How to Dual Wield in Last Epoch

Last Epoch is an isometric ARPG, and you may be wondering how you can charge into battle with a weapon in each hand. Dual Wielding is a core part of the game for certain classes and Masteries, but how does it work? And should you even be doing it in the first place? Let’s explore the mechanic and its pros and cons.

Can you Dual Wield in Last Epoch?—explained

Yes, you can dual wield in Last Epoch, though only for certain classes and Masteries, and only after your character invests in a passive skill which allows them to do so. When leveling your class, one of the passives early on may mention a perk which also allows you to wield weapons in your offhand. The Rogue, for instance, has the Twin Blade passive, which lets them dual wield daggers and one-handed swords. Rogues must invest at least five points into their passive tree before unlocking Twin Blade.

Rogues and Primalists have the easiest access to dual wielding in Last Epoch, as it’s just a short way down their default tree. But, that isn’t to say they’re the only classes capable of doing so. The following classes and Masteries are capable of dual wielding as of Patch 1.0 of Last Epoch.

As of the current patch of Last Epoch, the Acolyte base class has no Mastery able to dual wield any weapons.

Once you’ve invested in the Dual Wield passive for your class or Mastery in Last Epoch, you are able to wield specific types of weapons in your off-hand—albeit at a cost. These passives increase the damage you take by a small amount while dual wielding, so make sure you keep that in mind as you build. Especially since some of these classes might like their shields and losing said protective gear might further lower your durability.

If want to dual wield, make sure you get the correct passive. Then, make sure the weapon you’re equipping in your main hand isn’t a two-handed weapon, or a weapon which doesn’t work for dual wielding, like a Bow. If either of these cases are true, your off-hand weapon might just bounce right out of your hand.

If a skill is locked while dual wielding, it may require specific weaponry to function properly—you may need to change your skills to cater to dual wielding more.

Is Dual Wielding worth it?

Dual Wielding is usually not worth it, though some Masteries benefit greatly. Characters take a substantial amount of bonus damage while losing access to standard off-hands and two-handed weapons, making it iffy in most situations. But, for the Blademaster Rogue, Dual Wielding is almost necessary, since it’s where most of your skills come from and where your damage originates.

Dual wielding is a potent offensive buff for your character in Last Epoch. It works as simply as possible—you get the stats from both weapons, but average the attack speed of the two weapons. For example, if your Rogue is using a 1.2 attack rate sword and 1.1 attack rate dagger, you have an effective attack rate of 1.15. You also get the implicits and modifiers of both your main and off-hand weapons, which is great for your damage.

Most classes can compensate quite easily for the loss of an off-hand weapon. Primalists and Sentinels benefit well from two-handed weapons and shields. The Rending affix, for instance, can let a one-handed weapon neatly catch with to a dual wielding build. And the nearly ten percent damage taken debuff for two-weapon fighting hurts all characters, no matter how durable.

That said, Rogues who plan on going into melee and Spellblades should really consider locking in two-weapon fighting. A Bladedancer’s Dancing Strikes and Shadow Cascade skills are locked behind dual wielding as a prerequisite, and they have multiple skills that improve damage and defense while holding two weapons. Spellblades aren’t quite as lucky as Rogues, but the amount of damage a Spellblade gets while wielding two swords is huge. And even if we don’t love dual-wielding builds for everyone, Sentinel and Primalist dual wielders can also pump out a lot of damage with the various unique one-handed weapons the game has to offer.

We wouldn’t recommend dual wielding if you plan on starting a Hardcore playthrough, even if you’re one of these classes. But, if you’re fooling around with a build or find two solid one-handers you’d like to try, nothing is stopping you from dual wielding and tearing through foes.