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The Forge Guard leveling build in Last Epoch is a powerful and smooth way to progress through the campaign, focusing on summoning Forged Weapons that deal significant fire damage and scale with your weapon stats. This build excels in both offense and defense, making it a great choice for players who want to dive into melee combat while maintaining survivability.
Core Gameplay and Skills
Early in the game, you start by using Hammer Throw as your main damage skill until you unlock Rive, which summons your Forged Weapons minions. These minions inherit stats from your weapon, so equipping the best two-handed sword available is crucial for maximizing damage. Initially, Rive and Multistrike are your primary offensive skills. You use Rive for single-target and clear speed while moving quickly through chapters with Lunge.
As you level up, the build transitions to using Multistrike to build up maximum Armament stacks, then attacking with Forge Strike to summon Forged Weapons. The build also leverages Void Cleave to boost damage against bosses and high-health monsters, and Volatile Reversal for melee damage buffs. For healing, attacking with Vengeance procs Healing Hands, providing strong sustain during fights.
Defensive and Utility Aspects
The build is notably tanky, with good health regeneration and defensive stats. Players are encouraged to cap Physical Resistance early to make the campaign easier. The Healing Hands mechanic, triggered by attacking, keeps your health topped up, allowing you to confidently engage in melee range. The build also benefits from passives that increase health, block chance, and resistances, improving survivability in tougher encounters.
Passive Tree and Gear
In the Forge Guard passive tree, points are invested in nodes like Weapon Master, Guardian, and Smelter’s Might to boost both personal and minion damage. Defensive nodes like Battle Hardened and Unflinching increase health and stun immunity. For gear, prioritize two-handed swords with high physical and fire damage, and look for affixes that boost minion damage and survivability.
Leveling Progression Tips
1. Start with Hammer Throw until unlocking Rive.
2. Use Lunge for fast movement through zones.
3. Transition to Multistrike and Forge Strike for higher damage output.
4. Use Void Cleave and Volatile Reversal to enhance damage on bosses.
5. Maintain healing via Vengeance and Healing Hands procs.
6. Focus on capping resistances, especially Physical, early on.
Summary
The Forge Guard leveling build is a versatile and effective choice for players who enjoy summoning minions and wielding powerful melee weapons. It offers strong damage output, excellent survivability, and a straightforward leveling experience from start to endgame. With proper gear and skill progression, this build can one-shot most campaign monsters and scale well into late-game content, making it one of the smoothest and most rewarding mastery options in Last Epoch.
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