideally, Crit Chance and Attack Speed.

A benchmark for tier 16 map viability is a bow with 500 Elemental DPS and 7.5% base Crit Chance. Notably, the early-game unique option Storm Cloud can be useful, but no unique bows match the endgame potential of a well-crafted rare.

  • Quiver

A high-quality Quiver is pivotal, prioritizing Maximum Life and various DPS modifiers. The Feathered Arrow Quiver, benefiting from Projectile Speed's dual application thanks to Bow Mastery, stands out as the best base. Primal Arrow Quiver and Broadhead Arrow Quiver also offer significant advantages.

Critical Multiplier is a top-tier mod, alongside Projectile Speed, Attack Speed, Damage with Bow Skills, and Flat Elemental Damage. While an additional Arrow is highly desirable, it is often reserved for higher budget setups.

Although Quivers can offer Accuracy and Resistances, the focus should remain on damage-enhancing attributes. Screaming Essences of various types are recommended for crafting a strong Quiver on a suitable base. Drillneck presents a viable unique option for pre-crit phases, but the transition to a rare Crit Multiplier Quiver is essential for maximizing endgame damage.

  • Body Armour

In optimizing the Lightning Arrow Deadeye build, selecting a Body Armour with substantial Evasion is paramount, with Zodiac Leather as the ideal base for crafting due to its DEX requirement. Early in the build, flexibility regarding base type is necessary to accommodate available linked items, prioritizing Evasion to activate the Spell Suppression Mastery.

Unlike other gear pieces, Body Armours can forego a Maximum Life roll to leverage the Life Mastery for a significant increase in Maximum Life, provided no Life modifiers are present. Suffixes should focus on Resistances and Spell Suppression, with an ideal piece also offering the capability to craft physical damage mitigation mods.

Crafting strategies vary based on the base’s inherent Evasion, with the Harvest Bench offering tailored options for enhancing either Defense or Life. Eldritch Implicits from Searing Exarch and Eater of Worlds offer additional layers of optimization, targeting Crit Multiplier for Attacks and Aura Effectiveness, or enhanced Grace Aura Effect and increased Evasion, respectively.

Hyrri's Ire stands out as an exceptional unique Body Armour, though its rarity and cost may place it beyond the initial budget of many builds.

  • Helmet

For Helmets, the emphasis remains on Evasion-based bases, with Lion Pelt being the optimal choice. This slot uniquely accommodates INT and Accuracy rolls, alongside Life, Evasion, Resistances, and Spell Suppression, as key desirable stats. The possibility to craft physical damage mitigation mods further enhances its value.

Purchasing a suitable Helmet or utilizing Screaming Essences for crafting represents the most efficient paths to securing an appropriate piece. Eldritch Implicits provide opportunities for reducing Mana Costs of Attack Skills or converting Physical Damage taken to Elemental, aligning with the build’s defensive strategies.

Rat's Nest, as a unique Helmet option, offers significant DPS, Movement Speed, and Attack Speed benefits, making it a viable choice provided other essential stats are secured elsewhere.

  • Gloves

In the Lightning Arrow Deadeye build, the selection of Gloves prioritizes functional stats over base type, with any amount of Evasion necessary to activate the relevant Mastery for Spell Suppression. Essential stats such as Life, Resistances, and Spell Suppression are complemented by the valuable addition of Attack Speed and Accuracy.

A notable craftable prefix is increased Damage while Leeching, significantly enhancing DPS when an open prefix is available. For crafting, Screaming Essence of Zeal and Screaming Essence of Greed are recommended for their potential to yield desirable stats.

The Searing Exarch Eldritch Implicit offering Rage on Hit and the Eater of Worlds options for Accuracy, Spell Suppression, and additional Pierce, present tailored enhancements for the build. Shadows and Dust emerges as an optimal endgame unique, contingent upon the build's capacity to compensate for the absence of Life and Resistances in this slot, enhancing clear speed and DPS with Rampage and Crit Multiplier.

  • Boots

Boots, much like Gloves, are selected for their Evasion to support Spell Suppression, with a premium placed on Movement Speed, Life, and either Resistances or Spell Suppression. The potential to bench craft Movement Speed, especially with Chill Immunity from veiled modifiers, offers significant utility.

Desirable Searing Exarch Eldritch Implicits include increased Action Speed, akin to Tailwind, enhancing overall performance. While Eater of Worlds implicits are less critical, they can improve the efficacy of Travel Skills, facilitating greater mobility.

Three-step Assault provides a unique option within the Boots category, offering a substantial Evasion boost during Onslaught, despite the lack of Resistances or Spell Suppression. This makes them a viable choice for enhancing defensive capabilities during mapping.

  • Amulet

The Amulet is a pivotal gear slot for meeting the STR and INT requirements of the Lightning Arrow Deadeye build, making an Agate Amulet the preferred choice. Prioritizing Crit Multiplier and Life, this slot also accommodates INT, STR, Resistances, and both flat and percentage-based Elemental Damage with Attacks.

For Blight anoints, Fury Bolts represents an economical yet effective choice, while Assassination offers a stronger, albeit more costly, alternative. Disciple of the Unyielding provides an alternative focusing on Physical Damage Mitigation through Endurance Charge generation.

Crafting a Crit Multiplier Amulet can be approached through the use of Screaming Essence of Scorn or specific Harvest crafting options. Hyrri's Truth stands out as a strong unique selection, offering significant Accuracy and reducing socket pressure by integrating Culling Strike into all Bow attacks.

  • Rings

Rings play a critical role in Resistance management within the build, with INT and Accuracy serving as valuable secondary stats. While Amethyst Rings are ideal, Two-Stone Rings and other Elemental Resistance Rings also suffice. Desirable prefixes include Life and Elemental Damage modifiers.

Given the broad mod pool, crafting Rings is generally inefficient, with identification or purchasing being the preferred acquisition methods. The Taming emerges as an exceptional unique option, offering substantial Elemental Damage and Resistances at the cost of Life.

  • Belt

The Belt slot is typically leveraged for significant Life and Resistance boosts, with "%Elemental Damage with Attacks" enhancing DPS. STR and Flask-related modifiers further optimize this slot’s utility.

Like Rings, acquiring a suitable Belt often involves looting or purchasing, as crafting may not yield the desired efficiency. Bisco's Leash presents a unique trade-off, favoring Rampage and Magic Find over traditional defensive stats.

  • Flasks

Establishing a robust flask setup is essential by the onset of mapping, ensuring coverage against Bleed and Freeze while enhancing defenses. A preliminary arrangement includes:

  • Divine Life Flask with Bleed removal
  • Divine Life Flask with Freeze & Chill removal
  • Jade Flask
  • Quartz Flask
  • Quicksilver Flask

As the build progresses into endgame, optimizing Utility Flask suffixes becomes crucial, maintaining a Life Flask for health recovery and condition mitigation. Utility Flasks such as Diamond, Jade, Quartz, and Quicksilver Flasks are augmented with suffixes promoting Evasion, Shock resistance, Attack Speed, and Critical Strike Chance enhancements.

The specific arrangement of suffixes across the Utility Flasks is flexible, with the overall goal being to incorporate these beneficial modifiers. Crafting on item level 84+ Flasks, when feasible, maximizes potential effectiveness. Should Freeze Immunity not be obtained through the upgraded Brine King Pantheon, a second Divine Life Flask with Freeze immunity remains essential.

Automation of Flask usage via bench enchantment significantly streamlines gameplay, eliminating the need for manual activation and ensuring optimal performance during combat.

  • Jewels

While the Lightning Arrow Deadeye build benefits from various unique Jewels, the focus here is on a budget-friendly approach, limiting the inclusion to a maximum of one rare Jewel. Priority modifiers for such Jewels include Maximum Life, Critical Strike Multiplier (with emphasis on Elemental Skills and globally), Attack Speed with Bows, and Elemental Resistances.

A Watcher's Eye with modifiers for Grace or Precision becomes a valuable asset, enhancing specific aspects of the build's performance. Additionally, Jewels like Brutal Restraint or Lethal Pride offer significant potential within their respective notables' radius, though their acquisition is considered a luxury rather than a necessity due to cost considerations.

Mapping and Bosses

Map Modifiers

When engaging in maps within Path of Exile's Necropolis expansion, the Lightning Arrow Deadeye build encounters a few challenging modifiers:

  • Elemental Reflect maps necessitate rerolling or the use of Awakened Elemental Damage Support gem.
  • Physical Reflect poses a risk, yet remains manageable with the Yugul minor Pantheon.
  • Cannot Leech mods require adaptation, such as integrating a Mana Flask, due to the build's reliance on mana leech for single-target engagement.
  • Modifiers affecting suppressed spell damage and monster accuracy directly challenge the build's defensive layers, marking them as particularly hazardous.

Through strategic adaptations and flask management, these challenges can be mitigated, ensuring sustained performance across a variety of map conditions.

Bossing

While boss encounters represent a more demanding aspect of the Lightning Arrow Deadeye build, with appropriate adjustments, even formidable adversaries can be overcome:

  • Substituting a Quartz Flask for an additional Divine Life Flask improves survivability in boss fights, where phasing is less critical.
  • Switching from Lightning Arrow to Barrage may enhance single-target DPS, albeit with a learning curve for effective use.
  • Maximizing damage output by maintaining distance leverages the Far Shot and Long Shot mechanics inherent to the build.
  • Adapting Aura choices or temporarily replacing unique items tailored for general mapping can further refine the build’s effectiveness against bosses.

By embracing these tactics, players can navigate the diverse challenges posed by both mapping and bossing scenarios, capitalizing on the Lightning Arrow Deadeye build's versatility within the dynamic environment of Path of Exile's Necropolis expansion.

Summary

This comprehensive guide to the Lightning Arrow Deadeye build for Path of Exile's Necropolis expansion equips players with the insights needed to master one of the most dynamic and potent builds available. From gear selections and gem linkages to strategies for navigating the perilous landscapes of Wraeclast, we’ve covered the essentials to ensure both newcomers and veterans can enjoy a rewarding experience. While the journey through maps and against formidable bosses may present challenges, the adaptable nature of this build allows for strategic adjustments to overcome even the toughest obstacles. For those seeking to optimize their Lightning Arrow Deadeye or perhaps find certain segments of the guide demanding, remember that we at WowCarry offer a tailored service designed to support your Path of Exile endeavors. Whether you need assistance with specific parts of the build or are looking for comprehensive support, our team is here to help you achieve your in-game goals. Embrace the path of the Deadeye, and let the arrows fly with precision and power in the Necropolis expansion.

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