Last updated on Mar 13, 2024 at 00:00 by GhazzyTV and Lavender
Welcome to our Last Epoch Marksman Cinder Strike Dragonfire build guide for the Rogue class.Here you will learn everything about the Marksman play style, passives, skills, strengths, and weaknessesto conquer the world of Eterra.
1.
Build Introduction
Attack with the fury of a dragon, scorching the battlefield withfiery, explosive arrows and the heat from the unique bow,Dragonsong. Leave naught but ash in your wake withthe fast-paced gameplay of this Cinder Strike build.
Strengths
- Dodge, Glancing Blows, Ward and Leech Life for sustain
- High Attack Speed creates a fun rotation loop
- Low input required
- Not Mana dependent
Weaknesses
- Requires melee-range combat for optimal performance
- Low eHP when considering DoT and lethal one shot damage instances
2.
Skill Selection
This build revolves around Critical Hit Rate, of which we have plenty of.Cinder Strike will be utilized as our spam skill.Burning Daggers will automate off hits from, creating more instances forus to proc Dragonfire, which has a chance to activate off critical hitsfrom any action.
To bolster the offensive and defensive capabilities of the build,we use Shurikens as a defensive layer, but they are also capable ofsetting off Dragonfire as well. Hail of Arrows is mostlyused to apply Armor Shred,Fire Resistance Shred and Frailty, but alsosupplies us with stacks of Dusk Shroud for standing within the AoE.Smoke Bomb is used similar to Shurikens, as themain purpose is defensive layering with Dodge, Glancing Blows, and Ward generation, butalso gives a large increase in Critical Hit Rate. Shift is taken to providea moment of invulnerability and also to automate Shurikens.
3.
Class and Skill Passive Trees
Class PassivesSkill Passives
RogueMarksmanBladedancer
Cinder StrikeShiftShurikensSmoke BombHail of Arrows
Our base class is Rogue, which fills the role of a stealthymelee or ranged user in Last Epoch. Upon finishing Act 1in the campaign, your character will be offered an opportunity toselect an Advanced Mastery. Each base class has threepossible Masteries to choose from. For Rogue, you can choose betweenPassive Trees for Bladedancer and Marksman. Uponselecting a Mastery and placing 20 Passive Points into the RogueTree, you'll then be able to place Passive Points into the Mastery Trees.
Marksman is the Advanced Class used for this build, and also wherethe majority of our Passive Points will come from. The Marksman Tree willfocus around picking nodes that increase our Dexterity, Critical Chance andMultiplier, and our survivability through both Dodge and Ward. A lesser amount ofPassive Points will come from Bladedancer, focusing entirely on Dexterity.Each Passive Tree and their points are broken down below.
3.1.
Rogue Passive Points
- 8 points into Swift Assassin: Attack Speed, used for Dragonfire procs.
- 8 points into Steady Hand: Dexterity gains.
- 5 points into Dodge and Parry: As the name implies, providesDodge Rating and damage reduction through Glancing Blows.
- 4 points into Sapping Strikes: Taken to offset the Health drain from gearing choices.
- 8 points into Critical Precision: 96% increased Critical Strike Chance for using a bow.
Our base class is Rogue, which fills the role of a stealthymelee or ranged user in Last Epoch. Upon finishing Act 1in the campaign, your character will be offered an opportunity toselect an Advanced Mastery. Each base class has threepossible Masteries to choose from. For Rogue, you can choose betweenPassive Trees for Bladedancer and Marksman. Uponselecting a Mastery and placing 20 Passive Points into the RogueTree, you'll then be able to place Passive Points into the Mastery Trees.
Marksman is the Advanced Class used for this build, and also wherethe majority of our Passive Points will come from. The Marksman Tree willfocus around picking nodes that increase our Dexterity, Critical Chance andMultiplier, and our survivability through both Dodge and Ward. A lesser amount ofPassive Points will come from Bladedancer, focusing entirely on Dexterity.Each Passive Tree and their points are broken down below.
3.2.
Marksman Passive Points
- 8 points into Draining Arrows: Taken to increase the proc rate of Dragonfire.
- 5 points into Assassin's Quiver: Provides a bump in Dexterity, but also makes enemies easier to hit.
- 8 points into Wound Maker: Simple, boosts DoT damage with Frostbite.
- 5 points into Heightened Senses: This node and the next couple will all deal with defensive layering. Thief's Quiverwill provide us with Leech from all Bow Damage.
- 6 points into Arrow Storm: Huge increase in Attack Speed, great for bursts of damage.
- 10 points into Covering Fire: One of the most important nodes in the build; Silver Shroudstacks force a Dodge the next time we're hit, and for each point into this node, the Dodge grants us 100 Ward,totaling 1000 Ward gain. If used properly, this can be used to bully boss mechanics to keep uptime and sustain damage.
- 10 points into Thief's Quiver: Main form of sustain in the build.
- 5 points into Sharpshooter: Increases Bow Damage for ranged gameplay.
- 5 points into Death from Afar: Armor Shred and Stun Chance synergy with the previous node. This is great for map clearing.
- 5 points into Barrage of Pain: Continued attacking will increase Critical Hit Chance.
- 5 points into Perfect Aim: Similar to the previous node, but increases Critical Strike Multiplier and provides Health on Crit.
Our base class is Rogue, which fills the role of a stealthymelee or ranged user in Last Epoch. Upon finishing Act 1in the campaign, your character will be offered an opportunity toselect an Advanced Mastery. Each base class has threepossible Masteries to choose from. For Rogue, you can choose betweenPassive Trees for Bladedancer and Marksman. Uponselecting a Mastery and placing 20 Passive Points into the RogueTree, you'll then be able to place Passive Points into the Mastery Trees.
Marksman is the Advanced Class used for this build, and also wherethe majority of our Passive Points will come from. The Marksman Tree willfocus around picking nodes that increase our Dexterity, Critical Chance andMultiplier, and our survivability through both Dodge and Ward. A lesser amount ofPassive Points will come from Bladedancer, focusing entirely on Dexterity.Each Passive Tree and their points are broken down below.
3.3.
Bladedancer Passive Points
- 8 points into Cloak of Shadows: Dexterity gains.
In this section, we will break down each skill and highlightthe key passives we have selected to make the skill shine in the build.While some of these skills do allow for some variation to existdepending on your own custom choices, we recommend utilizing the skilltrees as presented until you have a strong understanding of the build itself.
3.4.
Cinder Strike
Cinder Strike is our main spam skill; it isn't used to deal damage directly, only to land criticalhits on enemies through the skill itself and the Burning Daggers that automate off it. Each hit will also shred FireResistance from the enemies it hits. THere's big bonuses in this tree for prolonged combat; each hit will provide theplayer with a stack of Oil Coating that last for 4 seconds. Each stack increases Fire Damage and Fire Penetrationfrom all sources.
3.4.1.
Order of Skill Points
- 1 point into Soot and Ash: Taken for pathing. Blind does not do much for us, since the buildoperates at 100% Critical Strike Avoidance.
- 3 points into Eagerness: Increases the Attack Speed for the second and third hits.
- 2 points into Ignition: Adds a small chance to Ignite enemies.
- 5 points into Kindling: Each hit shreds a single stack of Fire Resistance.
- 1 point into Burning Dagger: When you land a hit with Cinder Strike, you also attack with aBurning Dagger.
- 1 point into Flaming Fury: Taken for pathing. Mana is not an issue in the build, so expending it here won't change anything.
- 1 point into Firebreathing: The first hit of Cinder Strike throws five Burning Daggers.
- 5 points into Oil Coating: Hits with Cinder Strike grant a stack of Oil Coating and increase Fire Damage for a short period of time.
- 3 points into Combustible: At three stacks of Oil Coating, you gain 30% Fire Penetration.
In this section, we will break down each skill and highlight the key passives we have selected to make the skill shine in the build.While some of these skills do allow for some variation to exist depending on your own custom choices, we recommend utilizing the skilltrees as presented until you have a strong understanding of the build itself.
3.5.
Shift
Shift's main purpose is traversal for this build, but also provides multiple layers of defense toensure we stay alive in the heat of battle. After Shifting, we will summon Shurikens to float around us, boosting our Armor and dealingdamage to nearby enemies. The critical hits landed by Shuriken are capable of setting off Dragonfire, sokeep that in mind, as shifting into a mob group may be the play to increase clear speed. Shifting will also briefly grantus more Movement Speed when used.
3.5.1.
Order of Skill Points
- 3 points into Velocity: Cooldown reduction and a lower Mana cost.
- 2 points into Shadow Recuperation: Each time we Shift, we heal for a small amount.
- 5 points into Sleight of Hand: Automates Shuriken's, boosting Armor.
- 4 points into Swift Recovery: Refunds Mana cost.
- 1 point into Shadowslip: Creates a moment of Invulnerabilty while Shifting, allowing you to Shift throughcertain attacks and completely avoid damage.
- 3 points into Momentum: 50% Movement Speed boost after Shifting.
- 2 points into Elusive: For one second after using Shift, you gain increased Dodge Rating scaling off Dexterity.
In this section, we will break down each skill and highlight the key passives we have selected to make the skill shine in the build.While some of these skills do allow for some variation to exist depending on your own custom choices, we recommend utilizing the skilltrees as presented until you have a strong understanding of the build itself.
3.6.
Shurikens
Shurikens is used entirely for survival purposes in this build. You'll never press in manually, it is automatedoff of Shift and provides a boost in Armor while the Shurikens rotate around you. There's a couple damagenodes taken, but they are more or less just so the points were not wasted. Shurikens can, and will, proc Dragonfire,so keep that in mind when deciding on wether to fight from range or in melee distance.
3.6.1.
Order of Skill Points
- 3 points into Alacrity: Purely for pathing.
- 1 point into Fan of Blades: Also a pathing node.
- 1 point into Blade Shield: This is what makes the shurikens float around you.
- 3 points into Floating Blades: Increases the duration from 3 seconds to roughly 4.5 seconds.
- 3 points into Bladed Armor: Provides a boost of 150% Armor when auto-cast by Shift.
- 4 points into Ethereal Blades: Normally, Shurikens disappear when they strike an enemy. This keepsthem spinning even when they make contact with an enemy.
- 2 points into Jagged Edges: Increases base Critical Hit Rate, ensuring a high rate of Dragonfire procs.
- 1 point into Massacre: Increases Crit Multiplier, as the last point.
In this section, we will break down each skill and highlight the key passives we have selected to make the skill shine in the build.While some of these skills do allow for some variation to exist depending on your own custom choices, we recommend utilizing the skilltrees as presented until you have a strong understanding of the build itself.
3.7.
Smoke Bomb
Smoke Bomb is mostly used defensively for the build, supplying Silver Shroud stacks (allowingfor the generation of 1300 Ward on demand) and increasing Dodge Rate and Glancing Blows Chance while insideof the smoke. It does have a use outside of this though, in the fact it will cleanse ailments on use; thiswill cleanse the Ignite stacks generated off Immolator's Oblation, so keep that in mind.
3.7.1.
Order of Skill Points
- 3 points into Generosity: Doubles the area of Smoke Bomb.
- 1 point into Enfeeblement: Defensive node, reducing enemy damage with Frailty.
- 3 points into Moonlight Bomb: Forces a dodge on the next damage instance, generating 300 Ward.
- 1 point into Cleansing Steam: Ailment cleanse, good for getting rid of DoTs.
- 1 point into Shrouded in Darkness: Generates Dusk Shroud, providing Glancing Blow Chance and Dodge Rating, for standing in the Smoke Cloud.
- 4 points into Rapid Concealment: Increases the rate at which we gain Dusk Shroud.
- 2 points into Lingering Fumes: Duration increased by 20%.
- 5 points into Shadow Hunter: Increases the base Critical Strike Chance of the build by 10% while inside of the smoke.
In this section, we will break down each skill and highlight the key passives we have selected to make the skill shine in the build.While some of these skills do allow for some variation to exist depending on your own custom choices, we recommend utilizing the skilltrees as presented until you have a strong understanding of the build itself.
3.8.
Hail of Arrows
Hail of Arrows is used to ensure maximum damage from Dragonfire by helping keep upArmor Shred stacks on enemies. If you stand in it, it will also apply stacks of Dusk Shroud; just like Smoke Bomb,this will boost Dodge Rate and Glancing Blows Chance. This is the only real Mana spender in the build,but it lasts a long time, so use it freely.
3.8.1.
Order of Skill Points
- 4 points into Volley: Doubles the radius of Hail of Arrows.
- 3 point into Blighted Arrows: Chance to apply Frailty stacks.
- 5 points into Sundering Rain: One stack of Armor Shred per second an enemy stands in the AoE.
- 5 points into Blot Out the Sun: Dusk Shroud generation. This only applies if Hail of Arrows is stood inside of.
- 3 points into Steady: Increases the duration by 30%.
Image courtesy of Last Epoch Tools
4.
Build Mechanics and Playstyle
This build is all about dealing critical hits to proc Dragonfire. While the build can be playedat range, and even has some nodes in the Marksman Tree to facilitate this, this build shines when in meleerange. The range on Dragonfire isn't exactly large, so keep that in mind. Cinder Strike and Burning Daggers will be themain source of crits, and this attack is utilized for both AoE and single-target damage. Shurikens canoffer an alternative way to proc the conal spell, but requires using Shift to get up close and personalwith enemies, so be wary of one-shot mechanics or lethal mobs that may be around when you decide to do this.
The base rotation for this build is simple; spam Cinder Strike, keep Hail of Arrows active on enemiesat all times, and use Smoke Bomb when necessary for defensive purposes or to cleanse unwanted ailments. Be wary, this will alsocleanse the Ignite stacks from Immolator's Oblation.
5.
Equipment and Gear Affixes
For this build, we will be focusing on several main affixes for each piece of non-unique gear, as well as working towards acquiring the specific Uniques neededto make this build operate correctly. Our equipment will focus on these specific affixes for the Implicits and Modifier stats.
Gear Slot | Implicits | Modifiers |
---|---|---|
Bow | Dragonsong | Legendary Potential Critical Strike Multiplier Critical Strike Chance, Increased Bow Attack Speed |
Quiver | Arrowguard | Legendary Potential Increased Fire Damage |
Head | Armor Fire Resistance Critical Strike Multiplier | Prefixes Dexterity Increased Damage while wielding a Bow Suffixes |
Amulet | Physical Resistance Necrotic Resistance | Prefixes Critical Strike Multiplier Increased Fire Damage Suffixes |
Chest | Armor Endurance Increased Mana Regen | Prefixes Increased Damage While Wielding a Bow Dexterity Suffixes |
Belt | Immolator's Oblation | Legendary Potential Hybrid Health |
Gloves | Armor Void Resistance | Prefixes Dexterity Increased Critical Hit Chance Suffixes |
Ring | Fire Resistance Increased Fire Damage | Prefixes Increased Fire Damage Dexterity Suffixes |
Ring | Fire Resistance Increased Fire Damage | Prefixes Increased Fire Damage Dexterity Suffixes |
Feet | Increased Dodge Rating Increased Movement Speed Increased effect of Haste on You | Prefixes Dexterity Increased Movement Speed Suffixes |
Relic | Pillager's Gold | Legendary Potential Increased Fire Damage Critical Strike Multiplier |
A loot filter made specifically for the gear table above may be copied by pressing the button below. Once inthe Loot Filter portion of the in-game menu, choose the "Paste Clipboard Contents" option to import the code.
Copy Loot Filter to Clipboard
Press the Copy 📋 button to copy the following text to your clipboard
6.
Uniques
This build will require several uniques to function. Keep in mind, before you have them, it may be wise to swap to a different build,as this one will fall apart. The bow is non-negotiable, as this is where all the damage comes from, while the relic and belt are just as necessarydue to the scaling they provide. The quiver can be replaced with an exalted, but you will take a hit to your defensive layering doing so.
6.1.
Dragonsong
Dragonsong: This bow allows us to proc Dragonfire and providesa substantial boost to base Critical Hit Rate on Cinder Strike. Farm for this bowin the Monoloth Timeline "Fall of the Outcasts".
6.2.
Pillager's Gold
Pillager's Gold: Enables you to throw extra Burning Daggers on hit, which addsone extra chance to crit every second. This can be target farmed on the Monolith Timeline"The Black Sun".
6.3.
Immolator's Oblation
Immolator's Oblation: Provides base scaling for Fire Spell Damage, but will Igniteus every time we use Cinder Strike or Hail of Arrows. This is a rare drop fromkilling Fire Lich Cremorus who is the final boss in the dungeon Soulfire Bastion.
6.4.
Arrowguard
Arrowguard: Strictly for defensive layering. Aim for a high roll on GlancingBlows, otherwise you may find enemies hitting way harder than they should be. This canbe target farmed on the Monolith Timeline "Fall of the Outcasts".
7.
Idols
Idol slots are gained through the campaign, unlocking small bonuses andunique affixes for the player to discover and augment their builds with. The Idol screenconsists of a grid system for the player to fill out with different sized Idols,eventually filling in every part of the grid. As the Idol shape increases (1x1, 1x2,1x3, 1x4, etc.) the stronger an affix you might find for your build.
This build will want four Large Shadow Idols, rolling Dodge Rating and Increased Damage While Wielding a Bow.The remainder of the slots should be filled in with Health increases through Stout Lagonian Idols.
8.
Blessing
Blessings are permanent buffs that are applied to your character. These come intwo different powers, Standard and Grand. Grand blessings are significantlystronger than the Standard Blessings. In total, there are 10 Blessing Slots, onefor each Monolith Timeline. When you complete a Monolith and defeat the final boss youwill be awarded a choice of three blessing with a random value.
Blessing Name | Affix | Timeline |
---|---|---|
Grand Emptiness of Ash | Critical Hit Multiplier | The Black Sun |
Grand Survival of Might | Critical Strike Avoidance | Reign of Dragons |
Grand Flames of Calamity | Increased Fire Damage | Spirits of Fire |
The Blessings listed above cover the most important slots, with the remaining Blessing Slots being filledwith whatever the player may be lacking for stats.
9.
Changelog
- 13 Mar. 2024: Build Planner added.
- 10 Mar. 2024: Updated for 1.0.
- 12 Jan. 2024: Loot Filter added.
- 31 Dec. 2023: Guide added.
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