With the launch of Patch 1.4, Shattered Omens, it's time to dive into the top builds I recommend for both new and experienced players alike. This guide is split into two sections: first, we’ll explore some reliable, easy-to-learn builds that will be perfect for newer players, and then we’ll take a look at some experimental and exciting builds for more adventurous players who want to push the boundaries of what’s possible in Last Epoch.

1. Forge Weapons Forge Guard

Starting things off with one of the most beginner-friendly builds, Forge Weapons Forge Guard is a fantastic choice for new players. Recently, I ran a test where I leveled a character from scratch and pushed it all the way to Aaroth in just 10 hours while casually playing. Throughout the leveling process, Forge Guard felt incredibly smooth, especially once you unlock Forge minions. These minions scale with your weapons, so even early on, you're building up a strong army of minions. A large amount of Last Epoch gold can also be of great help to you.

While this build can start a little slow, it quickly picks up speed once you can summon your minions. It offers a mix of active playstyle and tankiness, making it a strong choice for new players who like the idea of summoning minions while being incredibly durable. It’s perfect if you want to focus on defense and keep things simple while scaling your damage with Forge Weapons.

Key Points:

Easy to level and play.

Can summon minions that scale with your gear.

Very tanky, allowing for a smooth gameplay experience.

Works well for players who want to feel like a “bullwark” in combat.

For a more detailed guide, check out the Max Roll guide linked below.

2. Thorn Totem Shaman

Next on the list is Thorn Totem Shaman—a great choice for those who like to play a more passive, yet powerful build. You’ll be using a combination of Thorn Totems and Storm Totems to deal significant damage to enemies. The beauty of this build is in its simplicity. You place totems down and let them do the work while you enjoy the smooth gameplay loop of walking around in Spriggan form and watching enemies die. Plus, Thorn Totem is getting a significant buff in Patch 1.4, with its damage effectiveness increasing by 30%.

The Shaman build starts to feel pretty strong early on, and since you get Thorn Totem as early as level 4, it’s very newbie-friendly. You can stick with this playstyle all the way through the campaign and beyond. The build is also not gear-dependent, so you won’t need to stress over finding the perfect gear to progress.

Key Points:

Super simple gameplay loop: Summon totems and watch enemies fall.

Buffed Thorn Totem damage for Patch 1.4.

Great for new players and those looking for a chill experience.

This is another excellent build for new players who want an easy and effective leveling experience.

3. Glacier Sorcerer

The Glacier Sorcerer is another excellent build for new players, especially if you like the idea of using powerful AoE spells to clear enemies. The core of this build is spamming Glacier and Volcanic Orb, which provides both great AoE and single-target damage. Glacier itself is a fantastic leveling skill, and with the addition of Volcanic Orb in Patch 1.4, you get a huge boost to your single-target damage through skill queuing. This synergy allows you to effortlessly smash through normal monoliths and early game content.

This build is incredibly simple to play—just hold down your right-click and let your spells do the work. It’s perfect for new players because you get to play the same build all the way through from level 1 to 70 without the need to respec. Volcanic Orb also got a buff to its mana cost and base damage, so you won’t have to worry about running out of resources.

Key Points:

Simple and fun to play, especially for new players.

Great for AoE clear and single-target damage.

Easy to level, with the preferred method of leveling being Glacier Mage.

Overall, Glacier Sorcerer is an ideal build for players who like easy-to-play, high-damage spells with minimal complexity.

Experimental Builds

Now that we’ve covered the beginner-friendly builds, let’s take a look at some experimental builds for players who want to explore new concepts in Patch 1.4.

4. Shadow Rend Low Life Guile Marksman

One of the most exciting builds coming in Patch 1.4 is Shadow Rend Low Life Guile Marksman. If you're looking to play something unique and experimental, this build is for you.

The core idea is to use Bladestorm and Puncture during leveling, but eventually switch to Shadow Rend for utility. Shadow Rend is a bit experimental at the moment, with some numbers still being tweaked, but it looks promising for both AoE and single-target damage once it’s fully optimized. This build will focus on Low Life mechanics, and although the numbers for Shadow Rend aren’t finalized yet, it will definitely be an interesting one to try out.

Key Points:

Exciting new build based on Shadow Rend and Low Life mechanics.

Great for players who want to experiment with new mechanics.

5. Ignite Puke Death Knight Zombies

This is a truly out-there build that I’m recommending for those who want to get creative with Ignite and Puke Zombies. The key to this build is scaling Volatile Zombies to make them puke, which will deal poison damage based on your maximum mana. This synergizes with Death Knight Zombies, allowing you to scale their damage through your mana pool.

While it’s still uncertain how powerful this build will be, the synergy between poison and ignite scaling makes it a fun experiment for players who like pushing boundaries. Plus, there’s potential for scaling additional fire damage through Hash Wakeake and other mechanics, which could make for some interesting playstyles.

Key Points:

Combines Puke Zombies and Death Knight Zombies with Ignite scaling.

Potential for serious damage with poison, fire, and mana stacking.

Great for experimental players who enjoy theorycrafting.

6. Bladestorm Falconer Trickster

Another experimental build I’m excited about is Bladestorm Falconer Trickster. The goal here is to use Bladestorm to launch Shurikens, which will make up the bulk of your damage. The build revolves around deploying turrets that fire shurikens for massive DPS.

If you're looking for smooth, turret-based gameplay, this is the build for you. However, there’s always the risk that EHG could change things mid-patch, as we saw with previous Trickster builds, but if everything goes well, Bladestorm Falconer Trickster could be one of the most satisfying builds to play.

Key Points:

Uses Bladestorm to throw Shurikens for high DPS.

Smooth gameplay loop involving turrets and shuriken spam.

A fun, experimental build for those who like playing with turrets and projectiles.

7. Fire Aura Spellblade

Finally, we have the Fire Aura Spellblade, which utilizes the recent buffs to Fire Auras. The build focuses on spamming as many Fire Auras as possible, taking advantage of huge buffs to their effectiveness. By using Enchant Weapon and Fire Brand, you’ll scale your Fire Auras to deal massive amounts of damage. This build plays similarly to RF builds but in a melee range, making it perfect for players who like close combat with a bit of AoE damage.

Key Points:

Focuses on spamming Fire Auras for massive DPS.

Scales damage with Fire Auras and other buffs.

A great option for players who enjoy melee combat with AoE damage.

Conclusion

Whether you're new to Last Epoch or an experienced player looking to try something new, there’s a build here for you. From the simple and reliable builds like Forge Weapons, Forge Guard, and Thorn Totem Shaman to the experimental Fire Aura Spellblade and Shadow Rend, Low Life Guile Marksman, Patch 1.4, Shattered Omens, is sure to offer exciting new gameplay experiences.  Having plenty of cheap Last Epoch gold can be a great help to you.