Mastering the Acolyte Class in Last Epoch: Top Early Game Build

Acolytes in Last Epoch harness eldritch powers to control necrotic energies, using unholy flames, gruesome magic, and undead armies to defeat their enemies. This class embodies the dark magician character archetype, appealing to fans of forbidden arts.

This guide focuses on a melee Acolyte leveling build that prioritizes minions, designed for characters around level 20. It is known as one of the quickest-clearing leveling builds in Last Epoch, and it can easily transition into the late game. Here's how to get started.

Last Epoch Leveling Build Skills

Acolyte with skeleton minions in Last Epoch - Last Epoch Leveling Build Skills

This build is centered around Skeleton Archers for damage, supported by a Bone Golem in the front. Players can also contribute to the damage using Harvest and Bone Curse. With minimal adjustments, this build can take you far into the late game. Here are the skills and specializations you'll need:

Harvest (Specialized)

Specialization tree for the harvest skill in Last Epoch - Harvest (Specialized)

Finality: Harvest instantly kills targets below a certain HP threshold.

To gain Spirit Shards, simply hit Harvest. Once you collect 13 Spirit Shards, your next Harvest hit will be more powerful. It will deal more damage, restore mana, and boost your minions' damage.

With Blood Sculptor, Harvest can create Blood Spectres when you defeat an enemy. These Spectres start with 100 HP, which decreases gradually.

Summon Skeleton (Specialized)

Summon Skeleton is a skill that allows you to summon skeletal minions to fight alongside you. These minions can help you deal damage to low-health targets and potentially spawn even more minions with each swing of your spectral scythe. When using Harvest with Summon Skeleton, two-handed weapons are recommended for their high base damage values, making the combination even more effective in battle.

Summon Skeleton skill tree in Last Epoch - Summon Skeleton (Specialized)

Unholy Rage: Skeletons have increased attack speed, movement speed, and cast speed.

Marrow Walkers: Increases your maximum number of skeletons.

Lone Guardian: Skeletons gain increased critical hit chance, but you can only summon one Skeleton Warrior.

Mightier Than The Sword: Removes Skeleton Warriors from the summon pool.

Fire Arrow: Skeleton Archers can use Fire Arrow every 6 seconds.

Summon Bone Golem (Specialized)

Having multiple Skeleton Archers can easily overpower your own damage per second (DPS). With four of them, monsters may not even reach you before they are defeated. Skeleton Archers excel against elites and bosses, but remember to summon them again if they are destroyed.

The Bone Golem skill tree in Last Epoch - Summon Bone Golem (Specialized)

Amalgam of Sentinels: Your Golem gains additional health and armor.

In the Tower of Bones, the Bone Golem not only generates more threat but also grows physically larger.

In Fragments of the Fallen, Golems become bigger and inflict greater damage when there are no other Golems alive. Additionally, if a new Golem is summoned near the remains of a deceased Golem, it will gain increased armor for a duration of 15 seconds.

By specializing in Bone Curse at level 35, your Bone Golem will become extremely resilient. This passive ability will draw enemy attention towards the Bone Golem, allowing you and your skeletons to attack freely.

The skill tree for Bone Curse in Last Epoch - Bone Curse (Specialize at level 35)

Iron Maiden: Bone Curse procs deal more damage.

Brittle Bones: Bone Curse executes affected enemies when they fall below a health threshold.

Entreat the Damned: Killing enemies with Bone Curse has a chance to spawn a Skeleton Vanguard.

Bone Curse empowers the damage dealt by Harvest and minions. With the Entreat the Damned passive, you'll be able to get even more skeletons on the field.

Fourth Skill Slot

Skill tree for Summon Wraith in Last Epoch - Fourth Skill Slot

This final slot is your flex pick, where you can choose any skill you like. It's a good idea to save this spot for a powerful ability from a Mastery class. For example, Summon Wraith from the Necromancer tree is a strong choice, or you could go with Cthonic Fissure from the Warlock tree. If you're struggling with staying alive, consider picking up Transplant so you can quickly move to a safer position.

Passive Skills

Passive tree for Acolytes in Last Epoch - Passive Skills

Blood Aura (8/8): You and your minions deal more damage.

Stolen Vitality (8/8): You and your minions gain health.

Mania of Mortality (3/10): Every time an ally, minion, or enemy dies nearby, you have a chance to gain Ward.

Forbidden Knowledge (1/8): Gain bonus Intellgence and Necrotic Resistance.

The Acolyte's passive tree is quite straightforward. Start by allocating your first 20 points on passives that enhance both your damage output and survivability. If you find yourself in need of more Armor over Health, consider swapping out Stolen Vitality for Bone Aura. Mania of Mortality is a powerful passive, but keep in mind that it only triggers when enemies nearby are defeated.

A good rule of thumb is to invest your skill points based on the specific needs of your current build. If you're struggling with staying alive, focus on passives that boost your Health, Vitality, Armor, or Resistances. On the other hand, if you're lacking in damage, prioritize investing in offensive stats or nodes that provide bonuses to your attacks. Remember, you can easily reset your passive points in Last Epoch by speaking to Chronomancers located in major hub areas like the End of Time.

Gear and Priority Stats

The unique Bone Harvester scythe in Last Epoch - Gear and Priority Stats

If you're looking to increase Harvest's damage, focus on Intelligence and Necrotic Damage. For boosting Bone Curse, prioritize Physical Damage. To enhance your minions, equip Turquoise Rings and Amulets. These items provide bonus stats for your minions such as health, damage, and critical strike chance. Also, remember to equip gear with defensive stats like Vitality, extra Health, Armor, and Resistances to avoid being quickly defeated by powerful bosses or elites.

You can make this build work without any unique items, though the following are very helpful (numbers may vary between rolls):

Which Mastery Class Should You Choose?

necromancer surrounded by minions in last epoch - Which Mastery Class Should You Choose?

This content naturally transitions into a Necromancer build focused on minions for the mid to late game. If you decide to follow this path, consider replacing Harvest with Volatile Zombie and adding Summon Wraith or Skeletal Mages to your skill bar.

Another option is to create a Minion Warlock build based on this setup. Most aspects will remain the same, but you will have access to additional direct damage spells such as Chthonic Fissure, Chaos Bolts, and Ghostflame. However, itemization might become challenging as you progress into Last Epoch's late game content like Empowered Monoliths and dungeons.

Editor's P/S:

This article provides a comprehensive guide to building an effective melee Acolyte in Last Epoch, focusing on minion-based combat. It offers a detailed breakdown of the skills, passives, gear, and mastery class options that synergize well with this playstyle. The writing is clear and informative, with helpful explanations and tips.

Overall, this guide is a valuable resource for players who want to explore the Acolyte class and create a powerful minion-oriented build. It offers a solid foundation for both leveling and transitioning into the late game, making it a recommended read for enthusiasts of Last Epoch's minion-based gameplay.