Path of Exile 2 introduces many exciting mechanics and ascendancies, and the Amazon Huntress is no exception. With its focus on critical hits, elemental damage, and exploiting enemy weaknesses, this ascendancy offers a fast-paced playstyle that excels at clearing maps and dominating boss fights. If you're looking for a build that combines speed, power, and electrifying gameplay, MrRonit's Lightning Amazon Huntress is the perfect choice.
Why Choose the Lightning Amazon Huntress?
The Lightning Amazon Huntress is built around chaining lightning attacks, critical strikes, and generating frenzy charges for explosive damage bursts. By dropping the parry mechanic and utilizing the Dance with Death keystone, this build emphasizes fluidity and speed, allowing you to clear maps efficiently while maintaining high single-target DPS for boss encounters.
Unlocking Key Mechanics
Around level 26, you should unlock the Dance with Death keystone. This keystone allows you to forgo your buckler, which is strongly recommended, as the parry mechanic slows down gameplay. This node, combined with skill speed clusters, enables you to throw lightning spears much faster, enhancing the overall fluidity of the build.
Generating Frenzy Charges
To generate frenzy charges after removing the parry, you can use Sniper's Mark, which you can craft in Act 2. Using this skill generates a frenzy charge (or sometimes two with the right support gem setup) when you crit an enemy.
Another way to generate frenzy charges is through the Storm Lance ability, your primary single-target DPS skill, used alongside Explosive Spear for boss fights. By placing the Electrocute as your third support gem of Storm Lance, you can electrocute enemies instead of shocking them, activating the Combat Frenzy buff and granting you a frenzy charge. This setup becomes available later in Act 3.
Game-Changing Support Gems
A significant upgrade occurs in Act 3 when you unlock your first tier-2 support gem. You'll want to use Volt and replace one of your initial support gems on Lightning Spear—ideally Innervate—to maximize attack speed. Volt is incredibly powerful for Lightning Spear; moving just one meter charges three Voltaic Charges (up to a maximum of 30 stacks). Every 10 stacks grants our Lightning Spear an extra chain and boosts its damage. If you pair this with Barrage before launching a lightning spear, you'll fire off three lighting spears that can chain multiple times, clearing entire screens with just one cast—even without frenzy charges!
Skill Gems
Lightning Spear
• Martial Tempo (support): Increases attack speed, crucial for smooth gameplay.
• Volt (support): Excellent for map clearing.
• Innervate (support): Use this in the third slot for additional damage.
Storm Lance
With this build, you will want to primarily spam Storm Lance for single-target damage, so AoE isn't a concern.
• Concentrated Effect (support): Focuses on single-target DPS.
• Lightning Infusion (support): Boosts damage.
• Electrocute (support): Triggers Combat Frenzy.
Explosive Spear
Explosive Spear acts as the detonator for Storm Lance. You can launch a few Storm Lances and then use Explosive Spear to detonate them, delivering significant single-target burst damage.
• Overabundance (support): Allows for two explosive spears at once.
• Fire Infusion (support): Adds fire damage.
Infuse Weapon
• Magnified Effect (support): Enlarges the explosion.
• Embitter (support): Converts lightning damage to cold, allowing freezing of enemies.
Barrage
Barrage allows you to throw three Lightning Spears or Storm Lances simultaneously.
• Second Wind (support): Grants two charges of Barrage, which are great for clearing monsters when combined with Volt Lighting Spear. The extra cooldown is manageable, as you'll make up for it while moving through maps.
• Premeditation (support): Adds skill damage.
Sniper's Mark
Sniper's Mark grants a frenzy charge upon critically hitting a target.
• Persistence (support): Extends the buff duration.
• Profusion (support): Increases chances of gaining two frenzy charges.
Herald of Thunder
Herald of Thunder enhances lightning chaining.
Combat Frenzy
Further generates frenzy charges with Electrocution.
Wind Dancer
• Blind (support)
• Pin (support)
Passive Skill Tree
Ascendancy Nodes
Elemental Infusion: Grants two lightning infusion charges upon consuming a frenzy charge, so your next two attacks will do a big blast.
Critical Strike: Boosts critical strike chance and accuracy. This increases your critical strike chance based on a portion of your accuracy, which is over 100%. Even at lower levels, where you might not stack much accuracy, this provides a significant advantage. Therefore, you need to grab more accuracy nodes in the passive tree.
Passive Tree Path
1. Start with Attack Damage nodes.
2. Move underneath to acquire Accuracy nodes.
3. Ascend to gather Elemental nodes. Harness the Elements is particularly beneficial, as you apply shock, ignite, and freeze, granting a 45% damage bonus.
4. Ensure to pick up the Lightning Penetration nodes.
5. Head down to gain more movement speed and get elemental damage through Catalysis.
6. Get Maiming Strike, which increases attack damage and applies a debuff that slows enemies.
7. Around levels 26-27, you should aim to acquire the crucial Dance with Death node, allowing you to forgo your buckler and the parry mechanic.
8. Ensure to pick up the skill speed nodes located to the left of the Dance with Death node for increased skill speed.
9. Falcon Dive will enhance your benefits from stacking accuracy.
10. Move down to collect all the spear-oriented nodes that boost critical hit chance and damage for spears.
11. Go up to acquire all the critical nodes and then proceed to Enhanced Reflexes and Beastial Skin for additional defense.
12. Aim for Falcon Technique to further increase damage output.
Gear Recommendations
When it comes to gearing up while leveling, the two most crucial items are your boots and weapon.
• Boots: Aim for the highest movement speed possible in PoE 2, along with some resistance and life.
• Spear: Look for flat physical damage, increased physical damage percentage, and additional flat damage types such as fire, cold, or lightning. It's also beneficial to have elemental damage with attacks and critical hit chances. While it would be ideal to have all of these stats, focus on the first few ones, which are the most important for leveling.
For your other gear pieces aimed at offense:
• Rings: Seek rings with good flat damage to physical or lightning.
• Gloves: Choose gloves that provide physical damage.
• Helmet and Chest Pieces: Ideally, these should offer evasion, life, and resistance.
Conclusion
This Lightning Amazon Huntress build combines speed, precision, and electrifying damage output. With proper skill gem setups, passive tree progression, and gear optimization, you'll be chaining lightning across Wraeclast in no time!
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