If you're looking for the strongest and most satisfying League starter in POE currency, it's hard to top the Lightning Arrow Deadeye. This build has everything you want from a league starter and late-game scaler:

 Massive clear speed

 Smooth progression from Acts to red maps

 Respectable single-target damage

 Engaging, screen-wiping gameplay

Whether you're new to Path of Exile or a seasoned veteran searching for a reliable mapper, this build will carry you comfortably through the campaign, early maps, and into challenging endgame bosses.

Let's break down how the Lightning Arrow Deadeye works, how to level it efficiently, what gear and skill setups you'll need, and how to transition into its absurdly powerful late-game form.

Why Lightning Arrow Deadeye?

The core of the build revolves around projectile abuse. Lightning Arrow is already one of the best bow skills for mapping because it:

 Hits a target, then chains lightning to nearby enemies.

 Scales extremely well with additional projectiles.

 Provides wide-area screen coverage.

The secret sauce here is returning projectiles. Every arrow you fire comes back, effectively doubling your hits and damage. Combined with Deadeye ascendancy bonuses like Far Shot, Ricochet, and Endless Munitions, you'll be firing volleys of arrows that:

 Hit twice (outgoing + returning)

 Chain across multiple packs

 Scale infinitely with added projectiles

The end result? You literally wipe the screen with a single click, clearing maps faster than almost any other starter build.

For single-target, we supplement Lightning Arrow with Artillery Ballista totems, giving you a fire-and-forget option that melts bosses while you dodge mechanics.

Defensively, this isn't a face-tank setup, but it's surprisingly safe thanks to:

 Evasion + Spell Suppression

 High mobility with Blink Arrow/Dash

 Distance scaling with Far Shot

 Grace aura + utility flasks

You'll rarely find yourself in melee range, and if you play smart, it feels far safer than glass cannon bow builds of the past.

Ascendancy Progression

Deadeye is the natural choice here, and the order of ascendancy nodes makes a huge difference in how smooth your progression feels.

1.Gathering Winds - Grants Gale Force stacks that increase your movement speed and evasion. This is the smoothness boost that makes Deadeye so fun to play.

2.Far Shot - Increases projectile damage the further they travel. Perfect synergy with our ranged playstyle.

3.Endless Munitions - Grants +1 projectile and extra projectile damage. With returning projectiles, this effectively doubles your output again.

4.Focal Point - Strengthens your Marks, making enemies take more damage while reducing their damage to you. Great utility and bossing boost.

This combination covers mobility, AoE, damage scaling, and survivability in just four notables.

Leveling Guide: Acts 1-10

The Lightning Arrow Deadeye levels smoothly, provided you swap into the right skills early on.

Level 1-12

 Use Rain of Arrows + Pierce Support + Added Lightning Damage.

 Grab Sniper's Mark for extra single-target damage.

 Use Dash or Blink Arrow for mobility.

Level 12+

 Switch immediately into Lightning Arrow.

 Link with Mirage Archer, Added Lightning Damage, and Lesser Multiple Projectiles.

 You'll notice the chaining effect kicking in immediately.

Level 28-55

 Add Artillery Ballista for bosses. Link it with Ballista Totem Support + Elemental Damage with Attacks + Added Lightning Damage.

 Auras: Grace (defense) + Precision (accuracy/crit).

 Start scaling projectile and crit nodes on the passive tree.

Level 60+

 Transition into your mapping setup with Lightning Arrow + projectile scaling.

 Look for a decent rare bow (attack speed + flat lightning damage). Even a Spine Bow or Thicket Bow works early on.

 Roll bows with Essences if needed.

By Act 10 and early white maps, you'll already feel the build's screen-wiping power.

Early Mapping Setup

Once you enter maps, your setup should look like this:

Main Skill (5-6 Link):

 Lightning Arrow

 Mirage Archer

 Greater Multiple Projectiles

 Elemental Damage with Attacks

 Critical Damage / Lightning Penetration

Totem Setup:

 Artillery Ballista

 Ballista Totem Support

 Elemental Focus

 Increased Critical Strikes

Auras:

 Grace

 Precision

 (Optional) Herald of Ice for clear and style points

Flasks:

 Quicksilver Flask (speed)

 Diamond Flask (crit)

 Jade Flask (evasion)

 Utility suffixes: Bleed and Freeze immunity are mandatory.

At this stage, you can farm yellow maps with minimal investment.Transitioning to Red Maps

By the time you reach red maps, your focus shifts to gear upgrades and crit scaling.

 Bow: Aim for +1 Lightning Gems, high crit chance, flat lightning damage, and high attack speed. Craft or trade as needed.

 Quiver: Projectile damage, crit multi, flat lightning, and ideally +1 arrow.

 Armor: Evasion-based rare chest with high life and resistances.

Jewels:

 Lioneye's Fall (by claw cluster)

 Watcher's Eye with Precision mods

 Rare crit multi jewels with life

 Cluster jewels with Projectile or Elemental damage

Defensively, make sure you:

 Cap Spell Suppression (100%)

 Max Evasion (via Grace + Jade Flask)

 Add Defiance Banner for crit reduction

Flask upgrades like Bottled Faith or Dying Sun are excellent once you can afford them.

Endgame Power: Final Form

At full investment, the Lightning Arrow Deadeye turns into a true monster:

 Bow: High-tier crafted with +2 to Gems, crit chance, flat lightning, attack speed.

 Quiver: +1 arrow, crit multi, flat lightning, projectile damage.

 Jewels/Clusters: Fully optimized for crit multi, life, and projectile scaling.

 Auras: Grace, Precision, Herald of Ice, optional Defiance Banner.

 Ballista: Fully scaled to supplement single-target with millions of DPS.

At this point, you'll be firing 7+ projectiles, each chaining, returning, and critting for insane damage. Bosses that once felt tanky will melt in seconds.

Gameplay Flow

Playing Lightning Arrow Deadeye feels like flying across the screen with constant AoE pressure. The rhythm looks like this:

Mapping:

 Fire Lightning Arrow → Mirage Archer maintains pressure.

 Stay mid-max range for Far Shot bonus.

 Herald of Ice explosions chain kills into even faster clears.

Bossing:

 Drop 2x Artillery Ballista before engaging.

 Apply Sniper's Mark (auto if on Mark-on-Hit gear).

 Attack from distance while ballistas melt health bars.

 Keep Blood Rage active for Frenzy charges + sustain.

Defense & Positioning:

 Fire → Move → Fire again.

 Never stand still in red maps.

 Use mobility + flasks for survival.

Once mastered, the gameplay feels buttery smooth-constant movement, constant crits, and constant screen wipes.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

 Top-tier clear speed (screen wipes with a single click).

 Strong single-target with Ballistas.

 Smooth leveling and natural scaling.

 Extremely fun and active playstyle.

Weaknesses:

 Not a face-tank build-positioning matters.

 Gear upgrades (crit bow, quiver, clusters) can get expensive.

 Chaos resistance needs attention.

Final Thoughts

The Lightning Arrow Deadeye in cheap POE currency is one of the best league starters you can pick. It clears maps faster than most builds in the game, transitions smoothly into red maps, and has enough single-target damage to comfortably handle endgame bosses.

It's not invincible, but smart positioning, defensive layering, and skillful flask management make it one of the safest ranged builds available. If you enjoy high-speed, high-damage, projectile-based gameplay, this will be one of the most satisfying builds you ever play.

By late endgame, you'll be shredding entire screens and deleting bosses in seconds, all while dodging comfortably from midrange. For players who want a reliable league starter that scales beautifully, the Lightning Arrow Deadeye is an easy recommendation.