The Abyssal league can get wild fast, and that’s exactly where the Explosive Witchhunter Merc comes alive. This setup turns your crossbow into something way beyond just a ranged weapon—it’s a room-clear machine. With Explosive Shot pumping out lightning-charged blasts, you trigger Herald chains that wipe packs before you’re even close enough to see every mob. It’s the kind of build that strips chunks off bosses like Uber Arbiter in seconds and still holds its own in insane group setups like fully juiced Zarokh runs. Even better, you can piece it together on a modest budget, making it perfect as a league starter that scales into something truly broken. If you can score the right PoE 2 Items early, you’ll be rolling through content in no time.
How it works in 0.3
The feel here is all about speed and scaling. Explosive Shot with Nova Projectiles and Fork dishes huge AoE for map clearing—T16s melt away. When you need single target damage, swap to Shockburst Rounds. On shocked enemies, the numbers get silly, hitting over 30M DPS. Witchhunter’s ascendancy packs hidden firepower: Judge, Jury, and Executioner knocks a flat 30% life off rares, while Pitiless Killer cleans up anything that’s left. You’ll be a hybrid tank too—over 90% evasion with about 5k Energy Shield isn’t just nice on paper. Wind Dancer and Ghost Dance make you slippery, let you shrug off big hits, and bounce ES back fast.
Skills and passives
Setup’s straightforward. Main gem link is a 20/20 Explosive Shot with Nova Projectiles, Double Barrel III, and Fork. For bosses, run a solo Shockburst Rounds—no fuss. Your Herald trio, Thunder, Ice, and Ash, fuels those explosive chains so the whole screen pops. Wind Dancer and Ghost Dance are must for defense. On the passive tree, start by moving right on the Mercenary cluster: grab Heavy Ammo, Spray & Pray, and Electrifying Daze for shock synergy. Then head left for Beastial Skin to pad evasion and ES. Ascendancy order: Zealous Inquisition first for AoE, then Witchbane, and finish with Judge/Jury for boss demolition.
Gearing tips
Weapon-wise, aim for a Gemini Crossbow with +Projectile Levels and an extra bolt. Early on, a rare with +2 projectiles will do the job. The Three Dragons helmet changes the game—turning lightning damage into guaranteed shocks—but until you find it, a rare ES/evasion helm works fine. Seek lightning conversion on gloves, solid move speed on boots, and cover life, res, and Spirit across the rest. With about 20–50 Divines, the core of the build feels amazing. Playstyle is simple—dash into a pack, fire once, watch the light show. For bosses, toss a Voltaic Grenade to apply shock then hammer them with Shockburst Rounds. Lock in the right gear and you’ll own the ladder—especially once you pick up those killer PoE 2 Items cheap that make the whole thing sing.
