Top 5 Last Epoch Season 2 Starter Builds for Beginners: Dominate Tombs of the Erased

Season 2 of Last Epoch, Tombs of the Erased, has introduced a fresh wave of challenges and opportunities for new players. With revamped crafting systems, the Woven faction, and Monolith adjustments, choosing the right starter build is critical for smooth progression. Whether you’re diving into the Cemeteries of the Erased or aiming to farm Gold efficiently, these five beginner-friendly builds will help you dominate early-game content and transition seamlessly into endgame powerhouses.
(You might also be interested in our Last Epoch Loot Filter Guide or Offline Mode.)

What Makes a Great Starter Build?

Before diving into the rankings, let’s clarify the criteria for Season 2’s best beginner builds:

• Low Gear Dependency: Works well with common drops and crafted items.

• Survivability: Utilizes health buffs introduced in Season 2 and defensive mechanics.

• Smooth Leveling: Minimal respecs needed from level 1 to endgame.

• Meta Relevance: Can tackle 300+ Corruption Monoliths and Tombs of the Erased.

With these factors in mind, let’s explore the top contenders.

1. Chthonic Fissure Infernal Shade Warlock

The Ailment King

Why It’s Perfect for Beginners:
This build thrives on stacking ignite, bleed, and poison through exploding brands, requiring no specific Unique items to shine. Its hybrid defense of health and Ward (1,500–2,000) keeps you alive even in chaotic fights.

Key Mechanics:

• Chthonic Fissure: Brands explode to apply ailments, scaled by nodes like Infernal Dominion.

• Infernal Shade: Adds fire damage over time (DoT) multipliers.

• Spirit Plague: Nerfed in Season 2 but still viable for mana sustain.

Gear Tips:

• Prioritize health on gear over Ward due to Season 2’s defense buffs.

• Use the Woven Enchanter to craft ailment-focused Idols for extra DoT scaling.

Progression:

• Smooth from level 1 to 300+ Corruption.

• Farm Cocooned Uniques in Monoliths to upgrade into late-game setups.

Why We Love It:

Entertaining gameplay with visible ailment counters and explosions. Perfect for solo self-found (SSF) players.

2. Bleed Hail of Arrows Marksman

The Rogue’s Reliable Workhorse

Why It’s Perfect for Beginners:
This build leverages Hail of Arrows to apply massive bleed stacks, requiring minimal gear while offering high clear speed. It’s a fantastic alternative to the popular Heartseeker build, ideal for players who enjoy Rogue’s combo mechanics.

Key Mechanics:

• Hail of Arrows: Applies bleed via Sanguine Horde nodes.

• Dark Quiver: Burst damage for bosses.

• Valdier’s Chalice: Sustain via bleed-on-kill effects.

Gear Tips:

• Farm Forgotten Knight Set pieces early for bleed damage boosts.

• Use Weaver Tree nodes to increase Gold drops for upgrades.

Progression:

• Excels in Monolith speed clears.

• Transition to Heartseeker builds later with farmed Uniques like Apocalypse.

Why We Love It:

No mandatory Uniques needed—just pure, satisfying bleed synergy.

3. Tornado Werebear Druid

The Combo Powerhouse

Why It’s Perfect for Beginners:
A community favorite, this build combines Tornado spam in human form with Werebear melee bursts for devastating AoE. Season 2’s buffs to mana and health make it tankier than ever.

Key Mechanics:

• Tornado: Auto-targets enemies, scaled by crit and spell damage.

• Werebear Form: Provides innate durability and leech.

• Farsight Turtle Echo: Reroll Legendary Potential on Uniques.

Gear Tips:

• Prioritize cooldown reduction (CDR) to spam Tornadoes.

• Use Rune of Weaving to enhance crafted gear.

Progression:

• Master the Tornado-to-Werebear combo early for maximum damage.

• Farm Cocooned Uniques to scale into 1,000+ Corruption tiers.

Why We Love It:

High skill ceiling with rewarding gameplay for combo enthusiasts.

4. Erasing Strike Void Knight

The Melee Juggernaut

Why It’s Perfect for Beginners:
This dual-wielding melee build offers straightforward playstyle and easy respecs into endgame World Splitter setups. Season 2’s buffs to Void damage and health make it a top pick for melee fans.

Key Mechanics:

• Erasing Strike: High base damage with crit scaling.

• Void Essence: Buffed in Season 2 for extra survivability.

• Experimental Prefixes: Craft on gloves for void damage boosts.

Gear Tips:

• Save Gold to purchase Apocalypse (Unique two-handed sword) for late-game swaps.

• Use Thaumaturgy Device for void damage crafts.

Progression:

• Respec into Erasing Strike at level 40 for optimal damage.

• Transition to World Splitter at 300+ Corruption for screen-wide clears.

Why We Love It:

A comfy, no-fuss melee build that scales effortlessly.

5. Lightning Fissure Smite Paladin

The Experimental Zealot

Why It’s Perfect for Beginners:
This build uses Smite to trigger lightning-based Fissure explosions, offering a unique playstyle for Paladin enthusiasts. While experimental, Season 2’s bug fixes and mana buffs make it viable for ambitious beginners.

Key Mechanics:

• Smite: Triggers Fissure for lightning DoT.

• Devotion: Mana stacking for Ward generation.

• Weaver Tree: Boosts Memory Amber drops for faster crafting.

Gear Tips:

• Use Sunwreath and Flame of Midnight for crit multipliers.

• Farm Woven Echoes to enhance Fissure’s reliability.

Progression:

• Level with Hammer Throw until 40, then respec.

• Check community forums for real-time bug fixes on Fissure mechanics.

Why We Love It:

High-risk, high-reward gameplay with dazzling lightning effects.

Why These Builds Dominate Season 2

1. Leveraging Health Buffs

Season 2’s emphasis on health over Ward makes these builds tankier, allowing beginners to survive Monoliths and Tombs of the Erased without min-maxed gear.

2. Crafting Synergy

The new Woven Enchanter and Set Reforging systems let players tailor gear to their build’s needs. For example:

• Warlocks can craft Idols with +ignite chance.

• Marksmen reforge the Forgotten Knight Set for bleed bonuses.

3. Gold Farming Efficiency

All five builds excel at farming Gold through:

• Monolith Champions: Drop high-value loot.

• Cocooned Uniques: Sell for massive profits.

• Weaver Tree Nodes: Boost Gold drop rates by up to 30%.

4. Smooth Transition to Endgame

These starters aren’t dead ends. For instance:

• The Void Knight evolves into a World Splitter build.

• The Marksman pivots to Heartseeker with farmed gear.

Season 2 Pro Tips for Beginners

• Rush the Woven Faction: Unlock Cemeteries of the Erased early for exclusive crafting materials.

• Save Favor Tokens: Use them to unlock Reliquary cosmetics that pair with your build’s aesthetics.

• Farm Smart: Target Helltide Mystery Chests and Torment 1+ Bosses for guaranteed upgrades.

• Join Community Discussions: Reddit and Discord groups offer real-time meta updates and bug fixes.

Conclusion: Start Strong, Scale Faster

Season 2 of Last Epoch rewards strategic planning, and these five builds provide the perfect foundation. Whether you prefer the explosive chaos of the Warlock, the precision of the Marksman, or the raw power of the Werebear, there’s a starter here to match your playstyle. Focus on health scaling, exploit the Woven crafting system, and transition smoothly into endgame dominance.

For more Season 2 guides, bookmark SSEGold and dive into the ever-evolving world of Eterra.