Welcome to my third iteration of the Wheel of Torment Warlock build in Last Epoch! Stronger than ever, now sitting at over 600 corruption, this build has evolved, and I’m here to drop all the details on how it works. As always, I’ve timestamped every section in the description below, so feel free to jump around based on what you're looking for. Let’s not waste any time—let’s dive straight into it.

The Build Concept: What Makes the Wheel of Torment Warlock So Special?

This build revolves around the Wheel of Torment staff. As you may have guessed, it’s named after this unique weapon, which enables you to cast Soul Feast and Rip Torment from your enemies. The synergy between these skills, combined with the sheer power of the staff, creates a visually stunning, high-speed build. Not only is this build capable of tearing through mobs with insane clear speed, but it also allows you to hit enemies from a ridiculous two-screen range. It’s a fantastic build for those who enjoy a dynamic, high-mobility playstyle that can rip through both crowds and bosses alike.

The build is all about automation—you cast a couple of key abilities manually, but a lot of the action happens on its own. Here’s a breakdown of the skills I’m using:

    • Profane Veil

    • Soul Feast

    • Rip Blood

    • Chaos Bolts

    • Cathonic Fisher

In terms of gameplay, Profane Veil gives you a solid survivability tool, Soul Feast helps you restore life and rip torment out of enemies, while Rip Blood and Chaos Bolts allow for additional damage while providing some crowd control and sustainability. I also rely on some automation, as Wheel of Torment will auto-cast Cathonic Fisher for you—though I usually cast it manually because it’s such a powerful tool.

Gameplay Overview: Easy to Learn, Hard to Master

When playing this build, you’ll spend most of your time spamming Cathonic Fisher (usually twice per pack) while utilizing Soul Feast to continuously drain torment from enemies. Rip Blood is automated through Chaos Bolts, while Bone Curse adds further synergy, triggering damage and boosts to your other skills.

Movement is fluid and quick, thanks to Profane Veil, which gives you extra speed, and Transplant, which lets you reposition yourself with ease. You’ll need to be mindful of Necrotic Resistance to maximize your damage output, as Torment deals more damage based on how much resistance you have.

Let me show you how this works in practice. Here’s a quick breakdown of some single-target boss fights that showcase how effectively this build handles pressure:

Exiled Mage Fight:

Even at 616 Corruption, I was able to dispatch this boss without breaking a sweat. The key here is understanding how to leverage Profane Veil for survivability, Transplant for movement, and spamming Cathonic Fisher for consistent damage. The fight was simple, straightforward, and a prime example of how this build can quickly dismantle even the toughest of foes.

Nemesis Fight:

This one is a bit trickier but still very manageable. Again, Profane Veil was crucial for survivability, but the clear standout was the ability to auto-cast Rip Blood and Chaos Bolts while focusing on positioning. Even with the heightened difficulty, I was able to use the Double Movement Speed to keep my character mobile and on top of the fight, finishing the Nemesis with ease.

Skill Breakdown: Perfecting Each Ability

Let’s break down how to properly spec into the skills and passives for this build. I’ll give you a step-by-step breakdown of how I approach each one, and how I recommend you level them for maximum efficiency.

1. Profane Veil (Movement Skill)

For Profane Veil, your goal is to maximize duration and movement speed. Here's the order you want to take:

    • Start with Duration and Movement Speed.

    • Move up to get Penance (boosts damage and leech).

    • Then, focus on the Profane Orbs skill, which does decent damage when triggered.

    • Finally, take Bone Curse for the synergy with your other skills.

2. Rip Blood (Utility & Movement)

For Rip Blood, the key is to automate it as much as possible through Chaos Bolts. Here’s how you want to take the points:

    • First, focus on Ward and Quicker Movement.

    • Take points in Splatter and Blood Splatter, as these will boost the area of effect and damage output.

    • Use the remaining points for added damage or area of effect as needed.

3. Soul Feast (Damage & Sustain)

With Soul Feast, you need to ensure both Mana Efficiency and Ward Generation. The spec I use is:

    • First, grab Mana from Fragments (especially from rare enemies and bosses).

    • Focus on boosting damage and ward generation, then move up to Necrotic Penetration and Cast Speed for even better performance.

4. Chaos Bolts (Automated Damage)

The Chaos Bolts skill is all about synergy with Rip Blood and Bone Curse. Here’s how I recommend you spec it:

    • Take damage boosts and auto-triggering abilities for Rip Blood and Bone Curse.

    • Boost Damaged Chance and Ignite Chance to get the most out of your curse damage.

5. Cathonic Fisher (Area of Effect Damage)

Finally, Cathonic Fisher is an incredible tool for large packs. Here’s what I recommend:

    • Start by taking Chaotic Rupture for a chance to replace spirits with Chaos Bolts.

    • Boost Necrotic Damage and Crit Multiplier for more overall damage.

    • Max out Tomb Gorger to increase your Torment damage.

Passive Tree: Maximizing Necrotic Resistance and Damage

I’ve invested heavily in Necrotic Resistance and Ward Retention. Here’s a quick look at how I’ve structured my passives:

    • Acolyte Tree: Focus on Forbidden Knowledge (8 points), Stolen Vitality (6 points), and Unnatural Preservation (5 points) for more Necrotic Resistance and Ward Retention.

    • Warlock Tree: Max out Despicable Decay, Soul Stealer, Mind, Harrowing Armor, Dark Protections, and Ward of Malevolence to boost Necrotic Resistance and improve your sustain.

Blessings, Idols, and Gear: Fine-Tuning the Build

Blessings should prioritize resistance (void, lightning, physical) and critical strike avoidance. You’ll also want to max out your life as much as possible, so focus on life-boosting idols. Here’s what I use:

    • Quad Double Life Idols to maximize health.

Gear-wise, the only must-have item is the Wheel of Torment staff. Without this, the build doesn’t function. You’ll also want items like Bone Clamor (for necrotic resistance) and Twisted Heart (for life regen and ward generation). As for optional gear, I use a Fire Belt for more damage, but it does reduce tankiness slightly.

Leveling the Build: From Beginner to Endgame

You don’t need to start this build at max level. Here’s how I level up my Warlock:

    • Summon Skeletons (Range), boosted by damage and extra skeletons.

    • Summon Bone Golem (Big tank to draw enemy aggro).

    • Summon Volatile Zombie for high burst damage (target 84% of the enemy’s life before the zombies finish them off).

    • Use a Transplant to move around quickly.

With this combination, you’ll breeze through the campaign and be ready for the late game in no time.

Conclusion: Is This the Best Warlock Build for the Last Epoch?

My third iteration of the Wheel of Torment Warlock build is certainly one of the most satisfying and powerful setups I've played. It’s quick, efficient, and capable of taking down both bosses and mobs at high corruption levels. Buy Last Epoch Gold from MMOexp.com to build it, its so funny. Whether you’re new to the game or an experienced player looking to push the limits, this build is worth trying out.

MMOexp Last Epoch Team