S Best Hunter Build
Ranged Single-target Burst (DLC) · Paid DLC · Knight + Hunter + Priest
Paid DLC ranged single-target burst with strong controlled boss pressure. Skill data pending.
Paid DLC, and the better of the two DLC classes to buy. The community rates her around the second or third best DPS in the game thanks to elemental effects, multi-target reach, and a very high-damage Explosive Bolt (community figure around 688% area damage, unverified). With a half-cooldown plus double-damage helmet enchant she can out-DPS the Ranger. The caveat: she is harder to build, leans on crit, and the current crit build is weak, so she no longer clearly beats the free Ranger.
Base Stats
- HP: 70
- Armor: 15
- Attack: 70
- Crit Chance %: 4.5
- Crit Damage %: 155
- Attack Speed/s: 0.7
Priority Stats
Skills
- Explosive Bolt — 8s
- Frost Bolt — 5s
- Charge Trap — 12s
- Crossbow Turret
Overview
Hunter is a paid DLC class, one of two alongside Slayer, and she is the better of the two to buy. She rates S-tier on most every tier list, and the community puts her around the second or third best DPS in the game. She is a ranged damage dealer that blends single-target burst with crowd control through elemental bolts, which makes her a flexible substitute for the Ranger. Her strengths are elemental effects, multi-target reach, and a very high-damage Explosive Bolt that community testing pegs at around 688% area damage (unverified). With the right setup, namely a half-cooldown plus double-damage helmet enchant, she can out-DPS the Ranger outright. There is an important meta caveat, though. She is harder to build than the Ranger, she leans hard on crit, and the current crit build is weak, so since recent balancing she no longer clearly out-damages the free Ranger. Treat her as a strong "nice to have if you own the DLC" rather than a must-buy power spike.
Stat Priority
Critical Chance and Critical Damage drive her single-target output, with Projectile Damage and Attack Speed close behind. Her base crit sits around 19.5% (community figure, unverified), so you have a lot of room to build it up. Here is the key reason Critical Damage matters so much for her: she deals three damage types at once, physical from her auto attacks, fire from Explosive Bolt, and cold from Frost Bolt. Critical Damage scales all three of them at the same time, which is why you stack it rather than picking a single element to chase. Then split Fire and Cold Enhancement so both of her elemental bolts benefit. The same crit rule applies as for every DPS: pair crit chance with crit damage rather than maxing one, since the two multiply (the exact math is in the mechanics FAQ). She is a backliner, so she wants no real defense beyond enough HP to survive a stray hit.
Skills & Leveling
Her kit centers on Explosive Bolt and Frost Bolt, which apply Fire and Cold effects, and those two are the core of every build. Charge Trap adds control, and Crossbow Turret is a deployable that keeps damage ticking. Frost Bolt is more than a damage tool. Its freeze can save you against bosses that one-shot, where the Sorcerer's ice only slows the target. There is also a Net mechanic that combos with elements: cold freezes, fire explodes, and lightning strikes, so the order you apply your bolts matters. The elemental bolts make her strongest at controlled boss pressure, where slowing and bursting one target matters more than raw wave clear. Grab the second skill slot (50,000 gold) so she can run a burst bolt and a control tool together.
Gear & Materials
She runs a Crossbow plus Bolt. Her defensive gear can simply copy the Sorcerer, so you do not need a separate plan there. For offense, her accessories want Critical Damage and Critical Chance. A good chain is Nightshade Extract for crit damage first, then Phoenix Ash or Griffin's Beak. Full Arcana offense is the goal, and one creator reached about 160 crit chance using lapis (unverified), so the ceiling is high if you invest. Prioritize Crit and Projectile Damage rolls and slot Fire/Cold Enhancement materials through the Hero-dric Cube. Use Synthesis to climb rarities and Alchemy to turn fodder into gold. Her elemental focus means resistance-piercing and elemental gems pay off. Check the item database for the best crossbow bases, which drop from stage-boss chests during active play.
Team & Positioning
Hunter is the damage core of the premium Boss Slayer comp, Knight plus Hunter plus Priest, where Knight tanks, Priest sustains, and Hunter bursts and controls from the back. She occupies the same back slot any ranged DPS would. On a free account, that exact slot simply runs Ranger or Sorcerer instead, which is why she is optional rather than mandatory. Because she leans on crit and is harder to build, she rewards a player who is willing to invest in her offense rather than someone looking for a plug-and-play carry.
Runes & Progression
Same priorities as any hero: open the third hero slot (150,000 gold) via Rune of Command and grab her second skill slot (50,000 gold). The Rune Tree opens at level 3. Take Rune of War, then Rune of Growth, then Rune of Command. Since she is a DLC investment and her power lives in her crit scaling, it is worth funding her full kit with Alchemy gold if you intend to push the hardest bosses. Aim toward full Arcana offense over time, because that is where her ceiling against the X-10 Soul Stone act bosses really opens up.
Farming vs Boss
Bosses are where she shines. Controlled single-target with elemental effects suits the X-10 Soul Stone act bosses, where you want to slow and focus one high-HP target. Frost Bolt's freeze is the standout here, because against a boss that one-shots, a full freeze buys you a window the Sorcerer's slow cannot. For plain farming she is fine, but she does not beat the free Ranger or Sorcerer, so most players farm gold stages like 2-7 Hell with the free DPS and bring Hunter out for boss pushes and harder Torment content such as 3-9 Torment.
Common Mistakes
Don't buy the DLC expecting a farming upgrade. Her edge is boss control, not clear speed, and offline farming drops no chests regardless of who you run. Don't double up fragile DPS up front: pair her with a tank and a Priest, not another backliner exposed to hits. And skip Explosive Bolt's cooldown-and-damage unique stat. Community testing found it bugged, cutting most of the skill's damage instead of helping, so run the bolt without it until it is fixed. Finally, don't fall back on a pure crit build and expect it to carry. The current crit build is weak, so you need to commit to full Arcana offense and stack Critical Damage to get the most out of her.
Rune Priority Order
- Rune of War
- Rune of Growth
- Rune of Command
- Rune of Awakening
- Rune of Wealth
- Rune of Expansion
- Rune of Repose
- Far North
Recommended Teams
- Boss Slayer (premium): Knight + Hunter + Priest
Related
Data updated 2026-06-22