Core requirements
The advanced setup is A, and the budget setup is B.
- Pierce
- Skill level 9+ and Razortail = 100%
- Attack speed
- A 55% and Fanaticism 12+ · B 140%
- Freeze protection
- A·B Raven Frost
- Accuracy and sustain
- Penetrate 20 · at least 4% mana leech
Attributes
Total attributes with equipment · hard points shown separately
| Strength | A·B 115Total with equipment · excludes Guillaume's +15 Strength |
|---|---|
| Dexterity | A At least 187 · B 132 or moreTotal with equipment |
| Vitality | Total 150, then DexterityTotal with equipment |
| Energy | 0No hard points |
Attribute calculations and equipment changes
Strength
Reach 115 without Guillaume's Face's own +15 Strength. Make Fortitude in a Dusk Shroud and B Treachery in a Mage Plate.
Dexterity
A Matriarchal Bow requires 187; B an upgraded Diamond Bow requires 132. Invest further in Dexterity for physical damage and Attack Rating.
Vitality
Reach 150 total Vitality with equipment, then put remaining points into Dexterity. If survival is difficult, move 50 Dexterity points to Vitality.
Energy
Use equipment mana/recovery and potions. Keep any Energy granted by equipment.
Skills
Level 90 · 101 hard points
Main skills and synergies
Supporting investment
Prerequisite · support 1 point each
Includes 12 quest points; equipment skill bonuses are excluded. Unlisted skills have 0 points. A and B use the same allocation.
Investment order
Early on, use 
Fire Arrow·
Exploding Arrow for leveling, then respec in Nightmare after acquiring Witchwild String, mana leech and Raven Frost.
Strafe 20
Guided Arrow 20
Penetrate 20
Critical Strike 15
Multiple Shot 11. 
Pierce 6 and each 1-point support skill at the level it becomes available.
Equipment skill bonuses and allocation notes
The table and image show 101 hard points. Add equipment bonuses to all skills, class skills and skill tabs separately; synergies use hard points.
A and B use the same base tree. Do not mix the equipment or point swaps of optional variants into the base allocation.
A·B Shared · Level 90
Open this allocation in the simulator ↗
Equipment
A / B: compare modifiers and replacement requirements.
| Slot | Advanced A | Budget B | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon | A Runeword Faith | B Witchwild String | A Keep the specified fast bow base · B Chance to cast Amplify Damage |
Weapon choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsMatriarchal Bow · 4 sockets · Ohm/Jah/Lem/Eld Level 12–15 Fanaticism · +3 Bow Skills base B · Setup requirementsDiamond Bow 2 Shael runes · upgrade to elite Weapon replacementA benefits from Fanaticism's attack speed and physical damage. B has low base damage and slower boss kills, but grants 40 all resistances and Amplify Damage. Upgrade with Lum, Pul and a Perfect Emerald. | |||
| Off-hand slot | AArrows | BArrows | No shield effects while wielding a bow |
| Helm | A Guillaume's Face | BGuillaume's Face | 35% Crushing Blow · 15% Deadly Strike |
Helm choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements15% Increased Attack Speed / 15 all resistances jewel B · Setup requirements15% Increased Attack Speed jewel · resistance roll not required | |||
| Armor | A Runeword Fortitude | BRuneword Treachery | B Changing armor reduces Increased Attack Speed by 45 |
Armor choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsDusk Shroud · El/Sol/Dol/Lo At least 25 all resistances · 300% Enhanced Damage B · Setup requirementsMage Plate · Shael/Thul/Lem 45% Increased Attack Speed · chance to cast Fade | |||
| Gloves | A Laying of Hands | BLaying of Hands | Damage to Demons improves key farming areas |
Glove choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements20% Increased Attack Speed · 50 fire resistance B · Setup requirements20% Increased Attack Speed · 50 fire resistance | |||
| Belt | A Razortail | BRazortail | 6 hard points in Pierce plus equipment bonuses |
Belt choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements33% Pierce B · Setup requirements33% Pierce | |||
| Boots | A War Traveler | BWar Traveler | Chosen for flat damage rather than Magic Find |
Boot choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsAdds 15–25 Damage B · Setup requirementsA low Magic Find roll is acceptable | |||
| Amulet | A Highlord's Wrath | BHighlord's Wrath | B Add +2 Passive Skills charm bonuses to reach Pierce 9 |
Amulet choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements20% Increased Attack Speed · +1 to All Skills · 35 lightning resistance B · Setup requirements20% Increased Attack Speed · +1 to All Skills · 35 lightning resistance | |||
| Ring 1 | A Raven Frost | BRaven Frost | Required slot for maintaining attack speed |
Ring 1: choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsCannot Be Frozen · Attack Rating B · Setup requirementsCannot Be Frozen · Attack Rating | |||
| Ring 2 | ARare ring | BRare ring | Recover mana through physical damage |
Mercenary and weapon swap
| Slot | Advanced A | Budget B | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercenary | A Act 2 Might  The Reaper's Toll(Shael)Runeword Fortitude Andariel's Visage(Ral) | B Act 2 Might  Runeword Insight(elite polearm)Runeword Treachery Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest | A Decrepify · B Meditation |
Mercenary detailsOverlapping cursesB's Amplify Damage and A's Decrepify do not stack on the same target. A weapon before adding The Reaper's Toll. | |||
| Weapon swap | A Runeword Call to Arms Lidless Wall | B Staff with Teleport charges | Battle Command → Battle Orders, then return to the main weapon |
Upgrade order
- Acquire Witchwild String with 2 Shaels and mana leech
- Complete Razortail, Pierce 9 and Raven Frost
- Acquire Laying of Hands, Highlord's Wrath and the attack-speed jewel as a package
- Upgrade to Matriarchal Faith, then Fortitude
- Add The Reaper's Toll to the Might mercenary and improve damage/Attack Rating charms
Playstyle
- Before combat
Put Valkyrie and Decoy in front, and check arrow quantity and mana leech.
- Ordinary packs
Use Strafe in narrow corridors and Multiple Shot against spread-out packs. Create distance before firing.
- Bosses
Cast Inner Sight, then use Guided Arrow or Strafe. You cannot move during a Strafe sequence, so stop before dangerous attacks.
- Physical immunes
A uses mercenary Decrepify; B waits for Witchwild String to trigger Amplify Damage. Slowly kill unbreakable immunes with Magic Arrow or skip them.
- B Farming areas
Start along the edges of the Pit and Chaos Sanctuary. Avoid numerous physically immune ghosts and dangerous ranged packs.
- Transition requirements
Around level 65, after acquiring upgraded Witchwild String, Razortail, mana leech and Pierce 9, B can begin.
Mechanics and notes
Change attack-speed gear as a set
A has helm 15 + gloves 20 + amulet 20 = 55 IAS. Even at Matriarchal Faith's minimum level 12 Fanaticism, this exceeds the required 48 IAS for the 7-frame normal bow attack breakpoint. B has Shaels 40 + Treachery 45 + helm 15 + gloves 20 + amulet 20 = 140 IAS, reaching the Diamond Bow's 8-frame breakpoint. Do not mix in other bow bases.
Pierce and accuracy are separate
Pierce level 9 gives 69%, and Razortail adds 33%, totaling 100%. An arrow must hit before it can pierce, so maintain Penetrate and Attack Rating.
Critical Strike and Deadly Strike
Do not add the two double-damage chances directly. If one fails, the other can still be checked. Crushing Blow is less effective at range than in melee.
Strengths, limitations and farming style
Strengths
Handles both wide packs and narrow corridors
The budget bow offers resistances and an immunity solution
Limitations
Depends on physical weapon damage and Attack Rating
Strafe locks you in place; boss kills are slower than melee
Additional variants
Glass cannon
Once comfortable with the build, move 50 hard points from Vitality to Dexterity. This leaves less room for taking hits than the baseline.
Windforce variant
Windforce with an Act 1 Faith mercenary is a separate setup. Replacing player-wielded Faith with Windforce alone loses Fanaticism and the attack-speed requirements; do not mix it into this recommendation.