In the chaos of Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt, there are two types of players: the min-maxing, build-optimizing spreadsheet warriors, and the chill gamers looking for explosive fun without needing a PhD in damage over time. To satisfy both ends of the spectrum, this guide dives into the two most broken builds of the patch for those seeking pure power, followed by a selection of unique, powerful POE 2 Currency Orbs, and outrageously fun builds-perfect for casual players who just want to explode screens and relax.
Whether you're racing through maps or one-tapping pinnacle bosses, there's something here for everyone. And yes, there are Lightning Spear builds-but there's also so much more.
The Two Strongest Builds in the Patch
1. Deadeye Lightning Spear Frenzy Stacker
If single-target damage is your drug of choice, meet your new addiction. This Deadeye build can dish out over 100 million damage in a single combo, making it one of the most lethal bossing setups in the game. But it's not just about the big numbers-this build offers insane map-clearing potential, thanks to its synergy with frenzy charges.
The secret sauce? Wind Serpent. More frenzy charges = more Lightning Spear hits. And with the Ranger's ascendancy offering Aidity and Thrilling Chase, stacking charges is easy and effective. These nodes allow you to reach up to seven frenzy charges that count double for Wind Serpent interactions.
Mapping is smooth, with Lightning Spear chaining through enemies like a thunderstorm. Plus, it doesn't rely on Vault support for AoE-you're always juiced up thanks to your constant frenzy charge uptime.
Build Cost: Mid to high. It's accessible on a budget, but if you're chasing that 100M+ DPS ceiling, be ready to open the wallet. Just beware of "blue-haired demons"-keep it clean, avoid RMT, and earn it the right way.
2. Bleed Blood Mage Lightning Spear
Yes, another Lightning Spear build-but this one flips the formula. The Blood Mage Bleed build isn't about clearing maps at light speed; it's about turning bosses into mist. We're talking one-shotting T4 bosses in full 6-man groups.
The twist lies in the ascendancy nodes Blood Barbs and Gore Spike. These convert elemental damage into bleed and scale it with max life, turning your Lightning Spear into a bleed-dealing monster. Pair this with Crown of Eyes to let spell elemental damage contribute to your attack damage, and you've got a hybrid damage stacker from hell.
Bossing is simple: cast Lightning Spear, apply bleed, buff yourself with clever gear interactions, and then detonate with Blood Hunt to watch enemies vanish.
Build Cost: Mid to high, mostly for the gear enabling massive bleed and elemental conversion.
The Fun and Strong Builds That Aren't Lightning Spear
3. Shockwave Totem Titan (by JMAC)
This build is pure joy. With screen-wide explosions, it clears like a truck-sized nuker on wheels. Shockwave Totem now deals double the damage it used to, thanks to recent buffs, and the PC-melting visuals make every map run feel satisfying.
For bossing, you switch over to Ancestral Warrior Totems using Rolling Slam. These provide solid single-target burst by breaking armor and building rage with Mace Strike.
Playstyle: Press Shockwave Totem, everything explodes. Simple, smooth, and even effective while leveling.
4. Flicker Strike Chihuahua Acolyte
Possibly the most fun build on this list, the Chihuahua Acolyte Flicker build is a zoomer's dream. With near-constant teleporting, it mows down maps faster than your brain can register the enemies.
To make Flicker work, it leverages Profane Ritual via Cast on Freeze. Combine it with Herald of Thunder to guarantee cold damage and frequent freezes. As long as you're killing, you're teleporting.
The Chihuahua ascendancy offers tons of leech, keeping both mana and energy shield full. One mana leech roll on a ring is all it takes to activate the core leech nodes, making this build surprisingly affordable.
Weakness: Doesn't shine in long fights where enemies don't die (like Simulacrum). Otherwise, it's a blast.
5. Dark Effigy Essence Drain Lich
The Dark Effigy Lich is a chaos explosion simulator. It's simple, satisfying, and arguably the most relaxed build to play this league.
Dark Effigy fires one projectile for each chaos DoT debuff on an enemy-think Essence Drain, Contagion, Poison, and others. These debuffs spread rapidly, making your effigy launch a barrage of doom that clears the entire screen.
Playstyle: Hit Contagion → Essence Drain → press Effigy → pick nose → profit.
Bossing requires a few extra buttons, but the formula stays the same. It's not the fastest at boss kills, but it excels at effortless mapping.6. Whirling Slash Dex-Stack Ritual Build
Spin to win is back. This Whirling Slash build is a speed-focused Dexterity stacker, built to dash across maps while slicing enemies apart.
Use multiple copies of Whirling Slash-one to buff yourself and another for raw damage. Stack Dexterity, Accuracy, and Attack Speed to go full anime-mode. Bonus: use Hand of Wisdom and Action for stat-scaling madness.
Build Cost: Can get expensive due to stat-stacking gear, but budget versions exist. Great farming tool once it's going.
7. Galvanic Shards & Shock Burst Crossbow (Amazon Ascendancy)
This build pairs Galvanic Shards for map clearing with Shock Burst Rounds for bossing. The Amazon ascendancy buffs both to ridiculous levels, giving this crossbow setup some of the best hybrid performance this patch.
Galvanic Shards + Herald of Thunder = auto-clearing with lightning storms. When it's boss time, Shock Burst melts faces with targeted destruction.
Build Perks: Extremely accessible. No expensive gear needed to start, and it scales beautifully into late game.
8. Spark Cast on Crit Sorcerer
Despite Sorcerer getting nerfed into the ground, this Cast on Crit Spark build keeps the dream alive. It's got Spark for screen clear, Orb of Storms for lightning exposure, and Arc as the heavy-hitter, all procced through critical strikes.
While bossing might take a bit more effort due to nerfs, if you follow the guide, it's still a viable way to enjoy one of PoE's most iconic playstyles.
9. Lightning Arrow Deadeye
Yes, it's still viable. The classic Lightning Arrow Deadeye took a hit this patch, but it remains one of the fastest clearers in the game.
Now, it utilizes Lightning Rod for bossing-Lightning Arrow chains into Rods, which explode for heavy damage. While previous versions allowed for mindless zapping, the new setup requires more interaction, but it's just as deadly.
Playstyle: Lightning Arrow → Lightning Rod → repeat until screen's empty.
Final Thoughts
Whether you're a hardcore damage chaser or a dad gamer looking for something fun after work, Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt has something for you. The patch brought diversity, fresh interactions buy POE 2 Currency, and surprisingly accessible builds across the board.
Try the Frenzy Stacker if you want leaderboard-worthy DPS, or the Shockwave Totem Titan if you want to turn your screen into fireworks. And if you just want to spin fast and look cool-there's a Whirling Slash for that.