Deadeye is the king of movement speed inPath of Exile 2. And while bows are more than viable, Deadeye has some interesting interactions with crossbows. The build is all about moving from one pack to the other while throwing the Gas Grenades, and exploding them with the Explosive Shot.

Add explosions from the Herald of Ash on top of that, and you have an excellent mapper that you can take all the way into the endgame. This guide is made to set you up for success when playing Gas Grenade Deadeye in Path of Exile 2, with all the required gem links, passive tree, Ascendancy choices, and gear recommendations.

Deadeye standing in the beginning of the Dreadnaught during Act-2 of Path of Exile 2.

Gas Grenade Deadeye Overview

While theWitch Hunterhas built-in explosions, Deadeye brings a lot more to the table:Skill Speed,Movement Speed,Additional Projectile, etc. The build uses theLightning Arrowin the beginning before fullytransitioning intoGas Grenadeat around Level 22.

And while it has amulti-button playstyle, it feels incredibly smooth to play,thanks to Deadeye.

Skill Gem Menu showing the Lightning Arrow setup that we use until Level 22 while playing Gas Grenade Deadeye build in Path of Exile 2.

Explosive Shot

We start with theLightning Arrow/Lightning Rodcombo. Your basic rotation is tospam Lightning Rodon top of a pack, followed byusing LA until everything is dead. Continue with this combountil you unlock theOrb of Storms. Once it becomes available, your rotation will change tothrowing the Orb of Storms on top of a packandspamming the Lightning Rod.

Also, do not forget to use theHerald of Thunder, as it vastlyimproves your clear-speed.

A complete Passive Tree for the Gas Grenade Deadeye build in Path of Exile 2.

You will most likely run into someissues with Mana.Thief’s Torment can easily solvethis problem, but it is fairly expensive in the Trade League. If not, keep on upgrading your Mana Flask.

Alternatively, if you can somehowget enough Spirit, you cansupport the Herald of ThunderwithClarity.

A basic Passive Skill Tree for Ranger that eventually Ascends into Deadeye that we need for the Gas Grenade build in Path of Exile 2.

Around Level 22, you will get access to theGas Grenade, which is when you willswap for a Crossbow. Begin taking all thegrenade-related nodes(if you have not already) andunspec.nodes that grant Pierce,Chain, etc.

At this point, your rotation should bethrowing Gas Grenades into theFlame Wall, followed by spamming some more Gas Grenades. If you do not mind pressing a lot of buttons, you can also add theFlash Grenadeto your rotation toeasily stun bosses.

An example of a Bombard Crossbow that players will need to play the mid-game variant of our Gas Grenade Deadeye build in Path of Exile 2.

Oil Grenadeallows you toslow enemies down, and evenapply Fire Exposurefor even more damage – remember to increase the effects of both these debuffs withEncumbranceandStrip Away. After youunlock theExplosive Shot, feel free toremove the Flame Wall.

Lastly, do note that if you arenot a fan of a multi-buttonplaystyle, you canalways useRadiant GrieforBirth of Furytoautomate your Ignites, essentiallyturning it into a one-button build.

Radiant Grief, one of the recommended Uniques that you can use to play the Gas Grenade Deadeye build in Path of Exile 2.

Passive Skill Tree

Take theProjectile Damage nodesleading toBlur,Eagle Eye, andClean Shot– these shouldhelp yourLightning Arrow.Heavy AmmunitionandCareful Aimforeven more Projectile Damage.

You will not get access toGas Grenadeuntil Level 22. Before you swap, getCluster Bombs,Volatile Catalyst, andVolatile Grenades.

If you haveissues with Manawhile using Lightning Arrow, useLightning Rodpaired with theOrb of Storms.

You can also invest in some defensive nodes, likeLeather Bound Gauntlets(make sure to use a pure Armor base to take full advantage of it) andFeel No Pain. Evasion is one of our core defensive layers, which is whyAfterimageandBackup Planare very valuable nodes.

Aside from this, pick up genericAttack Speed,Accuracy Rating,Area of Effect,Cooldown Recovery, andDamage with Two-Handed Weaponsnodes.

If you think yourdamage is lacking, feel free to takeJack of all Trades,Repeating Explosives, andSand in the Eyes.

What Is The Ascendancy Choice

Our choice of Ascendancy for the build isDeadeye. Since it is a lot harder toAscend in Path of Exile 2, there is no need to do more thantwo Ascendancies while leveling.

Explanation

Gathering Winds

Deadeye has themost Movement Speedout of any Ascendancy, and theGathering Winds nodeis the biggest contributor to that.

As long as you are not being hit, you should get10% Movement Speed,30% Skill Speed, and a150% increased Evasion Rating.

Wind Ward

This isnot the tankiest buildout there, which is why werecommend all the defensive nodesyou can get. You also getincreased Skill Speedfrom the small node.

Projectile Proximity Specialisation – Point Blank

Since it is a Grenade-build, thePoint Blank nodeis free damage. You will not only getincreased Projectile Speed, but also20 percent increased Hit Damagebecause your Gas Grenades do not travel very far.

Endless Munitions

This lets youfire an additionalGas Grenade, which is ahuge DPS increase. You can allocate it in the campaign, butpermanently having Tailwindfeels a lot better.

Since yourDPS directly scaleswith your Crossbow,attempt to upgrade itafter every ten to 15 levels.Regularly check vendorsfor a Crossbow (preferably, a Bombard Crossbow) withflat Physical Damage,increased Physical Damage,Attack Speed,Level of Projectile Gems, etc.

On the rest of the gear, you want the usual i.e.,Max Life,Elemental Resistances,Attributes,Mana Regen., and maybe someLife Regen.

During leveling, there is no need to worry about having the best bases. Your primary objective is toget the aforementioned mods on any pieceof gear you can find.Crafting in Path of Exile 2is a lot simpler compared to its prequel. Whenever youfind a Magic Itemwith two desirable mods, hit it with aRegal Orb, and then slam it with anExalted Orbif you land a useful third mod.

Are There Any Mandatory Uniques?

There areno mandatory uniques neededfor the build to function. However, there area few itemsthat add somemuch-needed QOLimprovements. None of these items, by any means, are the best-in-slot. But if you arenot a fan of multi-buttonplaystyle, do try them out. Here are our recommendations:

Effect

Birth of Fury

It lets youdrop Ignited Groundwhile moving (including dodging) thatauto-ignitesyour Gas Grenade. However, one majordownside of using it is 15% MS. If you may get Rare Boots with 30% or higher Movement Speed, they will feel much better.

Radiant Grief

This helmet alsoignites enemiesin your presence, letting youspam Gas Grenades– essentially turning it into a one-button build. Moreover, you are able to use boots with a higher Movement Speed. Again, it is not needed, and you arefree to wear a rare helmetif you need stats.