With Last Epoch Season 2, also known as "Tombs of the Erased," just around the corner, I've put together my top 5 recommended builds for league start. These builds aren't designed to tackle the game's pinnacle boss content like Uber Abberoth but instead serve as efficient, comfy, and reliable zero-to-hero builds that will carry you smoothly from level 1 up to 300 corruption and full 10/10 Harbinger farming.
I've personally tested all of these builds extensively in Solo Character Found (SCF), taking them from scratch without any gear and pushing them through meaningful endgame content. With that said, remember: the patch is new, and some aspects might evolve after release. But based on what we know and extensive testing, these are rock-solid picks for a strong league start.
Let's jump into the builds!
1. Cathonic Fissure Infernal Shade Warlock – The Explosive Ailment Machine
If you want something flashy, devastating, and satisfying, the Cathonic Fissure Infernal Shade Warlock is the winner-winner chicken dinner of the list. Among all my zero-to-hero characters, this was the most explosive and entertaining to play.
How It Works
This build revolves around casting Infernal Shade, which is enhanced by Cathonic Fissure. When the brand is applied to enemies, the fissure reduces its duration, causing it to explode quickly and apply a massive number of ailments. What's awesome is that we don't care what those ailments are – ignite, bleed, whatever – because Warlock's passive tree supports generic damage over time scaling. Combined with a high ailment chance, the build turns into an ailment-application machine.
Defense and Survivability
There was a slight nerf to Spirit Plague's ward on hit, meaning we're not going to see 4k+ ward like before. But that's okay! Patch 1.2 brought huge HP buffs across the board. The build now runs as a hybrid HP + ward setup, sustaining through leech, ward per second, and ward on hit. It's slightly different from the pre-1.2 version, but functionally just as strong.
Final Thoughts
• Insane ailment stacking.
• Doesn't rely on any specific ailment, flexible gear pathing.
• Slightly less ward than before, but tankier thanks to HP buffs.
• Full zero-to-hero leveling guide is linked in the description.
This build is fun, flashy, and effective – an all-around excellent league starter.
2. Bleed Hail of Arrows Marksman – Consistent, Comfy, and Deadly
For those of you who like the Rogue class but aren't sure about the new Heartseeker archetype, I present the Bleed Hail of Arrows Marksman, one of the most consistent and comfy builds I've tested.
Build Concept
This build is based on Sanguine Horde, a mechanic that allows your Bleed Chance Per Second to apply to Hail of Arrows. It creates an environment where you can scale bleed infinitely, and the entire gameplay loop revolves around stacking bleeds and letting your enemies melt.
Here's the best part: I played this build up to level 80 without the unique quiver it's usually associated with, just to make sure it didn't require it. And guess what? The build still worked great. The quiver is also extremely common, so even if RNG trolls you, you won't be stuck.
Defense and Utility
Marksman isn't exactly a tank, but thanks to buffs coming in Patch 1.2 and the build's access to leech and bleed-on-kill effects, survivability is more than acceptable. Once you grab Valdier's Chalice, the build feels even better with insane sustain.
Downsides
The only downside is the Dark Quiver + Hail of Arrows combo you'll need to perform on bosses. But let's be real—it's not a huge deal and only necessary on boss fights. The rest of the time, especially in monoliths, it's smooth sailing.
Final Thoughts
• Top-tier zero-to-hero leveling experience.
• Doesn't rely on uniqueness to function early.
• Excellent monolith clear and respectable boss damage.
• Highly recommended if Heartseeker isn't your thing.
Bleed Hail of Arrows Marksman exceeded expectations in every category – leveling, endgame comfort, and style.
3. Tornado Werebear – The Meme That Became Meta
Ah yes, the Tornado Werebear – this one started as a joke and evolved into one of the most powerful and fun builds I've played in Last Epoch. No pun intended, but this build took the community by storm.
The Origin Story
This build was born out of a silly idea: “What if you cast a bunch of Tornadoes, then shapeshift into Werebear form?” Turns out, that combo hits like a truck. With some refinements, this became one of the strongest and fastest zero-to-hero runs I've ever completed.
Gameplay Style
You frontload your Tornadoes, then go into Werebear mode and start tearing through everything. It's got that combo style gameplay, which may not appeal to everyone, but it's incredibly rewarding once you get the hang of it.
Better still, It's got auto-aim features, which means you can semi-turn your brain off during monoliths, while still enjoying high-clear and high-damage play.
Defensive Power
Patch 1.2 buffs help this build a lot:
• Tornado mana cost has been reduced.
• Global HP buffs mean even more tankiness. It's not just viable – it's thriving. Some players have pushed it to 1000+ corruption and taken it to regular Abberoth. Uber Abberoth? Still unconfirmed, but for all other content, this build slaps.
Final Thoughts
• High burst, high mobility, great scaling.
• Fun to play and feels impactful.
• Not for you if you hate multi-button combos.
• Ideal for players who love shapeshifter fantasy with a twist.
4. Physical Swipe Beastmaster – Raw Strength Meets Speed
While not detailed as thoroughly in the original article clip, Physical Swipe Beastmaster is another incredibly strong and reliable league starter for Patch 1.2. This build harnesses the raw strength of the Beastmaster subclass, focusing on Physical Swipe and stacking strength for scaling damage and armor.
Why It Works
Beastmaster is already one of the most solid and straightforward classes for leveling and scaling. With Physical Swipe, you deal brutal AoE and single-target damage, especially once you stack strength.
The minions act as meat shields, while you dish out the damage, making this a great “midbrain” build – you can focus on positioning and timing without needing insane micromanagement.
Survive and Thrive
Thanks to scaling armor with strength, plus leech and defensive buffs, this build is very forgiving and new-player friendly. It doesn't require a massive amount of gear to get rolling and can comfortably handle all monolith and early corruption content.
5. Frost Claw Runemaster – Cold Power with Cool Style
Rounding out the list is the Frost Claw Runemaster, a build that's both visually and mechanically satisfying. It doesn't quite match the top-tier performance of the other four in Harbinger content, but it gets the job done and offers a unique and smooth leveling experience.
Gameplay Loop
You hurl Frost Claw projectiles in a rhythmic pattern, creating cryo-barrages of icy death. With proper rune rotation, you can stack chilling effects, freeze enemies, and create a smooth farming loop in monoliths.
This build excels in clearing trash mobs, farming echoes quickly, and setting up spell burst combos.
Weaknesses
The downside is the single-target boss damage, which can feel lacking compared to the other builds. However, for players who enjoy spellslinger mechanics and cold-themed visuals, this build is an absolute blast.
Final Thoughts – Choose What Feels Good
Whether you prefer explosive DoTs, tactical bleed builds, shapeshifting memes-turned-meta, raw strength melees, or icy spellcasters, Last Epoch Season 2 has something for everyone.
To recap:
Each of these builds is a perfect league starter, allowing you to gear up with Last Epoch gold, progress to 300 corruption, and either transition into a min-maxed endgame version or reroll into something new once you've built up your resources.
One last note—none of these builds are Uber Abberoth-ready out of the box, but they don't need to be. What they offer is an efficient path from level 1 to meaningful progression, and for Season 2: Tombs of the Erased, that's exactly what you need.