Explosive Thorn Totem Shaman Guide
Last Updated:July 2, 2024|Changelog
This Shaman shapeshifts into its Spriggan Form to rapidly summon Totems that explode and deal massive damage around them. The chained detonations fill the screen with death as you move towards your objective. While this is a totem setup, it plays more like a caster than a summoner.
This build's main focus is to spam Summon Healing Totem as fast as possible to chain proc Rotten Core explosions. The rest of the Skills provide tankiness, support and sustain. For that reason, this is a very simple but flexible build that can be modified depending on the player's needs or preferences. Use your fifth Skill Specialization for whatever you prefer out of Spriggan Form.
This setup shines once you acquire the Set composed by the Ferebor's Persistence and the Ferebor's Chisel, but it's not necessary for the build to function. Additionally, Unique Items like Julra's Obsession, Death Rattle and Silvafrond are amazing to unleash the build's potential.
It's worth mentioning that this setup does not have the same level of mobility as other Primalist builds. However, this Shaman is a solid and easy-to-play option for players looking for a build that covers the screen with non-stop explosions. If you want a 1-button build with satisfying gear progression, this setup is perfect for you!
This article assumes you have a Level 70 Character.
Reach Level 70 with our Shaman Leveling Guide.
If you are looking for a different playstyle, check all our Build Guides!
Skills
Spriggan Form
This is a permanent Spriggan Form build. You gain a new set of Skills, and Mana is replaced by Rage while Transformed. Thanks to the Spiked Totems Node your Summon Healing Totems benefit from the Summon Thorn Totem's Tree. This setup also needs a single Point in Unbound Garden.
- Use your fifth Skill Specialization for whatever you prefer out of Spriggan Form.
- Summon Thorn Totem has several flexible Nodes. Additional Points in Lethal Thicket can help cap the Totem's Critical Strike Chance, but invest only the necessary Points. Consider allocating extra Points into Winterwood for additional Damage.
- Consider investing more Points into Safeguard in Eterra's Blessing if you lack Resistances early on.
- If you play in a Party, adjust the Summon Spriggan Tree accordingly, like grabbing Aura of Loyalty and Aura of Evasion over Warding Bark. If you play Solo, Aura of Retribution is less valuable.
Passives
Passives provide powerful effects that dictate the playstyle of a Class and its Masteries. Remember that you can allocate Passives on the first half of all Masteries regardless of the one you chose.
- Totemic Fury and Wind in the Leaves grant tons of Cast Speed.
- Grab Avatar of Thunder and Rune of Awe for the Minion Flat Spell Damage they provide.
- Ursine Strength, Boar Heart and Porcine Constitution provide insane Damage Reduction.
- Invest 5 Points into Berserker if you don't need Points in Protective Circle or Fate Carver for more survivability.
- Grab Ancestral Speed until you get 2 Grand Heorot Idols with Chance To Gain Haste For 3 Seconds When You Summon A Totem.
Make sure to complete the Campaign to get all your Passive Points.
Gameplay
This Shaman shapeshifts into Spriggan Form to spam Summon Healing Totems as fast as possible and chain Rotten Core explosions into its enemies from afar. Make sure you are familiar with enemy mechanics to know when to use your Support Skills to stay alive. Pay attention to their telegraphed attacks!
Skill Usage/Rotation
- Summon the Summon Spriggan Companion.
- Shapeshift into Spriggan Form.
- Spam Summon Healing Totem, causing Rotten Core explosions from Summon Thorn Totem.
- Use Thorn Shield to gain all the buffs from Eterra's Blessing when in danger.
Mapping
- Stay out of enemy range by casting Summon Healing Totem before they aggro you.
- Make sure you keep Haste active by spamming Summon Healing Totem thanks to Grand Heorot Idol with Chance To Gain Haste For 3 Seconds When You Summon A Totem.
- If you have Silvafrond, cast Summon Vines to Teleport around the map.
Bossing
- Use Thorn Shield against dangerous Boss attacks.
- Take advantage of all your defensive buffs and keep them active.
- If you have Silvafrond, cast Summon Vines to dodge telegraphed Boss attacks.
- Command your Summon Spriggan by pressing the "A" key on your keyboard to ensure it's always properly positioned and out of danger.
- The buffs provided by Summon Spriggan stay active even when it's downed. Make sure you fully resurrect it after all threats are neutralized.
- Use Thorn Shield to summon a single Summon Healing Totem thanks to the Ancestral Renewal Node inside Eterra's Blessing.
Learn more about how to maximize your gameplay in the Build Scaling section of this guide.
Gear
Gearing in Last Epoch revolves around finding Items and then using the powerful Crafting System to enhance them. As long as an Item has Forging Potential left, players can upgrade or modify their Affixes up to Tier 5. However, the powerful Exalted Tier Affixes are drop only and can't be modified by players.
Using the correct Item Bases allows you to make use of their amazing Implicits, this is fundamental for gearing efficiently. Combine Implicits, Passives, Idols and Blessings to cap your Resistances and other defensive layers, while fitting as much Health related Affixes or Endurance Threshold into your gear as possible. Plan ahead for your next upgrades and consider the final Blessings of your build while gearing. Finish up by farming Uniques with Legendary Potential and Sealing Affixes into Exalted Items to unleash all of your build's power!
Here are the Stat Goals for this build:
- Capped Resistances
- Capped Critical Strike Avoidance
- Capped Endurance
- 2500 - 3800+ Health
- 500 - 900 Endurance Threshold
- 60% - 80%+ Armour
- 200 - 400+ Health Regeneration
- 30+ Intelligence
- 100% Thorn Totem Critical Strike Chance
- 70% - 85%+ Movement Speed
Gear Progression
Milestone 1
Aim for good Item Bases with two valuable T5 Affixes. The defensive rolls on T5 Suffixes are very important at this stage as they can easily cap all your Resistances when combined with Item Implicits, Idols, Blessings or Passives. Get a Skeletal Sceptre with double T5 Minion Suffixes as soon as possible.
Milestone 2
Make sure your Critical Strike Avoidance is capped. Remember that Woven Flesh is always an option early on. It can be farmed by killing the Abomination in the Fall of the Outcast Monolith Timeline.
Milestone 3
Fit as much Health into your gear as possible. Hybrid Health and %Health are extremely valuable, but can be hard to find early on. Use regular flat Health until you find them.
Milestone 4
Aim for T5 Level of Summon Thorn Totem on your Helmet to invest extra Points on them. Make sure to grab T5 Totem Adaptive Spell Damage on one of your Body Armour for an early Damage boost. Cast Speed is very valuable, even at lower Tiers.
Milestone 5
While you look for this basic set of gear, start farming your Empowered Blessings and look for any Idols that can help you cap all your Resistances momentarily or increase your Damage output. Keep an eye for Grand Heorot Idols with Chance To Gain Haste For 3 Seconds When You Summon A Totem and Large Nomad Idol with %Health Prefix and Critical Strike Avoidance for You and Your Minions.
Milestone 1
When all your core Defenses are covered, start working on your Damage. Get Minion Damage, Attunement and Cast Speed to increase your DPS drastically.
Milestone 2
Look for Ferebor's Chisel. This Dagger is crucial for capping your Summon Thorn Totem Critical Strike Chance. Keep using a Minion Sceptre until you get it. Finish up the Set when you obtain Ferebor's Persistence. This piece it's rarer but not as important as the Dagger.
Milestone 3
Farm a Death Rattle in the Age of Winter Monolith Timeline. This Amulet is quite common and easy to get just by targeting Unique Amulet Echo Rewards.
Milestone 4
As you finish up your Empowered Blessings keep a decent Health pool, capped Resistances, Endurance and Critical Strike Avoidance. Your goal is to have items with 4 valuable T5 Affixes, also known as T20.
Milestone 1
Upgrade your T20 set up with Exalted items, high value Sealed Affixes or ideally both. Obtain the Affixes included in the Planner, but prioritize the indicated Item Bases for their Implicits. Make sure to Seal highly efficient low tier Affixes. Ward and Ailment Cleansing on Potion Use is a must have for Belts.
Milestone 2
Look for a Silvafrond Ring. This Item is not mandatory for the build but the Teleport is hard to pass on, especially when fighting difficult Bosses.
Milestone 3
Julra's Obsession is an insane addition to this build for its ability to grant all the stats it has to your minions. These Gloves can only be obtained by defeating T3+ Chronomancer Julra in the Temporal Sanctum Dungeon. Farm it until you get them with Chance To Shred Armour on Hit.
Milestone 4
Get all your Large Nomad Idols with %Health Prefix and Critical Strike Avoidance for You and Your Minions or Totem Damage Suffixes and Grand Heorot Idols with Chance To Gain Haste For 3 Seconds When You Summon A Totem and Health Regen While Transformed.
Milestone 1
Keep upgrading your gear with Exalted Items with Sealed Affixes. Get every stat in the right place and on the correct Item Base. Min/Maxing your gear in Last Epoch can be pushed to the extreme as Items with multiple Exalted Affixes are technically possible.
Milestone 2
Get as close to perfect rolls for all your Empowered Blessings and find all your desired Idols with the best in slot Prefixes and Suffixes.
Milestone 3
Farm Silvafrond, Death Rattle and Julra's Obsession with the maximum Legendary Potential you can find. Remember that some Unique Items are extremely hard to get with multiple Legendary Potential. Good luck with the chase!
Learn the basics for crafting gear with our Beginner Crafting Guide.
Check our Unique Item & Set Farming Guide and learn how to get them!
Want to know more about Legendary Items? Check our Legendary Guide!
Blessings
Completing a Timeline in the Monolith of Fate lets you choose one of several randomized Blessings from its unique pool. Their benefits are permanent and persist even outside of the Monolith of Fate.
Empowered Blessings are a fundamental part of all builds, so getting the correct ones for each is key.
The sooner you reach Empowered Monolith, the faster you can start farming your desired Blessings!
Normal Blessings are not important as they are eventually replaced by Empowered Blessings. However they can still be a great source of Resistances, Critical Strike Avoidance or Life Leech for your build early on.
Pick up these Normal Blessings on your way to Empowered:
- Echo of Solarum
- Bastion of Divinity
- Rhythm of the Tide
- Survival of Might
- Persistance of Will
- Protection of Heorot
- Resolve of Grael
- Heart of the Caldera
- Embers of Immortality
- Body of Obsidian
- Spirit of Command
Note: Don't target farm Normal Blessings. Get to Empowered Monolith as fast as you can.
Reaching Empowered Monolith unlocks all the level 100 Timelines and the ability to farm Empowered Blessings. Unlike Normal Blessings, these need to be farmed until you get the desired ones for your build. It is extremely important to get this set up as fast as possible to free up affix slots on your gear. Remember, the more value you get from your Blessings, the easier it is to craft efficient gear!
These are the core Combat Empowered Blessings for this build:
- Start with Grand Resolve of Humanity for the Resistances.
- Grab Grand Rhythm of the Tide for a huge Health Regeneration boost.
- Farm Grand Memory of Light or Grand Echo of Solarum for the extra Health or Void Resistance.
- Pick Grand Vigor of Jormun for the Endurance Threshold.
- Finish up by farming the best rolled Grand Body of Obsidian you can get. It grants an insane amount of Flat Armour that helps increase survivability and synergises greatly with the build.
These Empowered Blessings are flexible and depend on your current needs and goals.
These are valuable Empowered Drop Rate Blessings for this build:
- Grand Sight of the Outcasts is valuable to help you find Large Nomad Idol with %Health Prefix and Critical Strike Avoidance for You and Your Minions or Totem Damage Suffixes. You can also use Grand Pride of Rebellion to find Grand Heorot Idols with Chance To Gain Haste For 3 Seconds When You Summon A Totem and Health Regen While Transformed.
- Once you find all your Idols, you can switch to the Grand Winds of Fortune and focus on Uniques instead.
- Grand Subtlety of Slaughter helps you find more Daggers.
- Lastly take Grand Vision of the Aurora if you are still looking for Death Rattle.
Learn how to farm Blessings fast with our Advanced Monolith Strategies.
Idols
Idols grant your character bonuses when equipped in the dedicated Idol Container. Unlock all the slots of your Idol Container by completing the Campaign and some of its Side Quests. Remember that some Idols are Class specific and you won't be able to equip them with other non-compatible Classes.
These are the Idols recommended for this build:
- Find 4 Large Nomad Idol with %Health Prefix. For the Suffixes aim for 2 with Critical Strike Avoidance for You and Your Minions and 2 with Totem Damage.
- Get 2 Grand Heorot Idols with Chance To Gain Haste For 3 Seconds When You Summon A Totem and Health Regen While Transformed Suffix.
- You also want 1 Stout Lagonian Idols with %Health Prefix and Lightning Resistance to cap it.
- You might need extra Resistances out of your Idols early on, so keep an eye for anything useful until you get your final setup.
- Health
- %Health
- Vitality
- Armour
- Elemental Resistance
- Void Resistance
- Physical Resistance
- Poison Resistance
- Increased Aspect Of The Boar Effect
- Elemental Resistance While Transformed
Make sure to complete the Campaign to get all your Idol Slots.
Learn how to be efficient with Idols with our Advanced Idols Setups Guide.
Build Scaling
This Shaman uses permanent Spriggan Form and stacks Cast Speed related buffs to unleash explosive Totems against its enemies. It mainly deals Physical and Poison Minion Damage and aims to reach 100% Critical Strike Chance with Summon Thorn Totem. This build also has decent survivability thanks to the defensive layers it can take advantage of.
- Minion/Totem Flat Damage: You want to get as much Minion or Totem Flat Damage as possible. Avatar of Thunder, Rune of Awe and Totem Adaptive Spell Damage are crucial to build it up.
- % Minion/Totem Damage: Anything that increases Minion or Totem Damage is welcomed.
- Cast Speed: The faster you cast Summon Healing Totem the more Rotten Core explosions from Summon Thorn Totem.
- Chance To Shred Armour on Hit: Each stack of this Ailment reduces enemy Armour by 100 for 4 seconds and stacks infinitely. Enemies have 0 Armour by default and it can go into the negatives. At -1000 Armour a target takes 23.7% increased Physical Damage, while at -4000 Armour it takes 57.2%. With the amount of hits the build has, the stacks ramp up quickly. You need to get Julra's Obsession with Chance To Shred Armour on Hit for your Totems to apply it.
- Attunement: Summon Thorn Totem gains 4% Damage per point of Attunement.
- Intelligence: Ferebor's Chisel turns Intelligence into a reliable source of Totem Critical Strike Chance.
- Minion/Totem Critical Strike Chance: Combine Ferebor's Chisel and the Lethal Thicket Node to cap your Summon Thorn Totem's Critical Strike Chance. It's easy to cap once you get the Set Dagger.
- Minion Critical Strike Multiplier: Increases the Damage your minion's Crits deal. Build as much as you can on your gear. Death Rattle provides up to a 100% on its own.
- Level of Summon Thorn Totem: Get this Prefix on your Helmet for the Increased Damage it provides and to invest extra Points into its Tree.
- Ursine Strength: Grants 16% Damage Reduction against Nearby enemies.
- Aspect of the Boar: Combining Boar Heart with Porcine Constitution grants it 30% Damage Reduction.
- Berserker: Provides 25% Damage Reduction when you are below 35% of your total Health. Invest in it if you don't need points in Protective Circle.
- Armour Mitigation: This setup can get insanely high Armour. Combine the Armour from your Item Implicits, Grand Body of Obsidian Blessing, Thorn Shield and Thorn Barrier to reach 60% to 80%+ Mitigation. This is huge on top of all the other defensive layers the build has.
- Health: This build can stack a huge Health pool that can surpass the 5000 mark. Health is very effective when combined with all the other defensive layers the Druid has access to. Primalist has access to Large Nomad Idols with %Health; not all Classes have access to these amazing Idols!
- Endurance: A defensive mechanic that allows you to take up to 60% less Damage while below a certain Health threshold. Your base Endurance Threshold is 20% of your total Health.
- Cast Speed: This setup has no access to Leech and relies on Death Rattle and Spirit Warden for sustain .The faster you cast Summon Healing Totem the more Health sustain you get from them.
- Health Regeneration: Build as much Health Regeneration as possible to boost your sustain. Make sure to farm high rolls for your Ferebor's Persistence and Grand Rhythm of the Tide Empowered Blessing.
- Healing: Eterra's Blessing and Summon Healing Totem provide a low amount of healing to aid you with sustain.
- Frailty: This Ailment reduces the Damage dealt by enemies by 6% for 4 seconds. Stacks 3 times. You need to get Julra's Obsession with Chance to Apply Frailty on Hit for your Totems to apply it.
- Cleanse: Available with Ward and Ailment Cleansing on Potion Use and Purge.
Our Damage Explained Article covers all you need to know to scale Damage.
Learn all you need to know to scale Defense with our Defense Explained Article.
Loot Filter
Loot Filters are critical in Last Epoch. Making sure you highlight all the related valuable Item Bases, Affixes, Uniques and Idols is crucial to ensure your character's progression. As your gear gets better, remember to hide the rules that are no longer useful to avoid screen clutter.
Here is the Endgame Loot Filter for this build:
Learn how to load and make Filters with our Loot Filter Guide.
Video Guide
COMING SOON!
Summary
This flashy Spriggan Form Shaman summons Totems that explode and deal massive damage around them. Overall this Druid is an incredibly tanky setup capable of completing all the content in the game.
- This is a permanent Spriggan Form build. Thanks to the Spiked Totems Node your Summon Healing Totems benefit from the Summon Thorn Totem's Tree.
- Spam Summon Healing Totem as fast as possible to chain proc Summon Thorn Totem's Rotten Core explosions.
- Ferebor's Chisel is crucial for capping your Summon Thorn Totem Critical Strike Chance. Finish up the Set when you obtain Ferebor's Persistence.
- Ursine Strength, Boar Heart and Berserker provide great Damage Reduction.
- While they are not mandatory, Uniques Items like Julra's Obsession, Death Rattle and Silvafrond are amazing to unleash the build's potential.
Credits
Written by Lizard_IRL.
Reviewed by Facefoot, McFluffin