Ever since Diablo 2, it has been pretty much mandatory that every action RPG has a necromancer-like character to select. For Last Epoch, it’s the Acolyte, though her three masteries – Necromancer (duh), Warlock, and Lich – mix up this classic, edgy class.
Acolyte Masteries in Last Epoch
The Acolyte rolls three different masteries that, at first glance, might be similar to one another but are anything but – the Necromancer, Warlock, and Lich. Once you’re around level 20, you’ll be able to choose one of these three, but you will not be able to switch to a different mastery. Therefore, the most important choice you make with your character build is choosing the right mastery for you.
The first half of each passive tree is also available to any mastery up, including all skills found within that threshold, meaning you can mix and match to create powerful builds. The Lich, for example, can learn the Summon Skeletal Mage skill from the Necromancer passive tree; however, the Necromancer will make much better use of it. Furthermore, each mastery has powerful passive bonuses and skills unique only to them.
All classes and masteries are viable for reaching the end game. That said, prior to the 1.0 patch of Last Epoch, the minion-gathering Necromancer had the most nefarious potency. Let’s take a look at each:
Necromancer Bonuses, Best Skills in Last Epoch
Let’s start with the classic Necromancer. As you’d expect, the Necromancer brings the undead back to life and has a lot of minion-based utility. It has access to several different minion types, including your run-of-the-mill Skeleton and Skeletal Mage to Dread Shades and Abominations. These minions are aided by the Necromancer’s passive bonuses that allow her to summon +1 max Skeleton and +1 Skeletal Mage while also increasing all minion damage by 50%. If you like controlling a little army and having it do your dirty work, take the Necromancer for a dreadful spin.
Arguably, the most powerful minion at the Necromancer’s disposal is the Bone Golem, which is unlocked from advancing the base Acolyte passive tree in Last Epoch, as it draws aggression and retaliates with Bone Shatter when hit. Specialize in nodes such as Tower of Bones to draw more enemy fire. With it taking all the attention, you can invest in a skill of your choosing, such as the Warlock’s Ghostflame, as your main damage source.
Related: How to Fix Online Play Unavailable in Last Epoch
Warlock Bonuses, Best Skills in Last Epoch
Warlocks conjure both necrotic and fire damage together while slinging curses to debilitate mobs of foes. It’s also the newest mastery, released with the 1.0 update. It leans heavily into curses with its passive bonuses as it gains +5% more damage per curse stacked on an enemy; furthermore, it’s 35% resistant to fire and necrotic damage. It has quite a lot of defensive utility with both curses and skills, such as Soul Feast, which generate a ward barrier to absorb damage. Choose this mastery if you enjoy applying debuffs.
The Warlock pairs incredibly well with Spirit Plague, a skill learned from the Acolyte passive tree in Last Epoch. If stacking Intelligence from gear, investing in the Plague of Eyes node will increase necrotic damage further. The Encroaching Darkness skill within the Warlock passive tree adds the Anguish debuff to enemies, making them deal less damage and take more each time one of their friends dies near them. Throw in some Skeletons to protect you, and you’ve got the baseline for a great build.
Lich Bonuses, Best Skills in Last Epoch
The Lich, in my opinion, is one of the most unique takes of this dark archetype. Someone like an undead version of a Druid, the Lich can take on the Reaper Form, which allows her to dash through enemies and sap their health. Furthermore, the Lich plays a lot with its own health. For passive bonuses, 1% of damage dealt is returned as health, and both spells and melee attacks deal damage equal to her missing health, meaning she becomes far more potent when near death. It’s not a mastery for beginners or those faint of heart.
Investing in nodes like Rapid Destruction increases the Reaper Form’s attack speed substantially and shouldn’t be missed. From there, nabbing the Mercy in Undeath passive will allow you to heal minions if you hit them with the Reaper Form’s main attack. Combined with Summon Bone Golem, you have an incredibly tanky build that even bosses will have a tough time taking down.
With these three masteries, those who appreciate the dark, edgy manipulators of the undead are eating well. There’s no wrong choice between the three, as developer Eleventh Hour Games will buff and nerf as they see fit, so choose whichever brooding style suits you best, whether reaping havoc, spreading plagues, or conquering with a small army as you journey through Eterra.
And those are the best Acolyte mastery and builds in Last Epoch.
Last Epoch is available on PC.
