Spellblade Shatter Strike Endgame Build for Last Epoch (Patch 1.1)

Our base class is Mage, which fills the role of a caster 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 Mage, you can choose between Passive Trees for Spellbade, Runemaster, and Sorcerer. Upon selecting a Mastery and placing 20 Passive Points into the Mage Tree, you'll then be able to place Passive Points into the Mastery Trees.

For this build we capitalize on several nodes to take adavantage of large chunks of Ward in the Mage tree. We also utilize a large gain in Attack speed as well as Critical Strike Chance and Critical Strike. Most of our points will be spent in the Spellblade Tree. We grab several points that increase our base damage, and many nodes that increase our damage output. Runemaster will be used to round off our defenses, as well as increases to Critical Strike Chance.

• 5 points in Arcanist: This node gives us Intelligence, which increases our damage and Ward Retention.
• 6 point in Reactive Ward: Dropping below 70% Health will grant Ward, scaling off our total Health pool.
• 5 points in Mage Flurry: This increases our Attack Speed, which we will be relying on in order to apply  Spark Charge.
• 5 points in Warden: This node adds a nice chunk to our Ward Retention at 50%.
• 10 points in Knowledge of Destruction: Increased Critical Hit Chance and Multiplier.
• 3 points in Silver Rune: Increases the amount of Ward gained from the previous nodes, and decreases the cooldown of the effect by 6 seconds.

Our base class is Mage, which fills the role of a caster 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 Mage, you can choose between Passive Trees for Spellbade, Runemaster, and Sorcerer. Upon selecting a Mastery and placing 20 Passive Points into the Mage Tree, you'll then be able to place Passive Points into the Mastery Trees.

For this build we capitalize on several nodes to take adavantage of large chunks of Ward in the Mage tree. We also utilize a large gain in Attack speed as well as Critical Strike Chance and Critical Strike. Most of our points will be spent in the Spellblade Tree. We grab several points that increase our base damage, and many nodes that increase our damage output. Runemaster will be used to round off our defenses, as well as increases to Critical Strike Chance.

• 8 points in Arcane Warden: We gain a large portion of Ward every time we hit an enemy with this node.
• 8 point in Infused Weapon: Increased Cold Melee Damage.
• 5 points in Frozen Steel: Further improves Melee Cold Damage and adds Freeze Rate Multiplier.
• 5 points in Arcane Shielding: This node is to reduce the damage taken by enemy attacks.
• 5 points in Shattered Aegis: This node converts Arcane Shielding to now give us significant gains in Armor.
• 5 points in Essence Duel: This node further pushes our Attack Speed and Ward generation when you hit with Shatter Strike.
• 5 points in Mana Reaver: Additional Health, and adds a chance to gain Mana on melee hit.
• 1 point in Gemini: Allows dual-wielding, but increases damage taken from enemies by 9%.
• 8 points in Prismatic Blade: Increased Dexterity and more added Cold Melee Damage.
• 10 points in Volka's Razor: Increases Elemental Melee attacks for any skill that costs more than 10 Mana.
• 5 points in River Blade: Additional Melee Cold Damage.
• 4 points in Blade Weaver: Using a Melee attack that costs less than 10 Mana grants stacks of Blade Weaving. Using a Melee skill that costs 10 or more Mana consumes all stacks and deals 15% more Elemental Damage per stack.

Our base class is Mage, which fills the role of a caster 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 Mage, you can choose between Passive Trees for Spellbade, Runemaster, and Sorcerer. Upon selecting a Mastery and placing 20 Passive Points into the Mage Tree, you'll then be able to place Passive Points into the Mastery Trees.

For this build we capitalize on several nodes to take adavantage of large chunks of Ward in the Mage tree. We also utilize a large gain in Attack speed as well as Critical Strike Chance and Critical Strike. Most of our points will be spent in the Spellblade Tree. We grab several points that increase our base damage, and many nodes that increase our damage output. Runemaster will be used to round off our defenses, as well as increases to Critical Strike Chance.

• 5 points in Sphere of Protection: Provides 8% reduced damage taken from Chilled enemies.
• 5 points in Runeword: Cataclysm: This node increases our Critical Hit Chance, and on crit grants Runeword: Cataclysm. This allows you to deal more damage to Low Health enemies.

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.

Mana Strike is one of the two primary attacks we will use. To captilize on our Blade Weaver we will be attacking four times with Mana Strike in between our attacks with Shatter Strike. This will be essential to use this often to keep our massive Mana requirements met.

• 4 points in Swift Sap: Increases Attack Speed by 20%.
• 1 points in Sprite Blade: Small increase to the area Mana Strike hits. Pathing node.
• 4 points in Mana Drain: Mana Strike generates more Mana.
• 5 points in Critical Mana: Mana gained when Mana Strike lands a critical hit.
• 3 points into Arcanist's Blade: Mana Strike grants additional Mana if it hits an enemy.
• 2 points into Mana Spark: Pathing node.
• 1 point into Bountiful Victory: Mana Strike generates more Mana on kill or when it hits a Rare or Boss enemy.

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.

Flame Ward is used purely defensive in nature. When triggered it will give us 1000 armor, and a massive gain to Ward. It will automatically trigger when we are stunned, and get us out of any serious jams.

• 3 points in Dilation: Increases the duration and lowers the Mana cost.
• 1 point in Fire Aura: Pathing node.
• 1 point in Frost Ward: Converts the skill into Cold.
• 5 points in Frostguard: Adds 1000 Armor while Flame Ward is active.
• 3 points in Stalwart Defense: Adds Ward on cast.
• 3 point in Desperate Defense: Pathing node.
• 1 point in Astonish: Flame Ward will now cast when you get stunned as long as it is not on cooldown and you have positive Mana.
• 2 points int Fuel The Flames: More Ward, and a slightly longer cooldown.
• 1 point in Dual Aegis: Adds a charge to Flame Ward.

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.

Enchant Weapon should be used when fighting more difficult packs or boss fights. It is a bad day if you're caught without the massive boost to Attack Speed and base damage. Because of this, we elect to not have it auto cast, although one could decide to do this if they absolutely hated triggering the skill.

• 5 points in Celerity: Increases Melee Attack Speed while active.
• 2 points in Shivering Blade: Passive; adds Chill chance to Melee attacks.
• 5 points in Frostbrand: Increases Melee Cold Damage while active.
• 4 points in Concentration: Enchant Weapon lasts an extra 4 seconds when activated.
• 4 points in Efficacy: Enchant Weapon costs less Mana, and while active you will deal increased damage with Elemental attacks.

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.

This skill will not be on our bar, and instead  Teleport will be put in its place for movement. This skill will add some damage, but more importantly will give us access to free Ward. Because of our blazing fast attack speeds, we will throw out Frost Claw in quick succession, each gaining us 12 Ward per cast.

• 3 points in Gift of Winter: Reduces Mana cost.
• 1 point in Fen of the Frozen: Pathing node.
• 3 points in Shiver Shell: Allows Frost Claw to be cast by retaliation, or when you take a hit from enemies. Frost Claw, when used by any method, now grants Ward.
• 1 point in Reowyn's Veil: More Ward is generated depending on the Freeze Rate of Frost Claw.
• 3 points in Macuahuitl: Frost Claw has a 30% chance to cast when you hit an enemy with a melee attack.
• 3 points in Glamdring: Frost Claw now scales one-for-one off Melee Damage.
• 4 points in Rending Cascade: Adds base Critical Hit Chance.
• 1 point in Frozen Reign: Reduces Mana cost and more damage to Frozen enemies.
• 1 point in Cold and Calculating: Increases Freeze Rate Multiplier, scaling off Critical Hit Chance of Frost Claw.

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.

Shatter Strike will be our primary damage dealer. It will cleave hordes of enemies in a single cast. Since we take Whiteout, one attack actually be three in large AOE. This scales our existing Critical Strike Multiplier by another 120%, with max values topping 530%. Be sure to use your Mana Strike in between the casts of Whiteout. This is where alternating between the two attacks becomes paramount.

• 2 points in Lingering Chill: If used recently, you now have increased global Cold Damage and Freeze Rate.
• 1 point in Breadth of Cold: Pathing node.
• 2 points in Whiteout: Recasts Shatter Strike twice, but lowers Attack Speed and greatly increases Mana consumption.
• 5 points in Iceblink: Massively increases Attack Speed, but Shatter Strike can no longer be used with a two-handed weapon or wand.
• 5 points in Icy Flow: Shatter Strike now grants Ward and costs less Mana.
• 4 points in Absolute Zero: More Damage dealt, but lowers Attack Speed.
• 2 points in Shiver: Increased Area and Cold Penetration.
• 4 points in Cold Steel: With our gear, this adds 240% more Critical Multiplier to Shatter Strike.