In thisPath of Exile 2article, we will be taking a look at how to put togetherthe Ancestral Artillerist buildfor you to use to get into the late-game or endgame of the game.Path of Exilehas become notorious for the sheer number of skills and build possibilities available in the game, and the sequel follows suit with an extensive skill tree and a multitude of skill gems. This guide is here to help you get through all that and lay out a path for you to follow as you reach the end of the campaign and prepare for your Cruel playthroughs or endgame.
Introduction
The Ancestral Artilleristis a ranged-focused build that will take advantage of the skills of theCrossbowweapon in combination with some of the nodes that are enhanced bythe Warrior class to lay waste to the battlefield.
This build will focus mainly on various kinds of totems, both damaging and debuffing enemies to inflict large area damage while the player themselves can remain mobile and on the move.
Starter Class
Firstly, for this build, our base starter class is the Warrior class, which is one among the seven available for now at the time of making this guide.On the expansive skill tree,it will start on the southwest side.
This side of the skill tree consists mainly of passives related toarmor, stun buildup, totems, and flat melee damage, all of which will go into making this build come together to a certain extent.
You might be wondering why the Warrior class and not the Mercenary class, and this is because we will be taking advantage of some of the nodes in the southwestern part of the tree.
Passive Skills
Early progression emphasizes totem placement speed, duration, and life, alongside basic physical damage andStrength scaling. As you progress down the southwestern part of the tree, you will notice that initially, there are two pathways, mainly dealing with increasing your armor or increasing your melee damage.
For this build, it is good to invest fully in the armor nodes, as we will be using the crossbow as our main weapon, with the mace being our secondary weapon.
But if you still want some form of added damage for your secondary weapon, the melee damage route is also a viable option.
As you level up and reach around thelevel 28–30 mark, you will be able to reach the first of the core passive skill groups that will go into this build, which will greatly improve your totems.
Out of that skill group, the most important node isthe Ancestral Artifice node, which will increase your maximum totem number count, as this is crucial to our build.
There is another group of passives that includesthe Carved Earthnode, which really comes in handy with this build, as shown in the picture, as these will also provide additional damage increases for your totems.
In addition to the totems, investing in armor nodes will increase our survivability in the late game, while going for the bleed route will give us even more forms of sustained damage with our build.
For this build, we will be choosingtheWarbringerAscensionclass for the Warrior.
This is because this Ascendancy gives usthe Ancestral Spiritsfromthe Answered Call node, which will summon an Ancestral Spirit whenever you put down a totem.
These spirits can offer a variety of utilities on the battlefield, ranging from rooting enemies to tanking incoming projectiles when facing off against bosses.
Active Skill Setups
For the active skills for this build, we will be using the crossbow, mainly supported by either the one-handed or two-handed mace.
The main rotation of the skills for this build will be very simple, relying on skills that can be used since the start of the game.
Firstly, for the crossbow, we will be usingthe Armour Piercing Roundsas our main mode of projectile.
This rapid-firing attack will strip off and break the armor of single enemies, making it perfect for dealing with bosses and dealing sustained damage while you dodge attacks.
You can also use other shots to quickly dispatch enemy groups while leveling up, but they are not an essential part of this build’s main skill rotation.
The main skill we will be pairing with the crossbow from our secondary weapon isthe Shockwave Totem.
In addition to damaging enemies with the slam, it will also draw aggro and block enemies by way of the summonedAncestral Spiritsfrom the node from ourAscendancy,allowing you to easily stay out of harm’s way.
These two skills can be further complemented usingthe Earthquakeskill during the earlier levels, since this skill will create a slowing area where you slam, providing you with crowd control as well as damage as you lay down your fire.
The next essential totem skill isthe Artillery Ballistaskill from the crossbow weapon, as this skill will lay down a ballista totem that fires explosive shots that rain down from the sky, dealing damage in a wide area.
Combined with the nodes we’ve invested in on the passive skill tree, we will be able to put down multipleArtillery totems, laying waste to the entire screen as they launch multiple explosive shots.
Since they also benefit fromAncestral Spirits, the summons will keep enemies grouped up, increasing the chance of the Artillery shells hitting on target.
Another totem that you can use isthe Ripwire Ballista totemfrom the Crossbow skill tree.
This placement will slow down and pin enemies, so it can provide you with an additional form of crowd control, complementing theEarthquakes and Slam Totems.
These skills will be the main crux of our build as we put down the Artillery andSlam Totemsas they disappear or get destroyed, while we remain mobile, dodging and weaving away from enemy attacks.
If we want additional mobility, we could either use theLeap Slamskill or theStampedeskill, which will allow us to quickly reposition using these skills.
Gear and Equipment
The build prioritizes high physical damage and, as such, crossbows and armor-based gear withLife, Resistances, and Strength.
Rare items with +1 totems would be ideal, but items with buffs toAccuracy, Dexterity, or increased Stun Durationmodifiers will really help when putting this build together, as they will reinforce the efficiency of this build.
Support Gems
The core of this build revolves around totems, and as such, we will be focusing on amplifying and making full use of our totem skills to control the battlefield.
Level 1 Support Gems
Overabundanceis the most important support gem to have as it will allow you easy access to an additional totem which will help you cover a wider area with your damaging abilities.
Another support gem that will increase the effectiveness of this build is theJagged Groundsupport gem.
Equipping these two support gems onthe Shockwave Totemwill allow you to place one more totem and give a chance of spawning moreJagged Ground in addition to your Earthquake strikes.
The Overabundancegem can be equipped on either of the totems that you are using the most often, but I found it better to have it equipped on the Slam Totem, as we use it a lot to slow down our enemies.
The Earthquake Strikesskill itself will benefit from the support gemsEncumbrance and Martial Tempo.
Encumbrancewill increase the amount of slow inflicted upon the enemies by theJagged Groundyou form from your strikes, making it less likely for them to get out of the area without taking damage from the aftershocks.
Martial Tempowill increase the attack speed of the skill, making it easier for you to strike as you move.
The above-mentioned support gems help with controlling the battlefield and will make short work of clearing out most mobs.
Forthe Artillery skill,we can put in theHourglass gem, which will increase the damage the Ballista deals, and theMagnified Effectgem will increase the AoE of the Ballista bolt explosions.
For theAncestral Spirits,as they are not our main source of damage but help with your survivability by tanking hits, it helps to amplify this aspect by using support gems such asMeat ShieldandElemental Army, which will reduce the damage they take and increase their elemental resistances.
Leveling Guide
The build levels smoothly by usingEarthquakeandShock Totemsto slow down enemies, and then letting theArtillery Ballista Totemstake care of them, with you focusing on the elite and boss enemies using your crossbow. This combo will allow you to go through most of the mobs without pressure during your playthrough, as long as you don’t put yourself into a corner and get surrounded by an overwhelming number.
Even in rare instances where you find yourself in a tight corner,the Leap Slamorthe Stampede skillwill allow you to quickly get out of the situation and reposition easily.
Putting nodes into the Area of Effect nodes helps, as it will enable you to deal with larger numbers of enemies more easily. As you level up, it is beneficial to have someIntelligence attribute nodes, since this will allow us to equip more Intelligence support gems, in addition to increasing the mana pool.
You can either start investing into Armor nodes for more survivability or Rage nodes if you want to increase your mobility and offensive abilities even further.
Mapping and Bossing
Bossing is a major strength of this build. you may put down your different totems around the arena using Earthquake, and then trigger the aftershocks usingthe Shock Totem, allowing you to deal consistent damage and slow down the boss, whilethe Artillery will keep dealing considerable amounts of damageas you avoid mechanics.
During mapping and clearing mobs,the Artillery Totemscan and will quickly take out most enemies.
Efficient gameplay involves fast placement and regular movement across the map to go through each area.
When selecting maps, it is important to avoid modifiers such as reduced totem duration and physical damage reflection, as these can significantly hinder the build’s core mechanics or pose a lethal risk.
Endgame Scaling and Optimization
Endgame scaling is enhanced through cluster jewels that increaseTotem Damage, Area of Effect, and Attack Damage.
The number of active totems can reach 3–4 through passives, gear, and Ancestral Bond.
The build has great options to scale by investing into either Warcries or Rage and benefits from high-Strength gear to further boost Life and damage.
This build performs well in SSF and Hardcore, thanks to its indirect damage mechanics and high durability. It is not reliant on expensive uniques andoffers a balance between safety, damage, and strategic gameplay.
So, this wraps up my guide forthe Ancestral Artillerist buildforPath of Exile 2. I hope you found this guide helpful, and if you have any suggestions or tips, feel free to leave them in the comment section.
