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PoE 2 Build

[0.4] Bigdaddy 🔫 Witchhunter Xbow - The #1 Xbow Build

Verified

Starter

End Game

Speed Leveling

0.4 TLotD

Mercenary

Witchhunter

By BigDaddy Gaming

Updated on Feb 7, 2026

Feb 7, 2026

Build Overview

Still updating a few things on this so no video guide yet!

The Best 🩷Witchhunter🩷 Xbow build from 0.1 is back for 0.4!

💖Be sure to add to favorites! it takes a lot of time making these! 💖

🧠About the Build

This build is all about using the "bolt" XBow skills. (Shockburst Rounds and Galvanic Shards)
Having a machine gun/ Shotgun in Poe is just Insanely FUN!

When I play xbow I don't think of it as the Highest damage/Best clear build tbh. We play Xbow because it is FUN. :) That being said it can pump out some serious DPS numbers! (over 22 MILLION DPS on the Giga ver)

Why Witchhunter? well the changes to Sorcery Ward have really made WH POP off! with enough evasion you will be almost immortal to hit damage! Overall WH has insane defense scaling and decent DMG/Clear options.

💡Tips

Make sure you setup you xbow to be used in both weapon sets! (Right click the roman numeral near your weapon to use it with BOTH weapon sets!)
make sure your Galvanic Shards and Shockburst Rounds are on the correct weapon tree! (check in the gem/passive tree sections!)
In most of these setups im setting Shockburst Rounds up to be the highest damage skill but you can also make your Galvanic Shards do more damge by swaping these 2 gems around (Rakiata's Flow and Garukhan's Resolve for Elemental Armament II and Lightning Penetration)

📈Leveling

ICheck out my leveling guide for Merc Xbow!

Strengths and Weaknesses

Explosions
Good Clear/Boss DPS
Almost immortal to hit damage
No annoying combos (shocks for Shockburst Rounds are automated)

DOTS are the main thing that will kill you
hard to fit rarity

Build Variants

League Start

High

Giga

Live PoB

Old Pobs

💎League Start Variant with very cheap gear💎

Main PoB: https://pobb.in/_ssY3UfxlkUg

This ver uses Explosive Shot and Stormblast Bolts as they are a lot better on a budget. it can clear t16 on a full atlas (Max bosses too).

Bossing Rotation

use Stormblast Bolts
dodge roll to proc Mirage Archer's Explosive Shot
use more Stormblast Bolts

Tips

Make sure you setup you xbow to be used in both weapon sets! (Right click the roman numeral near your weapon to use it with BOTH weapon sets!)

Equipment

League Start

High

Giga

Live PoB

Old Pobs

Set 1

Set 2

Equipment Priority

Gear/Jewels info

Jewels should focus on getting lightning pen to 30 or so since we are not running any curse or exposure. after that evasion and % damage
try to buy/make a 500-600 DPS xbow with +5 proj/attack skill.

Attributes

if you are short on attributes early on then drop Freezing Mark.

Spirit Requirements

Spirit Sources: 100 Campaign and another 90 from your amulet and body armour.

Setup 1: 190 Spirit Total

Mirage Archer (60) - Weapon set 1
Eternal Rage (100)
Herald of Ash (30) - Weapon set 2
Herald of Thunder (30) - Weapon set 2
Wind Dancer (30)

Setup 2: 100 Spirit Total

Mirage Archer (60) - Weapon set 1
Herald of Ash (30) - Weapon set 2
Herald of Thunder (30) - Weapon set 2
Wind Dancer (30) + Precision I (10)

Skill Gems

League Start

High

Giga

Live PoB

Old Pobs

Support Gem Requirements:

Str 45

Dex 40

Int 40

Expand all

Explosive Shot

Level 14

•

Set 2

Mirage Archer

Level 14

•

Set 1

Stormblast Bolts

Level 14

•

Set 1

Sorcery Ward

Level 17

Wind Dancer

Level 14

Herald of Ash

Level 14

•

Set 2

Herald of Thunder

Level 14

•

Set 2

Eternal Rage

Level 14

Emergency Reload

Level 14

Freezing Mark

Level 14

Gem Priority

+26

add lots of random Red gems in both your xbow Crossbow Shot for ignite immunity from Crystallised Immunities.

Passive Tree

League Start

High

Giga

Live PoB

Old Pobs

main:

123

set 1:

set 2:

How it Plays

Mapping
Spam Galvanic Shards

Bossing
if you are NOT using the Cast on Critical setup for Thunderstorm then cast it on top of the boss. first
use Shockburst Rounds with Emergency Reload to burst em down.

How it Works

Galvanic Shards has good clear with lots of coverage coming from chains and forks. We also have explode for more clear!

Shockburst Rounds has insane single target but requires the target to be shocked. We apply consistent shocks with Thunderstorm and the Shock Conduction II support.