Last Epoch S3: All new Lich and Necromancer skills (and reworks)

The upcoming update for Last Epoch: Beneath Ancient Skies will bring several changes to the Acolyte class, along with its Lich and Necromancer Masteries. While we will be going through all of them in a bit, there’s a lot to be excited for, including a new skill, Flay, and the ability to dual-wield weapons. Holding two weapons isn’t just for aesthetics, as it also increases the attack speed of skills you use.

If you love playing as an Acolyte, here’s what you need to know about her upcoming changes.

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Flay Skill and support nodes for Lich explained

Zoom from one enemy to another using Flay (Image via Eleventh Hour Games)

Starting Season 3, the Lich Mastery for Acolyte will include a new skill called Flay. It’s a melee attack that slashes enemies in range, but that’s not all. After an enemy dies from the attack, it will cause a Blood Eruption, dealing Physical damage in an AoE.

Flay will be available after you invest 30 points in the Lich Mastery. The skill allows you to dash towards an enemy within three meters and perform the melee slash. With no cooldown on use, you’ll be chaining attacks from one enemy to another as long as you have Mana.

With a new skill, there’s also a new Skill Tree. Let’s find out what other ways you can make Flay deal more damage.

• Deadly Plot: Since you will be stacking Mana, Deadly Plot will be perfect to add stacking damage. This node adds 5% more Spell damage per point per 100 of your maximum Mana. The damage increase applies to both Flay and other skills triggered by its Skill Tree.
• Transference: Rare enemies and bosses hit by the initial melee attack, Flay will transfer your Aura of Decay to that enemy. The skill deals a large amount of self-damage, and with the aura transferred, the same will apply to the enemy.
• Corrupted Blood: The bleed status you apply to enemies will become poison stacks. This node will not work if you have Soul Ripper or Frostblight active.
• Frostblight: All physical damage from the skill will convert to cold damage, and instead of bleed, Flay will apply Frostbite on enemies. This node will not work if you have Soul Ripper active.
• Soul Ripper: If you’re planning to go with the soul reaper aesthetics, this node will convert all of the physical damage into Necrotic Damage. Instead of Bleed, Flay will apply Damned to deal Necrotic DoT to enemies.

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Acolyte Class and Mastery reworks in Last Epoch Season 3

Apart from the new skill to play around with, the Acolyte is also getting a rework. These include changes to the base skills and nodes within the Skill Tree, including a few from the Lich and Necromancer Masteries. Here’s what you need to know.

Acolyte rework in Last Epoch Season 3

Rip Blood is getting a massive buff (Image via Eleventh Hour Games)

Most of the skills for the Acolyte class are related to Rip Blood. With Season 3, it will be even more powerful, providing a smooth early game.

• Rip Blood: More like Rip Enemies, as the skill now hits all foes in the line of sight, making your early game even stronger. Enemies hit by Rip Blood still create an orb that heals you.
• Blood Bond: Hitting a boss or rare enemy with Rip Blood creates Blood Tether. This tether deals DoT to the enemy while also healing you during the process.
• Blood Tether: The Blood Tether you attach to an enemy now deals scaling damage with the number of bleed stacks. Each stack causes 1% more damage.
• Carnage: Hitting three enemies with Rip Blood while casting it yourself will activate Carnage and cast Marrow Shards in the enemies’ direction.

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All Lich changes in Last Epoch Season 3

Lich rework in Last Epoch focuses on Aura of Decay (Image via Eleventh Hour Games)

Most of the skills for the Lich Mastery are related to Aura of Decay, which provides a reduction in self-damage.

• Aura of Decay: With the skill dealing too much self-damage, Season 3 is aiming to balance the scales. While using an Aura of Decay, you will now take 50% less damage from the aura. The trade-off is that the damage reduction from enemy aura is also down from 50% to 30%.
• Damage Conversion: Within the Aura of Decay’s Skill Tree, you can now convert the poison damage to other forms. Blood Font replaces Armorbane, which will change poison damage to physical, while Cold Death replaces Icarian Poison, which converts the poison into cold.
• Putrid Bombs: While using Aura of Decay, Putrid Bombs now leave a poison bomb on every dodge. Previously, the bombs were summoned every two seconds while the aura was active.
• Fester: Fester is a new node that increases the poison damage from Aura of Decay while standing stationary. You can have a maximum of three stacks, with each stack increasing the damage by 6%.

Here are all the new and reworked passive nodes for Lich:

• Executioner: A new passive skill that is a must-have if you are planning to dual-wield axes or a dagger in your off-hand. Having two weapons also increases your attack speed and the amount of damage taken.
• Accursed Feast: The Accursed Feast replaces Corrosive Consciousness. The skill grants an increased health leech rate and amount. However, the drawback is that the leech will not work if you are above 66% health.
• Impact Ward: The Impact Ward replaces Symbol of Decay and grants 3% damage reduction from all DoT skills per stack. You can hold three stacks at once to bring the resistance to 9%, but the tradeoff is that all DoT damage will bypass Ward and damage your health directly.

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All Necromancer changes in Last Epoch Season 3

Necromancer rework in Last Epoch focuses on Assemble Abomination (Image via Eleventh Hour Games)

The Necromancer Mastery rework focuses on Assemble Abomination by providing a stronger and more durable mega minion.

• Assemble Abomination: Assemble Abomination creates a single minion by consuming all the minions you have. The health of the Abomination does not decay anymore. It deals more damage and can restore health by devouring other minions.
• Tower of Bones: Each Bone Golem absorbed while making the Abomination will increase its Stomp damage and AoE. The cooldown between each stomp is also reduced to 1.5 seconds.
• Dead Eye: Absorbing Skeletal Archer will allow the Abomination to cast the “Eternal Arrow” ability every four seconds. Each point you invest in intelligence will also improve its bow damage.

Here are all the new and reworked passive nodes for Necromancer.

• Forbidden Teachings: A new passive that grants 1% increased minion critical strike chance for each point of intelligence, and 1% more minion damage over time for each point of vitality, after investing three points in this passive.
• Effigies: A reworked passive that previously let you consume one of your minions to gain health. This skill now mitigates 2% of damage to one of your minions. If a minion does, the others gain health equal to 20% of the dying minion's health.

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With these changes, Season 3 for Last Epoch is already looking to be exciting for Acolyte users. Flay, in particular, seems very interesting with its ability to teleport to nearby enemies and smack them with dual-wielding weapons.

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Check out our other articles for Last Epoch:

• Last Epoch Campaign Speedrunning guide (All Acts covered)
• Last Epoch: Best Weaver Faction tree for Circle of Fortune (Season 2)
• Last Epoch 2025 roadmap: What to expect from the game this year
• Last Epoch S3 Primal Hunt mechanic explained