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An image of the Mage casting a spell in Last Epoch
Image via Eleventh Hour Games

Best Lightning Blast build in Last Epoch

The power of lightning at your fingertips.

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.

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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

An image of the Mage's passives in Last Epoch.
Building up his stats. Screenshot by Dot Esports

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 PassiveStats gained
ElementalistFire damage, Cold damage, Lightning damage
ArcanistIntelligence, Fire resistance, Lightning resistance
Reactive WardGain Ward when health drops below 70 percent
PreparationIncreased damage and slow for each spell cast every three seconds
Arcane CurrentCasts Arcane Lightning on nearby enemies when using a Lightning spell
Mage FlurryAttack speed, Cast speed
Knowledge of DestructionCritical Strike chance, Critical Strike multiplier

Sorcerer passives

Most of your passive points will go into this tree.

Sorcerer PassiveStats gained
Arcane MomentumIncreased Spell Damage, Mana regen
Calculated DestructionIntelligence, Increased Spell Critical chance
Mana ShellMana, Armor
Essence of CelerityArcane Momentum lasts longer and grants more spell damage
AfterglowIncreased Spell Damage, Ward retention
CeraunomancerLightning Spell Damage, Shock chance
Whirling SnowChance to chill attacks when hit
Rift BoltLightning Penetration, Lightning Damage leech
Crackling PrecisionIncreased Spell Critical chance, Double bonus for Lightning spells
Arcane ObliterationIncreased Spell Critical multiplier
Spell SlingerIncreased Spell damage, Mana regen
Elemental AscendanceElemental resistance, Elemental damage, Increased stun with Elemental spells
Distant SparkChance to cast Spark Nova when critically striking a distant enemy
Arcane CurrentShock chance, Shock duration, Increased stun with Lightning spells
RecollectionCooldown recovery speed
ArchmageIncreased 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.

PassiveStats 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

An image of the Mage's skills in Last Epoch.
The right skills for this build. Screenshot by Dot Esports

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.

SpecializationEffects
Arcing PowerIncreases the maximum number of Lightning Blast chains
FrontloadedDeals bonus damage that is reduced by each chain
Storm RazorIncreased Spell damage and Critical Strike chance
Crackling SpeedIncreases Cast speed
ShattershockDeals bonus damage to Chilled and Shocked enemies
OverchargeGains a chance to double-cast with an increased Critical multiplier
HyperchargeGains a chance to quadruple-cast instead of double-cast.
Lightning AttunementChance to acquire the Lightning Aegis buff on cast
Chain LightningFurther increases the number of chains but costs more mana
ConvergenceFocuses 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.

SpecializationEffects
Forking SurgeCreates Lightning Tendrils to hit additional targets
Shocking ConduitIncreased chance to Shock enemies
Open CircuitIncreased Spell damage and projectile speed
ScatterblastCreates additional smaller Static Orbs that deal bonus damage
FusionblastLightning Blast chains additional times if used after Static Orb
Volatile OutburstIncreased Spell damage but reduces projectile speed
Static ArmorGrants the Lightning Aegis buff on cast
Critical TrajectoryIncreased Critical strike multiplier
Overwhelming BarrageIncreased Stun chance and duration, Gain Ward on hit
Storm ConductorIncreased 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.

SpecializationEffects
Resonant PlasmaIncreased Fire and Lightning resistance, Stun avoidance on cast
Ether BarrierGrants Ward on cast
Crystalline PassageIncreased Cold resistance and Armor on cast
Elemental AffinityIncreased Elemental damage on cast
Unexpected CopyCreates taunting Mirror Image on arrival
Decoy PositionCreates taunting Mirror Image on departure
Time DilationIncreased duration for stat buffs on cast
Mana TunnelIncreases Teleport cooldown, but the next spell cast has no mana cost
Tunnel FinderDecreased cooldown
Rock PhaseImmunity 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.

SpecializationEffects
Iron StanceIncreases base Armor and grants bonus Armor (based on Intelligence)
Resolute StanceAdditionally grants Health regeneration
RevelationIncreases Ward Burst and Mana Burst
Mana FloodedIncreases Mana regeneration
Chilling AuraGrants an aura that Chills enemies and reduces their damage
Prismatic StanceReduces Elemental damage taken
Energy InfusionGain the Haste buff after channeling
Desperate MeditationGrants increased Mana regeneration based on the missing Mana
Null ProfusionGain additional Mana while at negative Mana, Increased cooldown
Null InfusionGain 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.

SpecializationEffects
DilationIncreases Ward duration, Reduces Mana cost
InfusionIncreases Fire damage
Lightning WardChanges damage type to Lightning
Stalwart DefenseIncreases Ward amount gained
Desperate DefenseGrants bonus Ward based on missing Health
AstonishAutomatically cast Flame Ward when stunned (if available)
Fuel the FlamesIncreases Ward amount gained but also increases cooldown
Dual AegisGain an additional charge of Flame Ward
BarrierReduces hit damage taken while active
Prismatic BufferReduces Elemental damage taken while active

Required Gear

An image of the Mage's gear in Last Epoch.
Gear maketh the Sorcerer. Screenshot by Dot Esports

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.

SlotGear
Main WeaponWand with: Spell damage, Cast speed, Critical chance, Critical multiplier
Off-hand weaponFragment of the Enigma
HelmHelmet with: Resistances, Health, Armor, Lightning Blast levels
Body ArmorPrism Wraps
BeltBelt with: Health, Armor, Ward Gain, Resistances
GlovesGloves with: Lightning damage, Cast speed or Avarice
BootsBoots with: Movement Speed, Health, Armor
RingsRings with: Critical chance, Critical multiplier, Lightning damage and leech
AmuletAurora’s Time Glass
RelicTwisted 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

An image of the Mage's Blessings in Last Epoch.
True endgame power. Screenshot by Dot Esports

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.

TimelineBlessingEffect
Fall of the OutcastsMark of AgonyIncreased Adorned Idol Drop Rate
The Stolen LanceReach of FlameIncreased Off-hand Catalyst Drop Rate
The Black SunHunger of the VoidSpell Damage leeched as Health
Blood, Frost, and DeathCruelty of FormosusIncreased Wand Drop Rate
Ending the StormMysteries of the DeepIncreased Chance to Shred Lightning Resistance
Fall of the EmpireShadows of InfinityIncreased Relic Shard Drop Rate
Reign of DragonsResolve of HumanityIncreased All Resistance
The Last RuinKnowledge of SkillIncreased Skill Shard Drop Rate
The Age of WinterResolve of GraelIncreased Physical Resistance
Spirits of FireBody of ObsidianIncreased 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.


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Author
Image of Anish Nair
Anish Nair
Freelance gaming writer for Dot Esports. An avid gamer of 25 years with a soft spot for RPGs and strategy games. Esports writer for 2 years and a watcher for 12 years. Aspiring author. Dad to a host of animals. Usually found trying to climb ranks in Dota 2, plundering the seas in Sea of Thieves, hunting large monsters in Monster Hunter World, or mining rare minerals in Deep Rock Galactic.