Need help with single target dps - lvl 53

Greetings all.

I'm looking for some advice on single target dps please. I have googled and tried various configs but just can't seem to get it going.

Status:
Level 53 - Act 6 - no labs run yet

1st Skill : Piercing Shot - crowd control - works well.


2nd skill : single target dps Ice Shot (tried barrage/rain/toxic/shrapnel/Burning)
What could I do differently here that will have better results? Using the current colour scheme. I do not mind changing the actual skill


I am cash poor this league so far and blew all +- 200 chromes trying to get x2 reds on the bow so I am kind of stuck with these colours. Poor = no chaos, x3 Vaal, no alch, nothing higher and only 10 chromes either lol. And I usually pick up everything and vendor.

A lot of the discussions from google on single target dps refer to end game setups. Obviously I'm not quite there yet and could really use some guidance on the current setups and later setups as I level and get better gear.

Would also love to hear any advice on decent rares to look for as I level. 1st character I'm not using all uniques :)

I'm playing a Scion ES Ranger. Ascendancy will be Deadeye.

Many thanks in advance.

Please anyone have the time to make some suggestions? Really need the input.

Thanks in advance

First off, you need to learn what skills are tier 1 and what skills are trash.

Split arrow is trash, never used.

For single target, barrage is the eway to go.

Last League I used TS and IS. Was a great combination.

This league I'm trying something different - diversity - and trying to build around the bleed mechanic and ES Scion. I'm ok with the way that has progressed although it doesn't beat the thrill of IS freezing and shattering packs. Again, trying something different.

Where I am struggling is to get my single target DPS going properly. This is why I've reached out to my fellow exiles for assistance.

Looking for some constructive advice from those who have experimented with the skills over time. It can only increase my knowledge :)

EDIT: lvl 68 now and still no progress for single target

Split arrow can work for clear, you do need pretty good base damage for it though.
It's always going to be bad for single target though, you will need a secondary skill.
Ice shot is better but not brilliant. Burning arrow would probably better, or blast rain.

But more importantly, you need to work out what your build is trying to do.
You have a weird ES/Life and poison/Elemental/phys mix going on right now.
That rarely works in PoE, you need to specialise.

You can either go physical damage, and then optionally convert sme/all of that to elemental. Or go for pure elemental damage on the bow and other sources of flat damage. There is elemental hit too, but that's a very specific build.
It is possible to go poison, but that's a very specialist build and you aren't the right class for it, so ignore it.

I see you have taken another deadeye bow build to level 90 which is good, but to be honest that one is a bit all over the place as well - quite impressed you got it to lvl 90 to be honest!

I'd really recommend that you try looking at some bow build guides as It looks like you are missing some concepts around damage types and scaling.

But if you want to fix your current build for single target.

- Ditch the ES stuff. It isn't helping you and will free up some points.
- Ditch voidfletcher and get a rare quiver with life and some damage mods.
- Take point blank on the tree
- Get a chin sol, use it as a weapon swap for single target (It was nerfed, but still better than what you have, and cheap)
- Use whatever skill of choice for single target. Try using added cold, added lightning and a weapon elemental damage gem (this isn't ideal either but you have those gems linked)
- Run up to boss and kill him at point blank range.

This should let you do bosses/complete labs. Get your ascendancy points and improve the character.

Oh, fix your flasks too. Get an instant life flask. Get a diamond flask. Get a stibnite flask. Maybe a basalt flask for merc/uber lab. And an Atziri's promise for damage and leech. New players always forget flasks, they are huge.

If you really want to go ES, then you maybe can later. I really wouldn't recommend it though, ES archers only really work for niche builds. You don't have a good way of maintaining that ES. Ghost reaver is a lot of points away, unless you go Scion-trickster or something like that?

Carlovski - Thank you for the input on my ask re the bow build. Going to digest it for a bit :) I genuinely appreciate that you took the time to look at the tree/gearing and previous characters. That's above and beyond and most welcomed!

My tree will change as I level. The weirdness in it now is mostly to get survivability then specced out later as I can afford gear - poor this season so just making do until I clock lvl 80'ish and can start properly focusing on endgame gear.

Poison is not part of the gameplan - just added it in to get max dps now as I cannot seem to get the right socket colours to roll - rng has been blooming awful lol. Poison will definitely be removed when I've reached 80'ish and can start focusing on proper gear.

Split arrow with bleed as crowd control is working brilliantly. Ice shot as single target dps is doing ok. I like the options you added in there and will start playing around with them later.

Bow = best I can afford atm and spent hours looking over several days - again rng hasn't favoured me this season - it happens. Like the bow choice. Was thinking of going Lioneyes Glare later and removing accuracy points from skilltree and possibly respeccing them into crit chance - but that's another whole story and a way away still

Flasks is a gearing/affordability issue atm. It will come right shortly. Your advice spot on there - again :)

ES - I really have a drive to build a viable ES ranger and have been following several popular guides which cover parts of it - however going through the forums no one really builds for it. I get its complicated but would love to be able to share something which has a solid foundation and is viable. After the pain :)

The life / evasion thing is short term survivability only. As I have a few points free then will be taking ES nodes higher on the tree and removing the Ev/Life nodes Ive taken now. Also a Might of the Meek or 2 jewels in the scion starting area will change what happens in that section. No noteworthy jewels yet so ignoring that for the time being.

My previous deadeye actually worked out quite well and I'm not retiring him anytime soon as that build still has potential but as you said, the skilltree needs a bit of refining. Where I did come unstuck was relying too heavily on uniques. Rng was quite a lot kinder that season so I splurged a little :)

I've poured over all the current (v3+) ranger builds and had some favourites which I've tried to incorporate into my skilltree. Sadly I've been unable to find a ranged ES guide and that really is my motivation for ultimately wanting to get a viable one going, which I could potentially share with others later. It is a long long way away from there now, but hey we gotta start somewhere :) Mistakes I make now with guidance from other who are passionate about ranged builds makes for a significantly stronger end character.

Again many thanks for giving of your time and for your reasoned input. I'm always open for constructive criticism and welcome any more input.

I change my bow every 5 to 10 levels whilst levelling with an inexpensive rare or magic. This is my current one which is still good for a few more levels (lvl 73 now) although I've started looking so long.

A decent entry level unique starts from around 30-40c and is way above my stash atm.