Arc Totems in PoE 2 are one of those setups that makes the early grind feel way less stressful, especially if you hate standing still to cast. You drop totems, they start chaining lightning for you, and you can keep moving instead of getting clipped by random junk on the floor. If you are still sorting out your first upgrade path, grabbing some Path of Exile 2 Currency early can make the whole climb a lot smoother, mostly because this build likes gem levels and decent weapon stats more than fancy gimmicks.

Why this setup feels good to play

The real appeal is pace. You are not trying to turret-cast through every pack. You place your totems, keep repositioning, and let Arc do the messy work. That matters a lot in PoE 2, where standing still for too long usually gets you punished. Clear feels clean in dense areas because Arc chains so naturally, and on bosses the damage stays steady as long as your totems keep living. It is not the flashiest build, but it does the job without asking for perfect hands or perfect gear.

What Gemling Legionnaire adds

Gemling Legionnaire fits this style because it helps the build scale through gems and attribute flexibility instead of forcing a weird niche setup. That makes the gearing path less annoying. You are not hunting for one impossible unique to make the build function. You mostly want better gem levels, spell stats, cast speed, and enough defenses to stop dying to trash hits. In my experience, that kind of scaling feels much better for a league start or a first serious character than something that only comes online after a pile of investment.

Get Arc running as soon as the game allows it, then shift into totems when the support setup is ready.
Keep upgrading your weapon, because +levels and spell damage usually beat random sidegrades by a mile.
Do not ignore resistances just because the build is ranged; PoE 2 still punishes sloppy gearing hard.
Use your movement skill often, since your totems can keep shooting while you are already moving to safety.
For boss fights, drop all your totems first, then focus on dodging instead of trying to squeeze in extra casts yourself.

Gear and passive choices that actually matter

Most of your damage comes from simple, boring stats: lightning spell levels, spell damage, cast speed, crit if your gear supports it, and anything that helps totems stay up longer. On the tree, go for totem nodes, lightning damage, life, ES, resistances, and mana efficiency where needed. A lot of players overthink this part and chase damage too hard. From what I've seen, dying less usually improves your real DPS more than a tiny damage bump you never get to use.

Small mistakes that slow the build down

The biggest mistake is treating this like a pure caster build. It is not. Your character is a support platform for the totems, so your job is to set up fights fast and survive long enough for them to work. Another common miss is skipping weapon upgrades too long. Arc scales nicely with skill level, so an old wand can quietly hold the whole setup back. If you keep your gear current and do not get lazy with defenses, the build holds up well in maps and still feels comfortable when bosses start getting messy.

How the build holds up later on

What keeps Arc Totems relevant is that the playstyle never really fights you. Mapping stays fast because the totems clear while you move, and bosses stay manageable because your damage keeps ticking even when you are busy dodging. It does not require sweaty inputs, and it avoids a lot of the frustration that comes with melee or self-cast setups in PoE 2. If you want a character that can farm, survive, and keep scaling without turning the game into a second job, this is a pretty solid way to spend your Path of Exile 2 Currency Orbs.