LizardIRL has been playing Last Epoch at a high level for years. He has invested a huge amount of time learning the game, theory crafting builds and making educational content. By the time LE Multiplayer launched, he already had thousands of hours driven by his competitive nature and desire to improve. His builds and min/maxing rules have shaped the meta, establishing him as a top build maker and theory crafter. LizardIRL livestreams his Rank 1 Arena pushes and has dominated both SC and HC ladders. Learn about the Skills, Gameplay and Passives for the Hungering Souls Lich Build.
Skills
Reaper Form
This is a Reaper Form build. Thanks to the Unholy Dominion Node, Transplant doesn't share Cooldown with Reap, a new Skill granted while you are Transformed. This ability provides incredible offensive and defensive buffs with nodes like Rapid Destruction, Soul Shroud and Vile Shroud.
Death Seal
Death Seal is a core part of the build and it enables the Low Life playstyle thanks to Deadlock. This ability has a substantial downtime but it provides incredibly powerful buffs for its duration. Release tons of Hungering Souls for huge single target DPS with Devouring Release and Insatiable Soul.
Hungering Souls
Hungering Souls is your main Damage. This setup focuses on empowering its single projectile version and releasing them automatically while using Death Seal. Make sure that the Unholy Trinity, Necromantic Emanation and Grave Bond Nodes are active by having 3 Summon Skeleton Vanguards.
Bone Curse
Bone Curse is a Curse that attaches to enemies for a duration. This ability is combined with Soul Feast for additional AoE clear, utility and survivability. Crippling Anguish ensures enemies are Slowed for its duration and Sigil of Mortality inflicts the Mark For Death Ailment so enemies take extra Damage.
Soul Feast
Soul Feast is combined with Bone Curse for additional AoE clear, utility and survivability. The Haste granted by Celerity is great to increase your mobility and the Chill applied by Frigid Maw helps you kite your enemies. Poison your enemies and use Toxic Craving to drastically increase your Armour.
Alternative Skills & Tips
- Consider investing Points into Deathtouch Scythe and Executioner inside Reaper Form if you don't need the defenses provided by Soul Shroud and Vile Shroud.
- Since Hungering Souls are automatically released when you use Death Seal, use unspecced Transplant on your bar for an additional Movement Skill.
- While the Fire Skull Node changes the base Damage of Hungering Souls and visual appearance to Fire, most of the flat Damage for the skill remains Necrotic, as the build utilizes a Profane Wand. The Damage multiplier is worth it.
- Invest as many points as necessary into the Piercing Gaze Node to cap your Hungering Souls Critical Strike Chance.
- Make sure you keep 3 Summon Skeleton Vanguards to buff your Hungering Souls Damage. Summon them with the Harvested Legions Lich Passive and the Entreat the Damned Node inside Bone Curse.
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.
- Take Nodes with Intelligence, Health, Cast Speed, Spell Critical Strike Chance and Critical Strike Multiplier.
- Investing points into Forbidden Knowledge helps cap Necrotic Resistance.
- Dance with Death has great synergy with Death Seal's Deadlock Node.
- Harvested Legions is vital to trigger Hungering Souls's Grave Bond and Unholy Trinity Nodes.
- Soul Maw and Ageless Ascetic provide tons of Leech and are crucial for sustain.
- Elixir of Death is crucial for survivability.
- Three Plagues and Necrotic Energy boost your Damage substantially.
Make sure to complete the Campaign to get all your Passive Points.
Gameplay
This Lich wants to position itself far away from the enemies while casting deadly Spells, but it's not afraid to dive in. Stay in combat to keep Reaper Form up as long as possible by leeching health back to you. Make sure you are familiar with enemy mechanics to know when to use your Support Skills to stay alive. Pay attention to the telegraphed attacks of your enemies and stay out of their range.
Skill Usage/Rotation
- Transform into Reaper Form.
- Cast Death Seal when enemies are nearby.
- Let Death Seal release Hungering Souls.
- Use Bone Curse to Curse enemies.
- Attack Cursed enemies with Soul Feast.
- Cast Reap and Transplant to juke or move.
- Keep your Reaper Form active by staying in combat and leeching.
Mapping
- Let the Hungering Souls released by Death Seal kill enemies as you cruise through the Echoes.
- Use Soul Feast and Death Seal efficiently to gain Haste for the maximum duration possible. Soul Feast can be used to provide Haste when the buff from Death Seal runs out.
- Save your Death Seal cooldown for dangerous enemies and the Echo Bosses.
- Time Reap and Transplant apart to always be on the move.
Bossing
- Take advantage of all your buffs and keep them active as much as possible.
- Enter Boss fights with 3 Summon Skeleton Vanguards to buff your Hungering Souls Damage.
- Position to maximize the DPS from the Hungering Souls released by Death Seal.
- Save either Reap or Transplant for emergency situations.
- Death Seal and Elixir of Death can mitigate incoming Damage. Time them against dangerous telegraphed Boss attacks.
- If you lack Boss Damage, place Hungering Souls on your Skill Bar and cast them manually too.
Advanced Skill Tips
- This build can be very Mana intensive, make sure you invest into Mana Regeneration.
- If your Summon Skeleton Vanguard die while Bossing, place Summon Skeleton on your Skill Bar and summon 3 of them to ensure your Hungering Souls do maximum Damage.
- Target dangerous mobs first and finish them fast with Death Seal.
- Transplant is a blink and can be used to go over incoming attacks or terrain.
- Use a Potion preventively before you engage dangerous enemies to proc Elixir of Death.
- Get at least 1 Large Immortal Idol with Chance To Fear On Hit to keep enemies away from you.
Learn more about how to maximize your gameplay in the Build Scaling section of this guide.
