Marksman Cinder Strike Dragonfire Endgame Build for Last Epoch (Patch 1.1)

Our base class is Rogue, which fills the role of a stealthy melee or ranged user in Last Epoch. Upon finishing Act 1 in the campaign, your character will be offered an opportunity to select an Advanced Mastery. Each base class has three possible Masteries to choose from. For Rogue, you can choose between Passive Trees for Bladedancer and Marksman. Upon selecting a Mastery and placing 20 Passive Points into the Rogue Tree, you'll then be able to place Passive Points into the Mastery Trees.

Marksman is the Advanced Class used for this build, and also where the majority of our Passive Points will come from. The Marksman Tree will focus around picking nodes that increase our Dexterity, Critical Chance and Multiplier, and our survivability through both Dodge and Ward. A lesser amount of Passive Points will come from Bladedancer, focusing entirely on Dexterity. Each Passive Tree and their points are broken down below.

• 8 points into Swift Assassin: Attack Speed, used for  Dragonfire procs.
• 8 points into Steady Hand: Dexterity gains.
• 5 points into Dodge and Parry: As the name implies, provides Dodge Rating and damage reduction through Glancing Blows.
• 4 points into Sapping Strikes: Taken to offset the Health drain from gearing choices.
• 8 points into Critical Precision: 96% increased Critical Strike Chance for using a bow.

Our base class is Rogue, which fills the role of a stealthy melee or ranged user in Last Epoch. Upon finishing Act 1 in the campaign, your character will be offered an opportunity to select an Advanced Mastery. Each base class has three possible Masteries to choose from. For Rogue, you can choose between Passive Trees for Bladedancer and Marksman. Upon selecting a Mastery and placing 20 Passive Points into the Rogue Tree, you'll then be able to place Passive Points into the Mastery Trees.

Marksman is the Advanced Class used for this build, and also where the majority of our Passive Points will come from. The Marksman Tree will focus around picking nodes that increase our Dexterity, Critical Chance and Multiplier, and our survivability through both Dodge and Ward. A lesser amount of Passive Points will come from Bladedancer, focusing entirely on Dexterity. Each Passive Tree and their points are broken down below.

• 8 points into Draining Arrows: Taken to increase the proc rate of  Dragonfire.
• 5 points into Assassin's Quiver: Provides a bump in Dexterity, but also makes enemies easier to hit.
• 8 points into Wound Maker: Simple, boosts DoT damage with Frostbite.
• 5 points into Heightened Senses: This node and the next couple will all deal with defensive layering. Thief's Quiver will provide us with Leech from all Bow Damage.
• 6 points into Arrow Storm: Huge increase in Attack Speed, great for bursts of damage.
• 10 points into Covering Fire: One of the most important nodes in the build; Silver Shroud stacks force a Dodge the next time we're hit, and for each point into this node, the Dodge grants us 100 Ward, totaling 1000 Ward gain. If used properly, this can be used to bully boss mechanics to keep uptime and sustain damage.
• 10 points into Thief's Quiver: Main form of sustain in the build.
• 5 points into Sharpshooter: Increases Bow Damage for ranged gameplay.
• 5 points into Death from Afar: Armor Shred and Stun Chance synergy with the previous node. This is great for map clearing.
• 5 points into Barrage of Pain: Continued attacking will increase Critical Hit Chance.
• 5 points into Perfect Aim: Similar to the previous node, but increases Critical Strike Multiplier and provides Health on Crit.

Our base class is Rogue, which fills the role of a stealthy melee or ranged user in Last Epoch. Upon finishing Act 1 in the campaign, your character will be offered an opportunity to select an Advanced Mastery. Each base class has three possible Masteries to choose from. For Rogue, you can choose between Passive Trees for Bladedancer and Marksman. Upon selecting a Mastery and placing 20 Passive Points into the Rogue Tree, you'll then be able to place Passive Points into the Mastery Trees.

Marksman is the Advanced Class used for this build, and also where the majority of our Passive Points will come from. The Marksman Tree will focus around picking nodes that increase our Dexterity, Critical Chance and Multiplier, and our survivability through both Dodge and Ward. A lesser amount of Passive Points will come from Bladedancer, focusing entirely on Dexterity. Each Passive Tree and their points are broken down below.

• 8 points into Cloak of Shadows: Dexterity gains.

In this section, we will break down each skill and highlight the key passives we have selected to make the skill shine in the build. While some of these skills do allow for some variation to exist depending on your own custom choices, we recommend utilizing the skill trees as presented until you have a strong understanding of the build itself.

 Cinder Strike is our main spam skill; it isn't used to deal damage directly, only to land critical hits on enemies through the skill itself and the Burning Daggers that automate off it. Each hit will also shred Fire Resistance from the enemies it hits. THere's big bonuses in this tree for prolonged combat; each hit will provide the player with a stack of Oil Coating that last for 4 seconds. Each stack increases Fire Damage and Fire Penetration from all sources.

• 1 point into Soot and Ash: Taken for pathing. Blind does not do much for us, since the build operates at 100% Critical Strike Avoidance.
• 3 points into Eagerness: Increases the Attack Speed for the second and third hits.
• 2 points into Ignition: Adds a small chance to Ignite enemies.
• 5 points into Kindling: Each hit shreds a single stack of Fire Resistance.
• 1 point into Burning Dagger: When you land a hit with Cinder Strike, you also attack with a Burning Dagger.
• 1 point into Flaming Fury: Taken for pathing. Mana is not an issue in the build, so expending it here won't change anything.
• 1 point into Firebreathing: The first hit of Cinder Strike throws five Burning Daggers.
• 5 points into Oil Coating: Hits with Cinder Strike grant a stack of Oil Coating and increase Fire Damage for a short period of time.
• 3 points into Combustible: At three stacks of Oil Coating, you gain 30% Fire Penetration.

In this section, we will break down each skill and highlight the key passives we have selected to make the skill shine in the build. While some of these skills do allow for some variation to exist depending on your own custom choices, we recommend utilizing the skill trees as presented until you have a strong understanding of the build itself.

 Shift's main purpose is traversal for this build, but also provides multiple layers of defense to ensure we stay alive in the heat of battle. After Shifting, we will summon  Shurikens to float around us, boosting our Armor and dealing damage to nearby enemies. The critical hits landed by Shuriken are capable of setting off  Dragonfire, so keep that in mind, as shifting into a mob group may be the play to increase clear speed. Shifting will also briefly grant us more Movement Speed when used.

• 3 points into Velocity: Cooldown reduction and a lower Mana cost.
• 2 points into Shadow Recuperation: Each time we Shift, we heal for a small amount.
• 5 points into Sleight of Hand: Automates Shuriken's, boosting Armor.
• 4 points into Swift Recovery: Refunds Mana cost.
• 1 point into Shadowslip: Creates a moment of Invulnerabilty while Shifting, allowing you to Shift through certain attacks and completely avoid damage.
• 3 points into Momentum: 50% Movement Speed boost after Shifting.
• 2 points into Elusive: For one second after using Shift, you gain increased Dodge Rating scaling off Dexterity.

In this section, we will break down each skill and highlight the key passives we have selected to make the skill shine in the build. While some of these skills do allow for some variation to exist depending on your own custom choices, we recommend utilizing the skill trees as presented until you have a strong understanding of the build itself.

 Shurikens is used entirely for survival purposes in this build. You'll never press in manually, it is automated off of  Shift and provides a boost in Armor while the Shurikens rotate around you. There's a couple damage nodes taken, but they are more or less just so the points were not wasted. Shurikens can, and will, proc  Dragonfire, so keep that in mind when deciding on wether to fight from range or in melee distance.

• 3 points into Alacrity: Purely for pathing.
• 1 point into Fan of Blades: Also a pathing node.
• 1 point into Blade Shield: This is what makes the shurikens float around you.
• 3 points into Floating Blades: Increases the duration from 3 seconds to roughly 4.5 seconds.
• 3 points into Bladed Armor: Provides a boost of 150% Armor when auto-cast by  Shift.
• 4 points into Ethereal Blades: Normally, Shurikens disappear when they strike an enemy. This keeps them spinning even when they make contact with an enemy.
• 2 points into Jagged Edges: Increases base Critical Hit Rate, ensuring a high rate of Dragonfire procs.
• 1 point into Massacre: Increases Crit Multiplier, as the last point.

In this section, we will break down each skill and highlight the key passives we have selected to make the skill shine in the build. While some of these skills do allow for some variation to exist depending on your own custom choices, we recommend utilizing the skill trees as presented until you have a strong understanding of the build itself.

 Smoke Bomb is mostly used defensively for the build, supplying Silver Shroud stacks (allowing for the generation of 1300 Ward on demand) and increasing Dodge Rate and Glancing Blows Chance while inside of the smoke. It does have a use outside of this though, in the fact it will cleanse ailments on use; this will cleanse the Ignite stacks generated off  Immolator's Oblation, so keep that in mind.

• 3 points into Generosity: Doubles the area of Smoke Bomb.
• 1 point into Enfeeblement: Defensive node, reducing enemy damage with Frailty.
• 3 points into Moonlight Bomb: Forces a dodge on the next damage instance, generating 300 Ward.
• 1 point into Cleansing Steam: Ailment cleanse, good for getting rid of DoTs.
• 1 point into Shrouded in Darkness: Generates Dusk Shroud, providing Glancing Blow Chance and Dodge Rating, for standing in the Smoke Cloud.
• 4 points into Rapid Concealment: Increases the rate at which we gain Dusk Shroud.
• 2 points into Lingering Fumes: Duration increased by 20%.
• 5 points into Shadow Hunter: Increases the base Critical Strike Chance of the build by 10% while inside of the smoke.

In this section, we will break down each skill and highlight the key passives we have selected to make the skill shine in the build. While some of these skills do allow for some variation to exist depending on your own custom choices, we recommend utilizing the skill trees as presented until you have a strong understanding of the build itself.

 Hail of Arrows is used to ensure maximum damage from  Dragonfire by helping keep up Armor Shred stacks on enemies. If you stand in it, it will also apply stacks of Dusk Shroud; just like  Smoke Bomb, this will boost Dodge Rate and Glancing Blows Chance. This is the only real Mana spender in the build, but it lasts a long time, so use it freely.

• 4 points into Volley: Doubles the radius of Hail of Arrows.
• 3 point into Blighted Arrows: Chance to apply Frailty stacks.
• 5 points into Sundering Rain: One stack of Armor Shred per second an enemy stands in the AoE.
• 5 points into Blot Out the Sun: Dusk Shroud generation. This only applies if Hail of Arrows is stood inside of.
• 3 points into Steady: Increases the duration by 30%.