PoE 2 Best Artillery Ballista Totem Builds (Dawn of the Hunt 0.2.0)

Artillery Ballista has become one of the most popular and effective choices in the early stages of Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt patch 0.2.0. With sweeping buffs to projectile count, damage scaling, and skill quality, several builds have emerged as top-tier options for players looking to progress efficiently, map quickly, and survive hardcore environments. Here are five standout builds you should consider.

Top 5 PoE 2 Best Artillery Ballista Builds in Dawn of the Hunt 0.2.0 League

1. Smith of Kitava Artillery Ballista Build

This build focuses on a highly defensive playstyle with survivability as the top priority, making it a solid pick for hardcore players. Sisin uses the Smith of Kitava ascendancy to benefit from high life, strength, and resistance scaling. The build centers around Artillery Ballista, supported by links like Marshall Tempo, Primal Armament, and Acceleration.

The setup also includes Oil Grenade for added debuffs, and the use of companions for aura support. A key point of the build is the beast taming mechanic, using a hasted monster to boost damage output. Although leveling was rough—especially due to an early weapon swap mishap—the damage scales well with projectile skill levels and elemental damage.

✔️Pros:

• Strong elemental resistances early

• Good for SSF and hardcore environments

• Fun use of beast companions

❌Cons:

• Painful leveling experience

• Relies heavily on proper totem support setup

Check out how to set up the powerful Smith of Kitava Artillery Ballista Build

2. Tactician Artillery Ballista Build

A smooth and fast league starter, the Tactician version of Artillery Ballista is built around pinning projectiles to lock down enemies. The build thrives early thanks to the new three-projectile baseline and the use of Painters Gloves for huge explosion damage.

Calourak emphasizes mana sustain with Inspiration and smart passive tree routing for totem placement speed. Companions are used to provide haste and elemental resistance, while Oil Grenade and Wind Dancer support clear efficiency. This build is especially effective with minimal investment and is capable of reaching red maps quickly.

✔️Pros:

• Excellent crowd control with pinning

• Scales well with low gear investment

• Great for smooth leveling and early mapping

❌Cons:

• Totems can die quickly without proper defenses

• Late game damage may require alternate glove choices

Check out how to set up the powerful Tactician Artillery Ballista Build

3. Amazon Artillery Ballista Build

This version focuses on the Amazon ascendancy and is ideal for players seeking a fast and nimble playstyle. The build truly comes online in Act 3, so the first two acts can be challenging. It emphasizes accuracy and dexterity stacking, scaling damage through projectile skill levels and elemental damage rolls on crossbows.

Players use Herald of Ash, Wind Dancer, and Clarity for auras, and Oil Grenade for utility. The passive tree is built around accuracy, attack speed, and elemental scaling. The main drawback is its lack of defensive layers in the early game, but once the Ballista setup is online, it clears content quickly.

✔️Pros:

• High mobility and clear speed

• Easy to scale with accuracy stacking

• Simple gearing with clear stat priorities

❌Cons:

• Weak early game prior to Act 3

• Lacks innate defenses without gear

Check out how to set up the powerful Amazon Artillery Ballista Build

4. Gemling Artillery Ballista Build

Arguably the most detailed and mathematically optimized build, this Gemling version is designed around raw efficiency. With patch 0.2.0 significantly buffing Artillery Ballista’s projectile count, range, and explosion damage, this build leverages every advantage.

Study outlines the full passive tree, leveling path, gear progression, and skill links. The build converts fire damage to cold using Blue Flame Gloves for added crowd control. Defense comes from Cloak of Flame and high life scaling, while damage is pushed through plus-level skills and elemental modifiers.

✔️Pros:

• Extremely detailed and theorycrafted

• Strong scaling into endgame

• Balanced offense and defense

❌Cons:

• More complex setup and planning required

• Dependent on key uniques like Blue Flame and Cloak of Flame

Check out how to set up the powerful Gemling Artillery Ballista Build

5. Warrior HC Artillery Ballista

This build is designed for players facing the brutal realities of hardcore gameplay. Starting with Shockwave Totem and transitioning through Whipwire Ballista, it eventually settles on Artillery Ballista around level 31. The build uses Disciple of Kitava for high resistances and survivability, with a focus on stacking life and converting to cold damage for control.

This version makes good use of early progression tools like Overabundance and Marshall Tempo. The creator emphasizes survivability over speed, favoring consistency and safety in maps.

✔️Pros:

• Hardcore-viable with strong early survival

• Smooth progression from totem to Ballista

• Cold conversion adds crowd control

❌Cons:

• Gear progression may be slower

• Less damage burst compared to other variants

Check out how to set up the Warrior HC Artillery Ballista Build