Last Epoch Beginner's Guide - How to Play & Tips

Welcome to the Last Epoch beginner guide. In this guide, we will talk about everything you need to know to start playing this amazing ARPG. We’ll cover things like classes, leveling, skills, crafting, endgame, and everything in between. Last but not least, we’re going to wrap things up with some Last Epoch tips for new players. So, without further ado, let’s get acquainted with this title.

 

Last Epoch is an action role-playing game (ARPG) developed by Eleventh Hour Games. It is set in a dark fantasy world and features time-traveling elements. The game offers a deep character customization system, allowing players to choose from multiple classes, skills, and abilities as they progress through the story. Last Epoch incorporates an expansive skill system, allowing players to modify and upgrade their abilities.

The time-traveling aspect is a unique feature, allowing players to explore different eras and witness the consequences of their actions on the world. The game includes a variety of environments, dungeons, and enemies for players to encounter. It also features both single-player and multiplayer modes.

Last Epoch Game Overview

In order to learn how to get better at Last Epoch, you need to know what the game can offer.Last Epoch is an exciting action RPG that throws gamers into a dark fantasy world, offering a unique time-traveling adventure. With 15 mastery classes and over 120 skills, you've got plenty of options to shape your character's style of play.

The skill system is a standout feature – each skill has an augmented tree, letting you control and transform your abilities. Whether you're upgrading Skeletal Warriors or tweaking a classic Fireball, the customization options are diverse, offering strategic gameplay. This is going to play a crucial role when we get to explaining how to play Last Epoch.

Do you also wish to know how to get good at Last Epoch? As you progress, uncover the mysteries of the past, gaining the power to reshape the future and prevent impending doom from the Void. The loot system, paired with a robust crafting system, lets you perfect your arsenal with unique and set items that can significantly impact your builds.

Last Epoch doesn't stop at the main story; it encourages continuous play with endgame content like the Monolith of Fate, a challenging Arena, and various dungeons. Choose different modes, like Hardcore and Solo Self-Found, catering to your play style. Multiplayer options allow for collaborative or solo play, with upcoming Cycles promising fresh content, leaderboard resets, and a new economy. BLOG20

Speaking of Last Epoch basics, you can climb leaderboards and measure your progress against others in a competitive spirit. With its expanding world, deep customization, and commitment to ongoing development, Last Epoch offers the ultimate action RPG experience, inviting gamers to shape their destiny in the perilous world of Eterra.

Last Epoch Classes

Let’s begin our Last Epoch starting guide by talking about classes. This game features 5 bas classes, each of which can specialize in two 3 more sub-classes or so-called masteries.

1. Mage: An Elder in his prime, wielding the arcane to atone for past wrongs and forge a new future.
2. Rogue: Unrivaled in bow and blade, the Rogue emerges from the shadows with deadly talents and a higher purpose.
3. Primalist: A northern warrior, scarred by the horrors of war, seeks communion with Eterra's power and the essence of nature.
4. Acolyte: A rebellious scion, defying masters and embracing forbidden magic, stops at nothing to gain more power.
5. Sentinel: Strong in honor and fearsome in combat, the Sentinel stands stalwart against injustice, even at the world's end.

Now, let’s introduce you to all the sub-classes as well:

For the Last Epoch complete guide on classes, read our next articles. Now, take your time when picking a class for you. They all come with unique abilities and roles. Consider your preferred playstyle and pick a class that resonates with you. Also, please keep in mind that whenever you get to pick your sub-class, which will happen around level 20, you cannot change it afterward.

Last Epoch Skills

You already know how to start Last Epoch. But once you created your character, you’re going to have to deal with their progression, and that’s where a lot of players will struggle at first. You'll have a vast array of skills to choose from—over 100, to be exact! These skills evolve as you use them, gaining experience and becoming more potent over time. Each skill comes with its own Last Epoch Skill Tree, offering a rich and dynamic system for customization.

• Skills: Choose skills that will earn experience, leveling up and becoming more powerful over time.
• Trees: Modify how a skill plays by investing up to 20 skill points earned during your journeys through Eterra.
• Nodes: Invest skill points to empower your skills, reduce their mana cost, or transform them entirely.

Learning to use these things is how to start playing Last Epoch as a beginner. The game uses a linear grid system for passive skills where you invest points to unlock new abilities based on the number of points you spend in that tree. Both base class and mastery class have their own separate skill trees. The game even allows you to learn skills from the mastery class different from the one you’ve chosen, but you can only learn half of all skills available in that sub-classes tree. You can also respec and reset your skill points to try out different combinations and builds, but it will cost you some gold to reset.

Each class has access to a unique set of active skills, which is what you’ll be using to fight monsters. This is how to play Last Epoch. Each active skill has its very own skill tree that can be used to alter how that skill works in any way. For example, let’s look at the skill called Shurikens:

• Base Skill: Throw 3 shurikens in a cone.
• Blade Shield Upgrade: You now summon your shurikens in a shield around you. This transforms the skill from a frontal cone attack to a defensive move, creating a shield of shurikens around your character. This upgrade not only alters the offensive nature of the skill but introduces a defensive aspect, providing a protective barrier against incoming attacks.
• Throwing Star Upgrade: Shurikens can now be thrown at all enemies around you. This modification expands the skill's reach, enabling shurikens to target all enemies in the vicinity. The skill evolves from a cone-shaped attack to a versatile, omnidirectional assault, enhancing its effectiveness in crowd control scenarios.
• Charged Steel Upgrade: Shurikens deal additional lightning damage. With this upgrade, the skill gains an elemental aspect, introducing additional lightning damage to each shuriken thrown. This not only diversifies the damage output but can also synergize with other abilities or equipment that enhance lightning-based attacks.

By navigating the skill tree and investing skill points into these upgrades, players can tailor the "Shurikens" skill to suit their preferred playstyle or address specific challenges within the game. This showcases the dynamic and strategic nature of Last Epoch's skill customization system, allowing players to create unique and personalized character builds.

When you play through the campaign, you will unlock more Passive Skill points and more slots for something called Idols. The main takeaway here is that they can be obtained not only in the main quests but also in the side-quest activities. If you open your map, you’ll see how many passive points and idol slots you can unlock versus how many you already have. Each quest also specifies what rewards you’ll be getting, so you’ll know in advance if you’ll be getting an additional passive point for its completion or not.

Idols are very similar to charms in Diablo. Idols have their own slots in the character’s inventory. They come in different sizes, so you must choose which ones to use based on Idol’s size and not just what they can give you. Idols provide passive bonuses and can be used with every class.

Last Epoch Gear System

As part of Last Epoch new player guide, it’s very important to explain crafting. Most ARPGs, gear, and items have different rarities. The rarity decides whether or not an item has additional modifiers. But then those affixes also have their own rarity system called tiers, which go from one to five. So, the higher the tier of the affix, the bigger the bonus it grants. All of this can be seen when you hover over an item. Here’s all of them:

1. Common - no additional affixes
2. Magic - have up to 2 affixes
3. Rare - have up to 4 affixes
4. Unique - have at least one unique modifier
5. Set pieces - provide bonuses depending on how many pieces of the same set are equipped on a character.
6. Exalted - have tier 6 and tier 7 affixes but no more than 2 affixes.
7. Legendary - obtained by combining legendary and unique items that will inherit some of their affixes.

With this many rarities, the potential for builds seems endless, especially when you can combine different gear pieces to get the best combination of affixes. In order to make Legendary, you must combine two items of the same type (chest + chest), and they must have a prefix and suffix in their name.

The number of affixes that the crafted piece will inherit depends on something called Potential, which can be anywhere between 1 and 4. But combining two items together can only be done after you’ve cleared the Temporal Sanctum Dungeon at a higher tier (there are different tiers) than the item itself. Once you defeat the final boss, you’ll get something called Eternal Cache, which is where you will put the two items together to merge them into one with inherited affixes.

 

Crafting Explained

Crafting is a big part of the game and progression. It lets you upgrade your items by adding more or improving existing affixes. There are three main components used in crafting:

• Runes - add specific affixes
• Glyphs - change the outcome of a craft.
• Shards - also add affixes and modifiers

They allow you to change, add, or remove affixes. There’s another thing that comes into play in Crafting, and that’s Forge potential. This value indicates how many things you can change in an item. This item will decrease the more changes you make to an item. It’s also possible to destroy an item, which is called Shattering, to obtain its affixes as Shards for later use in crafting. The process begins by acquiring crafting materials through item dismantling or looting. These materials correspond to specific affixes that can be applied to items. Players visit a blacksmith in a town, open the crafting UI, and select the item they wish to modify. Affixes are added by dragging and dropping crafting materials onto the item, with attention to the affix limit.

To improve the chances of successful crafting, Glyphs of Stability can be used, reducing the risk of failure. Glyphs of the Guardian protect specific affixes on an item during the crafting process. Exalted items offer more customization opportunities, and shattering allows players to break down items into shards for targeted affix crafting. The outcome of crafting is not guaranteed, introducing an element of randomness that adds depth and strategy to the system. By mastering crafting, players can create powerful and uniquely customized gear tailored to their play style.

Last Epoch Endgame Content

Everybody knows that ARPG games are the most fun in the endgame content because that’s where the real fun begins. The endgame in Last Epoch revolves around several different activities and challenges that become available once the player completes the main story. One such activity is called Monolith of Fate, which introduces time-traveling challenges where you can enter different timelines to fight enemies and earn rewards. You can conquer the timeline by completing the so-called Quest Echoes to unlock even more timelines where events of the story unfold differently. Each Quest Echo has different rewards. For example, you can have rewards that grant unique or set melee weapons. On top of that, the areas in the timelines can be of two difficulties:

• Normal - have a maximum area level of 75 and corruption up to 50.
• Legendary - has a maximum area level of 100 and minimum corruption of 100.

Corruption increases monster health and damage, but at the same time it also increases the item rarity and experience gained. Corruption is increased by defeating the Shade of Orobyss. Each time you encounter and defeat the Shade of Orobyss within an Echo, the corruption level of that timeline increases. Empowered timelines (starting at 100 corruption) don't have a set cap, but the benefits of pushing extremely high corruption become negligible. Higher corruption means tougher enemies and challenges, so make sure your build and gear can handle it.

Another part of the endgame in Last Epoch is Dungeons. Dungeons offer a distinct and exciting alternative to the Monolith of Fate, providing fresh challenges, mechanics, and unique rewards for endgame players. Here's a breakdown of what dungeons are in general:

1. Standalone Challenges: Unlike the ever-evolving Monolith, each dungeon is a self-contained experience with its own theme, layout, mechanics, and storyline. This offers variety and lets you focus on mastering specific challenges.
2. Unique Mechanics: Each dungeon introduces unique mechanics that alter gameplay beyond the core combat loop. For example, the Temporal Sanctum involves races against the clock, while the Lightless Legion requires managing light sources to reveal hidden dangers. These mechanics add depth and keep gameplay fresh.
3. Progressive Difficulty and Rewards: Dungeons come in tiers, starting from easier difficulties and escalating in both challenge and rewards as you progress. This allows you to gradually test your skills and gear while receiving increasingly powerful loot.
4. Boss Encounters: Each dungeon culminates in a boss fight, requiring you to adapt your strategy and utilize your skills effectively to overcome a unique challenge. These encounters offer climactic moments and exciting tests of your mastery.
5. Different Flavors: The three current dungeons - Soulfire Bastion, Temporal Sanctum, and Lightless Legion - offer distinct themes, atmospheres, and challenges. This caters to different player preferences and keeps exploration varied.
6. Daily Rotation and Keys: Each dungeon tier has a daily rotating bonus reward, encouraging you to revisit them regularly for targeted loot acquisition. Each dungeon also requires a specific key to enter, adding a resource management element and making each run feel valuable.

Some of the dungeons include:

• Soulfire Bastion: This dungeon challenges you with waves of enemies and culminates in a boss fight against the Soul Gambler. Here, you can gamble for powerful gear and Tier V affixes unavailable elsewhere.
• Temporal Sanctum: Test your mastery of time manipulation in this dungeon as you race against the clock to defeat challenging enemies and bosses. Rewards include unique relics and access to the powerful Chronomancer specialization.
• Lightless Legion: Delve into the depths of the void in this procedurally generated dungeon, facing increasingly difficult enemies and challenging boss fights. Unique gear and crafting materials await those who conquer its darkness.

For more Last Epoch strategy on each dungeon, stay tuned for our dungeon guides. Besides the Monolyth of Fate and Dungeons, there are also Arenas in the small maps where you fight off waves of monsters. Each new wave will have monsters with increased health and higher damage. After each 10 waves, the arena will change the map and ask you to choose one of two modifiers. On the 40th wave, you’ll face one of 3 Arena Champions, each of which has unique rewards if you defeat them.

The endless arena features a leaderboard where you can look up the best players, their characters, and builds.

Last Epoch Tips And Tricks

Let’s wrap things up with a few handy Last Epoch tips from pros for new players in Last Epoch:

1. Don't stress about the perfect build: Experiment with different Masteries and skills to find what clicks for you. You can respec points later at a reasonable cost.
2. Loot filter is your friend: Set up a simple loot filter (Shift+F) to hide irrelevant items and clutter, focusing on upgrades and crafting materials.
3. Prioritize survivability: Defense is key, especially as you progress. Balance damage with resistances, life leech, or regeneration depending on your build.
4. Masteries offer flexibility: While you choose a main Mastery, invest points in others to access specific skills or passives that complement your build.
5. Crafting unlocks customization: Utilize the deep crafting system to enhance your gear and personalize your play style. Don't underestimate the power of crafting!
6. Explore echoes strategically: Prioritize echoes with unique rewards, corruption reduction, or access to new areas. Use echoes that suit your build and goals.
7. Engage with the community: Resources like Maxroll, Icy Veins, and Last Epoch Tools offer guides, builds, and discussions to help you learn and progress.
8. Don't be afraid to adjust difficulty: If you're struggling, consider lowering the difficulty to enjoy the story and mechanics without getting discouraged.
9. Take breaks and have fun: Don't burn yourself out. Pace yourself, explore different areas, and enjoy the journey of discovering the Monolith's secrets.
10. Stay updated: Last Epoch is actively developed, so keep an eye out for new content, balance changes, and exciting additions in future updates!

Remember, these are just starting Last Epoch tips for beginners. Adapt them to your personal style and the ever-evolving world of Last Epoch!

Conclusion

To conclude our Last Epoch beginners guide 2024, this game seems like another solid competitor and descendant of the best Diablo games. It gets you hooked by offering a unique story, interesting skill and class system, and a ton of replayability. There’s a lot of freedom involved in how you can make your build and what you can turn your character into. That’s what matters in a good ARPG, and Last Epoch nails it.

The endgame looks to be infinitely scalable, which is exactly what you want from a game like this - being able to play it as much as you want and on your own terms. In this guide, we’ve given you all the knowledge you need to start playing the game and enjoying it. We’ll be releasing more guides for this game, so keep in touch, and we’ll see you in the next one!

F.A.Q.

Is Last Epoch easy for beginners?

Last Epoch is a fun game that can be easy to start, but it has almost infinite depth for character customization that will involve some level of understanding and research.

How do beginners get better at Last Epoch?

Understanding how skills and gear work is very important for getting better at Last Epoch. You have active skills each of which has its own unique tree of passive skills. All gear in the game have different rarities and the rarer the item, the more bonuses it will have.

Is Last Epoch Hard for New Players?

If you’re familiar with the ARPG genre, Last Epoch is going to be easy to pick. But even if you haven’t played a similar game, Last Epoch is still going to be fun to try out and learn.

What is the Best Way to Start Last Epoch?

The best way to start Last Epoch is by choosing the class that seems right to you personally. It’s going to have the playstyle that you like which is the main criteria in games that are highly replayable. Later on down the line you can make alt characters, but the first one will be special.

Is Last Epoch Beginner Friendly?

Last Epoch can be considered beginner friendly, for sure. It has a lot of systems, but they are all well-explained and relatively easy to use for those who can spend a few minutes reading tooltips.

Is Last Epoch Hard to Play?

In the beginning Last Epoch is not hard to play at all, but it can become more and more challenging as you enter the endgame where the only thing that’s stopping the increasing difficulty is your own ability to strike the risk/reward balance.

What Should I Do as a Beginner in Last Epoch?

Pick a class that you like and play through the story. Learn about what mastery classes you can unlock later in the story, and then pick the one that seems best to you. Remember, you can’t change the sub-class once you picked one.

Is it Easy to Start Last Epoch?

It’s pretty easy to start playing and enjoying Last Epoch. All you have to do is create a character and start the story.

Is Last Epoch Good for New Players?

Last Epoch is good for new players because there are many games like this and there are good chances you played one of them. Besides the game has very clear and easy to use mechanics that are well-explained by the tutorials.