Last Epoch: Best Leveling Build for Forge Guard
Last Epoch is an action RPG that blends time travel and deep character customization, offering players a fresh experience in the ARPG genre. Among the diverse classes available, the Forge Guard - an advanced mastery of the Sentinel class - stands out as a powerful melee tank with excellent survivability and damage potential. This guide will walk you through a Forge Guard leveling build designed to help you progress smoothly from early game to endgame.
Why Choose the Forge Guard?
The Forge Guard is a unique hybrid of defense and offense, specializing in heavy armor, shields, and hammer-based melee combat. It boasts high durability with multiple defensive mechanics while dealing solid damage through physical and fire-based skills. This makes it a great choice for new and experienced players looking for a sturdy frontline character who can also dish out respectable damage.
Overview of the Forge Guard Playstyle
The Forge Guard excels in close-quarter combat, wielding mighty two-handed hammers or shield and one-handed weapons. Its core strengths include:
High survivability: Through shields, armor, block chance, and health regeneration.
AoE damage: Many skills hit multiple enemies, making it effective for clearing mobs quickly.
Fire and physical damage: Offering flexible damage types to adapt to various enemies.
Utility: Crowd control and buffs that enhance both survivability and damage.
Starting Out: Early Levels (1-20)
1. Choosing Your Skills
At the start, you'll use core Sentinel skills, but plan early to invest in Forge Guard-specific ones as soon as they unlock.
Smash: Your primary melee attack. It has good area damage and can be enhanced via passives.
Lunge: A mobility skill that lets you quickly close gaps or escape danger. Use it to reposition.
Shield Throw: If you prefer a ranged option, this can be useful early on to weaken groups before engaging.
Leap: Helps with mobility and AoE damage upon landing.
2. Passive Points Allocation
Focus on improving your health and armor for survivability.
Maximize Health nodes.
Invest in Armor and Block Chance.
Pick passives that increase melee damage and attack speed.
3. Gear Priorities
Equip armor with high armor rating and health.
Prioritize weapons that increase physical damage and attack speed.
Early game weapons like two-handed hammers or mace/shield combos work well.
Keep an eye out for items granting block chance or health regen.
4. Attributes to Focus On
Strength: Primary for melee damage and armor.
Vitality: Boosts health pool.
Dexterity: Useful if focusing on block chance and dodge, but secondary.
Mid Game (Levels 20-50)
By this stage, you should start unlocking Forge Guard-specific skills and passives.
1. Core Skills to Focus On
Hammer Throw: A signature skill that throws your hammer to deal heavy fire and physical damage with a chance to ignite enemies.
Shield Rush: Dash forward, damaging and stunning enemies. Excellent for mobility and controlling fights.
Elemental Emblem: A buff skill that boosts your fire damage and resistances.
2. Skill Specialization
Spend skill points to upgrade these core skills:
Increase damage, radius, and stun chance of Hammer Throw.
Boost the stun duration and damage of Shield Rush.
Enhance the duration and buffs from Elemental Emblem.
3. Passive Skill Trees
In the Forge Guard passive tree, focus on:
Fire damage nodes - since Hammer Throw deals fire damage.
Block chance and block effectiveness - to survive tougher enemies.
Health and resistances for durability.
Attack speed to increase skill output.
4. Gear Enhancements
Start looking for fire damage affixes.
Equip rings and amulets boosting block chance and attack speed.
Weapons with increased physical and fire damage are ideal.
Armor with resistances becomes important to handle elemental damage from enemies.
5. Attributes to Prioritize
Continue boosting Strength and Vitality.
Add points to Attunement if you want to increase mana and skill effectiveness.
Maintain a balance between damage and survivability stats.
Late Game (Levels 50+)
At this stage, you should have most Forge Guard skills unlocked and a solid gear foundation.
1. Optimal Skill Setup
Hammer Throw: Maximize this skill; it is your primary source of damage.
Shield Rush: Use for engaging and controlling fights.
Smash: For melee combat when enemies close the gap.
Elemental Emblem: Keep it active for buffs.
Leap or Lunge: For positioning.
2. Advanced Passive Focus
Max out Fire damage and critical strike chance nodes if you want to go offensive.
Further invest in block effectiveness and health regen to survive endgame content.
Unlock and upgrade unique Forge Guard passives that increase hammer damage, shield block, and elemental damage.
3. Gear Priorities
Aim for two-handed hammers or one-handed hammer + shield combos with high physical and fire damage.
Look for unique items that synergize with Forge Guard skills.
Stack block chance, attack speed, and critical strike chance on rings and amulets.
Armor with high resistances and health regeneration is key.
Crafting and enchanting gear to maximize damage and survivability stats will give you an edge.
Tips and Tricks for Efficient Leveling
Use your mobility skills (Lunge, Leap, Shield Rush) to avoid unnecessary damage and reposition.
Keep Elemental Emblem active during fights for increased damage and defense.
Prioritize clearing packs of enemies efficiently with Hammer Throw and Smash.
Upgrade your gear frequently to maintain pace with stronger enemies.
Use crafting materials to improve resistances and block chance on armor.
Experiment with passive tree resets to optimize your build as you gain more points.
Save skill points for later levels to invest in key Forge Guard skills.
Example Skill Tree Path
Early Game
Focus on Sentinel passives for health and armor.
Upgrade Smash for damage and AoE.
Mid Game
Invest in Forge Guard passives for fire and hammer damage.
Upgrade Hammer Throw and Shield Rush.
Boost block chance and armor.
Late Game
Maximize fire damage, attack speed, and critical strike nodes.
Unlock and maximize unique Forge Guard abilities.
Fully enhance survivability with block effectiveness and resistances.
Conclusion
The Forge Guard in Last Epoch offers a rewarding experience for players who want to combine tanky survivability with strong melee and fire damage. With proper skill investment, gear focus, and attribute distribution, this build can carry you from the early zones through endgame bosses and content.
Whether you prefer a two-handed hammer for pure offense or a shield and hammer combo for balanced defense and attack, the Forge Guard has a place in any party or solo play. Get plenty of Last Epoch Gold from MMOexp to help you build quickly. With patience and practice, you'll become a blazing hammer-wielding juggernaut, ready to crush any foe in your path.
MMOexp Last Epoch Team