Damage Explained in Last Epoch: Maximizing Your Potential

Dealing damage is the fundamental concept of any ARPG, and Last Epoch is no exception. Without damage, enemies remain unscathed, loot remains unclaimed, and progression stalls. As a player, maximizing your damage output is crucial for faster kills, increased experience gain, and better loot drops. This guide aims to equip you with the knowledge and understanding of the damage mechanics in Last Epoch, allowing you to make informed decisions and optimize your build for maximum damage potential.

In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the basics of dealing damage in Last Epoch. We will explore the foundational concepts behind damage calculations and the various factors that contribute to the big numbers you see on your screen. By understanding these concepts, you will be better equipped to make strategic choices and make the most of the damage options available to you.

Understanding Base, Added, Increased, and More Damage

To effectively improve your damage output in Last Epoch, it is essential to grasp the concepts of Base, Added, Increased, and More Damage. These stat types work together to form the main damage of a skill, and neglecting any of them can result in suboptimal performance. Achieving a balance between these damage types is crucial for maximizing your build’s potential.

Base Damage: All skills have a certain amount of Base Damage, which serves as the starting point for damage calculations. While some skills may have minimal Base Damage, it forms the foundation upon which all other damage modifiers are applied.

Added Damage: This type of damage is added to your Base Damage and can be found on items, skills, and passives. Added Damage can be either a flat amount or a specific damage type. For example, a “+4 Spell Damage” affix adds 4 Base Spell Damage to any skill with a Spell tag. It’s important to note that Added Damage can also be adaptive, meaning it adapts to the damage type of the skill being used.

Increased Damage: Increased Damage is a plentiful stat commonly found on the Passive Tree and various types of items. It multiplies off of Added Damage, resulting in a higher increase in overall damage output. Multiple sources of Increased Damage can be combined to provide an even greater increase in damage.

More Damage: More Damage also multiplies your damage, similar to Increased Damage. However, unlike Increased Damage, different sources of More Damage also multiply off of each other, resulting in a compounding effect. More Damage is typically found in Skill Trees and some Passive Nodes and Uniques.

By understanding the interplay between Base, Added, Increased, and More Damage, you can optimize your build for a balanced and powerful damage output.

Exploring Damage Types and Ability Types

In Last Epoch, there is a wide range of Damage Types and Ability Types that allow for diverse playstyles and build options. Understanding the different Damage Types and Ability Types is crucial for effectively scaling your damage and maximizing your build’s potential.

Damage Types: Last Epoch features various Damage Types, including Fire, Cold, Lightning, Physical, Necrotic, Poison, and Void. Each Damage Type has its strengths and weaknesses, and certain skills may have specific tags that determine the Damage Types they can deal. It’s important to consider the Damage Types supported by your skills and gear to ensure effective scaling and damage output.

Ability Types: Last Epoch categorizes skills into different Ability Types, including Melee Attack, Throwing Attack, Bow Attack, and Spell. Each Ability Type has its unique mechanics and scaling factors. Some skills may have multiple Ability Types, allowing for versatile playstyles and build options.

By carefully selecting and combining Damage Types and Ability Types, you can create synergistic builds that maximize your damage potential.

Unleashing the Power of Critical Strikes

Critical Strikes are a powerful tool for increasing your damage output in Last Epoch. They can significantly boost your damage when scaled properly. However, it’s important to understand how Critical Strikes work and how to effectively scale them.

Chance to Critical Strike: By default, skills in Last Epoch have a 5% chance to deliver a Critical Strike, which deals double damage. This chance can be increased through various sources.

Added Critical Strike Chance: Added Critical Strike Chance is a straight numerical increase to your chances of landing a Critical Strike. It is denoted by a “+” in front of the stat and can be found on weapons, passives, and other sources. Adding multiple sources of Added Critical Strike Chance increases your overall chance of landing a Critical Strike.

Increased Critical Strike Chance: Increased Critical Strike Chance is a multiplier that increases the sum of your Base and Added Critical Strike Chance. It is denoted by a “%” sign and can be found on gear, passives, and other sources. Combining multiple sources of Increased Critical Strike Chance can further enhance your chances of scoring Critical Strikes.

Critical Strike Multiplier: Critical Strike Multiplier is a multiplier that determines the amount of damage your Critical Strikes deal. It is applied to the damage calculation when a Hit successfully lands as a Critical Strike. Critical Strike Multiplier can be increased through various sources, such as gear, passives, and unique items. Combining multiple sources of Critical Strike Multiplier can lead to significant damage boosts on Critical Strikes.

By strategically investing in Added Critical Strike Chance, Increased Critical Strike Chance, and Critical Strike Multiplier, you can greatly enhance your damage output through Critical Strikes.

The Impact of Attack/Cast Speed

Attack Speed and Cast Speed are important stats that can significantly impact your damage output in Last Epoch. Understanding their mechanics and how they interact with different skills and builds is crucial for optimizing your damage potential.

Attack Speed: Attack Speed determines how quickly you can perform attacks with skills that fall under the Attack Type category, such as Melee Attacks, Throwing Attacks, and Bow Attacks. Higher Attack Speed allows you to unleash a greater number of attacks within a given time frame, resulting in increased damage output. Attack Speed can be increased through various sources, such as gear, passives, and skill tree nodes.

Cast Speed: Cast Speed, on the other hand, affects the speed at which you can cast Spells. Skills categorized as Spells benefit from increased Cast Speed, allowing for faster and more frequent spellcasting. Similar to Attack Speed, Cast Speed can be increased through gear, passives, and skill tree nodes.

It’s important to note that not all skills in Last Epoch benefit from increased Attack Speed or Cast Speed. Some skills have specific mechanics that limit the impact of these stats. For example, skills like Disintegrate only scale the initiation of the cast, not the speed at which it applies Damage over Time.

By understanding the impact of Attack Speed and Cast Speed on different skills, you can make informed decisions when building your character and optimize your damage output.

Mastering Damage Over Time

Damage over Time (DoT) plays a significant role in Last Epoch, offering a unique approach to dealing damage. DoT skills apply damage gradually over a period of time, providing sustained damage output and enabling strategic playstyles. Understanding how to effectively scale and maximize the potential of DoT damage is crucial for optimizing your build.

Damage over Time Mechanics: DoTs consist of damage that is spread out over time, in contrast to Hits that deal all their damage at once. DoTs cannot be Critical Strikes, and they typically cannot apply Ailments or “On Hit” effects. However, certain skills with the DoT tag can apply Ailments at fixed intervals. It’s important to note that not all Ailments are DoTs, and not all DoTs are Ailments.

Scaling DoTs: There are several ways to scale DoTs effectively:

• Increased Chance to Apply: Many DoTs, particularly Ailments, rely on increasing the chance to apply the Ailment on each Hit. This can be achieved through various sources such as gear, passives, and skill tree nodes. Increasing the chance to apply Ailments allows for multiple stacks of the Ailment to be applied, resulting in higher overall damage output.
• Increased Damage Type: Increasing the appropriate Damage Type that the DoT is associated with can significantly enhance its damage output. For example, increasing Poison Damage for Poison DoTs or Cold Damage for Chill DoTs can lead to greater damage over time. This can be achieved through gear, passives, and skill tree nodes.
• Ailment Duration: Increasing the duration of Ailments directly translates to more ticks of the DoT occurring over a longer period of time. This effectively increases the damage output of the DoT. It’s important to note that increasing Ailment Duration is a direct damage increase, as it allows for more ticks of the DoT but doesn’t affect the tick rate. Ailment Duration can be increased through various sources, such as gear, passives, and skill tree nodes.
• Penetration and Shred: Sources of Penetration and Shred can be utilized to reduce the enemy’s defenses against the DoT, resulting in increased damage. Penetration reduces the enemy’s resistance to a specific Damage Type, while Shred decreases the enemy’s Armor. These sources can enhance the damage output of DoTs and should be considered when optimizing your build.
• More Damage: Sources of “More Damage” that specifically apply to DoT skills or skills that apply DoTs can significantly boost the damage output. It’s important to note that not all sources of “More Damage” apply to DoTs, so choose your sources carefully to ensure optimal scaling.

By effectively scaling and optimizing your DoT damage, you can unleash devastating and sustained damage over time.

The Significance of Shred and Penetration

Shred and Penetration are powerful mechanics that can greatly enhance your damage output in Last Epoch. Understanding how they work and how to utilize them effectively is crucial for maximizing your damage potential.

Shred Mechanics: Shred reduces the enemy’s defenses, causing them to take increased damage. There are two types of Shred: Armor Shred and Resistance Shred.

• Armor Shred: Armor Shred reduces the amount of Armor an enemy has. Each stack of Armor Shred decreases the enemy’s Armor by a fixed amount (e.g., 100 Armor per stack). Armor Shred does not have any differences between bosses and non-bosses, and there is no cap on the number of stacks. However, Armor Shred is subject to diminishing returns, so each additional stack provides diminishing returns in terms of damage reduction. Each stack of Armor Shred lasts for a specific duration (e.g., 4 seconds).
• Resistance Shred: Resistance Shred reduces the enemy’s resistance to a specific Damage Type. Each stack of Resistance Shred decreases the enemy’s resistance by a fixed percentage (e.g., 5% for non-bosses, 2% for bosses) for that Damage Type. Resistance Shred has a cap on the number of stacks (e.g., 10 stacks), and each stack lasts for a specific duration (e.g., 4 seconds).

It’s important to note that enemies generally have no resistances or armor by default. Shred becomes beneficial in increasing your overall damage output regardless of the enemy’s defenses.

Penetration Mechanics: Penetration reduces the enemy’s resistance to a specific Damage Type. Unlike Shred, Penetration does not need to be applied and automatically counts for any applicable damage. It only exists for resistances and does not affect armor. Multiple instances of Penetration add together, and Penetration is additive with Resistance Shred since both mechanics reduce the enemy’s resistance.

By effectively utilizing Shred and Penetration, you can significantly increase your damage output by bypassing the enemy’s defenses and dealing increased damage.

Unveiling Increased Damage Taken

Increased Damage Taken is a powerful mechanic that acts as a multiplier to the damage you deal to enemies. Understanding how Increased Damage Taken works and how to utilize it effectively can greatly enhance your damage output.

Increased Damage Taken Mechanics: Increased Damage Taken can be universal or specific to a Damage Type (e.g., Increased Void Damage Taken). It is independent of Shred and Penetration in the damage calculation and acts as a de facto multiplier to your damage. Multiple instances of Increased Damage Taken are additive, meaning they add together. Increased Damage Taken can be found on various sources, such as gear, passives, and skill tree nodes.

By strategically incorporating sources of Increased Damage Taken into your build, you can significantly boost your damage output and overcome enemies with increased effectiveness.

Harnessing the Power of Damage Conversions

Damage Conversions provide a unique way to scale your damage in Last Epoch. By converting one or more Damage Types to another, you can optimize your build and tap into new scaling opportunities. Understanding how Damage Conversions work and when to utilize them is crucial for maximizing your damage potential.

Damage Conversion Mechanics: Damage Conversions are typically found in skill tree nodes or unique items and allow you to convert one or more Damage Types to another. For example, a skill tree node might convert Physical Damage to Fire Damage, or a unique item might convert Bleed Chance to Poison Chance. It’s important to carefully read the descriptions of these conversions to understand how they work and what modifications they apply to your damage.

Not all sources of Damage Conversion work the same way. Some conversions only affect Base Damage, while others may also affect Added Damage. It’s crucial to understand the specifics of each conversion to ensure accurate scaling and optimal damage output.

By strategically utilizing Damage Conversions, you can tap into new Damage Types and scale your damage in unique ways, enabling you to overcome various challenges and optimize your build.

Scaling Damage for Minions

Scaling damage for minions in Last Epoch follows different mechanics and strategies compared to scaling damage for the player character. Understanding how to effectively scale damage for your minions is crucial for optimizing their potential and maximizing your overall damage output.

Minion Scaling Mechanics: Minions in Last Epoch have their own set of stats and affixes that scale independently from the player character. To effectively scale damage for your minions, you need to focus on specific stats and affixes that directly impact their damage output. These include stats such as Minion Damage, Companions, Totems, Allies, Shared, and attributes that the minion skill is tagged for.

It’s important to note that there are some exceptions where minion skills can benefit from player damage scaling. For example, certain skills like Manifest Armor can apply the stats from body armor, helmet, gloves, and boots to minions. Additionally, unique items like Julra’s Obsession can apply the stats on the gloves directly to minions.

Understanding the unique mechanics of minion scaling and strategically investing in the appropriate stats and affixes will allow you to maximize the damage potential of your minions and create powerful minion-focused builds.

Factors Affecting Damage Variance and Enemy Damage Mitigation

When calculating your damage in Last Epoch, it’s important to consider two factors that can influence the actual damage you deal to enemies: damage variance and enemy damage mitigation.

Damage Variance: Last Epoch incorporates a 20% damage variance for Hit damage. This means that each Hit can be up to 20% more or less than the expected damage. It’s important to keep this variance in mind when evaluating your damage output, as it can affect the consistency of your damage.

Enemy Damage Mitigation: Enemies in Last Epoch gain universal damage reduction at higher levels. This damage reduction caps at 87% for level 100 enemies. This means that regardless of your damage output, enemies will always mitigate a significant portion of the damage they receive. It’s important to be aware of this mitigation and factor it into your damage calculations and expectations.

While you can get a better sense of your damage potential without the influence of enemy damage mitigation by using test dummies, it’s important to remember that the variance is always present in actual combat scenarios.

Evaluating Skill DPS

Skill DPS (Damage Per Second) is a common tool used to assess the damage potential of a skill in Last Epoch. However, it’s important to approach Skill DPS with caution and not rely solely on this metric for evaluating damage. Skill DPS calculators in Last Epoch do not consider all factors that can affect damage output, such as debuffs on enemies. Additionally, Skill DPS calculators historically overvalued certain sources of damage, like Damage over Time (DoTs).

While Skill DPS can provide a basic comparison option, it should not be the sole basis for evaluating your damage potential. It’s important to consider other factors, such as damage scaling mechanics, skill synergies, and overall build effectiveness.

By taking a comprehensive approach to evaluating your damage potential and considering various factors beyond just Skill DPS, you can make informed decisions and optimize your build for maximum damage output.