Last Epoch 1.0 Tankiest Builds (Class) - Top 5 Best Tank & DPS Builds in LE

Want to build a very tanky character that still has decent DPS in the Last Epoch 1.0 Launch? We get you covered with the best tank class and top 5 tankiest builds in the game now!

What is the Best Tank Class (Mastery) in Last Epoch 1.0?

In Last Epoch, achieving a tanky build hinges on a multifaceted approach regardless of class, focusing on capping resistances, establishing a robust absorption pool through health, ward, or mana, and ensuring rapid recovery to replenish this pool via leech, self-healing, or on-hit effects.  Various classes can achieve high levels of tankiness through different mechanisms:

• Druid and Beastmaster (Primalist Specializations): These builds can accumulate a significant amount of armor, endurance, and damage reduction. They also benefit from powerful low life perks in the Primalist base tree, enhancing their tankiness when health drops below certain thresholds.

• Lich (Acolyte Specialization): By leveraging low life ward generation and the Death Seal ability, a Lich can become nearly immortal. This build focuses on staying at low health to maximize ward generation, using Death Seal to enhance damage and ward generation further.

• Rogue: Rogue can become the tankiest class. Glancing blows and dodge are bonkers. Rogue are the best class at layering a lot of defense, it just takes a lot of investment.

• Paladin and Forge Guard (Sentinel Specializations): With access to high block chance and natural armor affinities through class-specific gear, these classes are well-suited to a traditional tank role. They can effectively mitigate incoming damage through blocking.

• Mage (Sorcerer Specialization): Sorcerers can utilize mana as an additional defensive layer, with ward generation providing a substantial buffer against incoming damage. This build capitalizes on converting mana to ward and using skills to replenish it rapidly.

Top 5 Last Epoch 1.0 Tankiest Builds

The key to tankiness lies in combining these elements with multiple layers of mitigation, such as armor, glancing blows, and percentage-based damage reduction, to create a durable character that can withstand the rigors of combat in Last Epoch. With that being said, here we've sort out the top 5 tankiest builds not only have excellent survivability but also can offer high damage output! And cheap Last Epoch gold for sale is available on AOEAH.COM can help you setup strongest builds faster and easier!

1. Frostbite Swarmblade Druid

The Frostbite Swarmblade Druid is a resilient tank build with good damage mitigation and crowd control capabilities, excelling in freezing enemies solid, which acts as both a defensive and offensive mechanism. With high Freeze Rate Multiplier and Dodge Chance, the build can effectively navigate through dangerous situations, freezing enemies to prevent incoming damage. This, coupled with a decent Health pool and Damage Reduction from passives like Ursine Strength and Aspect of the Boar, makes it a formidable tank in combat.

To set up the Frostbite Swarmblade Druid build, focus on the following:

• Skills: Prioritize Swarmblade Form to gain access to specific skills like Armblade Slash with Serpent Strike Tree benefits and Tornado for Frostbite application. Maintain Maelstrom stacks for buffs and utilize the modified skill trees for maximum efficiency.

• Passives: Invest in Shamanic Infusion for access to Tornado, Rageborn for Rage sustain, and Druidic Prowess and Harmonious Wisdom for Attunement, which scales damage and Freeze Rate Multiplier.

• Gear: Aim for items that enhance Frostbite Chance, Freeze Rate Multiplier, Health, and Dodge Rating. Specific Uniques such as Snowdrift and Frostbite Shackles can significantly boost the build's potential.

• Blessings: Choose Empowered Blessings that provide Void Resistance, Critical Strike Avoidance, and additional Damage, like Grand Echo of Solarum and Grand Survival of Might.

• Idols: Equip Large Nomad and Grand Heorot Idols focusing on Health, Elemental Resistance While Transformed, and Chance to Poison on Hit to further amplify Frostbite application.

• Gameplay: Engage in melee range to spam Armblade Slash, generating Tornadoes and applying Frostbite, while using Dive for mobility and to stack Maelstrom buffs. Utilize the high Freeze rate to control the battlefield.

2. Bleed Hammerdin Paladin

The Bleed Hammerdin Paladin is an exceptional tank build, distinguished by its outstanding survivability, which allows it to stand firm against the toughest of foes. It leverages a combination of high Block Chance, Armour Mitigation, and Health Regeneration to create a durable character. With the added ability to generate Ward through specific Uniques like Vessel of Strife and Cleaver Solution, the build can scale its tankiness considerably, making it a formidable presence on the battlefield that can withstand substantial punishment while continuously applying stacks of Bleed for consistent damage.

To set up the Bleed Hammerdin Paladin:

• Skills: Your main attack will be Hammer Throw, with Iron Spiral and Catapult for spiral trajectory and additional projectiles. Utilize Sigils Of Hope for buffs, Smite procced by Hammer Throw for added damage and sustain, Volatile Reversal for debuffing enemies and mobility, and Holy Aura for additional support and buffs.

• Passives: Focus on passives that enhance Block Chance, Armour, and Strength, such as Armour Clad, Juggernaut, and Weapons Master, along with crit avoidance and bleed damage passives.

• Gear: Look for gear that caps Resistances and Critical Strike Avoidance, with an emphasis on Block Effectiveness, Health, and Ward Retention. Key Uniques to acquire include Vessel of Strife for Ward generation and Cleaver Solution for scaling Ward with Strength, as well as Adorned Rahyeh Idol and Large Rahyeh Idols with Increased Bleed Duration.

• Blessings: Obtain Empowered Blessings that bolster Critical Strike Avoidance, Block Effectiveness, Physical Damage, Health Regen, and Armour.

• Idols: Equip a mix of Adorned Rahyeh Idol with a Smite proc and Large Rahyeh Idols for increased Bleed Duration and survivability stats.

• Gameplay: Cast Sigils Of Hope to maintain buffs, throw spiraling hammers to apply Bleed, use Shield Rush or Lunge for positioning, and Volatile Reversal for debuffs and dodging. Keep an eye on your Mana and buffs, and use Holy Aura strategically for increased defenses or damage output.

3. Spark Charge Runemaster

The Spark Charge Runemaster is a formidable tank build that excels in survivability, pairing substantial Ward generation with crowd control to minimize incoming damage effectively. The build's defensive strategy hinges on a Low Life setup that capitalizes on specific Runemaster passives to generate a significant Ward buffer, supplemented by Flame Ward for damage reduction and stuns, knockbacks, and freezes to disrupt enemy attacks. The result is a character that can withstand a great deal of punishment while maintaining high damage output.

To set up the Spark Charge Runemaster:

• Skills: Use Mana Strike with the Teleporting Strikes node to apply Spark Charges at range, Lightning Blast for damage buffs and Flame Ward for defense. Enchant Weapon boosts attack speed, and Frost Claw applies additional ailments for crowd control.

• Passives: Prioritize passives like Calculated Destruction for crit chance, Sphere of Protection and Arcane Shielding for defense, and Edict of the Scion for Ward on attack.

• Gear: Seek out gear with high Intelligence, Health, and Critical Strike stats, aiming for unique items like Fragment of the Enigma for damage, Exsanguinous and Last Steps of the Living for the Low Life setup, and Dragorath's Claw for additional Lightning Blast effects.

• Blessings: Choose Empowered Blessings that enhance resistances, critical strike avoidance, ward retention, and damage bonuses.

• Idols: Equip Grand Glass Idols with Lightning Skills Critical Strike Chance and Spark Charge on Melee Hit to maximize damage.

• Gameplay: Engage enemies from mid-range with Mana Strike to apply Spark Charges, use Flame Ward before it expires to maintain buffs, and employ Teleport for positioning and avoiding heavy attacks.

4. Death Seal Lich

The Death Seal Lich is a robust tank build that excels at close-range combat, using a Low Life playstyle to activate potent buffs that grant both high damage output and impressive survivability. The central mechanic is Death Seal, which not only amplifies damage but also provides significant damage reduction, making the Lich extremely durable in the heat of battle. The build leverages Rip Blood for damage and self-buffing, Transplant for mobility and Bone Armor, and Reaper Form for its defensive and offensive enhancements.

To set up the Death Seal Lich:

• Skills: Utilize Reaper Form for the transformation buffs and Reap. Death Seal is the cornerstone, scaled with Doomcall and enhanced by Marina's Lost Soul for increased damage. Rip Blood boosts the Waves of Death, Transplant provides mobility and Bone Armor, and Bone Curse offers additional damage and utility.

• Passives: Allocate points into Intelligence, Health, Cast Speed, and Spell Critical Chance and Multiplier. Forbidden Knowledge aids in Resistance capping, while Dance with Death and Elixir of Death bolster the Low Life setup. Ageless Ascetic adds Spell Leech, crucial for survival.

• Gear: No specific Uniques are required, but key items like Marina's Lost Soul, Grimoire of Necrotic Elixirs, and Omnis significantly increase the build's efficiency. Aim for gear that provides Critical Strike Avoidance, Health, Cast Speed, and Intelligence.

• Blessings: Select Empowered Blessings that improve Critical Strike Avoidance, Physical Resistance, Necrotic Resistance, and provide a damage boost with Grand Promise of Death.

• Idols: Use Large Immortal Idols with %Health and Chance To Fear On Hit or Health to stack Health and control the battlefield through Fear.

• Gameplay: Maintain Reaper Form, apply Bone Curse, spam Rip Blood, and use Death Seal in the midst of enemies to unleash Waves of Death. Transplant aids in repositioning and Bone Armor maintenance, while Reap serves as an alternative movement skill or an emergency escape.

5. Wraith Necromancer Build

The Wraith Necromancer build is not a traditional tank build; it's designed more for damage output and minion management. However, it does possess great survivability due to multiple defensive layers. The build generates significant Ward through Summon Volatile Zombie and utilizes Dread Shade to leech health, providing robust HP recovery. Additionally, the build benefits from high Armour and Resistances, especially when equipped with items like Twisted Heart of Uhkeiros and the right Blessings, making it quite durable in combat.

To set up the Wraith Necromancer build, you need to focus on the following:

• Skills: Prioritize Summon Wraith and Summon Volatile Zombie for your minion army, with Dread Shade to buff minion damage, and Drain Life to manage mana and health. Use Transplant for mobility and additional buffs.

• Passives: Invest in nodes that enhance Intelligence, Health, Vitality, Minion Cast Speed, and Forbidden Knowledge for Resistance capping.

• Gear: Look for gear that provides Capped Resistances, Critical Strike Avoidance, high Health, Armour, and Cast Speed. No unique items are required initially, but items like Aberrant Call, Logi's Hunger, Julra's Obsession, and Twisted Heart of Uhkeiros are recommended to maximize the build's potential.

• Blessings: Obtain Empowered Blessings that improve core defenses and combat-related stats such as Armour and Health.

• Idols: Equip Adorned Immortal Idols with the Flame Wraith conversion chance and Large Immortal Idols that boost Health and provide the Minion Chance To Apply Mark For Death On Hit.

• Playstyle: Maintain a safe distance in combat, summon and buff your minions, manage your skills to keep up buffs and generate resources, and use Transplant strategically for positioning and dodging.