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PoE 2 Build

[0.3] Lazy's Ballista Banner Tactician

presentationMercenary
Verified
presentationTactician
0.3 TTE
Starter
End Game
By Lazy Exile
Updated on Nov 20, 2025
Nov 20, 2025

Build Overview

Hey guys, It's Lazy Exile, and I want to share my League Starter for 0.3.

This is going to be Ballista Totem + Banner Build on Tactician.

This guide will be keep up-to-date as I progress through the league in 0.3. Final Endgame Update Done. Max Difficulty Xesht also done with this End Game update.

Day 2 Update - Early Game Setup (can refer to Day 4 Setup instead of running 0 res)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfmGTMtOrDU

Day 3 Update - Budget MF setup (150-200% rarity)

https://youtu.be/vzm9yqPgokM

Day 4 Update - End Game Totem Banner Dual Curse

https://youtu.be/gPvV3KLr7E0

Build Summary

This is a build revolve around Ballista Totem (Mortar Cannon) and Banners (War Banner, Defiance Banner) with a Dual Curse setup (Elemental Weakness, Temporal Chains). A comfy totem setup where you can drop totem and let your totem do the works.
This play a lot similar to the traditional totem setup and place totem and go.

Defensive

Pinning is also insane on Tactician, and most of the time, you can kill enemies before they get a chance to fight back. Decently tanky in Armour and Evasion setup. The main thing is you can drop your totem and run around to dodge everything.

Offensive

Mortar Cannon have 100% uptime with pinning, and they will hardly die if you position them correctly. Elemental Weakness + Frost Bomb in this setup is a lot stronger than the traditional Crossbow build because we run Sceptre in our setup.

Ultimately, going for crit in the end game will give you enough damage for pinnacle bossing.

Content this is good for?

  • Mapping
  • Ritual (Banner + Totem is good for stationary content)
  • Abyss (Banner + Totem is good for stationary content)
  • Essence (Banner + Totem is good for stationary content)
  • Bossing (A lot of strong scaling vector for endgame)

Campaign Bonuses

Valley of the Titans (Act 2)

30% Increased Charm Effect Duration & +1 Charm Slot

The Venom Crypts

30% Elemental Ailment Threshold

Hall of the Dead

+5 Strength, +5 Dexterity, +5 Intelligence

Act 5.2 - Qimah - 7 Pillars

+5 to All Attributes (if lacking attributes)

+5% to Elemental Resistances (if lacking resistances)

3% increased Movement Speed (best choice)

Strengths and Weaknesses

  • Unique Ballista/Totem Playstyle
  • Beginner Friendly
  • Strong early game
  • Should scale relatively well into late game
  • Endgame version can clear Pinnacle boss
  • Banner is extra buttons
  • Visual Clarity (might be a plus)

Build Variants

With a good crossbow, you can go with this setup. Going for Armour and be tanky. The tree is for level 90 and up, and most item is still fairly budget beside the From Nothing jewel which is optional. All rare items are achievable and you can slowly works some rarity into the gear.

Budget: 10-15 Divines

Level: 85-95+

Equipment

item
item
7
item
9
item
2
item
1
item
3
item
10
item
8
item
5
item
4
item
item
item
Equipment Priority
0
Amulet
Idol of Uldurn
1
Body
Dastard Armour
2
Right Ring
Breach Ring
3
Boots
Fortress Sabatons
4
Belt
Utility Belt
5
Main Hand
Siege Crossbow
6
Left Ring
Doedre's Damning
7
Gloves
Zealot Gauntlets
8
Helmet
Constricting Command
9
Off Hand
Shrine Sceptre

Equipment Guide

Check the Vendor when you go back to town, paste the regex into the search box to highlight the items.

Gear & Stats Priorities

Weapon Set 1

Lifesprig (or any wand with fast cast speed)

  • I use Mana Drain to recover my mana
  • I think there are better option than this

Shrine Sceptre

  • Increased spirit (no definite number, but if you want to run my exact gem and support, 55+)
  • Intelligence (30+ since we need high intelligence to run at least level 18 Frost Bomb)
  • Use Perfect Essence of Command (Aura Magnitudes works with Banner, and will make it a lot better)
  • Purity of Fire at higher level will give better fire resistances, and you can also quality this to 20%

Weapon Set 2

Siege Crossbow (Highest lv base)

  • As high physical damage roll as possible
  • +1 to Ballista (BiS I think) / Increased Grenade Damage (also very good mod)
  • + 6 Level to attack skills
  • Attack Speed

Zealot Gauntlets (any Armour/Evasion bases)

  • Physical Damage to Attack + The Greatwolf's Rune of Claws for more phys damage to attack
  • Maximum Life / Resistances / Increased Rarity

Constricting Command

  • Require 5 fewer enemies to be surrounded
  • It's either 5 or nothing, don't try to get 4 or 3 or 2

Breach Ring / Gold Ring / Any Bases

  • Add phys damage to attack (higher tier is better)
  • Intelligence
  • Elemental resistances
  • Maximum life / Increased rarity

Doedre's Damning

  • Additional curse

Death Mail / Dastard Armour (armour/evasion base)

  • Look for Highest roll of armour and evasion
  • Elemental resistances
  • Maximum life
  • Armour also applies to elemental damage

Fortress Sabatons (armour/evasion base)

  • Movement speed 30%+
  • Maximum life
  • Increased rarity / Elemental resistances

Utility Belt (rare belt)

  • + Armour / Maximum life
  • + Strength (at least +30)
  • Elemental resistances (if missing)

Skill Gems

Support Gem Requirements:

Str 75

Dex 55

Int 65

Expand all

Purity of Fire

Purity of Fire
supportvitalityplayertwo
supportclarityplayertwo
supportwarmbloodedplayer
supportherbalismplayertwo

Mana Drain

Mana Drain
supportrapidcastingplayertwo
supportmobilityplayer
supportslowpotencyplayer
supportefficiencyplayertwo

Blasphemy

Blasphemy
elementalweaknessplayer
supportritualisticcurseplayer
supportmagnifiedareaplayertwo
supportcurseeffectplayer
temporalchainsplayer

Frost Bomb

Frost Bomb
supportpotentexposureplayer
supportmagnifiedareaplayertwo
prolongeddurationsupportplayertwo
supportlongfuseplayertwo

Mortar Cannon

Mortar Cannon
clustergrenadeplayer
supportpayloadplayer
supportheftplayer
supportnovaprojectilesplayer
supportshortfuseplayer

Wind Dancer

Wind Dancer
supportblindplayertwo
supportpinplayer
supportmaimplayer
supportclarityplayer

Companion: {0}

Companion: {0}
supportmeatshieldplayer
supportlastgaspplayer
supportelementalarmyplayer

Mirage Archer

Mirage Archer
explosivegrenadeplayer
supportmultishotplayertwo
supportelementalarmamentplayertwo
supportpayloadplayer

Dread Banner

Dread Banner
prolongeddurationsupportplayertwo
supportmagnifiedareaplayertwo

War Banner

War Banner
supportrefractionplayerthree
supportmagnifiedareaplayertwo
prolongeddurationsupportplayertwo
supportmobilityplayer

Defiance Banner

Defiance Banner
prolongeddurationsupportplayertwo
supportmagnifiedareaplayertwo
supportrefractionplayertwo
supportdaressospassionplayer

Important

Keep in mind, we are running Gem Enthusiast, so you need to have at least 10x green and red support gem. Fill the missing color in auto attack if needed.

Pinnacle Bossing

Swap Short Fuse I with Short Fuse II for pinnacle bossing.

Weapon Swap

In order to play smoothly, you will drop totem (auto swap to weapon set 2), and use Mana Drain, or Frost Bomb to swap back to weapon set 1, and drop War Banner, Defiance Banner.

Skill Rotation

  1. Drop Mortar Cannon
  2. Cast Frost Bomb (auto swap to set 1)
  3. Drop War Banner, Defiance Banner, Dread Banner
  4. Cast Mana Drain if run out of mana
  5. Repeat step 1 once your Mortar Cannon shoot out all the grenades (4 times)

For normal mobbing, just drop Mortar Cannon

Weapon Set 1 (Banner Setup)

Check the little box next to Used with weapon set I

Blasphemy - Set 1

Frost Bomb - Set 1

Companion: {0} - Set 1 & 2 - Haste or Extra Phys Aura

Dread Banner - Set 1

War Banner - Set 1

Defiance Banner - Set 1

Weapon Set 2 (Mortar Cannon)

Mortar Cannon - Set 2

Wind Dancer - Set 2

Companion: {0} - Set 1 & 2 - Haste Aura or Extra Phys Aura

Mirage Archer - Set 2

Passive Tree

main:
123
123
set 1:
20
20
set 2:
20
20

Ascendancy

You should have 4 ascendancy points to run this tree, especially the Banner.

Notables

This is a level 96 tree, follow the notable priority to know what you should get first.

Changelog

23/8 - Initial Draft (Pre-Detail Patch Notes and Skill Trees)

28/8 - Update Mapping Gem Prep

2/9 - Day 3 update Magic Find Setup

4/9 - Totem Banner Setup

Video Guide

Table of Contents

1. Build Overview Build Summary Content this is good for? Campaign Bonuses2. Strengths and Weaknesses3. Build Variants4. Equipment5. Skill Gems6. Passive Tree7. Changelog

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