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 Manifest Armor Forge Guard Build.
Skills
Manifest Armor
Manifest Armor is a very unique Minion that scales with the stats in the player's Helmet, Body Armour, Gloves and Boots. Thanks to the Platemail, Steel Greaves and Great Helm Nodes this scaling property can be further amplified. Grab Titan Mace so the construct also gets stats from your Weapon.
Shield Throw
This Shield Throw setup is based around the Manifest Inspiration Node, which makes your Manifest Armor AoE cleave when hit by ricochets. Reduce its Mana cost and Cooldown with Polished Steel and Shield Barrage. Add additional ricochets with Hemrin's Technique and Ricochet.
Javelin
Turn Javelin into a Movement Skill thanks to the Surprise Initiative Node. Battle Standard is great for the offensive and defensive buffs it provides. Invest the rest of the Points into Divine Intervention and Righteous Descend for the AoE Heal Smite provides, which provides basic sustain for the build.
Void Cleave
This Void Cleave buffs your Manifest Armor's DPS tremendously thanks to Molten Blades and Scorching Path. Make sure to grab Nether Charge for an additional charge and Dark Pathway to reduce its Cooldown as much as possible. The more you stack this buff the more Damage it gives.
Sigils Of Hope
Sigils Of Hope provides incredibly valuable buffs that stack, but with a high Mana cost. Spec into Invigorate for additional Healing Effectiveness and Empowering Sigils for the Damage increase. This setup can have up to 5 Sigils Of Hope thanks to the Tetragram and Polygram Nodes.
Alternative Skills & Tips
- Manifest Inspiration procs on Shield Throw Hit and not ricochet. The projectile technically Hits everything in its path as it ricochets between enemies, this includes your Manifest Armor. Place your Manifest Armor in the middle of the trajectory of the ricochets for additional melee AoE attacks. As long as there are ricochets left, each Shield Throw hit procs Manifest Inspiration.
- Manifest Inspiration does not cancel the Manifest Armor auto attacks.
- Shield Throw's Tree is pretty flexible. Eruption provides an extra AoE hit to apply Ailments, but it's not necessary. Fleet of Foot might need more or less Points depending on how fast you attack. Adjust it to your needs and current gear.
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 all the Strength, Ignite Chance and Health related Nodes.
- Armour Clad grants Damage Reduction and is crucial for any Sentinel's survivability.
- Blademaster greatly boosts your Throwing Attack Speed.
- Juggernaut, Abyssal Endurance and Holy Symbol provide tons of Resistances.
- Folded Steel is a big part of the build's Damage.
- Might is a must have too boost your HP pool.
- Iron Attunement and Shield Crafter enhance your Manifest Armor's defense.
Make sure to complete the Campaign to get all your Passive Points.
Gameplay
This Forge Guard build uses Shield Throw against its own Manifest Armor to make it perform additional melee AoE attacks. 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 your Manifest Armor.
- Every few seconds, cast Sigils Of Hope until eventually reaching the 5 cap.
- Javelin into battle.
- Hit the Manifest Armor with Void Cleave for extra Damage.
- Command your Manifest Armor to charge specific enemies by using the "A" on your keyboard.
- Spam Shield Throw at your own Manifest Armor to destroy everything around it.
- Maintain 5 Sigils Of Hope up at all times.
Mapping
- Rush to the objective with Javelin.
- Let the Manifest Armor deal with enemies as you walk around.
- Group mobs before stopping to hit your Manifest Armor with Shield Throw to maximize its AoE.
Bossing
- Take advantage of all your defensive buffs and keep them active.
- Use both charges of Void Cleave at once against Bosses for additional DPS.
- Make sure you and your Manifest Armor stay under Javelin's AoE for its buffs.
Advanced Skill Tips
- To maximize your DPS, place your Manifest Armor in the middle of the trajectory of the ricochets. This improves the total amount of additional melee AoE attacks that your Manifest Armor can proc, as long as there are ricochets left.
Learn more about how to maximize your gameplay in the Build Scaling section of this guide.
