Best Acolyte leveling builds in Last Epoch

The Acolyte is a balanced class with excellent clearing potential in Last Epoch, and there are several viable leveling builds for you to choose from.

Acolytes aren’t the best at defense or mobility, but excel at summoning minions, cursing enemies, and dealing damage, all of which are welcome when you’re leveling up in Last Epoch. There are three Masteries available: the Necromancer, Warlock, and Lich, and they’ve all birthed powerful community builds. In this guide, I’ll show you the best Acolyte builds that are most suited for leveling in the early-game.

Best Necromancer leveling build in Last Epoch

If you’re a fan of commanding minions and watching them wreak havoc on your enemies, then the Necromancer is yours to command. 

Their army of minions makes the early leveling stages of Last Epoch feel like a breeze, and if you manage to get the Minion Necro build right, you can let your minions clear maps for you while you watch from the sidelines. Combat takes a backseat in this build, but the sheer power of your minion army more than makes up for it. It’s definitely the easiest way to level up, but not the fastest.

For the best Necromancer leveling build in Last Epoch, follow these tips:

• Spend as many skill points as possible in developing your summons. Summon Skeleton Mage should take priority over your regular Skeletons when you unlock it.
• Since your minions are your top priority, keep Springs of Fire and Reign of Dragons as your active Blessings at all times.
• Gear and Passives should always strive to boost your minions’ stats and your Intelligence, as it indirectly affects minion damage too.

For detailed info about this build, check out our Last Epoch Necromancer leveling build guide.

Best Lich leveling build in Last Epoch

The Lich is an equally complex and rewarding Mastery in Last Epoch. With Reaper Form, you transform your Acolyte into a Reaper capable of clearing the largest hordes of enemies with a single swing of the scythe—all at the cost of your health.

Striking the balance between high melee damage and health preservation is tough, especially for players trying to level up a character for the first time.

For those daring enough, the Lich Accolyte offers smooth progression and high damage output. With Poison Overload boosting your attacks, you’ll be a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. Just be prepared to manage your health bar carefully, as many abilities drain your life.

For the best Lich leveling build in Last Epoch, follow these tips:

• The best skills for the leveling Lich are poison-reliant, so upgrade Lasting Stench and unlock Aura of Decay as soon as you can.
• Keep the Grand Resolve of Humanity blessing active to boost all resistances by 20% or Grand Emptiness of Ash to increase your critical strike multiplier by 40%.
• Before unlocking your Mastery, max out the Blood Aura and Forbidden Knowledge Passives, and spend your four remaining points in Stolen Vitality. Once the Lich Passive tree is unlocked, max out Apocrypha and Survival of the Cruel.

Best Warlock leveling build in Last Epoch

Let’s cut to the chase, shall we? The Warlock is by far the best Mastery to level up in Last Epoch.

With skills like Chthonic Fissure and Chaos Bolts, the Warlock becomes an offensive powerhouse, all the while maintaining a solid defense due to its stats. You’ll be using Curses and bleeds to devastate hordes of enemies with combos, proccing bleeds to deal damage over time. 

This balanced leveling build doesn’t come at the cost of mobility, either. You’ll be able to move from one corner of the arena to the other while in combat to ensure smooth and fast progression. The one thing you need to keep an eye out for is your mana consumption. As soon as you can, invest in gear with mana regen to keep the spells flowing. 

To get the best Warlock leveling build in Last Epoch, follow these tips:

• When it comes to skills, Rip Blood, Summon Skeleton, Chtonic Fissure, infernal Shade, and Soul Feast shine. Rip Blood should be your main spender.
• As for gear and passives, Warlocks should strive to reduce Mana cost, improve Health Regen, and increase Spell Damage.
• The best blessing for the Warlock Acolyte is Grand Hemmorage of Marrow to increase their chances of inflicting Bleed on hit.

For detailed info about this build, check out our Last Epoch Warlock leveling build guide.

Related: How to respec Skills in Last Epoch

While I’ve explained the best leveling builds for the three Acolyte Masteries in Last Epoch above, the decision ultimately rests on your shoulders. 

• If you enjoy commanding minions, the Necromancer is the way to go. 
• If you prefer poison and high-damage output, the Lich is your best bet. 
• If you love Curses and bleeding your enemies dry, the Warlock has you covered.