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PoE 2 Build

[0.5.5] Woolie's Run n Gun Witchhunter (Leaguestart viable)

Verified

Mercenary

Witchhunter

End Game

Starter

0.5.5 FR

By Woolie

Updated on Sep 2, 2026

Sep 2, 2026

Build Overview

--0.5 RETURN OF THE ANCIENTS--

Arjun's Medal nerf (100% reload on kill > 25%)
Ratha's Assault nerf (5 bolts on dodge w 4 extra loaded > 4 & 3)
Sorcery Ward nerf (35% less > 50%)
Hyrri's Ire nerf (250% eva > 200% && 25% cold dmg > 20%)

the changes equate to a slight nerf to clear speed (if any lol; 25% chance to reload when you kill 10+ things in one shot is still crazy) and about 15% less overall Evasion and Sorcery Ward (extra HP)
keep in mind that ALL Evasion gear was buffed by 15% and Deflection formula is better

overall, the build is still extremely strong and plays identically to the previous patch. enjoy!

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--SKILL ROTATION--

Single Target

4-5x Stormblast Bolts as prep
most bosses yap before they can be damaged lol
wait a few seconds then dodge roll to trigger Mirage Archer (detonates Stormblast Bolts)
waiting ~3s bypasses boss "one shot dmg reduction"
spam Stormblast Bolts until reload
stand CLOSE TO ENEMY (Close Combat II)
Emergency Reload
continue spamming Stormblast Bolts

Clearing

spam Galvanic Shards
Herald of Thunder does the rest

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--LEVELING--

use the dedicated "Leveling" Build Variant for the details

Quest Rewards are in Section 8

Strengths and Weaknesses

simple (1-button clear & single target)
fast (high attack & move speed, plus reduced move penalty while attacking)
fun (RUN N GUN BABY! PEWPEWPEWPEW!)
VERY tanky w Hyrri's Ire x Sorcery Ward x Ceremonial Ablution

crossbow reloads can be annoying (Lineage gems on Galvanic Shards solve this)
mobile bosses can mess up single target slightly
a bit squishy until decently high Evasion rating (30% of Evasion = HP, due to Sorcery Ward x Ceremonial Ablution)

Build Variants

Leveling

Early Endgame (~1div budget)

Mid Endgame (~3div budget)

Late Endgame (~10div budget)

HYPER Endgame ("yes" budget)

ignore the uniques in a Leaguestart scenario
and replaceRampart Raptor with a rare crossbow sometime in Act 3

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use Permafrost Bolts x Fragmentation Rounds for Acts 1, 2 & early 3
freeze them with Permafrost Bolts, then explode the freeze with Fragmentation Rounds

for your first Spirit gem (Act 1 Freythorn), take Herald of Ice

as soon as you get a t5 gem, take Galvanic Shards and use it for clearing with Herald of Thunder
Permafrost Bolts x Fragmentation Rounds should still be used for single target
you now drop Herald of Ice entirely

as soon as you get a t8 Spirit gem, take Mirage Archer but do NOT use it until you get Stormblast Bolts (t9)

as soon as you get a t9 gem, take Stormblast Bolts then toggle on Mirage Archer (w Explosive Shot socketed) - it will proc Stormblast Bolts
you can now drop Permafrost Bolts and Fragmentation Rounds entirely

--WEAPON SET CONFIGURATION--

to configure weapon sets, you must do ALL of the following:

in your Inventory, right click the "I" Roman Numeral above your weapon to LOCK IT TO BOTH SETS
this saves you from needing to acquire an entirely new weapon
once done correctly, you will see a silhouette of your weapon next to itself
for certain skill gems, you must allocate them to a specific set - do this by clicking the ">" for a given skill and, in the new menu that appears, unchecking either "I" or "II", depending on which set it should ONLY be on.

importantly, after doing all of this, you will have a SEPARATE KEYBIND FOR Stormblast Bolts
you will see the "II" in the top-right of the correct Crossbow Shot's icon
I like to put this on middle-mouse but you can put it wherever's comfortable

Weapon Set I

ensure the following skills are ONLY on Set I (uncheck "II"):

Galvanic Shards
Herald of Thunder
Wind Dancer

Weapon Set II

ensure the following skills are ONLY on Set II (uncheck "I"):

Stormblast Bolts
Mirage Archer

Equipment

Leveling

Early Endgame (~1div budget)

Mid Endgame (~3div budget)

Late Endgame (~10div budget)

HYPER Endgame ("yes" budget)

Set 1

Set 2

Equipment Priority

in a FRESH START scenario, ignore the unique items (obviously)

Rampart Raptor OP early on - get one with 3 sockets (4 if you're $$$)
use Lesser Glacial Runes (swap to regular Glacial Rune at level 15)
use Blackheart rings for base dmg until you get decent rares with "+ cold / phys / lightning dmg"

around Act 3 Rampart Raptor will fall off, so buy a decent rare crossbow at that point
you'll also be swapping to Stormblast Bolts, so start prioritizing lightning dmg mods

you're simply looking for as high phys / lightning dmg + attack speed as possible on a rare crossbow and life/res everywhere else
try to also get some flat dmg (rings & gloves) and, of course, "+lvl skills" (weapon, amulet)

get as high a roll of "%all ele res" as possible on Skin of the Loyal
this offsets Rondel of Fragility

replace Meginord's Girdle, Northpaw & both Blackhearts with rare gear with life & %res whenever you feel like it
try to get some flat dmg (+phys / +lightning) on rings & gloves, too!

anoint Unbound Forces or Acceleration (more $$)

Skill Gems

Leveling

Early Endgame (~1div budget)

Mid Endgame (~3div budget)

Late Endgame (~10div budget)

HYPER Endgame ("yes" budget)

Support Gem Requirements:

Str 45

Dex 65

Int 50

Galvanic Shards

Set 1

Herald of Thunder

Set 1

Wind Dancer

Set 1

Stormblast Bolts

Set 2

Mirage Archer

Set 2

Sorcery Ward

Permafrost Bolts

Fragmentation Rounds

Herald of Ice

Gem Priority

+33

--FRESH START SCENARIO--

you won't have access to the exact supports early on, therefore, use the following links:
Permafrost Bolts
Rapid Attacks I > Elemental Armament I > Fork (only if you get an early Lesser Jeweler's Orb)
Fragmentation Rounds
Elemental Armament I > Cold Attunement

for the rest, simply use the lower tier of whatever is listed

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use Permafrost Bolts x Fragmentation Rounds for Acts 1, 2 & early 3
freeze them with Permafrost Bolts, then explode the freeze with Fragmentation Rounds

for your first Spirit gem (Act 1 Freythorn ), take Herald of Ice
you don't need Herald of Thunder until you start using Galvanic Shards

as soon as you get a t5 gem, take Galvanic Shards and use it for clearing, with Herald of Thunder
Permafrost Bolts x Fragmentation Rounds should still be used for single target
drop Herald of Ice entirely

as soon as you get a t8 Spirit gem, take Mirage Archer but do NOT use it until you get Stormblast Bolts (t9)

as soon as you get a t9 gem, take Stormblast Bolts and toggle on Mirage Archer (w Explosive Shot socketed) - it will proc Stormblast Bolts
you can now drop Permafrost Bolts and Fragmentation Rounds entirely

refer to the "Build Variant" section (info box) if you need more details on how to properly configure your Weapon Sets

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--AURAS--

Herald of Ice (Act 1 until swapping to Galvanic Shards)
Herald of Thunder (only after swapping to Galvanic Shards - replace Herald of Ice)
Mirage Archer (Act 3, after Azak Bog zone)
Wind Dancer

Passive Tree

Leveling

Early Endgame (~1div budget)

Mid Endgame (~3div budget)

Late Endgame (~10div budget)

HYPER Endgame ("yes" budget)

main:

123

set 1:

set 2:

note the node priority above for pathing order

for details on proper Weapon Set config, see the Build Variants section

--ASCENDANCY ORDER--
Zealous Inquisition > Obsessive Rituals > Ceremonial Ablution

note that you will UNSPEC Zealous Inquisition after you complete your FINAL Ascendancy Trial
it's very good for leveling & early maps, though

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

30% increased Elemental Ailment 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

Whakapanu Island — Great White One

+30% increased Global Armour, Evasion and Energy Shield

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 Dexterity

Abandoned Prison — Goddess of Justice

30% increased Life Recovery from Flasks

Halls of the Dead — Tasalio's Test

+5 to Intelligence

Halls of the Dead — Ngamahu's Test

+5 to Strength

Halls of the Dead — Tribal Medicine

+30% increased Global Armour, Evasion and Energy Shield

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

15% increased Armour, Evasion and Energy Shield

Kriar Village — Lythara, the Wayward Spear

+40 to Spirit

Howling Caves — The Abominable Yeti

Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

Changelog

8/31 - build is ready for 0.5.5

Comments

SilentKey•15h ago

Im trying to find a reason to replace my Goregirdle plate belt, but i cant find one other than resistances. But i can cap my resistances so easily with alphas howl and rings, so there goes that reason.

SilentGun•9d ago

Copied the build step by step to the YES budget version only missing to lineage. My crossbow was worth 600divs still survivability and damage fall off at end game juiced delis. Got random one shots.

GL-OPPS•4d ago

You absolutely must boost your Evasion Rating to at least 15,000. I’m currently level 90 with an Evasion Rating of 20,000; aside from ground-based poison and blood effects, I take virtually zero damage from anything else.

View 1 reply

aerchi•9d ago

hey can anyone elaborate on what:

"instill Stimulants for offense, Beastial Skin for defense"

means?

Phobia•6d ago

Instill on amulet in deli spot

GL-OPPS•4d ago

You can try to buy a item included this skill from market.

GL-OPPS•14d ago

Thank you to Woolie for this contribution.

This build is truly fun, and the guide is written very clearly n easy to understand. The key to this build is finding a decent crossbow early on; in PoE2, Legendaries are a godsend for low-level characters and can usually be traded for just one Exalted Orb. Crossbows function like shotguns—they have limited ammo, but each shot packs a massive punch. The trick is positioning: if you only have three shots, you need to maneuver so that those three rounds take out the enemy. It’s all about rhythm; once you master the timing, hardly any monsters can lay a finger on you. I’ve just reached the mid-game and am really enjoying having that green partner help me take down bosses. Splitting the setup between Weapon Set 1 and Set 2 to save Spirit is a really clever touch! I usually like to fire arrows into the air until the ground is covered with them before summoning my green helper for a single strike—it basically finishes off any boss instantly.

GL-OPPS•4d ago

On the other hand, Berserk skill is powerful also very hurt, some T15,16 map deduct life may need off it even I have some life recover items, also not enough for the offset.

ZombiexCat•18d ago

The build is missing passive tree points, at the end. Like 5-6 of them. BUT! I love this build. Fav build in the game now. REALLY hoping this gets updated for the official launch of the game, cause it's what I plan to main. Thanks Woolie!

BrightCrown•18d ago

This build still working ??

CoolMask•14d ago

до поздней игры дошел вроде работает

PrettyBlade•20d ago

i have only 30 spirit and i dont have any t8 spriit gems and act 3 my damage is very low to single target enemies

;

;)•19d ago

then your doing it wrong.

-1

View 1 reply

GrimFlower•20d ago

no damage,i dont know where the damage from

;

;)•19d ago

your doing the build wrong you gotta really follow it

-1

Jiri•15d ago

Crossbow, buy the highest DPS crossbow you can afford. Most of the campaign and early mapping can be done with Rampart Ramport -> Runeforged Rampart Raptor iirc. Switch from freeze -> pop to lightning is a little wonky. Getting Mirage Archer ASAP (even ditching other spirit skills) is a priority if you want less buttons to press (I do).

ShinyDragon•22d ago

Is it critical to pick attributes in the tests, or can I pick resistances instead?

Jiri•15d ago

Either works, you can choose resists and not think about it. Attributes on lategame gear come in +30 increments and you can swap them around on your passive tree as well. It's more flexible than the resistances that only come from gear.

Cloud•22d ago

Any way to control Mirage? It seems to act pretty dumb against Bodach. It barely detonates the stormblast bolts.

;

;)•22d ago

I dunno what game ur playing it worked fine for me all the way thru endgame

-2

View 1 reply

Video Guide

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Path of Building Code

1. Build Overview --0.5 RETURN OF THE ANCIENTS-- --SKILL ROTATION-- --LEVELING--2. Strengths and Weaknesses 3. Build Variants 4. Equipment 5. Skill Gems 6. Passive Tree 7. Quest Rewards 8. Changelog 9. Comments

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[0.5.5] Woolie's Run n Gun Witchhunter (Leaguestart viable)

--0.5 RETURN OF THE ANCIENTS--

--SKILL ROTATION--

Single Target

Clearing

--LEVELING--

--WEAPON SET CONFIGURATION--

Weapon Set I

Weapon Set II

--FRESH START SCENARIO--

refer to the "Build Variant" section (info box) if you need more details on how to properly configure your Weapon Sets

--AURAS--

--ASCENDANCY ORDER--Zealous Inquisition > Obsessive Rituals > Ceremonial Ablution

--ASCENDANCY ORDER--
Zealous Inquisition > Obsessive Rituals > Ceremonial Ablution