Beastmaster Bear Build Guide Last Epoch: One Minion to Rule Them All

 

Introduction to the Beastmaster Bear Build

If you’re looking for an engaging, fun, and powerful build to dominate the endgame in Last Epoch, then the Beastmaster Bear build is one you need to check out. This build revolves around the raw power of your loyal bear companion, supported by an array of powerful minion synergies. With Earthquake and Swipe abilities combined, this build excels in both single-target boss fights and clearing large packs of enemies.

But the real fun lies in how everything works together — the damage scaling, the synergy between skills and passives, and the mind-blowing crit damage potential. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or new to the game, this guide will give you all the details to take your Beastmaster Bear build to the next level and crush those Empowered Monoliths.

Core Concept of the Beastmaster Bear Build

The idea behind the Beastmaster Bear build is simple: you unleash a powerful bear who becomes your primary source of damage while you focus on supporting his might through a variety of buffs and debuffs. From increased attack speed to stacking critical strike bonuses, this build offers substantial room for growth and can reach some insane damage numbers — especially when optimized with the right gear and passives. By using Earthquake as your main damage dealer, you’ll be able to leverage your bear’s potential to decimate even the toughest enemies in the game.

The combination of skill synergies, careful gear choices, and the sheer damage output from your bear makes this build highly satisfying to play. It’s important to note that while the build is already performing well in the Empowered Monoliths, there’s plenty of room for fine-tuning and future enhancements.

Key Abilities and Their Roles in the Build

At the core of this Beastmaster Bear Build are a few key skills that make everything tick. These abilities, when paired correctly with your minion synergies and gear, will allow you to unleash devastating damage. Let’s break them down:

Swipe (Bear Ability)

Swipe is your bear's primary ability and a critical part of the build. Not only does it provide substantial damage, but it also has the added benefit of healing you through its life leech mechanics. As you build your character, you’ll focus on enhancing the bear’s Swipe ability, making sure that it hits harder and faster with each attack.

Swipe is also tied into the Aspect of the Shark mechanic, which increases your minions' damage based on their attack speed. The more Swipe hits you can land, the faster your bear scales in terms of raw power, quickly turning him into a one-man army capable of obliterating foes.

Earthquake (Bear Ability)

The Earthquake skill is your primary source of area damage. This ability is what sets the Beastmaster Bear build apart, turning your bear into a destructive force capable of smashing everything in its path. Earthquake not only deals tremendous damage but also benefits from increased damage through Tempest and various critical strike bonuses.

Once you get your bear to cast Earthquake reliably, you can watch as the ground shakes with every step, decimating enemies in an instant. The synergy between Earthquake and Swipe means that as you stack up attack speed and crit chance, your bear becomes an unstoppable juggernaut.

War Cry (Player Skill)

War Cry is an essential tool in this build because it sets off a chain reaction. By activating War Cry, you give your bear the chance to reset its Earthquake charges, which significantly boosts its DPS. The key here is to use War Cry as often as possible to keep those earthquakes flowing. By adding points into Berserk and Brutality, you’ll also be giving your bear a boost in damage and attack speed, ensuring that it keeps up with tougher enemies as you progress through the game.

Additionally, War Cry helps with crowd control. With points in Apprehend, it pulls enemies in, allowing you to trap them in your Earthquake radius and crush them with devastating AOE damage.

Gear Choices for the Beastmaster Bear Build

The gear you select is crucial to maximizing the potential of your Beastmaster Bear build. Let’s go over some essential pieces that will elevate this build to new heights.

Helmet

Your helmet should focus on enhancing the bear’s damage potential. Ideally, you want to roll increased minion critical strike chance, though finding a piece with these stats can be challenging. A perfect roll could include stats that increase your minions' damage output, as well as offering general survivability bonuses.

Neckpiece

This is a critical piece of gear. The neck is where you'll want to focus your efforts on increasing critical strike chance. A high roll on critical strike chance here can make a huge difference, allowing your bear to crit more often. If you can get a Weavers Necklace with at least 100% critical strike chance, then your bear will reliably crit on every single hit, leading to insane damage spikes.

Chest Armor

When it comes to the chest, you should be looking for high-value added minion melee critical strike chance. The higher the tier, the more damage your bear will be able to deal, especially when crits come into play. Make sure to focus on health and resistances here as well to keep your character and bear alive longer in tougher fights.

Weapons

For weapons, focus on flat minion damage. You want to stack as much base damage as possible, which will exponentially increase when combined with critical strike chance and attack speed. Unique weapons like Nile’s Tooth are great for enhancing your bear’s damage output, so keep an eye out for those.

Rings and Other Accessories

Your rings should be used to cap resistances and boost survivability. Minion damage on rings is a plus, and if you can fit in some strength, even better. Strength scales well with health regen, helping your bear and yourself stay alive longer.

Gloves

Gloves like Juror’s Gloves are ideal for this build. These gloves apply all the stats to minions, and with the right modifiers, you can slam them with attack speed and additional bonuses to further boost your bear’s effectiveness. You’ll want to stack attack speed here to further improve the performance of your bear's Swipe and Earthquake abilities.

Boots

Boots are a good opportunity to use uniques that add more minion damage. For instance, the boots in the planner that add flat minion damage when using Maelstrom are useful. Although Maelstrom isn’t the primary focus of this build, the increased damage is definitely noticeable, especially when combined with other cooldown-reducing effects.

Relic

A relic that increases the effect of non-unique idols is highly recommended. The extra effect on your Aspect of the Shark idols is especially useful for keeping your bear’s damage scaling.

Talent Trees and Skill Points

One of the most exciting parts of this build is how you can customize it with your talent points. Let’s go through the key aspects of your talent tree for the Beastmaster Bear.

Beastmaster Tree

Start by investing 5 points into Beast Mastery to unlock your bear summon. From here, you’ll want to grab Earth Strength to boost your bear’s health and survivability. After that, consider moving over to the Shaman tree to unlock Tempest, which is crucial for maximizing your Earthquake damage.

Later, you’ll want to pick up Artor's Loyalty for an incredible 85% increased damage, along with other damage-increasing nodes like Savagery and Ambush. These synergies will make your bear hit even harder.

Shaman Tree

The Shaman tree focuses on Earthquake and its synergy with your bear. By investing into Seismic Smash and Seismic Tide, you’ll ensure your Earthquake covers a large area and hits multiple enemies. Other key points include Aftershock and Shatterquake, which increases Earthquake damage and spreads the destruction even further.

War Cry Tree

The War Cry skill is crucial for maximizing your bear’s damage output. The most important nodes here are Berserk, Brutality, and Fury Strikes, which increase your bear's damage and attack speed significantly. Also, don’t forget to pick up Apprehend to make sure that enemies stay close enough to get hit by your bear’s earthquakes.

Swipe and Bear Trees

As mentioned earlier, Swipe is essential for this build. The more Swipe hits your bear lands, the more damage it deals, especially when combined with your Aspect of the Shark buffs. Make sure to grab Forceful Swipe early on to ensure your bear uses Swipe efficiently. Other important nodes in this section include Lacerating Claw and Rapid Swipe, both of which further boost your bear’s ability to dish out quick, devastating attacks.

Idol Setup and Final Thoughts

The right idols can make a significant difference in your Beastmaster Bear build. Focus on acquiring idols that increase Aspect of the Shark, as these will multiply your bear’s damage exponentially. Additionally, consider idols with increased cooldown reduction or added health to further boost your bear’s survivability. Small idols can be used for resistances or additional minion damage.

In conclusion, the Beastmaster Bear build in Last Epoch is a highly effective and enjoyable way to play the game. By focusing on your bear’s power through Swipe, Earthquake, and War Cry, you can obliterate enemies while making the most of your minion synergies. The potential for scaling this build is incredible, and with the right gear, talent points, and skill rotations, your bear can become an unstoppable force in both single-target and AoE damage.

Happy hunting, and may your bear lead you to victory in every monolith!

FAQ: Beastmaster Bear Build Guide Last Epoch

1. What makes the Beastmaster Bear build so strong in Last Epoch?
   The Beastmaster Bear build excels due to its ability to scale massive damage through Swipe, Earthquake, and critical strike chance. With the right gear and synergies, your bear becomes an unstoppable force, capable of clearing both bosses and large enemy packs.

2. How do I increase my bear’s critical strike chance?
   You’ll need to focus on getting gear with high critical strike chance, especially on your neck and chest. Rolling a Weavers Necklace with 100% or higher crit chance for your bear is ideal, making every hit a crit.

3. Which skills should I focus on to level up the build?
   Swipe and Earthquake are your primary damage dealers. Start by investing in Swipe for leveling, and later focus on improving Earthquake and War Cry for increased damage output.

4. Is the Beastmaster Bear build good for endgame content?
   Yes, this build is incredibly powerful in endgame content like Empowered Monoliths. With the right gearing and talent choices, your bear will decimate bosses and handle high corruption without breaking a sweat.

5. Can I adjust this build for a more tanky playstyle?
   While the build focuses on damage, you can adjust it for more tankiness by prioritizing health, resistances, and defensive passives. Increasing your bear’s survivability through specific gear and nodes will make your character more durable.

6. What gear should I prioritize for this build?
   Aim for gear that boosts minion damage, critical strike chance, and attack speed. Key items include a Weavers Necklace, Juror’s Gloves, and boots that increase minion damage when using Maelstrom.

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