Best Minion Builds in Last Epoch – AFK Army Tactics

If you’re the kind of player who loves watching your enemies get shredded while you sit back and sip coffee, then minion builds in Last Epoch are exactly your style. These builds let you summon deadly companions, create an unstoppable undead army, and unleash chaos without doing most of the dirty work yourself. It's what we lovingly call the "AFK Army" approach—builds that do the heavy lifting while you manage cooldowns and positioning.

With Last Epoch's Season 2: Tombs of the Erased, minion builds are not only viable—they're thriving. Thanks to recent skill updates and passive changes, minions scale extremely well into corruption 300+, making them a top-tier option for both casual players and endgame grinders alike.

In this guide, we’ll break down the best minion builds in Last Epoch, explain why they dominate, and give you some pointers on how to get the most out of your AFK army.
Read our Top 5 DPS Builds in Last Epoch.

1. Necromancer Summon Skeleton Mage – The Classic Army

Class: Acolyte → Necromancer
Main Skills: Summon Skeleton Mage, Summon Skeleton, Dread Shade
Clear Speed: ★★★★☆
Bossing: ★★★★☆
AFK Factor: ★★★★★

Why It Works

This is the OG minion build in Last Epoch, and it's still going strong. You summon a swarm of Skeleton Mages that hurl elemental or necrotic projectiles, deleting everything in sight while you stay back and buff. The Necromancer's tree allows you to stack minion damage, defenses, and cooldown reduction, making your army nearly self-sufficient.

Dread Shade is the MVP here, juicing up one of your Skeleton Mages with massive buffs that splash to nearby summons. You’ll rarely need to cast attacks yourself—just keep your army alive and watch the fireworks.

Pros:

• Very hands-off playstyle

• Easy to gear and scale

• Excellent for Monolith farming

• Great AoE and solid boss damage

Cons:

• Can get visually chaotic

• Requires smart positioning of minions

• Boss targeting isn’t perfect

Pro Tip:

Use Skeleton Mage Fire spec for more aggressive projectile spam and easier clear speed scaling.

2. Lich Wandering Spirits + Minion Hybrid – Spooky and Strong

Class: Acolyte → Lich
Main Skills: Wandering Spirits, Summon Wraith, Transplant
Clear Speed: ★★★★☆
Bossing: ★★★★☆
AFK Factor: ★★★★☆

Why It Works

The Wandering Spirits build combines minions with DoTs to create a ghostly parade of death. While it’s not 100% AFK, it lets your spirits and Wraiths do most of the damage. You simply reposition and cast Transplant to stay safe and spawn more Wraiths automatically via passives or items like Wraith Bringer.

What makes this build special is its scaling with spell damage, minion modifiers, and necrotic DoTs, which all contribute to a beautiful storm of spectral destruction. It’s especially strong in densely packed Echoes and performs surprisingly well against bosses too.

Pros:

• Great mix of minion and damage-over-time mechanics

• Spammable and automatic damage

• Fun ghost-themed visuals

• Hybrid scaling makes gearing flexible

Cons:

• Wraiths have a limited duration unless specialized

• Slightly more active than pure summoner builds

• Spirits can feel RNG-based without cooldown support

Pro Tip:

Use Unnatural Preservation to boost Wraith uptime and keep your ghost army going longer.

3. Beastmaster Companions – Nature’s AFK Wrecking Crew

Class: Primalist → Beastmaster
Main Skills: Summon Sabertooth, Summon Wolf, Summon Frenzy Totem
Clear Speed: ★★★★☆
Bossing: ★★★★☆
AFK Factor: ★★★★☆

Why It Works

Beastmaster builds in Last Epoch turn you into a nature commander, letting your tamed companions tear through enemies while you provide buffs and support. You can run with two wolves, a Sabertooth, and a Scorpion for a full squad that does everything from bleeding enemies to tanking bosses.

Frenzy Totem is the glue here—it buffs your pets' speed and damage, turning them into monsters. What’s great is that companions scale with minion stats, but also benefit from attack speed auras and passives like Aspect of the Boar for solid defense.

Pros:

• Solid damage and survivability

• Strong synergy between minions and buffs

• Great for casual or hardcore

• Minimal micromanagement needed

Cons:

• Companion AI isn’t always perfect

• No ranged minions—melee pets can struggle with bosses that move often

• Totem uptime needs attention

Pro Tip:

Pick Aspect of the Viper for added poison scaling if you want to lean into DoT damage over raw hits.

4. Necromancer Bone Golem + Mages – The Tanky Deathball

Class: Acolyte → Necromancer
Main Skills: Summon Bone Golem, Summon Skeleton Mage, Bone Curse
Clear Speed: ★★★☆☆
Bossing: ★★★★★
AFK Factor: ★★★★★

Why It Works

This is your “I don’t want to die” build. With a massive Bone Golem up front tanking and distracting enemies, and a battalion of Skeleton Mages providing cover fire from the backline, this setup is perfect for players who want to chill, stay alive, and still melt bosses.

The synergy between Bone Golem’s taunt and Bone Curse's armor shred is what makes this build sing. You don’t even need to engage most of the time—just direct the army and refresh Bone Curse when necessary.

Pros:

• Insanely tanky playstyle

• Low maintenance – perfect for chill players

• Great for bossing, even with minimal gear

• Very beginner-friendly

Cons:

• Slower clear speed than other minion builds

• Not as flashy or fast-paced

• Golem AI sometimes taunts awkwardly

Pro Tip:

Invest in minion leech and endurance to keep your entire army alive through long fights.

5. Warlock Infernal Shade + Flame Wraiths – The Fire Cult

Class: Acolyte → Warlock
Main Skills: Infernal Shade, Summon Wraith (Fire Spec), Flame Ward
Clear Speed: ★★★★☆
Bossing: ★★★★☆
AFK Factor: ★★★☆☆

Why It Works

If you want to feel like a twisted cult leader summoning flames from the abyss, Warlock Flame Wraiths and Infernal Shade will make your dreams come true. Shade attaches to enemies, dealing scaling fire damage over time, while your summoned Wraiths shoot flaming projectiles to incinerate anything left standing.

The build plays more like a hybrid DoT summoner, requiring occasional casting, but the damage ramps up fast and stays high. It’s one of the most fun thematic minion builds in Last Epoch right now.

Pros:

• Strong thematic gameplay

• Scales well with fire DoT mods and minion nodes

• Good for medium-clear and boss content

• Very stylish effects

Cons:

• Not fully passive—requires some attention

• Wraith uptime and AI can be inconsistent

• Infernal Shade management adds a learning curve

Pro Tip:

Use Soul Feast for emergency healing and extra minion interaction.

Final Thoughts

Minion builds are alive and well in Last Epoch Season 2, and they’re not just for casual players anymore. Whether you want to melt bosses with Wraiths, chill in the back while Skeleton Mages go nuts, or lead a furry assault with Beastmaster pets, there’s a build for every AFK general.

These AFK army tactics let you focus more on positioning, buffs, and strategy, while your minions do what they were summoned to do—dominate the battlefield.

Which minion build are you rocking in Season 2? Got your own AFK strat that’s melting bosses? Let us know and help the community level up even more!