Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago

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Path of Exile 2 Ranger Pathfinder Leveling Build Guide

*Skill and Support Gems*
Poisonburst Arrow - Concentrated Effect - Comorbidity (remove after you get Gas Arrow)
Contagion - Unleash (remove after you get Gas Arrow)
Vine Arrow
Barrage - Premeditation
Gas Arrow - Concentrated Effect - Comorbidity - Magnified Effect
Rain of Arrow - Withering Touch - Martial Tempo (Cultist Bow required)

I put Rain of Arrows on the second weapon set where I also have the Cultist Bow (it has base flat chaos damage). Withering Touch will only apply Wither Stacks with Chaos Damage and we would only get Chaos Infusion with a Tier 3 Uncut Support Gem therefore a Cultist Bow is required. Rain of Arrow hits many times per attack which is why it's chosen for applying Wither.

Keep a Level 7 Skill Gem in case you get enough Intelligence for the Despair Curse. 52 Intelligence is required for that Curse and it will improve your damage by quite a bit.
Despair - Heightened Curse

I used Scattershot for a couple levels with Gas Arrow before I had a Dualstring Bow. That wasn't necessary. Use the above mentioned setup.

*Spirit Gems*
Withering Presence (level 4) - Persistence
Wind Dancer

For Withering Presence Level 4 you will need 25 Intelligence. Some Intelligence on gear and a little bit on the Passive Tree is required. It's not absolutely necessary to have this. If you don't want to use Withering Presence you can go for Wind Dancer instead.

*Gear Progression*
New bow bases are available at Level 5, 11, 16, 22, 28, "33" and 39 at the vendor. Make sure you upgrade at every tier if your current weapon doesn't have great stats.
33 Cultist Base is needed on the weapon swap. You are looking for %inc. Physical Damage and flat Physical Damage, additional Levels to Projectile Skills on your bow. If you roll a decent bow I would use Blacksmith Whetstones, Artificer's Orbs and Iron Runes on it. A good bow helps a lot and I only had a decent one at 39. The DPS difference was very noticeable. Only Physical Damage and Chaos Damage will contribute to poison damage (normally).
You can roll Physical Damage on your Quiver, Bow, Rings and Gloves. Additional Levels to Projectile Skills on Quiver and Bow is helpful too. Quiver can also roll "increased Damage with Bow Skills" which will help.

*Passive Tree
imgur.com/a/IkoUwyV
Path towards "Stacking Toxins" and then "Leeching Toxins".

*Resistances*
For Act 1 you want Cold Resistance. In Act 2 you want Lightning Resistance for the final Act 2 Boss. If you do the "Elemental Offering" (Act 2, Buried Shrines) you can choose a Topaz/Ruby/Sapphire Ring. Vendors can also sell Resistance Rings. If you do not have enough Resistance Rings I would consider gambling for one at the Vendor (Risu at Act 2, Alva at Act 3) if you have sufficient Gold. The Act 3 Boss will cause all 3 Elemental Damage types, but I would prioritise getting high Lightning Resistance. You can socket Glacial/Desert/Storm to get 12% Cold/Fire/Lightning Resistance.

Streaming some of the runs on.
twitch.tv/tuadh

0:00 - Intro
01:18:11 - Act 1 Boss (again)
02:12:08 - Adding Gas Arrow
02:54:43 - Act 2 Boss
03:11:16 - Ascendancy Boss
03:53:02 - Adding RoA + Cultist Bow (Wither Setup)
04:49:17 - Act 3 Boss