Season 2 Masteries: Last Epoch Tier List

Last Epoch offers an impressive array of 15 Mastery classes, each serving as a unique subclass that allows players to specialize their build in fascinating ways. From the traditional Sorcerer to the unconventional Falconer, who soars across the map with a bird companion dealing damage, the variety can be overwhelming. This Last Epoch Mastery tier list aims to guide you in selecting the most effective Masteries for your gameplay.

You're not confined to a single Mastery; it's common to blend multiple Masteries in a min-maxed build. You can invest points in the initial half of any other Mastery's passive tree, and you have the flexibility to change your Mastery at the Respec NPC in the End of Time.

How We Ranked the Best and Worst Masteries in Last Epoch

The strength, weakness, or middle-ground position of a Mastery in Last Epoch is determined by its ability to fulfill key aspects of a build. Every build aims to optimize its clear (mapping), bossing (single target), and defense capabilities, but some Masteries excel more than others due to stronger synergies or more potent stats.

For instance, 'more' damage multipliers are more impactful than 'increased' damage multipliers, pushing Masteries with the former higher on our list. It's crucial to scrutinize passive skills to understand how they enhance damage—stats like critical hit chance, critical hit multiplier, flat damage, armor shred chance, and effect are pivotal.

Defensively, features such as critical hit damage reduction or avoidance are essential to prevent sudden deaths from damage spikes. Resistances, while obtainable through gear and idols, are also vital when offered on the Mastery passive tree for flexibility. Damage reduction is highly valued for survival, and recovery options like leech, health regeneration, and effective HP (eHP) are crucial. Masteries that offer these efficiently rank higher.

Mastery skills are assessed primarily on their damage potential for both bossing and clearing, with some consideration for playability. An S-Tier skill that feels clunky might drag a Mastery's ranking down, but preferences like snapshotting can influence individual rankings.

Last Epoch Season 2 Masteries Tier List

S-Tier: Paladin, Void Knight
Best overall clear, bossing, and defense, with no significant weaknesses

A-Tier: Falconer, Bladedancer, Shaman, Druid
Strong clear, bossing, and/or defense. Lacking significantly in one area

B-Tier: Marksman, Lich, Beastmaster
Good clear, bossing, and/or defense. Lacking significantly in one or more areas

C-Tier: Necromancer, Forge Guard, Runemaster
Decent to good clear, bossing, and/or defense. Lacking significantly in one or more areas

D-Tier: Spellblade, Warlock, Sorcerer
Poor to good clear, bossing, and/or defense. Lacking significantly in multiple areas

Below, we provide detailed explanations for each tier, highlighting example builds from Maxroll.gg.

S-Tier Last Epoch Masteries

S-Tier: Void Knight

If you're aiming to clear screens with a massive purple sword while remaining invincible, the Void Knight and its Erasing Strike skill are your best bet. It scales excellently into the World Splitter version, and its Warpath variation is both top-tier and accessible for new or casual players.

Void Knight boasts enhanced mobility and eHP, coupled with exceptional clear and formidable bossing damage. The ability to move and deal damage simultaneously is a significant advantage for DPS, and it feels incredibly smooth to play.

With a 200% added damage effectiveness on all skills (and 600% on Erasing Strike), it's ideally positioned. The passive tree supports Physical and Void damage resistance and penetration, leech, damage reduction, health boosts, and more. Key nodes like Sorrow & Steel, Void Corruption, and Mortal Cleave provide a mix of damage, armor, critical hits, and area of effect. For more Void Knight builds, consider Smite Void Knight or Time Rot Void Knight.

S-Tier: Paladin

Eleventh Hour Games (EHG) acknowledged overdoing the Sentinel rework, which propelled Judgement Paladin to dominate the Terminate Uber Abberoth race. This Mastery undoubtedly earns its S-Tier status.

Paladin excels with powerful skills and unmatched survivability, delivering massive damage. Judgement is exceptionally potent, offering 350% damage effectiveness and 200% critical multiplier. Every Paladin skill is equally effective, a trait not shared by other Masteries. Skills like Symbols of Hope, Holy Aura, and Healing Hands further enhance both damage and defense.

The passive tree provides the highest resistances in the game, along with recovery, damage reduction, mana, attack and cast speed, block, armor, and penetration. Notable nodes include Covenant of Light, Covenant of Protection, Reverence of Duality, and Convenant of Dominion, offering potent combinations of damage, sustain, and defense. Beyond Judgement, consider Bleed Hammerdin and Smite for alternative builds.

A-Tier Last Epoch Masteries

A-Tier: Falconer

EHG's goal to nerf overpowered builds to "just under OP" status was realized with the Falconer. Initially overpowering, it's now simply excellent.

Falconer offers unrivaled movement speed and top-tier damage, thanks to easy access to critical hit multipliers and Dexterity scaling. Aerial Assault allows simultaneous mobility and damage with your bird companion.

Its primary weakness is defense, requiring Dodge, Silver/Dusk Shrouds, and Glancing Blows to mitigate damage. The lack of resistance options on the tree necessitates careful gear and blessing choices.

For a high-damage build, consider the Zero HP Ballista Falconer, though it's not suitable for hardcore play. Alternatively, Umbral Blades using Shadow Daggers and transitioning to a Dexterity stacking version with Talons of Valor bow and Razorfall boots is a top choice for a dynamic, fast-paced experience.

A-Tier: Bladedancer

While Falconer may be more popular, Bladedancer is equally strong and well-rounded. It excels in clear, single target, and defense, thanks to high-DPS skills, powerful passives, and useful iframes from Lethal Mirage. It's the go-to for a fast melee class.

Key nodes like Pursuit, Argent Veil, and Death’s Door enhance damage and movement speed, while Glancing Blows, Dusk Shrouds, and Dodge provide robust defense. Dexterity stacking, crit, leech, Frailty, armor shred, and effect are all available. Though not numerically superior to Judgment Paladin, Bladedancer remains a formidable choice.

Build options include Shadow Daggers, Shadow Cascade, Chakrams, and Lethal Mirage with Black Blade of Chaos, with the Chakram version viable for Uber Abberoth.

A-Tier: Beastmaster

As the summoner Mastery, Beastmaster isn't as tanky as Void Knight or Paladin but secured second place in the Uber Abberoth race, largely due to Storm Crows and Summon Wolf buffs. It's a proven archetype that takes time to ramp up.

Building around Poison Nova Scorpion offers well-rounded damage and clear but suffers from low movement speed. Options like Haste via The Scavenger belt and idols can help, but it won't be the fastest build.

The passive tree offers damage reduction, health, healing, regeneration, companion endurance, crit support, and stun, though you'll need to supplement damage elsewhere.

A-Tier: Shaman

A melee and/or elemental Mastery, Shaman is renowned for pushing high waves in the Arena, reaching 500-700+. Its clear speed and defense are commendable but not top-tier.

Tornado delivers surprising damage and vacuum effects, while Earthquake and Avalanche are less popular due to mana costs and clunkiness. Aftershock idols can enhance Earthquake without its drawbacks, and Summon Storm Totem serves as a decoy with decent damage.

The passive tree offers Penetration, cooldown reduction, mana, auto-trigger skills, attack and cast speed, elemental damage with resists, Haste, and more. Standout nodes include Fist of Stone, Lagon’s Answer, Conflux, and Swirling Maelstrom, providing a mix of utility and efficiency.

A-Tier: Druid

The shapeshifting Mastery, Storm Werebear leads the pack, offering great DPS, capable of tackling Abberoth and achieving high corruption and wave counts. Its eHP is impressive, though farming speed is a weakness.

Werebear transforms four skills into bear-friendly alternatives, with Rampage and Maul offering movement and damage with Knockback, and Roar providing Knockback and Stun. The skill tree supports no-cooldown Rampage, triggers Storm Bolt, and offers Stun, Rage, and Health on hit.

Spriggan Form enhances defense but is better paired with Druid/Beastmaster, while Swarmblade and Entangling Roots have niche applications. The passive tree is rich with strong nodes like Spirit Warden, Focused Wrath, Bush Stalker, Fetid Resilience, Primal Shifter/Tiger Spirit, and Impervious, offering a range of benefits for melee and minion builds.

B-Tier Last Epoch Masteries

B-Tier: Lich

The classic 'sacrifice life for power' archetype, Lich holds its own with potent skills like Reaper Form and a robust passive tree.

Drain Life is underwhelming but useful with Hecatomb to convert minions to mana. Aura of Decay supports the poison archetype but is weak due to scaling issues. Death Seal offers a 300% damage effectiveness boost and halves damage taken, balancing risk and reward.

Reaper Form has a base 100% damage effectiveness, boosted significantly by the passive tree. It's a movement skill that provides AoE damage and health recovery, despite its life drain.

The passive tree supports Intelligence stacking, mana, health, ward, and recovery. Notable nodes include Dance With Death, Hollow Lich, Unclosing Wounds, and Ageless Plagues, offering efficient damage boosts, along with automatic minion generation, crit, and speed enhancements.

B-Tier: Marksman

The classic Archer subclass, Marksman excels with Hail of Arrows and Heartseeker. Hail of Arrows benefits from the Sanguine Hoard unique quiver, perfect for bleed combos, while Heartseeker offers auto-targeting projectiles, transitioning from Bleed or Poison to Icicle as gear improves.

Marksman's strength lies in HP on hit, supported by numerous projectiles. Multishot has a modest base but improves with multiplicative damage nodes, while Hail boasts 325% damage effectiveness without crit reliance. Detonating Arrow falls short numerically.

The passive tree supports dodge, crit, movement speed, additional arrows, damage, and recovery. Standout nodes include Heightened Senses, Thief’s Quiver, and Death From Afar, offering crit avoidance, health, leech, stun, and armor shred. While defense isn't its forte, damage and clear are assured with the right strategy.

C-Tier Last Epoch Masteries

C-Tier: Necromancer

Another summoner Mastery, Necromancer focuses on undead minions, achieving 200-400 waves in the Arena.

Summon Skeletal Mage reduces enemy health regeneration and can be converted into a Traversal skill, focusing on a single powerful minion. The tree supports Poison, Necrotic, Cold, and Fire variations.

Sacrifice sees little play due to poor personal damage support, overshadowed by minion capabilities. Dread Shade offers a temporary damage boost at the cost of health, with options for minion explosions or enhancement. Assemble Abomination summons a tanky minion, though snapshotting is often required for optimal performance.

Summon Wraith delivers respectable damage with critical strike passives, supported by Fire, Necrotic, Poison, or Bleed variations. Notable nodes include Elixir of Hunger for health and speed boosts, and Rite of Undeath for resistances and damage. While recovery and minion tanking provide some defense, it's not the strongest aspect.

C-Tier: Runemaster

A unique caster archetype, Runemaster allows spell combination for unique effects, primarily through Rune of Invocation. This skill offers versatility and impressive damage numbers.

Hydrahedron enables 1000 corruption viability, though defense remains a concern. Focus Autobomber leverages Brand of Deception and Runic Fortress for tankiness, stacking Strength, Intelligence, and Ward.

Flame Rush combines movement with damage and reduction, while Frost Wall boasts high damage effectiveness and chill/Freeze capabilities. Runebolt offers a 200% crit multiplier and mana regeneration, and Glyph of Dominion delivers strong numbers and slow effects.

The passive tree supports Ward, mana, elemental debuffs, speed, reduced crit damage, cooldown recovery, and specialized damage for Fire and Lightning builds. While not as outrageous as higher tiers, it remains competitive.

C-Tier: Forge Guard

While Forge Guard holds its own, it's outshined by higher-tier Masteries. It offers unique build options for those seeking variety.

Manifest Armor rewards STR/armor stacking, Shield Throw offers high added damage effectiveness, and Ring of Shields enhances defense, though it's situational. Smelter’s Wrath scales offense and defense but is limited by its channeling nature, while Forge Weapon boasts 600% damage effectiveness with defensive summons.

The passive tree's standout node is Guardian, offering health, stun chance, and regen. Other nodes like Steel Aegis, Iron Attunement, Walls of Solarum, and Osprixbane provide solid support, though not as impactful as those in higher tiers. Efficient damage scaling is available throughout the tree.

D-Tier Last Epoch Masteries

D-Tier: Spellblade

Though D-Tier, Spellblade remains viable with strong DPS and speed, though defense is a challenge. Effective positioning can mitigate one-shots, appealing to those who enjoy blending magic with melee.

Flame Reave is playable but underwhelming due to damage drop-off, limited AoE, and high mana cost. It lacks unique buffs and effective crowd control. Enchant Weapon offers significant DPS boosts, especially for Ignite builds, with leech and Chill support for elemental variations.

Firebrand can hit 300 Corruption but struggles beyond that, offering an enjoyable but less potent playstyle. Surge provides mobility, damage, crit, and debuffs, while Shatter Strike excels with crit and offers both offensive and defensive benefits.

The passive tree supports ward in various forms, with intriguing nodes like Flame Walker for mobile fire damage and resistance shred, and Arcane Shielding and Shattered Aegis for damage reduction and armor. While decent, it lacks the standout features of higher tiers.

D-Tier: Warlock

Warlock focuses on damage over time and curses, making it accessible for new and casual players. While viable, builds like Witchfire don't push far on the ladder.

Cthonic Fissure, Profane Veil, and Chaos Bolts are key skills for both Bleed and Witchfire variations, with damage keeping Warlock competitive. Profane Veil offers temporary invincibility and damage over time.

Defense is lacking, relying on high eHP and recovery from nodes like Spiteful Decay and Spirit Leech. Fire/Necrotic builds benefit from The Ashen One, while Crimson Favours and Cauldron of Blood support Bleed builds.

D-Tier: Sorcerer

The classic caster, Sorcerer is viable but lacks standout features. Frostbite Frostclaw is a solid all-rounder but struggles with mana and speed.

Static Orb offers strong stats and vacuum effects, with nodes like Static Armor and Overwhelming Barrage enhancing defense and utility. Ice Barrage boasts competitive numbers and auto-targeting, with options for Chill and shield creation.

Arcane Ascendance is powerful but mana-intensive, lacking crit and secondary damage. Black Hole is potent with 600% damage effectiveness and vacuum utility, customizable for clear or single target. Meteor demands mana stacking and Archmage support due to its high cost.

The passive tree offers ward support, damage buffs, cast speed, elemental debuffs, leech, and penetration. While not comprehensive, it provides essential tools. Mana Bulwark is tempting but ineffective in practice.

For more detailed guides, visit our Last Epoch 1.2 builds page, focusing on Last Epoch 1.2 and Tombs of the Erased!