S-TIER | BUILD CHASSERESSE LIGHTNING SPEAR AMAZON (@Spud The King) | SAISON 5

Build Video

Build Overview

Spud The King shares his PoE2 0.5 league starter build Lightning Spear for the Huntress, designed to clear the entire campaign with an explosive rotation and nearly one-button screen-clear once the combo is set up. The strength of the setup lies in the interaction between Cull The Weak, which dashes toward the target and generates frenzy charges on each kill, and Lightning Spear which splits into multiple projectiles and detonates as soon as those charges are consumed — a devastating combo on packs and bosses alike.

For the boss phase, the author stacks three Storm Lance on the ground then releases an Explosive Spear which acts as an instant detonator. Once the target is shocked, Primal Strikes consumes the Shock to apply a heavy exposure (via Potent Exposure), opening the next sequence. The build works with all three Huntress ascendancies — Amazon, Spirit Walker, Ritualist — but Amazon is recommended for leveling thanks to Predatory Instinct (+50% conditional damage).

Very little investment required to get started: a 1H spear + a buckler are enough until Act 2. From level 16, the author emphasizes hunting for a winged spear with attack speed + physical damage to instantly double DPS. This is typically the league starter profile you’re looking for: zero required unique items, progressive scaling, and a rotation that becomes broken as soon as the frenzy charges kick in.

Pros / Cons

Skill Gem Setup by Step

This build offers 3 progression steps from leveling to the final build. Select a step to see the corresponding gem setup.

Act 1 Act 2 Lvl 30-65

Act 1

8 skills • 17 gemmes

Jet de lanceSpear Throw

ParadeParry

Lance de tempêteStorm Lance

Héraut du tonnerreHerald of Thunder

Bombe de givreFrost Bomb

Lance explosiveExplosive Spear

Lance de foudreLightning Spear

Exécution des faiblesCull The Weak

Act 2

7 skills • 20 gemmes

Jet de lanceSpear Throw

Lance explosiveExplosive Spear

Lance de foudreLightning Spear

Lance de tempêteStorm Lance

Exposition intensifiéePotent Exposure

Exécution des faiblesCull The Weak

Héraut du tonnerreHerald of Thunder

Lvl 30-65

9 skills • 27 gemmes

Jet de lanceSpear Throw

Lance de foudreLightning Spear

Bond tonitruantThunderous Leap

Danseur du ventWind Dancer

Lance de tempêteStorm Lance

Lance de SolarisSpear of Solaris

Lance explosiveExplosive Spear

Exposition intensifiéePotent Exposure

Héraut du tonnerreHerald of Thunder

Recommended Equipment

The author emphasizes: no mandatory unique. The build runs on well-rolled rares with a strong focus on the weapon.

• Main Weapon (1H Spear): aim from Act 2 for a winged spear level 16 with attack speed + increased physical damage or attack damage. Instantly Transmutation + Augmentation then pray for added damage. Upgrade again around level 40 (act 3).
• Off-hand (Buckler): useful for blocking + Parry early on. Remove once you take Dance with the Dash (which prevents using an off-hand but boosts speed).
• Armor: prioritize armor / dex or armor / strength pieces. Maximize life on each slot while keeping enough dex / str to equip gems and weapons.
• Jewelry: resistances + life. As Ritualist, take advantage of the extra ring slot offered by the ascendancy.
• Jeweller’s Orbs: to farm via the leak mechanics (bullet shrines) to add extra sockets on Lightning Spear (Elemental Armament II) and Storm Lance (Multishot II).

Gameplay Tips

• Pack rotation (post-frenzy) : Cull The Weak on a weak mob → frenzy charges → Lightning Spear which splits and detonates. Repeat on each pack, the screen clears in 1 cast.
• Boss rotation : 3× Storm Lance on the ground → Explosive Spear (instant detonator) → Primal Strikes to consume the shock and apply Potent Exposure → repeat.
• Act 1 mini-combo : before Cull The Weak, alternate Explosive Spear + Frost Bomb + spin Whirling Slash to generate rage. Frost Bomb provides the exposure until you have Primal Strikes.
• Priority early bosses : Miller (riverbank) then the optional Mad Boro boss (drops uncut support gem). Trials of Sekhema token to grab from Act 2 to unlock the ascendancy.
• Ascendancy choice : Amazon for Predatory Instinct (+50% dmg) recommended for leveling. Spirit Walker to scale projectiles, Ritualist for 2 rings and ring power.
• Spirit gems : Herald of Thunder + Lightning Attunement mandatory as soon as you have spirit. Wind Dancer later for passive mitigation.
• Endgame priority : stack Lightning Penetration on the tree. Without penetration, map rares with high resists become tanky.

The Cull The Weak + Lightning Spear combo: heart of the build

This is the mechanic that turns an average build into a broken one. Cull The Weak is technically a « movement » skill (dash to the target), but on each kill, it generates frenzy charges. Visually, these charges appear as green circles around the character.

When you cast Lightning Spear after stacking frenzy charges, the skill consumes those charges to split into multiple projectiles that detonate. With Innervate (which adds lightning damage to shocked targets) and Lightning Attunement as support, you get a massive AOE across the entire pack. This is why Lightning Spear alone is weak — this interaction is absolutely required to unlock its potential.

Practical tip: use Cull The Weak on a weak mob first (cull = execute below a health threshold), collect the charges, then cast Lightning Spear into the main pack. The rotation becomes smooth after a few hours of practice.

The boss combo: Storm Lance + Explosive Spear + Primal Strikes

For bosses, the mechanic changes. Storm Lance has a limit of 3 simultaneous projectiles on the ground. The optimal sequence is therefore to place 3 Storm Lance then cast an Explosive Spear which acts as an instant detonator — all 4 explosions go off simultaneously for a massive burst.

Once the target is shocked, follow up with Primal Strikes in melee. This skill consumes the shock to apply a powerful exposure (via the support gem Potent Exposure), which boosts subsequent elemental damage. Note: since Primal Strikes is naturally slow, the author strongly recommends Rapid Attacks I as support to keep the flow smooth.

The exact order matters: if you cast Explosive Spear first then 3 Storm Lance, the Storm Lance detonate on the 3rd cast. This is how the author defeats Geonor without difficulty.

Choosing your ascendancy: Amazon, Spirit Walker or Ritualist?

The build works with all three Huntress ascendancies, but each has its specialty:

• Amazon (recommended for leveling) : Predatory Instinct grants +50% damage against enemies at certain life thresholds. It’s the rawest multiplier and the easiest to activate.
• Spirit Walker : focused on projectile scaling. All ascendancy nodes boost projectiles, which is ideal for Lightning Spear / Storm Lance / Explosive Spear.
• Ritualist : offers an extra ring slot and boosts ring power. Excellent for optimizing gear in endgame, but less raw DPS during leveling.

The ascendancy is chosen after the Trials of Sekhema (token available from Act 2 after defeating Bubbla the Traitor). It can be changed later if you want to try a different style.

Weapon progression: the build’s bottleneck

The author emphasizes: the weapon is the main bottleneck. Three critical windows:

• Level 5 : first mandatory upgrade in the red well. Spam Transmutation + Augmentation on the ref arms that drop. Even a random mod adds ~20% damage.
• Level 16 : absolutely aim for a winged spear. Attack speed > increased physical damage > added damage. A good roll doubles the damage. This weapon lasts until mid-Act 3.
• Level 40 : new upgrade in Act 3 to clear the boss and prepare for endgame. Same criteria: attack speed is priority.

Without these upgrades, bosses quickly become life walls. With a good weapon, the burst combo goes through smoothly, even at minimum level.

Skill Tree