This guide was last updated on May 18, 2023, and is fully compatible with the current 0.9L version.

Last Epoch (LE) is an awesome sleeper ARPG that will be competing with Path of Exile and Diablo 4 when it releases in the near future. The great news is even though the game is still technically in BETA, it’s fully playable and many people have thousands of hours into the game, which is very impressive.

One of the greatest strengths of LE is the fact so many builds are available, strong, and capable of doing nearly all content in the game. It really comes down to the play style players prefer.

My criteria for this list are builds that perform great from the beginning, are HC and SSF viable, do not require legendary items to farm their own gear, can do all content in the game (including T4 Julra), and can get beyond 300 corruption.

The reality is most of the “absolute best” builds in LE require very specialized uniques, but that standard really applies to all builds. For example, the #1 recommended build below has an end-game setup that’s full of uniques, some of which are tough to get; but the reality is each of the builds function fantastically without the uniques – well enough to farm the content necessary to get the drops. So if you want to get a specific drop from an end-game boss to farm a unique, each of these builds can do it. Ultimately, the most powerful end-game buildouts are really only used to push ultra high corruption or arena.

A note about item filters. All you need to do is use the Generate Loot Filter for this Build option from the build planner.

For those of you who are on the fence as to whether or not you should buy and play Last Epoch, Zizzaran did a great video overview of the game just a month ago.

Before we begin, I want to include a video overview from Perry the Pig, who is one of the best and most experienced LE players out there. He released this 0.9 starter build video compendium of eleven great builds, complete with planner links.

#1 Bina’s Thorn Totem Shaman

This is hands down the best LE build I’ve played. It can be a bit slow until around level 27, but it completely destroys everything, and it’s just plain fun. One note for those who try it, make sure you put 3/3 into Memories of Eterra to ensure 100% sustain while in Druid Form without the uniques. I also included the leveling video Bina created below as well. Note this build easily rocks to 300 corruption without the uniques, and can do 1000 corruption with the BiS items.

#2 Hammerdin Paladin

The “hammerdin” has been one of the best builds in LE for a long time now and it still performs just as good today as it did a year ago. The “final” version is usually crit smite, but that requires multiple specific idols to shine, which can take time to acquire. The bleed version is perfect for starting players with no gear, and can get to 300+ corruption. Some players even stay with bleed and never switch to smite. The good thing is if you find the idols, you can switch from bleed to smite later on. I love this build as both bleed and smite, and it’s a must play for everyone at least once.

#3 Flame Wraith Necromancer

Want to destroy everything with fiery gun turret minions and have the ability to melt T4 Julra in 10 seconds? Here you go! While this build does require Aberrant Call to shine, it’s a very common unique that’s easy to acquire, and prior to obtaining it, the build still rocks.

Honorable Mentions

While I consider the above builds to be the top three I would recommend to any new or returning LE player for easily getting to 300+ corruption and gathering gear for other specialized builds, there’s a few others I want to mention that are also solid recommendations for those who want different play styles.

Cold DoT Werebear

Looking for a beefy melee build that rampages through the content and can facetank bosses, then look no further!

Bone Golem Necromancer

I enjoy variations on minion builds, and while most of the top tier golem builds use the Aaron’s Will unique (which can be very difficult to farm), here’s a fun golem build that does NOT require Aaron’s Will and performs very well with all content using nothing but normal drops.

Necrotic DoT Lich

Want to spread undead death to your enemies and run around as a reaper? Love the DoT play style? This build is a great starter and does a great job clearing mobs with hungering and wandering souls, which are fun skills to use.

Void Cleave Void Knight

For those who are looking for melee builds, this Void Knight obliterates content with the right gear; plus it’s just fun to play.

Warpath Voidknight

And what would any collection of recommended builds be without Spin2Win? Warpath is a ton of fun to play, especially for those who like the 1-click hold and play style.

I realize there are many other builds that people love and recommend, but my personal experience in playing dozens of builds is the ones listed above are some of the best when it comes to embracing a standard play style early on, avoiding respecing, and requiring key uniques to function. Each build listed works great even without their listed uniques, and can farm all of the gear necessary to complete all content in the game.

I hope this helps new, returning, or experienced players enjoy the fantastic game that is Last Epoch!