Best Marksman Leveling Build In Last Epoch

In the realm of action RPGs, "Last Epoch" presents a unique blend of classic mechanics and innovative systems, enabling players to deeply customize their characters based on their preferred playstyle. Among the various classes available, the Marksman stands out for its high damage output from a distance, agility, and ability to evade incoming attacks efficiently. For players looking to harness the full potential of this class, the right leveling build is crucial for a smooth progression through the game. This guide aims to provide an in-depth look at the best Marksman leveling build in Last Epoch, focusing on skill choices, gear preferences, and playstyle tips.

Core Build Concept

The essence of a good Marksman leveling build lies in maximizing your damage output while keeping your character safe from harm. Since leveling involves facing increasingly challenging enemies, the ability to eliminate threats quickly and efficiently is paramount. The recommended build revolves around using a blend of bow skills for high single-target and AoE (Area of Effect) damage alongside utility skills to dodge enemy attacks and control the battlefield.

Skill Selection and Progression

Detonating Arrow: This will be your primary AoE skill. It fires an arrow that explodes upon hitting an enemy, dealing damage to surrounding foes. Prioritize upgrading this skill with nodes that increase its explosion radius and critical strike chance.

Multishot: A crucial skill for dealing with groups of enemies or bosses accompanied by minions. Multishot fires several arrows in a spread, allowing you to hit multiple targets simultaneously. Enhancements should focus on increasing its damage and arrow count.

Puncture: Your go-to option for single-target DPS. Puncture applies a bleed effect that deals continuous damage over time, making it especially effective against tougher enemies and bosses. Investing in nodes that boost its bleeding effectiveness and critical damage will significantly increase your DPS.

Shift: Mobility is vital for a Marksman, and Shift is the perfect skill for this. It allows you to quickly dodge attacks or reposition yourself on the battlefield. Enhancing Shift with cooldown reduction and additional effects upon shifting (such as a temporary speed boost) will greatly improve your survivability.

Smoke Bomb: An excellent utility skill that creates a cloud of smoke, slowing enemies and making you harder to hit. It's particularly useful when you're overwhelmed or need to escape a tight spot. Upgrades should focus on increasing its area of effect and adding defensive bonuses while inside the smoke.

Gear Preferences

For gear, focus on items that boost dexterity, attack speed, and critical strike chance. Dexterity directly increases your damage output with bows, while attack speed allows you to fire more arrows in a shorter timeframe, effectively increasing your DPS. Critical strike chance enhances your ability to deal burst damage, particularly important for quickly taking down high-priority targets.

Bow choice is critical: look for bows that offer high base damage, increased attack speed, and bonuses to critical strike chance or multiplier. Quivers should complement your bow with additional offensive or defensive stats as needed.

Playstyle Tips

• Keep your distance: Marksman excels at long-range combat. Always try to maintain a gap between you and your enemies.
• Use terrain to your advantage: Positioning yourself behind obstacles can provide a strategic benefit, allowing you to hit enemies while reducing their ability to hit you.
• Prioritize targets: Eliminate high-threat enemies first (such as those with high damage output or crowd control abilities) before dealing with the rest.
• Keep moving: Standing still makes you an easy target. Use Shift regularly not just for repositioning, but also for avoiding incoming attacks.
• Monitor cooldowns: Managing your skill cooldowns effectively ensures that you always have an ability ready for any situation, be it offense or defense.

Conclusion

Following this guide will equip you with a solid foundation for leveling a Marksman in Last Epoch. Remember, the key to mastering this build lies not just in skill selection and gearing but also in understanding the nuances of Marksman gameplay—staying mobile, maintaining distance, and strategically using your abilities. Experimentation and adaptation based on specific encounters will also help refine your playstyle further. With practice and patience, you'll become a formidable Marksman capable of taking down the toughest foes Last Epoch has to offer.