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PoE 2 Build

[0.5] Ice Shot Snipe Ranger Leveling

Ranger

Starter

Speed Leveling

0.5 RotA

Creator

By GuyThatDies

Updated on May 29, 2026

May 29, 2026

Build Overview

This guide is for progressing through campaign. Check out an endgame version here.

This is one of the best builds for leveling Deadeye / Pathfinder as bows. I was able to complete campaign in 3:57.

Ice Shot is unlocked at Level 31. You'll start with Lightning Arrow + Lightning Rod.

Strengths and Weaknesses

ONE SHOT Bosses
Smooth, Satisfying Clear

Unlock Ice Shot at level 31
Must Time Snipe

Build Variants

Level 1-30

Level 31 (Swap)

Level 58 (Campaign End)

Pre-Ice Shot swap. You'll be starting with Lightning Arrow + Lightning Rod.

Equipment

Level 1-30

Level 31 (Swap)

Level 58 (Campaign End)

Set 1

Set 2

Equipment Priority

Vendor Regex: "bow|mov|[egdl] da.* to a"

Don't spend any Regals, Alcs, Runes, or Exalts until Act 2. You're saving them for the level 16 Recurve Bow

Weapon: Click here for a guide on how to get great weapons throughout campaign. Having a great/bad weapon drastically changes your damage.

Quiver: +# to Level of all Projectile Skills / Attack Speed / Flat Damage / Damage with Bow Skills

Boots: Movement Speed > Resists / Life / Evasion

Rings/glove: High flat damage > Resists / Life

Helmet/Body Armour: Resists / Life / Evasion

Amulet: Life / Resists / +# to Level of all Projectile Skills

Belt: Rawhide Belt with Resists / Life / Armour

Skill Gems

Level 1-30

Level 31 (Swap)

Level 58 (Campaign End)

Support Gem Requirements:

Str 10

Dex 5

Int 15

Frost Bomb

Contagion

Lightning Arrow

Lightning Rod

Escape Shot

Herald of Thunder

Barrage

Electrocuting Arrow

Gem Priority

Act 1

Your first skill gem from Renly will be Lightning Rod. With Clearfell's gem, cut either Frost Bomb for bosses, or Contagion for clearing mobs for the first few levels.

You'll get another guaranteed Level 2 Skill Gem in The Red Vale from the league mechanic. Level up Lightning Rod.

First Level 3 Skill Gem (The Rust King): Lightning Arrow

Second Level 3 Skill Gem (Lachlann): Lightning Rod

Third Level 3 Skill Gem (Crowbell): Escape Shot

Upgrading priority: Lightning Arrow / Lightning Rod, both equal

Make sure to do Freythorn and pick up Herald of Thunder. This DRAMATICALLY improves your clear.

Tier 1 Support Gem Order:

Elemental Armament I for Lightning Arrow / Lightning Rod (Swap for clear / single target)
Rapid Attacks I for Lightning Arrow
Concentrated Area for Lightning Rod
Elemental Armament I for Lightning Rod (Now you don't need to swap it)
Concentrated Area for Herald of Thunder

For your Level 5 Skill Gems, level up Lightning Rod or Lightning Arrow if they're level 3. Otherwise, take Barrage.

Act 2

Tier 2 Support Gem Order:

Chain II for Lightning Arrow (Swap between Chain II and Elemental Armament for bosses / clear)
Elemental Armament II for Lightning Rod
Elemental Armament II for Lightning Arrow
Elemental Armament II for Herald of Thunder

You'll get a Lesser Jeweller's Orb from The Buried Shrines in Act 2. Save this for Snipe / Ice Shot at level 31.

Frost Bomb cannot apply exposure to enemies above a certain level depending on the level of the gem. When it's no longer applying exposure, drop it. For example a level 1 Frost Bomb only works on monsters level 20 and below.

IMPORTANT:

When you swap to Ice Shot, you'll need to have a few gems spare:

Level 7/8 Skill Gem for Freezing Mark
Level 7/8 Skill Gem for Freezing Salvo
Spirit Gem for Herald of Ice (You can pick this up from either the league mechanic in Mawdun Quarry, or the rare Sarcophagus in The Lost City)
A Tier 1 Support Gem (or higher) for Window of Opportunity I on Snipe

Passive Tree

Level 1-30

Level 31 (Swap)

Level 58 (Campaign End)

main:

123

set 1:

set 2:

Pay attention to the attributes. When you swap to Ice Shot, you'll be very tight on these. I've planned these out so you'll have just the right amount of each type at each level.

Quest Rewards

Check which quests you’ve completed on your character

Clearfell — Beira of the Rotten Pack

+10% to Cold Resistance

Hunting Grounds — The Crowbell

Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

Freythorn — The King in the Mists

+30 to Spirit

Ogham Farmlands — Una's Hut

Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

Ogham Manor — Candlemass, the Living Rite

+20 to maximum Life

Keth — Kabala, Constrictor Queen

Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

Valley of the Titans — Medallion

30% increased Charm Charges gained

+1 Charm Slot

Deshar — Final Letter

Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

The Spires of Deshar — Sisters of Garukhan

+10% to Lightning Resistance

Jungle Ruins — Mighty Silverfist

Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

The Venom Crypts — Venom Draught

25% increased Stun Threshold

Jiquani's Machinarium — Blackjaw, the Remnant

+10% to Fire Resistance

The Azak Bog — Ignagduk, the Bog Witch

+30 to Spirit

The Molten Vault — The Molten Vault

Reforging Bench

Aggorat — Blood Sacrifice

Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

Journey's End — Captain Hartlin

Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

Skill Gem(Lv 13)

Delirium Drop

Eye of Hinekora — Navali's Rest

5% increased Maximum Mana

Halls of the Dead — Yama The White

Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

Halls of the Dead — Tawhoa's Test

+5% to Lightning Resistance

Abandoned Prison — Goddess of Justice

30% increased Life Recovery from Flasks

Halls of the Dead — Tasalio's Test

+5% to Cold Resistance

Halls of the Dead — Ngamahu's Test

+5% to Fire Resistance

Wolvenhold — Oswin, the Dread Warden

Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

The Khari Crossing — Akthi and Anundr

Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

The Khari Crossing — Molten Shrine

5% increased Maximum Life

Qimah — Tabana's Pillar

+5% to all Elemental Resistances

Kriar Village — Lythara, the Wayward Spear

+40 to Spirit

Howling Caves — The Abominable Yeti

Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

How it Plays

Level 1-30

For clearing, simply use Lightning Arrow.

For single target, start by stacking Lightning Rod.

Lightning Arrow can trigger up to 4 rods without chain. With Chain I it triggers 6 rods, and with Chain II it triggers 8.

When your rods expire, immediately replace them - aim to match the number of rods your Lightning Arrow can trigger. Use Barrage to generate Lightning Rods quickly.

Make sure to use Frost Bomb to keep exposure up.

The rotation will look like this:

Lightning Rod x (4/6/8)
Frost Bomb (make sure the boss always has exposure)
Electrocuting Arrow (feel free to skip this if you don't care about electrocution)
Lightning Arrow until rods expire
Use Barrage and repeat from step 1

Level 31+

In Act 3 at level 31, you get access to Ice Shot. Clear monsters with Ice Shot and use Freezing Mark every 20 seconds to keep up the buff.

For single target:

Cast Freezing Mark
Freeze the boss with Freezing Salvo and Ice Shot
Use Barrage and kill the boss with Snipe (see the video for timing)

In most cases, the boss should die with a single combo. If not, you'll have to wait 10 or so seconds to freeze again.

At level 41, you'll unlock Tornado Shot. For tanky rares and bosses:

Tornado Shot x2
Barrage + Ice Shot
Continue with Ice Shot or use Snipe if they're frozen

Ascendancies

Ascendancy:

This build doesn't require any ascendancy to clear campaign, so if you're planning to swap to another build in endgame, you can go straight into that.

If you do want to ascend, I recommend Deadeye for Projectile Proximity Specialisation (Point Blank). Gathering Winds (Tailwind) can mess with your Snipe timing.