Summary
The Return of the Ancestors event brings back the beloved Trial of the Ancestors mechanics, complete with Phrecian Ascendancy classes and powerful Tattoos. This guide covers the Explosive Arrow Ballista build optimized for the event—covering everything from mandatory Tattoos and gear progression to crafting corrupted items and finding Timeless Jewels, helping you maximize your POE currency gains without wasting resources on expensive mistakes.
Core Build Philosophy
Explosive Arrow Ballista is a totem-based build that scales damage primarily through gem levels. Each additional level to Explosive Arrow provides substantial damage increases, making gem level stacking your top priority .
The build functions by placing ballista totems that fire Explosive Arrow projectiles, which attach to enemies and detonate after a short delay. The explosion damage and ignite are where the build's power comes from.
Tattoo Setup (Event Exclusive)
Tattoos are the defining feature of this event. Here's the mandatory setup:
Honoured Tattoo of the Hunter
This is mandatory. It gives +1 level of Dexterity gems, boosting Explosive Arrow by one level . This tattoo must be placed on a small Dexterity node with seven adjacent allocated passives . Get this as soon as you have currency.
Fire Damage Small Tattoos
Use nine of these (likely the Tattoo of the Ngamahu Makanga variant). Each grants 5% increased Fire Damage and replaces a red attribute notable .
Blind on Hit Tattoo
One Tattoo of the Tasalio Makanga (or similar variant) gives chance to Blind Enemies on Hit. One is sufficient .
Optional Tattoos
Loyalty Tattoo of Kaom grants a special ancestor minion that mitigates damage. It's fun and cheap .
Chaos Resistance Tattoos can be placed on blue attribute nodes if you're struggling with resistances .
Ascendancy Tattoo
The Forbidden Tattoo of the Templar replaces an Ascendancy notable. For this build, place it to get:
Ritual of Awakening: 40% more damage + 8% maximum life regen per second (best in slot)
Pursuit of Fate: +1 totem and 100% placement speed (budget option)
You want Ritual of Awakening for the multiplicative damage bonus. It's significantly better than increased damage .
Gear Progression
Leveling and Early Maps
Quill Rain is your starter bow. It provides massive attack speed for stacking fuses quickly .
Body Armor: Start with a six-link rare, then transition to Brass Dome. Brass Dome provides:
Massive armor (doubled by your ascendancy)
+1% to maximum resistances
Immunity to critical strikes
Important: If using Brass Dome, do NOT take the mastery that gives 50% increased maximum life if body armor has no life modifier. Brass Dome's modifier "Strength provides no bonus to maximum life" counts as a life modifier, so the mastery does nothing .
Endgame Setup
Bow: Work toward a rare bow with:
+1 to Level of Socketed Gems
+2 to Level of Socketed Bow Gems
Increased Attack Speed
Fire Damage over Time Multiplier (crafted)
Gain Fire Damage as Extra Chaos Damage (crafted)
Quiver: Look for elemental damage with attacks and projectile speed. Projectile speed converts to damage through the bow mastery "Increases and Reductions to Projectile Speed also apply to Damage with Bows" .
Amulet: Budget option: +1 all Fire Skill Gems with elemental damage with attacks and life. Best in slot: +1 all Skill Gems AND +1 all Fire Skill Gems with damage mods.
Anoints:
Budget: Divine Judgment
Best in Slot: Lava Lash
Gloves: Roll with Lesser Eldritch Embers and Ichor until you get:
Fire Exposure on hit (implicit)
Intimidation on hit (implicit)
Also look for attack speed and damaging modifiers .
Rings: Need elemental damage with attacks alongside life and resistances. Can be crafted with Harvest "Reforge Attack" on a Cord Belt base for additional anoint.
Boots: Life, resistances, movement speed. Eldritch implicits can add movement speed.
Crafting Corrupted Gear
Corrupted items can still be modified using Tainted Currency. Here's the process:
Apply quality with Tainted Armourer's Scrap
Use Tainted Jeweller's Orb to add sockets (50/50 to add or remove)
Use Tainted Fusing to link sockets (50/50 to add or remove links)
Use Tainted Chromatic Orb for colors
Start with four sockets and work up. The process can take a few attempts due to the 50/50 nature .
Useful Corruptions:
Body Armor: +1 to Socketed Gems, +1 to AoE/Projectile/Duration Gems
Quiver: Point Blank (saves a passive point), +1 Arrow
Quill Rain: +1 Arrow
Gem Setup
Main Setup (Body Armor)
Explosive Arrow
Ballista Totem
Lifetap
Combustion
Elemental Damage with Attacks
Empower (Level 4) OR Cruelty (budget)
Crucial: Use Empower Level 4 for the endgame. Level 3 Empower performs similarly to Level 21 Cruelty, but Level 4 is substantially more damage.
Support Gem Quality: Put quality on:
Ballista Totem Support (totem placement speed)
Combustion (10% increased damage)
Elemental Damage with Attacks (10% increased damage)
Explosive Arrow itself
You can skip quality on Lifetap, Empower, and Cruelty.
Leveling Gems
Level up Explosive Arrow gems in your offhand weapon slots. Use Maloney's Mechanism quiver for additional offhand sockets to level more gems simultaneously.
Buy Explosive Arrow gems that already have some quality from Heist drops (cheaper than using Gemcutter's Prisms). Level them to 20, then use Gemcutter's Prisms to finish the remaining quality.
Pro Tip: Vaal Orb level 21 gems can be sold for profit. A level 21 Explosive Arrow sells for approximately 5 divines in this event.
Utilities
Frenzy + Lifetap + Faster Attacks (for generating Frenzy charges)
Flammability + Arcanist Brand (curse application)
Dash + Second Wind (movement)
Automation + Steelskin (guard skill)
Vitality + Arrogance (aura)
Purity of Elements + Grace (auras)
Passive Tree
Mandatory Masteries
Bow Mastery: "Increases and Reductions to Projectile Speed also apply to Damage with Bows" — this is essential .
Fire Mastery: "Critical Strikes do not inherently Ignite" + "100% increased Damage with Hits against Ignited Enemies" .
Totem Mastery: "5% of Damage from Hits is taken from your nearest Totem's Life before you" and "Totems Taunt Enemies around them for 1 second when Summoned" .
Spell Suppression Mastery: "Chance to Suppress Spell Damage is Lucky" .
Timeless Jewels
Two options work:
Brutal Restraint: Search for nodes that grant:
Projectile Damage
Elemental Damage
Alchemist Genius (flask effect and duration)
Movement Speed
Lethal Pride: Search for:
Totem Damage
Totem Placement Speed
Chance to Deal Double Damage
How to Search:
Open Path of Building
Click "Find Timeless Jewel"
Select Brutal Restraint or Lethal Pride
Add desired notable filters
Copy the trade URL
Paste into browser and search
Don't overpay — a good Timeless Jewel should cost around 1 divine .
Light of Meaning
Fire Damage variant is optional but adds significant damage, increasing fire damage on all allocated notables.
Crafting Tips
Gloves
Use Lesser Eldritch Embers and Ichor until you hit Fire Exposure and Intimidation. They're cheap — keep rolling .
Cord Belt
Buy any Cord Belt base
Use Harvest "Reforge Attack" (guarantees elemental damage with attacks)
Stop when you get life
Add an anoint
Flask Setup
Automate flasks with "Use when charges reach full." Mandatory:
Divine Life Flask with "Immunity to Corrupted Blood"
Utility flasks with increased armor/evasion/attack speed
Pantheon
Make sure your pantheon is fully unlocked for additional defenses.
Farming Strategy
Content to Run
Blighted Maps: Easy, consistent currency
Heist: Blueprints drop divines, Gemcutter's Prisms for leveling
Ultimatum: Good rewards, build handles it well
Ritual: Strong for this build
Five-Way Legions: With Headhunter, this build can farm Timeless Jewels
Progression Path
Farm Blighted Maps for initial currency
Upgrade gear step by step
Get Brass Dome for survivability
Upgrade bow to +2 gems
Get Empower Level 4
Add Corruptions
Push endgame content
Level Progression
1-32: Level with Caustic Arrow + Mirage Archer and Toxic Rain Ballista
32+: Swap to Explosive Arrow Ballista
70+: Full setup with Ballista Totem
Vital Check: You should have 24 passive skill points from all Labyrinth runs.
Common Mistakes
Don't take pierce or additional arrows. These break the build by preventing explosive arrow fuses from stacking properly .
Don't use added fire damage to attacks on any item — it messes up Elemental Equilibrium mechanics .
Don't ignore Ballista Totem quality — placement speed is essential for smooth gameplay.
Don't skip the bow mastery that converts projectile speed to damage — it's effectively free damage.
Final Notes
The build guide has everything: passive tree, gear options, gem setups, and progression steps. Don't just copy a Path of Building — understand how the build scales damage. Gem levels, multipliers across different categories, and proper support gems all matter.
This build excels at Heist, Blighted Maps, and eventually Five-Way Legions. It's a reliable all-rounder for the Return of the Ancestors event .
