Last Epoch has a lot of spells distributed among five classes. One of the most powerful builds for clearing out the game’s more difficult challenges and bosses is the Lightning Blast build for the Mage class.
Last Epoch Lightning Blast build
The Lightning Blast build is one you can get started on from as early as level one, The titular skill of this build, Lightning Blast, is the starter skill of the Mage and carries onwards regardless of your Mastery later on. For the sake of additional Lightning damage, we will be playing the Lightning Blast build as a pure caster and picking up the Sorcerer Mastery class.
In Last Epoch, Lightning Blast starts as a single-target skill and can then be upgraded into an AOE damage skill. For this build, we turn Lightning Blast into a powerful boss-killing skill with an option between Static Orb and Static for speed farming. Since Static is a bit slower to build up, we will be going with Static Orb as the mob clearing skill.
With two damage skills, we pick up three skills to support us: Teleport for mobility, Focus for mana regen, and Flame Ward as a defensive buff. But before that, we address the needed passives.
Passives
The key passives for a Mage revolve around a few important stats: Intelligence, Cast Speed, Elemental damage, Lightning damage, Spell Critical strike, and Spell Damage leech. You can pick up other passives as you level up, then respec them as you near the endgame.
Mage passives
| Mage Passive | Stats gained |
| Elementalist | Fire damage, Cold damage, Lightning damage |
| Arcanist | Intelligence, Fire resistance, Lightning resistance |
| Reactive Ward | Gain Ward when health drops below 70 percent |
| Preparation | Increased damage and slow for each spell cast every three seconds |
| Arcane Current | Casts Arcane Lightning on nearby enemies when using a Lightning spell |
| Mage Flurry | Attack speed, Cast speed |
| Knowledge of Destruction | Critical Strike chance, Critical Strike multiplier |
Sorcerer passives
Most of your passive points will go into this tree.
| Sorcerer Passive | Stats gained |
| Arcane Momentum | Increased Spell Damage, Mana regen |
| Calculated Destruction | Intelligence, Increased Spell Critical chance |
| Mana Shell | Mana, Armor |
| Essence of Celerity | Arcane Momentum lasts longer and grants more spell damage |
| Afterglow | Increased Spell Damage, Ward retention |
| Ceraunomancer | Lightning Spell Damage, Shock chance |
| Whirling Snow | Chance to chill attacks when hit |
| Rift Bolt | Lightning Penetration, Lightning Damage leech |
| Crackling Precision | Increased Spell Critical chance, Double bonus for Lightning spells |
| Arcane Obliteration | Increased Spell Critical multiplier |
| Spell Slinger | Increased Spell damage, Mana regen |
| Elemental Ascendance | Elemental resistance, Elemental damage, Increased stun with Elemental spells |
| Distant Spark | Chance to cast Spark Nova when critically striking a distant enemy |
| Arcane Current | Shock chance, Shock duration, Increased stun with Lightning spells |
| Recollection | Cooldown recovery speed |
| Archmage | Increased Spell Damage, Triple bonus if mana > 300 |
You can opt out of some of the earlier passives if you feel like you’re getting diminishing returns. You can instead invest in stronger passive options or control debuffs if you’re playing multiplayer.
Spellblade/Runemaster passives
The leftover few passive points are reallocated into the other two class Masteries.
| Passive | Stats gained |
| Elemental Affinity (Spellblade) | Elemental damage, Elemental resistance |
| Unsealed Mana (Runemaster) | Mana, Cast speed, Mana/Ward burst |
| Arcane Focus (Runemaster) | Intelligence, Ward gain |
| Edict of the Scion (Runemaster) | Increased AOE |
| Inscribed Instruments (Runemaster) | Critical multiplier (Wand), Ward retention (Sceptre), Cast Speed (Staff) |
Skill Build
The Lightning Blast Mage’s primary sources of damage are Lightning Blast and Static Orb, with the former working as a boss-killer and the latter as speed-farming. You can experiment with other options, such as Static and Arcane Ascendance, and later respec back to the Lightning Blast build.
1) Lightning Blast (Mage starter skill)
The primary and starter skill for this build. The main specializations are Hypercharge and Convergence.
| Specialization | Effects |
| Arcing Power | Increases the maximum number of Lightning Blast chains |
| Frontloaded | Deals bonus damage that is reduced by each chain |
| Storm Razor | Increased Spell damage and Critical Strike chance |
| Crackling Speed | Increases Cast speed |
| Shattershock | Deals bonus damage to Chilled and Shocked enemies |
| Overcharge | Gains a chance to double-cast with an increased Critical multiplier |
| Hypercharge | Gains a chance to quadruple-cast instead of double-cast. |
| Lightning Attunement | Chance to acquire the Lightning Aegis buff on cast |
| Chain Lightning | Further increases the number of chains but costs more mana |
| Convergence | Focuses all possible chains on a single target |
2) Static Orb (Five Sorcerer passive points)
Static Orb works as your mob-clear spell. The main specializations are Scatterblast and Fusionblast.
| Specialization | Effects |
| Forking Surge | Creates Lightning Tendrils to hit additional targets |
| Shocking Conduit | Increased chance to Shock enemies |
| Open Circuit | Increased Spell damage and projectile speed |
| Scatterblast | Creates additional smaller Static Orbs that deal bonus damage |
| Fusionblast | Lightning Blast chains additional times if used after Static Orb |
| Volatile Outburst | Increased Spell damage but reduces projectile speed |
| Static Armor | Grants the Lightning Aegis buff on cast |
| Critical Trajectory | Increased Critical strike multiplier |
| Overwhelming Barrage | Increased Stun chance and duration, Gain Ward on hit |
| Storm Conductor | Increased Spell damage to Shocked enemies |
3) Teleport (10 Mage passive points)
Teleport is the best mobility skill in your arsenal. The main specializations are Mana Tunnel and Elemental Affinity.
| Specialization | Effects |
| Resonant Plasma | Increased Fire and Lightning resistance, Stun avoidance on cast |
| Ether Barrier | Grants Ward on cast |
| Crystalline Passage | Increased Cold resistance and Armor on cast |
| Elemental Affinity | Increased Elemental damage on cast |
| Unexpected Copy | Creates taunting Mirror Image on arrival |
| Decoy Position | Creates taunting Mirror Image on departure |
| Time Dilation | Increased duration for stat buffs on cast |
| Mana Tunnel | Increases Teleport cooldown, but the next spell cast has no mana cost |
| Tunnel Finder | Decreased cooldown |
| Rock Phase | Immunity to Stun on cast |
4) Focus (20 Mage passive points)
Your spells are expensive and Focus helps you sustain them. The main specializations are Chilling Aura and Energy Infusion.
| Specialization | Effects |
| Iron Stance | Increases base Armor and grants bonus Armor (based on Intelligence) |
| Resolute Stance | Additionally grants Health regeneration |
| Revelation | Increases Ward Burst and Mana Burst |
| Mana Flooded | Increases Mana regeneration |
| Chilling Aura | Grants an aura that Chills enemies and reduces their damage |
| Prismatic Stance | Reduces Elemental damage taken |
| Energy Infusion | Gain the Haste buff after channeling |
| Desperate Meditation | Grants increased Mana regeneration based on the missing Mana |
| Null Profusion | Gain additional Mana while at negative Mana, Increased cooldown |
| Null Infusion | Gain even more Mana while at negative Mana, Increased cooldown |
5) Flame Ward (Mage level seven)
Flame Ward gets you out of danger with an emergency Ward and retaliatory damage. The main specializations are Lightning Ward and Dual Aegis.
| Specialization | Effects |
| Dilation | Increases Ward duration, Reduces Mana cost |
| Infusion | Increases Fire damage |
| Lightning Ward | Changes damage type to Lightning |
| Stalwart Defense | Increases Ward amount gained |
| Desperate Defense | Grants bonus Ward based on missing Health |
| Astonish | Automatically cast Flame Ward when stunned (if available) |
| Fuel the Flames | Increases Ward amount gained but also increases cooldown |
| Dual Aegis | Gain an additional charge of Flame Ward |
| Barrier | Reduces hit damage taken while active |
| Prismatic Buffer | Reduces Elemental damage taken while active |
Required Gear
The gear required to make a Lightning Blast Mage tick is quite flexible. You don’t have to rely on too many Uniques and can get by with a few specific Exalted items. To receive the best gear rewards, complete certain Monolith Echoes in the End of Time and Prophecies from your faction.
Gear slots
The best-in-slot gear items are as follows.
| Slot | Gear |
| Main Weapon | Wand with: Spell damage, Cast speed, Critical chance, Critical multiplier |
| Off-hand weapon | Fragment of the Enigma |
| Helm | Helmet with: Resistances, Health, Armor, Lightning Blast levels |
| Body Armor | Prism Wraps |
| Belt | Belt with: Health, Armor, Ward Gain, Resistances |
| Gloves | Gloves with: Lightning damage, Cast speed or Avarice |
| Boots | Boots with: Movement Speed, Health, Armor |
| Rings | Rings with: Critical chance, Critical multiplier, Lightning damage and leech |
| Amulet | Aurora’s Time Glass |
| Relic | Twisted Heart of Uhkeiros |
Idols
Idols grant passive bonuses to round up your build. These stats can be random depending on the Idol you pick up so there will be a lot of trial and error to get the ones you want. These are the essential stats you will need on a Lightning Blast build.
- Increased Lightning damage with Lightning Aegis active
- Increased Lightning damage (Doubled if max mana > 300)
- Increased Health
- Increased Armor
- Increased Resistances
- Increased Mana
- Increased Stun chance
Completing all the side quests in the main campaign will unlock enough space in your Idol Container to hold all of them.
Blessings
The final part of the Lightning Blast build is having the right Blessings. Depending on the ones you have, you can use them to farm gear or, if your gear is ready, increase your endgame stats even further. Conquer the 10 Timelines in the Monolith of Fate to get your choice of Blessings.
| Timeline | Blessing | Effect |
| Fall of the Outcasts | Mark of Agony | Increased Adorned Idol Drop Rate |
| The Stolen Lance | Reach of Flame | Increased Off-hand Catalyst Drop Rate |
| The Black Sun | Hunger of the Void | Spell Damage leeched as Health |
| Blood, Frost, and Death | Cruelty of Formosus | Increased Wand Drop Rate |
| Ending the Storm | Mysteries of the Deep | Increased Chance to Shred Lightning Resistance |
| Fall of the Empire | Shadows of Infinity | Increased Relic Shard Drop Rate |
| Reign of Dragons | Resolve of Humanity | Increased All Resistance |
| The Last Ruin | Knowledge of Skill | Increased Skill Shard Drop Rate |
| The Age of Winter | Resolve of Grael | Increased Physical Resistance |
| Spirits of Fire | Body of Obsidian | Increased Armor |
Once you complete all 10 Timelines, you will unlock Empowered Monoliths that grant Grand versions of each Blessing, pushing your endgame power even further.
