Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Gathering Winds, Ricochet, Endless Munitions, and Wind Ward. The Leech Mastery with the Clever Thief node should be taken for 1% attack damage leeched as life and 1% attack damage leeched as mana which also works for elemental damage. A Watcher's Eye jewel is also recommended for up to 6% increased life, 6% increased energy shield, 6% increased mana, 100% increased critical strike chance while affected by Wrath, and optionally 40% physical damage converted to lightning damage while affected by Wrath. The That Which Was Taken jewel is legacy now but it can still be used in standard for up to 50% increased critical strike chance against shocked enemies, 25% increased critical strike multiplier against burning enemies, and if you can afford it an extra projectile. The Reservation Mastery and Mana Mastery should also be taken for increased mana reservation efficiency so that you can use the recommended reservation skills. This is a life build so make sure and take as many of the nearby life nodes as you can for survival.

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Defensive Layers

The Gathering Winds ascendancy gives Tailwind which increases your action speed and gives the Gale Force buff which improves Tailwind. With the Wind Ward ascendancy you will also take 3% less damage per Gale Force but you will lose all Gale Force once you are hit. The recommended Hyrri's Ire body armour gives 30% spell suppression and has very high evasion which can be helpful defensively. Kaom's Heart can also be used early on as a defensive body armour option with an increased damage corruption, 40% increased fire damage, and 500 to maximum life which also improves your survivability. 

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Gems

 

Weapon (6-link)

Tornado Shot

Awakened Greater Multiple Projectile Support

Awakened Elemental Damage With Attack Skills

Increased Critical Strikes Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

Trinity Support

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Armour (6-link)

Frenzy

Manaforged Arrows Support

Power Charge On Critical Support

Increased Critical Strikes Support

Culling Strike Support

Blind Support

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Helmet (4-link)

Sniper's Mark

Tornado (keep at level one for mana cost)

Frost Bomb (keep at level one for mana cost)

Arcane Surge Support (keep at level 7 to trigger with a single Sniper's Mark)

 

Gloves (4-link)

Grace

Wrath

Clarity

Enlighten Support

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Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Summon Ice Golem

Empower Support

Flame Dash

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Wrath is the best offensive aura for this build and gives high added lightning damage to attacks. Clarity is also used for mana regeneration for the very high mana cost of the build. Wrath should be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Reservation Mastery, the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery, enough intelligence to use Wrath, 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. The Asenath's Chant helmet triggers socketed spells when you use a bow skill. It can trigger Tornado which reflects bow damage to nearby enemies, Frost Bomb which lowers the cold resistance of enemies and lowers the life regeneration of enemies by 75%, and Sniper's Mark which increases your projectile damage and makes projectiles split to nearby enemies.

3. Frenzy is linked to Manaforged Arrows Support to make it cast automatically and is used to generate Frenzy charges, Power charges with Power Charge On Critical Support, Blinds enemies with Blind Support, regenerates 2% of your life on Culling Strike, and kills enemies at 10% life remaining with Culling Strike Support.

4. Summon Ice Golem gives increased critical strike chance and accuracy and provides an extra target for enemies to attack.

5. If you would prefer a Ranger bow build that makes use of a very strong physical damage bow you can also view the Lightning Arrow Deadeye Guide which can be found here Lightning Arrow Deadeye Guide.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Tri-Elemental Bow

Look for added lightning damage, added fire damage, added cold damage, bow attacks fire 1 or 2 additional arrows, increased critical strike chance, and increased attack speed. In standard you can also optionally look for a bow with a strong Crucible tree which can significantly increase the damage of a bow.

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Quiver

Rare Quiver

Look for modifiers like bow attacks fire an additional arrow (important), increased critical strike chance, increased critical strike multiplier, increased damage with bow skills, added elemental damage, and increased attack speed.

 

Armour

​Hyrri's Ire (legacy is better)

Gives up to 50 dexterity, 30% spell suppression, 25% increased Chill duration on enemies, and 145-200 added cold damage with bow attacks. Legacy Hyrri's Ire is better if you are playing in standard and has much higher added cold damage.

Kaom's Heart

The budget defensive option gives 500 to maximum life which greatly improves your survivability and 40% increased fire damage. You can also look for a Kaom's Heart with a high increased damage corruption once you have enough currency.

 

Helmet

Asenath's Chant

The recommended helmet casts socketed spells sequentially on hit with a 0.3 second cooldown and has up to 15% increased attack speed. You can also eventually look for a +1 to Maximum Power Charges corruption for a little more currency.

Devoto's Devotion

The budget option gives up to 16% increased attack speed, 10% reduced physical damage, 65 dexterity, 20% increased movement speed, and 25% chaos resistance. You can also look for a +2 to level of socketed AoE or aura gems corruption. If you use Devoto's Devotion you should instead link Steelskin, Enduring Cry, Empower Support, and Call To Arms in your boots, support Summon Ice Golem with Minion Life Support in your gloves, and move your reservation skills to your helmet.

 

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 high life, increased critical strike chance, added lightning damage with bows, and added cold damage with bows.

 

Gloves

Elemental Weakness Gloves

Look for the best Elemental Weakness gloves 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 as a budget option for high life and chaos resistance.

 

Boots

Rare Boots

Look for life, strength, resistances, Onslaught on kill, and movement speed. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll increased action speed and a chance to avoid elemental ailments.

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for high life, increased attributes, increased critical strike chance, increased critical strike multiplier, added elemental damage, and resistances. You should also use 20 Unstable Catalysts on the amulet to increase its critical strike modifiers.

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 while leeching. You can also use 20 Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attribute bonus.

 

Rings

Rare Elemental Damage Rings

Look for rings with life, resistances, increased elemental damage with attack skills, added fire/lightning/cold damage, and increased critical strike chance. You should use Turbulent Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their elemental damage.

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Tattoo (Standard Only)

Tattoo of the Ramako

This tattoo can replace the small dexterity node next to the Perfect Agony node to make skills fire an additional projectile.

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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 use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you hit a rare or unique enemy.

Dying Sun (legacy is better)

Gives two extra arrows, 20% increased area of effect, 50% fire resistance, and 20% reduced fire damage taken. The legacy version is better. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Diamond Flask

Gives 100% increased critical strike chance. You should 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

If you are using the recommended Asenath's Chant helmet you should anoint your amulet with Whispers of Doom which gives an additional curse at Cassia using three Golden Oils. If you plan on using Devoto's Devotion helmet you should instead anoint your amulet with Avatar of the Hunt for 30% increased damage with bows, 200 evasion, and 6% movement speed at Cassia using a Clear Oil, Opalescent Oil, and Opalescent Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Tornado Shot Fires An Additional Secondary Projectile

Gloves: Commandment of Blades

Feet: 16% Increased Attack Speed if You've Killed Recently

Belt: 30% Increased Accuracy While You Have Onslaught

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Bandits

The best bandit to help in Act 2 for critical strike builds is Alira 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 level one bow with +1 to level of socketed bow gems, increased attack speed, accuracy, and mana on kill.

Roth's Reach

Requires level 18 and gives high physical damage, 80% increased elemental damage with attacks, and skills chain +2 times.

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Quiver

Craghead

This level four quiver gives up to 7-14 added physical damage and 25% reduced projectile speed.

Hyrri's Bite

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

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a great offensive level one chest armour with six white linked sockets. White linked sockets means that you can link any color gems which allows you to deal much higher damage at an earlier level. You can also look for 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

An excellent level one resistance helmet with up to 40% to all elemental resistances and 10% increased rarity of items found.

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

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

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Boots

Wondertrap

Wondertrap boots require level nine and give up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

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Amulet

The Kurai Ward

This level five amulet 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 Perandus Signets at level one that each give up to 65% mana regeneration, 65 mana, 2% increased intelligence for each unique item equipped, and 2% increased experience.

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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, consecrated ground, increases enemies damage taken by 10% on consecrated ground, and gives 150% increased critical strike chance against 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.

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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 for multiple projectiles at level four and Lightning Arrow and Lesser Multiple Projectile Support at level 12. Tornado Shot which is your endgame skill can be switched to once you reach level 28. Make sure and pick up a Steelskin gem once you've reached level four and have 16 strength for a defensive guard skill. Dash also requires level four and should be used as your travel skill at early levels. 

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Upgrades

Death's Harp is a great upgrade to Roth's Reach at level 32 that fires an additional arrow. You can later upgrade your bow to Death's Opus at level 44 for a bow with high critical strike modifiers and 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 upgrade 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 Tornado Shot Guide! For more about Path of Exile you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

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