Falconer Mastery Leveling Build for Last Epoch (Patch 1.1)

Rogue is our base class to start this character off with. Our goal in this Passive Tree is to gain defensive scaling with Evasion and Dodge and Parry. We are also able to start scaling some offenses with Swift Assassin. In end game builds this tree may be more utilized, but for now, this will do.

• 4 points into Swift Assassin: This increases our attack speed, and adds to our base physical damage.
• 1 point into Guile: We really only take this to move on in the tree.
• 5 points into Evasion: This gives us a massive 20% damage reduction while moving and increased dodge rating.
• 5 points into Agility: This gives us a 25% chance to gain haste on hit, we also now have increased damage, based on our movement speed.
• 5 points into Dodge and Parry: This adds to our Dodge rating, but also gives us Glancing Blows chance.

The Falconer tree will be the bulk of our points, focusing on buffing our Falcon, as he will do majority of the work for us. Please take the first 5 points in the Bladedancer first. After those 5 points, we wont be leaving the Falconer Tree.

• 5 points into Raptor's Wings: We increase our chance to gain haste on hit from the Agility node earlier. Additionaly, we also have a chance to gain haste if our Falcon hits.
• 5 points into Handler: Increases to our minion damage, and add +5% chance for our Falcon to Critically Strike.
• 2 points into Wilderness Scout: Adding Health and Dodge Rating.
• 4 points into Outlander's Tenacity: Further add to our Dodge Rating, and gaining a % of our Maximum HP as Endurance Threshold.
• 1 point into Crimson Skies: A value point, as we have a chance to gain Crimson Shroud. This gives us up to 15% less damage taken from DoTs.
• 3 points into Peltast: Both our Falcon and us gain throwing attack speed.
• 5 points into Tactician: Our Falcon gets a large increase to both their Throwing and melee base damage.
• 5 points into Fencing Grace: We gain Block Chance and Block Effectiveness. We also gain increase damage.
• 5 points into Avian Hurl: This gives us a large increase to our base throwing damage. Moreover, our Falcon now gains 50% of all of our base throwing damamge as BOTH melee and Throwing for it.
• 3 points into Evasion Tactics: We gain an increase to our Armor and Dodge rating.
• 3 points into Relentless Talons: Both the Falcon and us gain increased damage, we also heal when our Falcon hits and enemy, based on our Dexterity.
• 1 point into Intuitive Connection: All of the Falcon abilites are now Instantly Casted.
• 6 points into Needle Like Precision: The Falcon and us, gain increases to Critical Strike chance and Critical Strike Multiplier.
• 7 points into Finesse Them: This node will give our Falcon Critical Strike Multiplier based on OUR Critical Strike Avoidance. This gives us a reason to go above 100%.
• 4 points into Stymphalian Feathers: We gain armor based on our Dexterity, additionally, whenever our Falcon hits an enemy, we gain 2% increased armor.

The Bladedancer tree will be added before everything else. The movespeed is far too valuable in order to move around in the campaign. Because of this, you'll move around the campaign faster, hence leveling faster.

• 5 points into Pursuit: This will increase your melee and throwing damage. However, we mostly take this node for the 8% increased movespeed.

 Umbral Blades is going to be one of our main sources of damage. We wont necessarirly be spamming this later in the campaign, as the triggers from our  Aerial Assault will be automating this quite often. In the early game, however, this will be the skill we continuously spam. To be clear, the damage is actually going to come from  Shadow Daggers.

• 1 points into Dawnfall: This node gives us a defensive layer with Dusk Shroud, but also boosts our damage with each Dusk Shroud we have with Edge of Obscurity.
• 1 point into Sword Thrower: This node is what starts to make  Umbral Blades hit very hard.
• 1 point into Lethal Darkness: Inflicts a stack of  Shadow Daggers on hit.
• 1 point into Cacophony of Steel: This causes our blades to spin in place, making the  Umbral Blades hit three times per second with  Bladestorm. However, the real damage comes from applying  Shadow Daggers.
• 4 points into Steel Torrent: This node increases the duration and size of the  Bladestorm from Cacophony of Steel.
• 1 point into Loathing: We take this node in order to have the  Bladestorm home in on enemies. It is slow, but effective.
• 5 points into Jagged Carvings: We add 20 base Physical Damage to  Umbral Blades.
• 1 point into Precision Cuts: We take this node for the ability to have  Umbral Blades go exactly where we want, when we self cast.
• 1 point into Explosive Blades: This causes the Blades to now explode when it touches and enemy.
• 4 points into Burst of Agony: We add significant damage and area of the explosion, based on how long it has been on the ground for.

NOTE:You must put unscaled  Falconry on the bar for  Aerial Assault to function.

 Aerial Assault we be our second skill that we scale. This will begin to automate the build as we get points into Plumed Daggers. Do not be frivolous with Mana, use  Umbral Blades manually when necessary. Until we pickup rings that kill our mana cost for throwing, we have to utilize Aerial Assault to regain mana.

• 3 points into Avian Hunter: We decrease the Cooldown and increase the damage.
• 1 point into Projectile Training: Featherstorm from the Falcon, gains 30% of our damage.
• 3 points into Twilight Strike: The Falcon will now throw 6 Umbral Blades. Note: 3 Blades will instantly Detonate and 3 will linger and 3 will linger.
• 1 point into Plumed Daggers: The previous node will now Shred Armor.
• 1 point into Skyward Swoop: You recover 10% of Aerial Assault's Cooldown whenever your Falcon hits an enemy.
• 2 points into Refreshing Resolve: You gain 6% of your missing mana, when you use Aerial Assault.
• 1 point into Coordinated Assault: You reduce the cooldown based on current mana that you have, for both  Falconry and  Dive Bomb.
• 1 point into Featherstorm: Featherstorm has and increased duration.
• 2 points into Domain of the Huntress: Featherstorm now slows, and you gain 2 Dodge Rating per point of Dexterity you have while inside the storm.
• 1 point into Shaded Wingspan: If there is a boss or rare, a Shadow Falcon will automatically attack them when you use Aerial Assualt. Note: This is a shadow, not the Falcon. Their skills work independtly of eachother.
• 1 point into Umbral Remnants: A shadow will be created if Wingburst or Featherstorm kills and enemy.
• 2 points into Ambush: Wingburst and Featherstorm do more damage to High Health Enemies.
• 1 point into Slayer of big Prey: The previous node will always apply to any rare of boss enemy, regardless of health.

 Falconry will further automate the build. As our Falcon will nave have massive gains to all damage he does. By putting points into Sky Chaser he will have reduced cooldowns on his hard hitting feather knives. Be sure to use this skill on bosses, especially when they are low, as the Falcon will instantly kill enemies below 16% hp.

• 1 points into Falconer's Journey: Your Falcon will do 1% more damage per level you are, and 1% per Dexterity.
• 3 points into Side by Side: When you hit an enemy with an attack, the skill reduces its cooldown.
• 4 points into Avian Stamina: The active portion of the ability, hits additional times.
• 2 points into Bird of Prey: Falcon strikes now instantly kill an enemy at 16% or less health.
• 2 points into The Blood Dance: When your Falcon kills an enemy, it will hit two more enemies.
• 1 point into Trained to Hunt: Your highest increased global damage now applies to the Falcon at 75% its value.
• 1 point into Go For the Eyes!: Your Critical Strike Chance will now be applied to the falcon at 75% its value.
• 1 point into Exposed Weakness: When you use a Throwing Attack and critically strike, your Falcon will gain your Critical Multiplier at 25% of its value. (This effect can stack twice per 2 seconds).
• 1 point into Feather Knives: Your Falcon will throw knives at enemies at random, automatically.
• 3 points into Sky Chaser: Significantly increases the rate at which the Falcon will throw Feather Knives.
• 1 point into Rending Talons: Your Falcon will have % of your values of applying ailments. IE: Armor Shred.

We can use  Dive Bomb when ever we see a large or difficult pack. This may just outright kill it, or at the very least, allow our  Aerial Assault to kill them on landing. Very few monsters on a decently scaled Falcon will survive this attack.

• 4 points into Rushing Wings: Adds more damage and makes the dive animation faster.
• 4 points in Devastating Dive: Adds more damage and increases the Stun duration.
• 4 points in Rush of the Hunt: Increases the cooldown recovery of the skill.
• 4 points into Focused Hunter: Adds more damage and reduces the Mana cost.
• 3 points in United Assault: Reduces the cooldown when you use a throwing attack that hits an enemy.
• 1 point into Cloud Gatherer: This node increases the duration of our defensively scaled  Smoke Bomb.

 Smoke Bomb is our generic "Get-out-of-jail" card. We can use it to bolster our defenses, while we make a stand against a pack. Doing so, will enure maximum damage output from the Smoke Blades node. We also get to stay in the Smoke Bomb longer, thanks to the Cloud Gatherer on Dive Bomb.

• 5 points into Generosity: This increases the area of the smoke bomb, which gives us a bigger space for safety.
• 1 point into Enfeeblement: This node will inflict the enemies with Frailty.
• 2 points into Moonlight Bomb: We gain Silver Shroud in Smoke Bomb.
• 1 point into Cleansing Steam: We purge any negative ailments on us when we cast Smoke Bomb.
• 1 point into Shrouded in Darkness: We gain Dusk Shroud while we are in the Smoke Bomb.
• 4 points into Rapid Concealment: The previous node applies Dusk Shroud to us, twice as fast.
• 2 points into Lingering Fumes: Smoke Bomb and its effects last longer.
• 4 points into Smoke Blades: We gain increased base damage per second, while in the smoke bomb. The effects last 4 seconds, so 4 stacks can be applied.