Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Rapid Assault, Avatar of the Chase, Way of the Poacher, and Avatar of the Slaughter. You should take the Leech Mastery to give 1% attack damage leeched as life and 1% attack damage leeched as mana which works with elemental damage. The Interrogation jewel is very important for this build because it gives Secrets of Suffering which makes Elemental Hit cause Sapped, Brittle, and Scorch instead of Ignite, Freeze, Chill, and Shock. Elemental Hit gains 15% more damage per elemental ailment on the enemy so when the Interrogation jewel is combined with Summon Skitterbots which Shocks and Chills enemies you can have a total of five elemental ailments on enemies for 75% more damage. The Reservation Mastery and Mana Mastery are also needed for increased mana reservation efficiency so that you can use the recommended reservation skills. This is a life build so make sure and take plenty of the nearby life percent nodes on the tree for survival.

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Defensive Layers

The Rapid Onslaught ascendancy gives permanent Onslaught which increases your attack speed and movement speed and the Avatar of the Chase ascendancy gives 100% increased effect of Onslaught and a 10% more chance to evade attacks. With the Avatar of the Slaughter ascendancy you will gain high evasion, attack damage, attack speed, and movement speed per Frenzy charge. Elemental Hit also causes Sapped, Brittle, and Scorched with the Interrogation jewel and Summon Skitterbots causes Shock and Chill which can significantly improve your survivability.

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Gems

 

Weapon (6-link)

Elemental Hit

Awakened Elemental Damage With Attacks Support

Increased Critical Strikes Support

Inspiration Support

Empower Support

Trinity Support (use Lesser Multiple Projectile Support here if you have less than five arrows)

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Armour (6-link)

Elemental Hit

Awakened Elemental Damage With Attacks Support

Increased Critical Strikes Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

Barrage Support

Trinity Support

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Helmet (4-link)

Split Arrow (keep at level one for a lower mana cost)

Manaforged Arrows Support

Culling Strike Support

Summon Ice Golem (use Flame Dash here instead if you don't have an excellent ring with a socket)

Note: Split Arrow has a low mana cost and is used to apply -18% exposure to all elements with an Archdemon Crown.

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Gloves (4-link)

Grace

Haste

Summon Skitterbots

Enlighten Support

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Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Enduring Cry

Empower Support

Call To Arms

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Unset Ring (1-link)

Flame Dash

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Haste is the best offensive aura for this build and gives increased attack speed and movement speed. Summon Skitterbots applies Shock and Chill which gives a total the of five elemental ailments with Secrets of Suffering for 75% more damage. Aspect of the Cat is free with the Farrul's Fur body armour and gives 100% increased critical strike chance and a chance to avoid damage temporarily and 10% increased attack speed temporarily alternating back and forth. Haste can be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Reservation Mastery and Mana Mastery and a level 4 Enlighten Support to lower the mana reservation cost of your skills.

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Gem Notes​​​

1. Steelskin is the recommended guard skill for this build because Immortal Call requires you to use potions more often and Molten Shell requires very high armor to be effective.

2. Elemental Hit with Barrage Support should be used for single target fights and has much higher single target damage.

3. Split Arrow has a large number of projectiles, kills enemies at 10% life with Culling Strike Support, and gives enemies -18% exposure to all three elements with the recommended Archdemon Crown and the Elemental Mastery taken.

4. Enduring Cry is used to provide over a 2200 life heal over one second, generates Endurance charges, gives an extra 2% increased physical damage reduction per charge, and gives 2% increased elemental resistances per charge. You should also link the new Call to Arms gem to Enduring Cry to instantly cast your Enduring Cry on cooldown.

5. If you think you would prefer a physical bow build that has greater damage potential with an expensive physical damage bow you can also check out the Vaal Ice Shot Deadeye Guide which can be found here Vaal Ice Shot Deadeye Guide.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Thicket Bow

Look for +1 to level of socketed gems, +2 to level of socketed bow gems, increased elemental damage with attack skills, increased critical strike chance, bow attacks fire an additional arrow, and increased attack speed. In standard you can optionally look for a bow with a strong Crucible tree which gives bonuses that can increase the damage of the bow. You should also roll 1% increased critical strike chance per 4% quality on the bow at the Horticrafting Station which can be added to your hideout.

 

How Do You Craft A Great Starter Elemental Hit Bow?

To make a strong starter bow for your Elemental Hit Raider you should purchase a tier one increased elemental damage with attack skills fracture (a permanent modifier that appears golden) on a Thicket Bow with an ilvl of 85 or above. Use Shrieking Essences of Dread for +2 to level of socketed bow gems until you get the Bow Attacks Fire An Additional Arrow modifier, an open suffix, and an open prefix. You can use Orbs of Annulment to remove unwanted modifiers and/or the Bestiary to switch a suffix to a prefix or a prefix to a suffix. Use the crafting bench to add the cannot roll attack modifiers suffix and use an Exalted Orb on the bow to guarantee +1 to level of socketed gems. Now use the bench to remove the cannot roll attack modifiers and craft increased critical strike chance and you will have a strong starter Elemental Hit bow.

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Quiver

Rare Quiver

Look for high life, bow attacks fire an additional arrow, increased elemental damage, increased damage with bow skills, increased critical strike chance, increased critical strike multiplier, and increased attack speed.

 

Armour

Farrul's Fur

This offensive armour option has up to 100 life, Phasing, Frenzy and Power charge generation, and free Aspect of the Cat.

Kaom's Heart

The budget option gives 500 to maximum life which greatly improves your survivability and as an added bonus it gives 40% increased fire damage. You can also eventually go for an increased damage corruption once you have enough currency.

 

Helmet

Rare Archdemon Crown

Gives enemies -10% exposure to all elements which is increased to -18% exposure to all elements with the Elemental Mastery on the tree when they are hit by the socketed skill. Look for high life, high resistances, and add the combined +1 to level of socketed projectile gems and projectiles pierce an additional target modifiers at the crafting bench.

Devoto's Devotion

Gives up to 16% increased attack speed, 10% reduced physical damage, 65 dexterity, 20% increased movement speed, 25% chaos resistance, and high defensive stats. You should also look for a +2 to level of socketed AoE or aura gems corruption.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, strength, resistances, increased elemental damage with attack skills, and an abyssal socket. You should also use 20 Turbulent Catalysts on the belt to increase its elemental damage bonus.

Abyss Jewel

Look for an abyss jewel with high life, increased critical strike chance, and increased accuracy rating.

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Gloves

Elemental Weakness Gloves

Look for the best gloves with the Elemental Weakness on hit corruption you can find. Malachai's Mark gloves are a great option for high life and Power, Frenzy, and Endurance charges on hit or you can use The Embalmers for high life and chaos resistance.

 

Boots

Rare Two-Toned Boots

Look for life, resistances, Onslaught on kill, Tailwind, Elusive, and movement speed.

 

Amulet

Rare Plus Skills Amulet

Look for +1 to fire, cold, or lightning skill gems, high attributes, life, increased elemental damage with attack skills, and optionally attack speed.

Carnage Heart

The budget option gives up to 56 to all attributes, 20% to all elemental resistances, 2% life leech, 50% increased recovery from life leech, and 40% increased damage when leeching. You can also use 20 Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attribute bonus or 20 Prismatic Catalysts to improve its resistances.

 

Rings

Rare Elemental Damage Rings

Look for rings with modifiers like high life, resistances, increased elemental damage with attack skills, increased critical strike chance, and Aspect of the Cat. You can also use Turbulent Catalysts on your rings to improve their elemental damage bonuses.

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Gives 40% increased damage, consecrated ground, 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground, and 10% increased damage to enemies on consecrated ground. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you hit a rare or unique enemy.

Diamond Flask

Gives 100% increased critical strike chance and can have up to a 35% chance to gain a flask charge on critical strike and 17% increased attack speed. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

Jade Flask

Gives 1500 evasion. Try and roll Bleeding and Corrupted Blood immunity during effect and use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you are Bleeding.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Divine Judgement for 50% increased elemental damage at Cassia using a Sepia Oil, Teal Oil, and Black Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: 40% Increased Elemental Hit Damage

Gloves: Commandment of Blades

Feet: 16% Increased Attack And Cast Speed If You've Killed Recently

Belt: 30% Increased Accuracy While You Have Onslaught

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Bandits

You should help Alira in Act 2 for critical strike builds because she gives 15% increased elemental resistances, 20% increased critical strike multiplier, and 5 mana regeneration per second which are all very beneficial.

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Pantheon

Soul of Solaris is the best major Pantheon power and gives 6% reduced physical damage taken when only one enemy is present, a 20% chance to take 50% less area damage, 8% reduced elemental damage taken if you haven't been hit recently, take no extra damage from critical strikes if you've been hit with a critical strike recently, and a 50% chance to avoid elemental ailments from critical strikes. Soul of Ryslatha is the best minor power and gives 60% increased life recovery from flasks at low life, life flask charges every 3 seconds if you haven't used a life flask recently, and enemies you hit have 50% reduced life regeneration.

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Leveling Gear

 

Weapon

Silverbranch

Silverbranch is a great level one bow with +1 to socketed bow gems, increased attack speed, accuracy, and mana on kill.

Roth's Reach

This bow requires level 18 and gives up to 80% increased elemental damage with attack skills and skills chain +2 times.

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Quiver

Hyrri's Bite

Gives strength, dexterity, intelligence, attack speed, area of effect, adds cold damage to attacks, and requires level twelve.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a great level one chest armour that has 6 white linked sockets. Any color gems can be linked together inside of it which allows you to deal much higher damage at an early level. You can also get a Tabula Rasa with a high increased damage corruption which also requires level one for fairly cheap from the trade site.

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Helmet

Goldrim

A great level one evasion helmet with up to 40% to all elemental resistances that has 10% increased rarity of items found.

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These level one gloves give 15% increased attack speed, 15% increased cast speed, and a 15% chance to generate a Frenzy, Endurance, or Power charge on kill.

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Boots

Wondertrap

Wondertrap boots can be used at level nine and give a high amount of strength, dexterity, intelligence, and movement speed.

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Amulet

Kurai Ward

A level five amulet that gives up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 100 accuracy, and 30% increased projectile damage.

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Rings

Perandus Signets

You can use two level one Perandus Signets that each give up to 65% mana regeneration, 65 mana, 2% increased intelligence for each unique item equipped, and 2% more experience gained.

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Flasks

Quicksilver Flask

This flask can be used at level four and gives 40% increased movement speed which helps speed up the leveling process. This flask can also have increased attack speed or movement speed as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Silver Flask

This flask gives Onslaught which gives increased attack speed, cast speed, and movement speed as early as level 27 and can have increased attack speed or movement speed as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Bottled Faith (use a Sulphur Flask for 40% increased damage if you can't afford Bottled Faith)

This endgame flask requires level 27 and gives 40% increased damage, creates consecrated ground, increases enemies damage taken by 10% on consecrated ground, and gives 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground.

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Leveling Gems

Galvanic Arrow is the best elemental bow skill to use at level one because it has multiple projectiles without a support gem. You can switch to Ice Shot with Volley Support once you are level four and switch to Elemental Hit and Lesser Multiple Projectile Support once you are level 12. Also make sure to pick up a Steelskin gem once you've reached level four and have 16 strength for a defensive guard skill. Dash requires level four and should be used as your travel skill at early levels.

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Upgrades

You can upgrade to the Death's Opus bow at level 44 and drop Lesser Multiple Projectile Support because this bow fires two additional arrows. Carnage Heart is the budget amulet for this build and can be equipped as early as level 20 for up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. You can also greatly benefit from upgrading to two Praxis rings at level 22 to reduce the mana costs of all skills by up to 16 which allows you to use utility flasks in the place of mana flasks. Many of the items in the leveling section above last all the way until the midgame where better items will become available.

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And that's all for the Elemental Hit Guide! For more about Path of Exile you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

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