Crossbow / Dagger PvE Build Guide
Last Updated:March 8, 2025|Changelog
Welcome to the Crossbow / Dagger PvE Build Guide. Scorpion allows for the highest single target burst damage in game. Due to the high number of hits from both weapons, you consistently reach 20 stacks of Thunderclouds to dish out explosive damage with frequent procs of Thunderclouds Bombing.
Crossbow / Daggers are both unique weapons in the sense that they are dual-wielded. What makes dual-wielding so unique in this game is that for every attack you do with these weapons, there's a chance to do it again with their "off-hand". Between Off-Hand attacks and how many hits in these skills, Crossbow / Dagger has the ability to do over 30-40 hits within a second. Crossbow and Dagger skills can be quite deceptive when it comes to damage numbers because of how many hits that are able to be thrown out.
End Game Crossbow / Dagger PvE Build
If you're interested in PvP, check out our Crossbow / Dagger PvP Build Guide!
Gear Progression
During T2 Gear progression, Queen Bellandir's Toxic Spine Throwers becomes the highest PvE Damaging Crossbow due to the added poison.
If your goal is to PvP, use our Crossbow / Dagger PvP Build Guide as all important PvE content can be done with PvP Gear! PvE Gear is recommended for high tier Challenge Dungeons, however.
- There is no "Best Build", Talandre Gear allows for a wide variety of builds leading to different metas depending on your Server.
- Use the builds as a base, and swap different pieces around to gain the specific stats you desire.
- AGS is limiting gear availability for the launch of Talandre so Loot Tables may not be fully correct at during the first month of Talandre in Global Servers.
Chaos Harbinger Set
- 4 Piece Chaos Harbinger Set gives 100 Critical Hit + 9% Crit Damage.
- Use Monster Bird of the Plains: Solar Stone and Monster Bird of the Plains: Lunar Stone to further increase Weapon Damage by up to 30!
Build
Build
Leviathan Daggers
Bercant's Daggers
Stats and Gearing Logic
- Queen Bellandir's Toxic Spine Throwers poison damage is considered to have very high additional damage in PvE for situations where you don't instantly kill within 5-10 seconds.
- Bercant's Spineflower Crossbow is still a great addition to your arsenal as it grants similar Dexterity and Bonus Damage while also granting additional Perception and Mana Sustain.
- Leviathan's Bladed Tendrils helps to further increase your damage by keeping Umbral Spirit way longer.
- Offensive Stats
- Nearly 2000 Critical Hit
- 36% - 46% Critical Damage
- Roughly 800 Heavy Attack Chance
4 Piece Void Stalker
- This build is an alternative which is great to use during Solo Content.
- Maintaining high damage stats, its now paired with relatively high sustain.
- 4 Piece Abyss Slayer Set ensures high survivability without sacrificing damage.
- Bercant's Spineflower Crossbows ensures high Mana Sustain without needing to spec into Mana Regen.
- All pre-Talandre Builds will be revamped once it releases
- They will include new T2 Blue Gear.
- Hover over items to see how to obtain them!
- STATS FROM ARTIFACTS, ITEM SETS, AND MASTERIES ARE NOT FULLY IMPLEMENTED.
Full Build w/ Runes
Realistically, it's not worth wasting additional Lucent to for purple items past what's recommended however if you decide you want higher Combat Score before T2 items, here is an alternative build.
Skill Builds, Rotations, and Mastery
PVE is all about getting 20 stacks of Thunderclouds and then using Thunderclouds Bombing to deal massive damage, repeating as often as possible.
- Pairs well with Leviathan Specter Hand as they increase the duration of Umbral Spirit and/or Thunder Spirit.
Skill Rotation
- Lightning Infusion
- Mother Nature's Protest
- Selfless Diffusion
- Thunder Spirit
- Shadow Strike
- Using this early helps to proc the Dagger Mastery, Off-Hand Frenzy
- Fatal Stigma
- If this is going off before getting 20 Stacks back after using Thunderclouds Bombing, then wait to use it after using Thunderclouds Bombing.
- Detonation Mark
- Quick Fire
- Mad Sword Dance
- Thunderclouds Bombing
- Knife Throwing
- Quick Fire
- Thunderclouds Bombing
Tips
- Can replace Thunder Spirit with Nimble Leap for additional uses of Quick Fire during downtime when waiting for cooldowns.
- Use Mana Exchange whenever possible to maintain your Mana.
- Block Blade is a solid source of gaining instant Mana if the opponent does a lot of Fury Attacks.
Skill Rotation
- Mother Nature's Protest
- Lightning Infusion
- Selfless Diffusion
- Mortal Mark
- Fatal Stigma
- Annihilation Barrage Shot
- Thunder Spirit
- Thunder Spirit
- Frenzied Sword Dance
- Cleaving Moonlight
Tips
- Mana Exchange can be replaced for additional damage options such as Thundering Bomb
Skill Prioritization
- This is a general list of skills used across all forms of content that's recommended to upgrade.
- Should there be a skill here that you don't ever plan to use in your build, skip it.
- Use Quality Skill Growth Books to upgrade your skills from Green to Blue in the order shown below. Once all skills below are Green, use the rest on other skills used in the builds above.
- Use Rare Skill Growth Books to upgrade your skills from Blue to Purple in the order shown below. Once all skills below are Blue, use the rest on other skills used in the builds above.
- Prioritize getting all these skills to blue first before getting them to purple. These are universal skills you always use.
- Upgrade the rest of your skills as you play the game.
Active Skill Priority
Passive Skill Priority
Guardians
Guardians are special transformations that add offensive or defensive buffs or attacks to your character for 30 seconds. For damage purposes, Shade Revenant Stheno is the best option for Crossbow / Dagger.
- Shade Revenant Stheno is a Guardian that shoots projectiles against all enemies around you for 30 seconds. The reason this Guardian synergizes so well with Crossbow / Daggers is because the projectiles that hit enemies proc the Thunderclouds Weaken from Lightning Infusion, additional projectiles from Mother Nature's Protest, and even the bonus damage procs on Mortal Mark.
Gameplay
Summary
- Crossbow / Daggers PvE revolves around getting 20 Stacks of Thunderclouds and then using Thunderclouds Bombing to explode them for high damage as frequently as possible.
- Skills like Selfless Diffusion help lower your cooldowns to the point where you're constantly rotating through your skills with little to no downtime between cooldowns.
- Selfless Diffusion increases the chance for these two weapons to proc Offhand Attacks increasing your damage by 200-400%. This is something only Crossbows and Daggers can do.
- Crossbow / Daggers can utilize Bonus Damage, unlike any other weapon combination due to the high number of hits you're able to throw out.
Credits
Written by Bloo
Reviewed by Dredscythe