Last Epoch: Acolyte Leveling guide (Season 3)

Last Epoch’s Acolyte has a pretty smooth leveling ride all the way up to level 50 in Season 3. Few classes clear as easily, gearing isn’t that hard, and best of all, it's easy! If you’re trying to just get to level 50, without any real effort, before binding yourself to some real power in the endgame, Acolyte is the path you want to take. There are a few ways to do it, particularly focusing on Lich or Warlock, but when leveling, I think Warlock is vastly superior.

This is primarily due to the crazy power of Chaos Bolts. You can obliterate pretty much anything in your path, but the build isn’t without its issues. It can get really mana intensive really fast, and if you want to be as optimal as possible, you’ll be doing a few respecs. If you just want a nice, easy leveling experience in Season 3 of Last Epoch, Acolyte is going to be the best choice.

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Best skills to level Acolyte with in Last Epoch Season 3

If you’re going with an Acolyte leveling build in Last Epoch Season 3, you’re going to primarily be using a lot of Rip Blood for damage, until you hit level 20. The other skills are going to swap out pretty frequently, too. One of the frustrating things about this build is respecing; you’re going to do it once or twice. Unlike classes like Sentinel, who can stick to their desired skills until the endgame.

This is what Rip Blood will likely look like in the end (Image via EHG)

In the early going you’ll want Summon Skeletons, Wandering Spirits, and Bone Curse. When you get access to Transplant, use it as your primary map movement skill. At level 4, spec into Rip Blood, and at level 8, spec into Wandering Spirits.

Rip Blood is your primary damage, and it also offers some healing. Wandering Spirits is a sort of AOE damage spell that does damage over time. Bone Curse is a curse that deals damage to the boss when they’re hit; triple if you do it yourself. You want to use this on bosses every time it’s up.

Chaos Bolts are going to be a big part of your damage post level 20 (Image via EHG)

Once you’ve spent 10 points in the passive tree, swap Summon Skeletons for Summon Bone Golem. You’ll use that until 15 as an Acolyte in Last Epoch, where you’ll swap to Spirit Plague, which is your next Boss Curse spell. We won't be using Bone Golem forever, which is unfortunate; I do love minion builds, but this isn't one.

Everything kicks off at level 20, when you do your first big respec. You’ll want to swap the following skills:

• Swap Rip Blood for Chaos Bolts
• Swap Wandering Spirits for Chthonic Fissure
• Spec into Spirit Plague.

Cthonic Fissure becomes your primary single-target damage/enemy clearing spell. When fighting large groups, drop a Spirit Plague, and then spam Chaos Bolts. These three abilities and Transplant are all you’ll need until you get to level 50. It’s also worth noting that at level 35, you’ll want to spec into Rip Blood but don’t put it on your bar. Through your passive talents, you’ll get free casts of Rip Blood.

Chthonic Fissure is your go-to mid/late game single-target powerhouse (Image via EHG)

Once you get to level 50 in Last Epoch as an Acolyte, spec into Infernal Shade. It takes up your last spot on your hotbar. Spirit Plague will remain your AOE/Ward builder. When you’re low on mana, and for general clear, you can use Chaos Bolts, but Chthonic Fissure is still your go-to, especially for bosses. Infernal Shade is also fantastic for single-target bombardments.

Skill Passives to pick up

• Rip Blood (First Time): Hemomancer x2, Arcane Absorption x4
• Wandering Spirits: Souls of Rage x2, Poisoned Minds x1, Spectral Putrescence x1, Soul of Filth x2
• Chthonic Fissure: Stygian Current x3, Chaotic Rupture x3, Of Gloom and Flames x1, Death From Below x1, Pyrochasm x1, Fissure of Wrath x1, Forbidden Chasm x1, Fragile Crust x3, Fell Fire x2, Severed Wards x1, Singed by Terror x2, Return Below x2
• Chaos Bolts: Abrupt Chaos x2, Pandemonium x3, Mania in Flames x3, A Grave for Two x1, The Burn x1, Condemned to Chaos x2, Sanguine Reverie x1, Another Affliction x1, Cursed Blood x2, Devour the Damned x2, Seed of Chaos x1
• Rip Blood: Hemomancer x1, Arcane Absorption x2, Quenching x5, Hematology x1, Mana Feast x1, Coagulation x1, Varicose Veins x1, Splatter x3, Crimson Flood x3, Rip Spirit x1, Arcane Fortress x1
• Infernal Shade: Plague Burst x2, Hemorrhage x2, Laceration x5, Exsanguination x5, Putrid Recovery x2, Hindering Affliction x1, Efficacious APplication x2

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Last Epoch Season 3 Acolyte gearing guide: Notable affixes to prioritize

Though Uniques are great, and important, I’m not going to be highlighting any of them, due to the random nature of unlocking them. If you should find something, hopefully it will be Advent of the Erased, Font of the Erased, or Ambitions of an Erased Acolyte. Instead, we’ll focus on stats you should look out for as a leveling Acolyte in Last Epoch Season 3.

• Ward per Second/Ward Decay Threshold
• Physical Resistances
• Frailty Chance
• Slow Chance
• Health
• Increased Damage rather than Adaptive Spell Damage
• Items that increase skill levels of SPirit Plague, Chaos Bolts, Chthonic Fissure, Rip Blood, or Infernal Shade
• Increased Necrotic Damage
• Increased Spell Damage
• Increased Damage Over Time
• Increased Fire Damage (50+)
• Increased Elemental Damage Over Time (50+)
• Intelligence
• Increased Cast Speed
• Endurance
• Armour

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What’s the best leveling mastery for Sentinel in Last Epoch Season 3?

Here's your Warlock build through level 50; prepare for raw, unfiltered power! (Image via EHG)

As we’re going with Chaos Bolts, Chthonic Fissure, and Infernal Shade in this Last Epoch Season 3 leveling build, the best pick for us as an Acolyte is Warlock. For my money, it’s the best pick in terms of pure, clear and damaging power.

You will never struggle to deal damage to enemies, but you are very squishy. Once you start having reliable ways to build up Ward though, it’s a whole different story. Above you can see the Warlock tree, and below we’ll highlight passives you’ll want to pick up as an Acolyte.

• Blood Aura x6
• Forbidden Knowledge x8
• Mania of Mortality x1
• Unnatural Preservation x5

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Check out our other Last Epoch guides and features

• 5 best day-one builds to try in Last Epoch Season 3
• Last Epoch: Best Bear Beastmaster endgame build (Season 3)
• Best Mage leveling build in Last Epoch Season 3
• Last Epoch: Best Judgment Paladin endgame build (Season 3)