Mage Leveling Build for Last Epoch (Patch 1.2)

Last updated on Apr 11, 2025 at 00:00 by EMP1241

This is the perfect leveling guide for new players wanting to start with Mage! This page will cover everything and anything you could need to know about leveling the class, including which skills to use, what stats to prioritize, and what uniques are useful early in the game. Mage will allow you to play as either a Sorcerer, Spellblade, or Runemaster.

1.

Mage Leveling Build

Mage Last Epoch With Patch 1.2, Tombs of the Erased, players have the opportunity to change their Mastery for a small price of Gold at the respec NPC they've used previously to reassign Passive Nodes. Due to this change, we will only be offering a single leveling build per class. For Mage, the Mastery being suggested by Icy Veins will be Rune Master. This does not mean by any means that Sorcerer or Spellblade can not be successfully leveled with. All it means is that we're opting to offer the path of least resistance.

If you really want to use one of the other two masteries, we cover the basics further down the page, albeit in less detail than the Runemaster option.

This leveling build aims to give you a real taste of what it's like to have full control over the elements and provide you the opportunity to play around the Runic Invocation Icon Runic Invocation, all while gliding through the campaign. This build will deal a decent amount of it's damage through DoT, but the Invocations themselves will still pack a solid punch of up-front damage.

Frost Claw Icon
Glyph of Dominion Icon
Flame Rush Icon
Runic Invocation Icon
Flame Ward Icon
Skill row background
2.

Leveling Walkthrough

Early Levels (1 - 20) Levels 20 - 35 Levels 35 - 50 Levels 50 - 70
2.1.

Beginning in Eterra

Frost Claw Icon Frost Claw won't become available until level 12. It is best to struggle with unscaled points in Lightning Blast Icon Lightning Blast and Fireball Icon Fireball. If you feel like you must scale any skills, then specialize Lightning Blast, and scale into Frontloaded. This should allow you to push through to level 12. Since all but Frost Claw is locked behind class selection points, it would be good to throw some points into Flame Ward Icon Flame Ward until you reach the class specific skills. Futhermore, Glyph of Dominion Icon Glyph of Dominion will not be available until you get deep into the Runemaster tree. Knowing this, continue to scale Flame Ward into Dilation, work towards Astonish and Dual Aegis. This will keep you defensively postured with ward until we get access to Glyph of Dominion. Plan to drop Lightning Blast as soon as you reach level 12, and start scaling Frost Claw. Do not drop Flame Ward until you have 35 points into the Runemaster passive tree for Glyph of Dominion.

Brand of Deception has an extremely strong scaling factor tied to it, bumping it's damage by 6% for every 1% Shock Chance. This massive hard hitting DoT is exclusive to the Runemaster tree. Adding this Brand to Elemental Damage Over Time rolls on our gear, with ample cast rates and decent Critical Strike Chance will tear swaths of enemies down. We use massive AoE Runic Invocations to apply Brand of Deception to entire packs, and pivot to our Glyph of Dominion Icon Glyph of Dominion to deal even more damage and gain massive spikes of ward.

Don't forget, you can use skills even if you don't specialize them! This is important for skills like Teleport Icon Teleport, when you put it on your skill bar, it will give you access to mobility and faster mapping without any investment. We will do this later in the build as well, when we stop specializing in Flame Ward Icon Flame Ward as soon as Glyph of Dominion Icon Glyph of Dominion becomes available. Gear largely does not matter at this point; equipping somewhat relevant Magic (blue) and Rare (yellow) will be more than enough to make you feel strong. Be on the lookout for Silver Rings, as they provide a boost to your Movement Speed. Worst case, there's a vendor at The Keepers' Camp that will be selling random gear, allowing you to fill in any empty gear slots you may have due to poor luck. Gear in the planner will provide you with a baseline for what items and affixes to look for.

Below is the list for Passive Point allocation for the Mage Passive Tree. Don't bother spending more than the necessary 20 here, you'll want the rest to be placed into Runemaster and Sorcerer.

  • (Mage) 8 points in Arcanist: Intelligence is our bread and butter attribute. It will help keep us safe with ward retention, and push us further with Ward per Second later in the build. It is also our primary increase to our damage attribute.
  • (Mage) 1 point in Scholar: We take this as the default option, as there really is no better one to take in order to move further in the tree.
  • (Mage) 1 point in Reactive Ward: If we ever drop below 70% of our health, we gain 1 ward for every 10 Health we have.
  • (Mage) 5 points in Mage Flurry: This will give us a welcomed boost to our cast speed.
  • (Mage) 5 points in Warden: Ward is a vital life source to us, now and later in the build. This gives us a strong base to start from.
2.1.1.

Unlocking Runemaster

Sorcerer Last Epoch We will choose Runemaster as our Mastery, but will put points into Sorcerer first. This will get us quick access to some welcome damage, which usually happens around Level 16. We will only allocate 5 points here into Calculated Destruction to get boost our Critical Strike Chance and some Intelligence. This will also allow us to start specializing in Static Orb Icon Static Orb when a new specialty slot opens. In the meantime, its default cast can be used to do some bigger damage numbers. Don't de-specialize Flame Ward Icon Flame Ward just yet to add it either, as we need a little more time to get our Ward pushed higher before dumping Flame Ward.

Reaching Level 20, you should have just enough points to place the following Passive Points into the Sorcerer.

2.2.

Sorcerer Passive Points

  • (Sorcerer) 5 points in Calculated Destruction: This gives us 3% increased spell critical strike chance per Intelligence we have.

To be clear, we only put the 5 points in here in order to access Static Orb. No further investment is necessary and now the remainder of your points will be focused on the Runemaster.

2.3.

Levels 20 - 35

With your newly acquired skills, the rest of the campaign should be a breeze. Your newly scaled Frost Claw Icon Frost Claw should be tearing through packs. Weaved in with periods of Flame Ward Icon Flame Ward for defensive stands, and manually dodging high risk damage from Boss or Rare enemies, should allow you to progress smoothly as we grab even more skills to tear through Eterra.

With a more specific setup, this build will utilize a wand and an off-hand catalyst. If you've been using a two-handed staff up to this point, it's time to ditch it. There are some nodes within the Runemaster tree that really require us to use a wand; specifically, to gain Critical Strike Multiplier. If you can't immediately get a decent wand, that's perfectly fine! Your Staff or Sceptre should do okay, just keep an eye open for a wand and an off-hand catalyst as you continue working through maps. Be sure to be on the look out for Nemesis, as this will be your best chance at getting over-powered gear early in the campaign, potentially even rewarding you with Exalted (purple) gear before Level 25.

As far as stats are concerned, focus on finding gear with increases to Spell Critical Strike Chance, increased Critical Strike Multiplier, Cast Speed, and Movement Speed. Intelligence is by far the most important main attribute you'll want, so be sure to swap gear out as you come across it!

Node allocation to Level 35 should be as follows. This assumes you have around 12 points in the skill. If you happen to have more due to additional skill levels on gear, just look ahead on this page to see where the next points are spent!

2.3.1.

Frost Claw

  • 3 points in Gift of Winter: Vastly reduces the Mana cost, and gives us a chance to gain Mana when we cast it.
  • 5 points in Artor's Sceptre: Dealing 20% more damage is great, and the 100% Frostbite chance will soon be converted to Shock Chance.
  • 1 point in Spark Artillery: This converts both the damage and the ailments from Frost Claw to Lightning and Shock.
  • 1 point in Fen of the Frozen: This will slow the enemies, but this is really only taken to move us further in the tree.
  • 1 points in Brightfrost: This is a very strong node; besides increasing the Cast Speed, it will purge a random negative ailment effecting you every cast.
  • 1 point in Hand of Morditas: This adds projectiles, but also ups the Mana cost. Be aware of this, as if you have too little Mana, you may find yourself in a bad situation. Alternatively, if this is your case, you can scale to Frozen Reign first in order to avoid this.
2.3.2.

Flame Rush

  • 3 points in Blazing Flux: The skill will cost us less Mana, and recover more quickly. We will try and stack Resistances in this guide, but aim for fire specifically, because it will double the values of this if we reach 150% Fire Resistance.
  • 3 points in Runic Eclipse: We take 18% Less damage when in our Flame Rush, this is 36% against DoTs.
  • 3 points in Lunar Protection: While in our Flame Rush, we gain 90 Ward per second, and gain a large burst of Ward upon exit of the channel.
  • 1 points in Energy Equivalence: This skill is now converted to Lightning.
  • 1 points in Beta Decay: When we Flame Rush, Static Orb Icon Static Orb will cast automatically. For now, until we get 3 points into Static Orb, this will hit what is behind us.
2.3.3.

Static Orb

  • 1 point in Shocking Conduit: We only take this node to move further in the tree.
  • 1 point in Insidious Focus: Reduces the Mana cost of our Static Orb.
  • 1 point in Orbital Fulmination: Static Orb will now orbit us when casted.>
  • 2 points in Forking Surge: This allows the Static Orb to add more of its Tendrils, making it now a total of nine.
  • 4 point in Open Circuit: This causes the Static Orb to orbit us faster, and deal 20% more damage.
  • 4 points in Scatter Blast: With every cast of Static Orb, we will now have four additional smaller orbs.
2.4.

Runemaster Passive Points

At minimum, upon reaching Level 35, you should have several Passive Points to spend in Runemaster since the previous level tier. However, it's likely you have more due to quest rewards. Thus, the following list will assume you have access to 21 extra points. If you have less, it isn't a big deal. You can always go back and finish optional quests after the campaign is finished.

  • (Runemaster) 7 points in Quintessence of Triumph: We take 7, in order to get the major boost of damage, which is contigent that you have more ward then the enemy has life.
  • (Runemaster) 1 point in Unsealed Mana: We only take this in order to move further in the tree.
  • (Runemaster) 8 points in Arcane Focus: We gain ward every time we cast a spell directly.
  • (Runemaster) 5 points in Runeword: Cataclysm: If we critically strike, we gain this buff. We do 15% more damage to enemies with 35% or Less health. This also gives us a large boost to our Increased Critical Stirke Chance.
2.5.

Unlocking Runic Invocation

Runic Invocation Icon Runic Invocation came with the class when we selected the Mastery of Runemaster. The easiest two Invocations to cast will also put in significant work. You can see the full list here, but we will really only work with Sea of Sparks Icon Sea of Sparks, which will target under nearby enemies with a blast of lightning. The other is Ball Lightning Icon Ball Lightning and will target up to seven nearby enemies four times a second with a slow moving ball of lightning. Both Ball Lightning and Sea of Sparks are great ways to apply Brand of Deception.

While Runic Invocation Icon Runic Invocation will start out at a lower level than your other skills, we'll still list out the first 12 points to place into the skill.

  • 3 points in Transcriber of Power: We get 3 seconds of Increased Spell Damage and Cast Speed after we use Runic Invocation.
  • 2 points in Word of Lagon: This all but guarantees we critically strike with our Invocations we cast, adding a 6% base chance.
  • 1 point in Attuned Approach: We gain Ward per Rune we consume, and are refunded 10% of the Invocations Mana cost.
  • 1 point in Elemental Lore: Invocations will penetrate Elemental Resistances by 1% for every 3 Intelligence we have.
  • 3 points in Inscribed Patterns: For our setup, we gain 12 Ward per second passively for each Gon Rune Rune we have.
  • 2 points in Runic Energy: We will eventually have all 5 points in here, but for now, your Invocations will do 2% more damage for each stack of Runic Energy you have. This is a passive buff that builds when you don't use Runic Invocation.
2.6.

Levels 35 - 50

The campaign through these levels should feel quick and smooth, with only Rares really impeding your momentum. If you haven't yet, it is highly suggested to craft on the gear you have equipped. Within this level range you'll fight Lagon, and the fight will vary in difficulty depending on where your resistances stand. A decent goal is to have most, if not all of your resistances at a minimum of 45% before killing Lagon. This is not a hard requirement, and the necessity depends entirely on how comfortable you are with dodging enemy attacks.

As a side not, do not forget to join your first faction if this is your first character of the season! Both the Merchant's Guild and Circle of Fortune provide players two unique ways of obtaining loot, and it is entirely up to you on which you prefer. The choice of which one to join can be made as soon as players reach Majelka in the Divine Timeline.

Node allocation to Level 50 should be as follows. This assumes you have 16 points in the skill. If you happen to have more due to additional skill levels on gear, just look ahead on this page to see where the next points are spent!

2.6.1.

Frost Claw

  • 3 points in Gift of Winter: The vastly reduces the Mana cost, and gives us a chance to gain Mana when we cast it.
  • 5 points in Artor's Sceptre: Dealing 20% more damage is great, and the 100% Frostbite chance will soon be converted to Shock Chance.
  • 1 point in Spark Artillery: This converts both the damage and the ailments from Frost Claw to Lightning and Shock.
  • 1 point in Fen of the Frozen: This will slow the enemies, but this is really only taken to move us further in the tree.
  • 1 points in Brightfrost: This is a very strong node; besides increasing the cast speed, it will purge a random negative ailment effecting you every cast.
  • 1 point in Hand of Morditas: This adds projectiles, but also ups the Mana cost. Be aware of this, as if you have too little Mana, you may find yourself in a bad situation. Alternatively, if this is your case, you can scale to Frozen Reign first in order to avoid this.
  • 1 point (for now) in Rending Cascade: This will eventually be our 16th point as well, but for now we need to move to Frozen Reign as soon as possible to keep Mana costs down.
  • 1 point in Frozen Reign: This will give us a Mana savings of 3, whenever we cast Frostclaw.
  • 1 point in Volley of Glass: This will allow the pace of Frost Claw to pickup tremendously, as each projectile will now count as its own individual hit.
  • 1 point in Rending Cascade: This was the point we skipped over earlier. Since we mostly scale Elemental Damage Over Time in our gear, we take our critical strike chance increases where we can in the tree.
2.6.2.

Flame Rush

  • 3 points in Blazing Flux: The skill will cost us less Mana, and recover more quickly. We will try and stack Resistances in this guide, but aim for fire specifically, because it will double the values of this if we reach 150% Fire Resistance.
  • 3 points in Runic Eclipse: We take 18% Less damage when in our Flame Rush, this is 36% against DoTs.
  • 3 points in Lunar Protection: While in our Flame Rush, we gain 90 Ward per second, and gain a large burst of Ward upon exit of the channel.
  • 1 points in Energy Equivalence: This skill is now converted to Lightning.
  • 1 points in Beta Decay: When we Flame Rush, Static Orb Icon Static Orb will cast automatically.
  • 3 points into Celestial Guidance: This will allow us to keep the damage reduction buff we get while in the channel animation, after it has ended for a short period of time.
  • 2 points into Fiery Overload: We now gain Frenzy when exiting the animation of Flame Rush.
2.6.3.

Static Orb

  • 1 point in Shocking Conduit: We only take this node to move further in the tree.
  • 1 point in Insidious Focus: Reduces the Mana cost of our Static Orb.
  • 1 point in Orbital Fulmination: Static Orb will now orbit us when casted.
  • 2 points in Forking Surge: This allows the Static Orb to add more of its Tendrils, making it now a total of 9.
  • 4 point in Open Circuit: This causes the Static Orb to orbit us faster, and do 20% more damage.
  • 4 points in Scatter Blast: With every cast of Static Orb, we will now have 4 additional smaller orbs.
  • 2 points in Static Armor: This is a dual purpose node, giving us 50% increased Lightning Damage, and 25% less damage taken.
  • 1 point in Storm Burst: This increases the amount of damage Static Orb does by 30% and also increases the AoE by 30% as well.
2.6.4.

Runic Invocation

  • 3 points in Transcriber of Power: We get 3 seconds of increased spell damage and cast speed after we use Runic Invocation.
  • 2 points in Word of Lagon: This all but guarantees we critically strike with our Invocations we cast, adding a 6% base chance.
  • 1 point in Attuned Approach: We gain ward per Rune we consume, and are refunded 10% of the Invocations Mana cost.
  • 1 point in Elemental Lore: Our Invocations will penetrate elemental resistances by 1% for every 3 Intelligence we have.
  • 3 points in Inscribed Patterns: For our setup, we gain 12 Ward per second passively for each Gon Rune Rune we have.
  • 5 points in Runic Energy: We now have all 5 points in here, your Invocations will do 2% more damage for each stack of Runic Energy you have. This is a passive buff that builds when you don't use Runic Invocation.
  • 1 point in Copied Scrolls: This gives us a 2.5% chance per stack of Runic Energy (up to 37.5%) to repeat the Invocation we casted.
2.7.

Passive Points

At minimum, upon reaching Level 50, you should have another 15 Passive Points to spend in since the previous level tier. However, it's likely you have more due to quest rewards. Thus, the following list will assume you have access to 24 extra points. If you have less, it isn't a big deal. You can always go back and finish optional quests after the campaign is finished.

  • (Runemaster) 6 points in Inscribed Instruments: Although most of our output will come from our Brand of Deception our ability to critically strike is not to be ignored, as our Frost Claw Icon Frost Claw will tear through bosses in addition to the massive Damage Over Time we do.
  • (Runemaster) 3 points (for now) in Decree of the Eternal Tundra: This will evetually have more points but for now we will take the Ward per second from this node for extra defense.
  • (Runemaster) 6 points in Brand of Deception: This is where the magic begins to happen, and as long as you have been putting Increased Elemental Damage Over Time in your gear. However, even without those affixes, it will still be very powerful.
  • (Runemaster) 2 more points in Decree of the Eternal Tundra: This will now bring us to 25 ward per second and gives us double the effect while we stand on our newest skill Glyph of Dominion Icon Glyph of Dominion.
  • (Runemaster) 1 singular point in Runeword: Hurricane: A singular point is enough to give us an addition 10 lightning spell damage.
  • (Runemaster) 1 point (for now) in Ancient Inscriptions: This singular point only give us intel, but will eventually allow us to have Flame Rush Icon Flame Rush off cooldown constantly.
  • (Runemaster) 5 points in Order's Imposition: If you have not added any Shock Chance in our Wand and Amulet (you're supposed to) you will not see much change unless you stand on your Glyph of Dominion Icon Glyph of Dominion, which will give us additional Shock Chance. One you have that "Chance to apply Shock on Hit" in your wand and amulet, the damage from Brand of Deception will skyrocket.
2.8.

Specializing Glyph of Dominion

At Level 50, is when everything starts to come together. With this unlock means you are also now able to allocate enough points to start putting passive points into Brand of Deception. If somehow you neandered away from this passive, go back to a town a respec to it.

While Glyph of Dominion Icon Glyph of Dominion will start out at a lower level than your other skills, we'll still list out the first 16 points to place into the skill.

  • 4 points in Shocking Grasp: This will give us an additional 80% Shock Chance, whick give us 80% more damage to Brand of Deception. Since this skill also costs at least 15 Mana, it will also apply the Brand as well.
  • 2 points in Amplified Expanse: This increases the area that the Glyph occupies.
  • 1 point in Charged Reflections: We can now only cast the Gylph at our feet. While in the Glyph, we gain Ward per second based on all resistances uncapped total percentages.
  • 3 points in Arcane Mirror: While on the Glyph we gain +45% to all resistances. This node alone will give us 63 ward per second while standing on the Glyph. If you are properly capped at 75% on all your resistances, it is 168 Ward per second.
  • 1 point in Vaporizing Realm: The Glyph will have increased Damage Over Time.
  • 1 point in Wreak Havoc: As the Glyph exists, it will do 12% more damage per second, every second.
  • 4 points in Doom Scribe: We now add a 4 second delay before the Glyph explodes, giving us more time to use it as a buff, or a Damage Over Time instance on enemies.
2.9.

Entering the Monolith of Fate (Levels 50 - 70)

Finishing up the campaign and moving into the Monolith of Fate should be easy enough, given you've followed the guide up until this point. Your rotation going forward should consist of using Flame Rush Icon Flame Rush to go from one mob group to the next, casting Glyph of Dominion Icon Glyph of Dominion when you arive to give you a massive boost to your ward. Further enemies can be layed to waste with casts of Frost Claw Icon Frost Claw. Be advised, your next set of 5 passive points should be in Decree of the Bountiful Ocean and getting 7 more points into Ancient Inscriptions. The former will help you with Mana Regeneration, the latter will accelerate the cooldown of Flame Rush Icon Flame Rush. If necessary use Runic Invocation Icon Runic Invocation to get rid of any tankier mobs that end up in your path. Either with Ball Lightning Icon Ball Lightning or Sea of Sparks Icon Sea of Sparks for more distant rares. This build can easily make it beyond level 70, so if you're having fun with it, continue to use it. However, most people just want an effective way to level into endgame to swap into their goal build, and that's also perfectly fine. The gear requirement is quite lax on this leveling build, thus allowing you to set up a loot filter for your endgame build as soon as you start spamming maps.

Congratulations on getting this far. Below, you'll find the remainder of the skill point and node allocations that you will need through to Character Level 70 and Skill Level 20. Please note: The order of the points below does not represent the order in which is taken in the campaign, this is merely a breakdown of the point allocation.

2.9.1.

Class and Mastery Passives

  • (Mage) 8 points in Arcanist: Intelligence is our bread and butter attribute, it will help keep us safe with ward retention, and push us further with ward per second later in the build. It is also our primary increase to our damage attribute.
  • (Mage) 1 point in Scholar: We take this as the default option, as there really is no better one to take in order to move further in the tree.
  • (Mage) 1 point in Reactive Ward: If we ever drop below 70% of our health, we gain 1 ward for every 10 Health we have.
  • (Mage) 5 points in Mage Flurry: This will give us a welcomed boost to our cast speed.
  • (Mage) 5 points in Warden: Ward is a vital life source to us, now and later in the build. This gives us a strong base to start from.
  • (Sorcerer) 5 points in Calculated Destruction: This gives us 3% increased spell critical strike chance per Intelligence we have.
  • (Runemaster)7 points in Quintessence of Triumph: We take 7, in order to get the major boost of damage, which is contigent that you have more ward than the enemy has life.
  • (Runemaster) 1 point in Unsealed Mana: We only take this in order to move further in the tree.
  • (Runemaster) 8 points in Arcane Focus: We gain ward every time we cast a spell directly.
  • (Runemaster) 5 points in Runeword: Cataclysm: If we critically strike, we gain this buff. We deal 15% more damage to enemies with 35% or less health. This also gives us a large boost to our Increased Critical Stirke Chance.
  • (Runemaster) 6 points in Inscribed Instruments: Although most of our output will come from our Brand of Deception our ability to critically strike is not to be ignored, as our Frost Claw Icon Frost Claw will tear through bosses in addition to the massive Damage Over Time we do.
  • (Runemaster) 5 points (for now) in Decree of the Eternal Tundra: This will evetually have more points but for now we will take the Ward per second from this node for extra defense.
  • (Runemaster) 6 points in Brand of Deception: This is where the magic begins to happen as long as you have been putting Increased Elemental Damage Over Time in your gear. However, even without those affixes, it will still be very powerful.
  • (Runemaster) 1 point in Runeword: Hurricane: A singular point is enough to give us an addition 10 lightning spell damage.
  • (Runemaster) 8 points in Ancient Inscriptions: This singular point only give us intel, but will eventually allow us to have Flame Rush Icon Flame Rush off cooldown constantly.
  • (Runemaster) 6 points in Order's Imposition: If you have not added any Shock Chance in our Wand and Amulet (you're supposed to) you will not see much change unless you stand on your Glyph of Dominion Icon Glyph of Dominion, which will give us additional Shock Chance. One you have that "Chance to apply Shock on Hit" in your wand and amulet, the damage from Brand of Deception will skyrocket.
  • (Runemaster) 5 points in Decree of the Bountiful Ocean: This gives 15% increased Mana regeneration, but since we should always have a Gon Rune, it is 30% for us.
2.9.2.

Frost Claw

  • 3 points in Gift of Winter: Vastly reduces the Mana cost, and gives us a chance to gain Mana when we cast it.
  • 5 points in Artor's Sceptre: Dealing 20% more damage is great, and the 100% Frostbite chance will soon be converted to Shock Chance.
  • 1 point in Spark Artillery: This converts both the damage and the ailments from Frost Claw to Lightning and Shock.
  • 1 point in Fen of the Frozen: This will slow the enemies, but this is really only taken to move us further in the tree.
  • 3 points in Brightfrost: This is a very strong node; besides increasing the cast speed, it will purge a random negative ailment effecting you every cast.
  • 1 point in Hand of Morditas: This adds projectiles, but also ups the Mana cost. Be aware of this, as if you have too little Mana, you may find yourself in a bad situation. Alternatively, if this is your case, you can scale to Frozen Reign first in order to avoid this.
  • 4 points in Rending Cascade: Massive critical strike chance, and we use it to move to Frozen Reign as soon as possible to keep Mana costs down.
  • 1 point in Frozen Reign: This will give us a Mana savings of 3 whenever we cast Frostclaw.
  • 1 point in Volley of Glass: This will allow the pace of Frost Claw to pickup tremendously, as each projectile will now count as its own individual hit.
2.9.3.

Flame Rush

  • 3 points in Blazing Flux: The skill will cost us less Mana, and recover more quickly. We will try and stack Resistances in this guide, but aim for fire specifically, because it will double the values of this if we reach 150% Fire Resistance.
  • 3 points in Runic Eclipse: We take 18% Less damage when in our Flame Rush, this is 36% against DoTs.
  • 3 points in Lunar Protection: While in our Flame Rush, we gain 90 Ward per second, and gain a large burst of Ward upon exit of the channel.
  • 1 points in Energy Equivalence: This skill is now converted to Lightning.
  • 1 points in Beta Decay: When we Flame Rush, Static Orb Icon Static Orb will cast automatically.
  • 3 points into Celestial Guidance: This will allow us to keep the damage reduction buff we get while in the channel animation, after it has ended for a short period of time.
  • 2 points into Fiery Overload: We now gain Frenzy when exiting the animation of Flame Rush.
  • 1 point into Solar Rush: This makes Flame rush move faster and further, but you can still end the channel whenever you wish.
  • 3 points into Smolder and Burn: We rip stacks of Lightning Resistance from the enemies you pass through with Flame Rush.
2.9.4.

Static Orb

  • 1 point in Shocking Conduit: We only take this node to move further in the tree.
  • 1 point in Insidious Focus: Reduces the Mana cost of our Static Orb.
  • 1 point in Orbital Fulmination: Static Orb will now orbit us when casted.
  • 2 points in Forking Surge: This allows the Static Orb to add more of its Tendrils, making it now a total of 9.
  • 4 point in Open Circuit: This causes the Static Orb to orbit us faster, and do 20% more damage.
  • 4 points in Scatter Blast: With every cast of Static Orb, we will now have four additional smaller orbs.
  • 2 points in Static Armor: This is a dual purpose node, giving us 50% increased Lightning Damage, and 25% less damage taken.
  • 1 point in Storm Burst: This increases the amount of damage Static Orb does by 30% and also increases the AoE by 30% as well.
  • 4 points in Critical Trajectory: We should have a decent Critical Strike Chance around 40-50%, this allows Static Orb to hit with a critical strike that is 100% harder.
2.9.5.

Runic Invocation

  • 3 points in Transcriber of Power: We get 3 seconds of increased spell damage and cast speed after we use Runic Invocation.
  • 2 points in Word of Lagon: This all but guarantees we critically strike with our Invocations we cast, adding a 6% base chance.
  • 3 points in Attuned Approach: We gain ward per Rune we consume, and are refunded 30% of the Invocations Mana cost.
  • 1 points in Elemental Lore: Our Invocations will penetrate elemental resistances by 1% for every 3 Intelligence we have.
  • 3 points in Inscribed Patterns: For our setup, we gain 12 Ward per second passively for each Gon Rune Rune we have.
  • 5 points in Runic Energy: We now have all 5 points in here, your Invocations will do 2% more damage for each stack of Runic Energy you have. This is a passive buff that builds when you don't use Runic Invocation.
  • 3 points in Copied Scrolls: This gives us a 7.5% chance per stack of Runic Energy (Guaranteed at max Runic Energy) to repeat the Invocation we casted.
2.9.6.

Glyph of Dominion

  • 4 points in Shocking Grasp: This will give us an addition 80% Shock Chance, whick give us 80% more damage to our Brand of Deception. Since this skill also costs at least 15 Mana, it will also apply the brand as well.
  • 3 points in Amplified Expanse: This increases the area that the Glyph occupies.
  • 1 point in Charged Reflections: We can now only cast the Gylph at our feet. While in the Glyph, we gain ward per second based on all resistances uncapped total percentages.
  • 3 points in Arcane Mirror: While on the Glyph we gain +45% to all resistances. This node alone will give us 63 ward per second while standing on the Glyph. If you are properly capped at 75% on all your resistances, it is 168 Ward per second.
  • 1 point in Vaporizing Realm: The Glyph will have increased Damage Over Time.
  • 3 points in Wreak Havoc: As the Glyph exists, it will do 36% more damage per second, every second.
  • 4 points in Doom Scribe: We now add a 4 second delay before the Glyph explodes, giving us more time to use it as a buff, or a Damage Over Time instance on enemies.
  • 1 point in Sanctuary Threshold: We cleanse ourselves and give us haste for one second after activating Glyph of Dominion.
3.

Mechanics and Playstyle

While still in low level areas and working off only three specialized skills, most mobs should be dealt with by a simple Flame Rush or two-button Invocation. Sea of Sparks Icon Sea of Sparks with two Gon runes should do the trick, as it hits multiple targets hard and applies Brand of Deception. If still in monoliths, Frostclaw can also be used, but do not try to stand toe-to-toe with enemies, as it's not in your best interest. Flame Rush Icon Flame Rush is also a good option as we should have 150% or more fire resistance, decreasing its cooldown quite a bit.

We should always have three Gon Runes on us at all times. These give us ward per second enabling a power barrier for your health. Three of these runes will give you Ball Lightning Icon Ball Lightning, which tears apart enemies slower enemies and can also be used as an area denial skill, punishing enemies who cross its threshold with its own power and Brand of Deception.

You do not need to play with Static Orb Icon Static Orb on the skill bar. We put unscaled Flame Ward Icon Flame Ward in its place as discussed at the begining of the build. You want to do this for any defensive "oopsies" you may come across.

4.

Gear Recommendations

Gear drops can vary wildly during campaign runs. For this reason, leveling builds on Icy Veins are always tested with minimal to average gear drops to ensure players don't end up having a poor experience simply because they didn't get a specific piece to drop for them early on with their character. The only thing that is semi-required for the base concept of this build to work properly is wand and an off-hand catalyst, however there some uniques listed in the Unique section below. Weapon choice matters because of the node in Runemaster Inscribed Instruments, we opt for the Critical Strike Multiplier. The base spell increase is also a massive bonus as well.

4.1.

Affix Priority

Below are all the affixes you should aim to get on gear. Priority affixes should be sought out and/or crafted onto gear you find, while useful affixes are simply complimentary to the build, but won't make or break your efficiency.

Priority Affixes Useful Affixes
Elemental Damage Over Time
Chance to apply Shock on Hit
Intelligence
Increased Health
Critical Strike Avoidance
Health
Resistances to cap (75%)
Lightning Penetration with Lightning Invocations
Increased Lightning Damage
Movement Speed
Increased Cast Speed
Lightning Critical Strike Multiplier
Critical Strike Multiplier
Increased Spell Critical Strike Chance
4.2.

Idols

Idols are the one thing that are very hit or miss while leveling. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. While good Idols can make a world of difference to your leveling speed, it's also good to keep in mind that you should be looking for Idols that you may deem mandatory for your end game pivot as well.

Ensure you're crafting on Class Idols in Tombs and Cemetaries in Monolith Echoes, as you can potentially gain extra Ward Decay Threshold and Critical Multiplier through this. You also can keep on the lookout out for Chance to Shock on Hit idols, as each percentage gives your Brand of Deception more damage.

4.3.

Blessings

While there are suggested Blessings listed below, if you've been unlucky with suffixes and are lacking a specific resistance, that resistance should take priority. Likewise, you may not feel the need to spam a specific Monolith in search of what's listed below. That's perfectly reasonable. In most cases, taking the best defensive option, or at least something that effects the build you're playing, will be the proper choice. This helps to ensure entering Empowered Timelines is as smooth as possible.

Blessing Name Affix Timeline
Greed of Darkness Ward Decay Threshold/Ward on Kill The Black Sun
Resolve of Humanity All Resistances Reign of Dragons
Cruelty of the Meruna Chance to apply Shock on Hit Ending The Storm
Heart of the Caldera Fire Resistance Spirits of Fire
Resolve of Grael Physical Resistance The Age of Winter
4.4.

Usable Uniques

While this leveling build was purposely tested without Uniques or any gear above Rare quality, the reality is you will have access to better gear than that during your playthrough. Some gear has the potential to completely change the pace at which you progress, and may even change which skill nodes are best for you to take.

  • Avarice – These Unique Gloves are amazing for most elemental spell casters. The give you life leech based on the elemental damage we do, since all of our damage is elemental, this will help keep us alive early on until we get better access to ward.
  • Triboelectra – This wand cannot be equiped till later, but if you do get it, it will give you additional skill points in all of your skills, because everything is converted to lightning. You will also cast Static Orb Icon Static Orb when you Evade, giving you more casts while moving through maps.
  • Transient Rest – These boots are good for pumping ward, as it will convert a portion of your Mana into ward when ever you stop with a 2 second cooldown. The only exception, is if your Mana regen is suffering, then skip these.
  • Quicksilver Coil – Movement Speed is king during leveling, and this ring will provide it at a fairly consistent rate through Haste.
  • The Invoker's Static Touch – This ring will not only add base lightning damage to your spells hits, but it will also give you 75 Ward up to 10% of the time when you hit a shocked enemy. We should be shocking nearly anything we hit.
5.

General Leveling Tips

When it comes to leveling efficiency, there are a few things to mention in order to make your experience as quick and painless as possible. The top priority should always be to enjoy yourself while leveling, so don't take what's written here as mandatory; these tips are simply here to mention things newer players may not realize while working their way into The Monoloth of Fate.

  • Nemesis and Rune Prisons – If you're aiming for speed, you will likely want to avoid these at all costs. However, Nemesis can offer a way to gain extremely early Exalted items, including a weapon, which can then be used for 50+ levels with relevant rolls. Likewise, Rune Prisons can potentially offer your character affixes that completely alter your gameplay, such as Minion Teleportation. Judge this on a case by case basis, based on what you're leveling with.
  • Full Clearing Maps – Absolutely not necessary, and should be avoided. There's an argument for players on their first campaign run, as full clearing will ensure you're over leveled for fights that can cause problems, such as Lagon, for new players. In general though, full clearing maps is not suggested, as experience gains ramp as you enter higher level areas.
  • Crafting – Crafting can give you an insane edge early on in the season. Early crafting will allow you to focus the main stats on your leveling build, and also keep your Resistances topped off, ensuring the campaign is a breeze. Last Epoch is known for it's amazing crafting system; you're better off diving into it early on rather than waiting. The default key for opening crafting is the F key, and can be done from anywhere.
  • Early Respec – Mastery respec can be done at any point after you select one in the End of Time. While it may slow you down to swap your Mastery mid-campaign, if you hate your selection, it's better to rip the band-aid off early rather than later. Skill respec is a bit different; having to re-level skills early in the campaign can be a pain. This becomes easier the further into the game you get!
6.

Sorcerer and Spellblade Alternatives

While we won't be providing a step-by-step breakdown for either of the other two Masteries, it should be noted that Frost Claw Icon Frost Claw can be played by all Mage Masteries while leveling, and with great efficiency. If you just don't like Runemaster, the following two options can be used to create alternatives to this Runemaster setup.

6.1.

Sorcerer Variant

Sorcerer saw some love in 1.1 and this love is still relevant in 1.2. We choose to use a trigger setup in this leveling build, taking Frost Claw Icon Frost Claw as a Mana battery as it is scaled to have no Mana cost. We also use it to trigger massive Elemental Nova Icon Elemental Nova casts. Static Orb Icon Static Orb is casted from Flame Rush Icon Flame Rush. This allows us to pull off both Elemental Nova and Static Orb from the bar, since they are used by the automation. Unscaled Meteor Icon Meteor can be placed on the hotbar instead, as it will hit incredibly hard even without taking any of the nodes within its tree. Unscaled Focus Icon Focus can also be used if we run into any Mana issues. Plan your tree around Cast Speed, Critical Strike Chance, and Crit Multiplier.

  • Frost Claw Icon Frost ClawCelestial Conflux, Spark Artillery, Frozen Reign and Brightfrost are the nodes to reach.
  • Elemental Nova Icon Elemental NovaOverload, Charged Destruction and Arcana Elementorum is where you want to be. Do not scale into other elements; Lightning Nova only.
  • Flame Ward Icon Flame WardDual Aegis, Astonish, Dilation, Prismatic Buffer and Shrewd Shielding are your prime targets for scaling.
  • Flame Rush Icon Flame RushBeta Decay, Celestial Guidance and Smolder and Burn are the nodes you should be getting.
  • Static Orb Icon Static OrbOrbital Fulmination, Scatter Blast, Storm Burst and Critical Trajectory are the nodes you should aim for.
6.2.

Spellblade Variant

Tried and true, there's not much new with this setup with Patch 1.2. We will provide the skill recomendations and general overview of the leveling approach. Shatter Strike Icon Shatter Strike is still a hard hitting melee skill in Last Epoch. The main idea is to attack with Firebrand Icon Firebrand to gain stacks which are the consumed by Shatter Strike with Incineration. The other skills are additive either offensively, defensively, or just taken as a movement skill.

  • Firebrand Icon FirebrandFulmination, Illuminating Fire, Warding Flames and Fading Flame are your target nodes.
  • Shatter Strike Icon Shatter StrikeAbsolute Zero, Whiteout, Cold Presence and Cold Steel are your go-to nodes.
  • Enchant Weapon Icon Enchant WeaponCelerity, Frostbrand and Kindling Blade are the nodes you want to work towards.
  • Surge Icon SurgeShielding Advance, Glacial Assault and Longstrider is your ideal setup.
  • Flame Ward Icon Flame WardDual Aegis, Astonish, Dilation, Prismatic Buffer and Shrewd Shielding are your prime targets for scaling.
7.

Advancing to Endgame

While this guide only serves to bring players up to Level 70 through guided node selection and helpful tips, it's likely it will serve you all the way through normal Monolith and echoes. However, upon gaining access to Empowered Monolith, you will find yourself looking to move out of the leveling build and into an endgame build. We have you covered, with new builds crafted specifically for Patch 1.2! Don't forget, you are not locked into Runemaster anymore! Feel free to change your Mastery and explore both Sorcerer and Spellblade.

Sorcerer Builds

Spellblade Builds

Runemaster Builds

8.

Changelog

  • 11 Apr. 2025: Guide created.
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