Best Necromancer (Acolyte) Builds in Last Epoch: Which Skills, Blessings, and Idols to Choose

In Last Epoch, the progression system is quite complex. It's not like Path of Exile, but definitely more intricate than Diablo 4. The game features 15 character development paths and over 120 options in the skill tree. We will try to simplify your introduction to the game and offer the most optimized hero builds. In this guide, we will analyze the best Necromancer (Acolyte) builds in the release version of Last Epoch so you can quickly reach the endgame and start participating in raid battles.

After 6 years of early access, Last Epoch has reached its release version. Despite some technical rough edges, users have enthusiastically embraced the project and spend hours leveling up their characters. For a whole week after the release, the number of players in Steam consistently stayed at 200 thousand.

Acolytes are masters of unnatural and eerie magic in Last Epoch. They include: Necromancers, Liches, and Warlocks. They specialize in curses, AoE damage, and summoning minions. The disadvantages of this class include poor mobility and low survivability in close combat. We have compiled the latest and most relevant builds that fully cover the shortcomings of Acolytes and perform well in the endgame.

The terrifying skeletal mage necromancer raises and commands an entire army of the dead and a dreadful archmage. This hero can kill a whole crowd without direct confrontation. But if someone dares to come close, they will get a blast of cold in the face.

Summon Skeletal Mage is the core of this build. All other skills revolve around increasing your archmage's damage. Choose Cryomancers and Frost Lich as early as possible to ensure another archmage with combined buffs. Grey Merchant combined with Selfishness from Dreadful Shadow keeps your mage healthy. Increase your AoE with Shattered Dominion. Later, increase DPS with Mobile Surge and Forbidden Knowledge, adding a damage multiplier based on the amount of available mana.

Dreadful Shadow — one of the main buffs to enhance the damage of the summoned skeletal mage. Add Selfishness for survivability. Get a significant increase in casting speed from Blinding Fury. Increase damage with the skill Grim Fate. As a finishing touch, take Flesh Harvest to get bonuses from Dreadful Shadow at low health of the summoned mage.

Hellish Shadow — a constant buff that can be applied to the summoned skeletal mage. Maniacal Bonfire gives your mage a positive effect on casting speed and movement speed. You can increase movement speed with Burnt Path. The skill Sulfur slows down enemies around your mage.

Chaos Arrows — another way to increase the damage of the summoned skeleton. Using the node Revolution, you will give the mage additional spell damage. This skill can be combined with Forbidden Arcana to increase mana quantity.

Transplantation — your main utility skill. The option Zeal of the Acolyte gives you the effects of Haste and Madness. Violent Emergence adds the execution of any enemy with health below 15% to your build. Get additional armor and reduce damage with Bone Armor. You can further increase the advantage of Bone Armor with the skill Gilded Bone.

Passive skills are a source of powerful effects that determine the playstyle for the chosen class. Remember that you have the option to take passives from the first half of the general skill pool without being tied to the chosen build.

Starter Equipment:

Standard Build:

Endgame Build:

Common blessings are not as important for this build, as they are eventually replaced by Enhanced Blessings. However, they can still be a great source of resistance, critical damage evasion, or vampirism in the early stages of leveling.

Here is a list of Common Blessings before transitioning to Enhanced:

After unlocking Enhanced Blessings, reassign all previously chosen ones to more powerful ones.

This necromancer summons wraiths and unstable zombies into one large army. He also has a fire wraith that can deal damage at a long distance. This build makes your character quite mobile and effective in mass battles.

Summon Wraith. If you level up the skill Fire Wraith and add Ornate Immortal Idol, you will have a chance to summon a fire wraith with ranged skills. With the skill Locus of Death, you will turn the wraith into a deadly turret. Spiritual Bond and Dawn of Autumn give an additional chance for a critical hit.

Life Drain — is a core part of the build. It should be placed over Summon Wraith to gain additional mana. Add the skills Necrotic Feast and Grip of the Damned to turn your minions into an endless source of mana.

Terrifying Shade — is crucial for increasing the damage of your minions thanks to nodes like Dying Coven, Grim Fate, and Lingering Demise.

Summon Unstable Zombie — is a perfect addition to the overall build. It provides bodyguard and additional damage generation. It is great against bosses due to skills like Voracious and Grave Pull.

Transplant — is a movement skill with many positive effects and utilities. Give yourself the buffs of madness and haste with Acolyte's Zeal.

Passive skills are a source of powerful effects that define the playstyle of the chosen class. Remember, you have the option to take passives from the first half of the general skill pool without being tied to the chosen build.

Starting Equipment:

Aim to craft good items with two valuable T5 affixes. Make sure your character has a good chance to dodge critical hits. Remember, Woven Flesh is always available in the early stages. It can be farmed by killing the Abomination in the Monolith of Fate's Outcast timeline.

Wear items that increase maximum health. Maximize the build for quick summoning of the Unstable Zombie or Armored Carrion.

Standard Build:

Once you cover all defensive elements, start working on increasing your minion's damage by boosting intelligence and minion health. Take the two-handed staff Aberrant Call to sharply increase your DPS.

Farm the Ukyr's Twisted Heart relic. It drops from the Corpse Emperor in the Realm of Dragons. This item will add extra protection to your build. Try to get the Hunger of Logi amulet. It drops from the dead: Buldar, Herkir, and Login in the Spirits of Fire location.

Endgame Gear:

Upgrade the T20 setup with item exaltation. Take Julra's Obsession. These gloves will increase spell creation speed. They can be obtained by killing chronomancers in the Temporal Sanctum Dungeon. Sometimes they also drop with legendary potential.

Farm the staff Aberrant Call, the Hunger of Logi amulet, and the Ukyr's Twisted Heart relic with legendary potentials. Take the armor Sealed Plate of the Strengthened Ghostly Acolyte.

Common blessings are not as important for this build, as they are eventually replaced by Empowered Blessings. However, they can still be a great source of resistance, critical hit dodge, or vampirism in the early stages of leveling.

Here is a list of Common Blessings before switching to Empowered:

After unlocking Empowered Blessings, reassign all previously selected ones to more powerful ones.

This build allows you to summon a bone golem. You can significantly increase your minion's damage and armor, turning it into a killing machine. You will always have a reliable tank traveling with you, taking on all the problems. How to manage it, we will explain in this guide.

Summon Bone Golem is the main ability of this build.

Blood Splash is your main ability that needs to be constantly used. Use the Splatter, Eviscerate, and Blood Infusion modifiers to enhance the golem and apply debuffs to enemies hit by Blood Splashes.

Terrifying Shade is crucial for the DPS build as it works in conjunction with Summon Bone Golem and always deals critical damage thanks to the Egoism modifier. You can increase your golem's damage with the All for One and Grim Fate skills. Choose Lone Watcher to increase the golem's uptime and Martyrdom to enhance its survivability.

Bone Curse is an ability that usually attaches to enemies for a while. The Ruthless modifier allows you to apply the curse to your minions, and they will spread it throughout the location. The Barbed Construct skill significantly increases your golem's damage.

Transplant is a movement skill with many effects and utilities. Give yourself a buff of madness and haste with Acolyte's Zeal.

Passive skills are a source of powerful effects that define the playstyle of the chosen class. Remember that you can take passives from the first half of the general skill pool without being tied to the chosen build.

Starting Equipment:

Standard Build:

Endgame Build:

Regular blessings are not as important for this build since they are eventually replaced by Empowered Blessings. However, they can still be a great source of resistance, critical hit dodge, or vampirism in the early stages of leveling.

Here is a list of Regular Blessings before transitioning to Empowered ones:

After unlocking Empowered Blessings, reassign all previously selected ones to more powerful ones.