The Nemesis System is a new random encounter system similar to Exiled Mages, added in Last Epoch Patch 1.1 Harbingers of Ruin. It is found and interacted with in Campaign, Monolith, and Dungeon maps.
Nemesis System Mechanics
The Nemesis appears as a floating pile of armor around a slain warrior. It's also marked on the minimap with a small orange icon.
When clicking to interact with the Nemesis, you are presented with a set of four items, which are always Rare, Exalted, or Unique. At least one Unique item is presented for characters above Level 50.
The Nemesis type and stats are based on Zone, whereas the loot is based on character level.
In addition to being shown items possessed by the Nemesis, you are also presented with 3 ways to interact with these items:
- Banish: Lose access to the items, and the next Nemesis encountered offers you a new set of four items.
- Challenge: This option allows you to fight the Nemesis; defeating it rewards you with the four presented items.
- Empower: This option allows the Nemesis to escape, upgrading the four presented items for the next encounter.
Empowering the Nemesis
With the Nemesis System, a Nemesis can be Empowered up to two times before it must be Challenged or Banished, and each Empowerment further upgrades the presented items. It is important to note that Empowering a Nemesis still requires a fight against the Nemesis. The items retain their initial Empowerment with subsequent Empowerments and are upgraded further.
Rare and Exalted Items can have their Affixes modified up to Tier 7, increase their Forging Potential, or gain Sealed Affixes up to T7. Unique items can gain Legendary Potential or become a Legendary item.
After Challenging or Banishing the Empowered Nemesis, a new set of four reward items is generated.
General Nemesis System Loot and Rewards
When a Nemesis is fought and defeated, crafting materials are dropped only, not regular loot. When Challenging a Nemesis for it's offered rewards, those drop in addition to the crafting materials.
At higher levels a Nemesis may offer a special item type called a "Vengeful" Weapon as one of the rewards. These special Weapon base types upgrade when a Harbinger is killed with it equipped, becoming an "Avenged" version of the item. The upgraded version has improved stats. Every Weapon and Off-hand category has a Vengeful base type.
Forgotten Egg
The Egg of the Forgotten is another special item offered by higher levels Nemeses.
When offered by a Nemesis, the Egg of the Forgotten can be replaced with one of your own Uniques that lacks Legendary Potential or Weaver's Will. An option to access your Stash is also presented on the Nemesis window.
Placing one of your own Uniques on the Nemesis in place of the Egg of the Forgotten allows your item to be Empowered instead.
Choosing not to replace the Egg of the Forgotten causes it to become a random Unique.
The chance of an Egg of the Forgotten appearing scales from 0% below Level 60, 20% at Level 60, and up to 60% at Level 100.
Learn how to defeat the Harbingers in our Monolith of Fate page, find them under their respective Timelines.
Nemesis System in Multiplayer
In a multiplayer party, each individual can interact with a Nemesis. The Nemesis remains after defeat, allowing each player to interact with it individually. Each player maintains their own current Nemesis Empower progression but parties still fight each Nemesis as a group.
Summary
- Nemesis enemies appear in Campaign, Monolith, and Dungeon Maps.
- Interacting with the Nemesis System shows a modifiable offering of four items (Rare, Exalted, or Unique).
- Banish a Nemesis to receive a new offering of four items with the next Nemesis.
- Challenge a Nemesis to receive the four offered items immediately.
- Empower a Nemesis to upgrade the four offered items further for the next encounter.
- A Nemesis can offer a special item base type called a Vengeful Weapon, which gains upgraded stats upon defeating a Harbinger with the item equipped.
- Egg of the Forgotten can also be offered, which you can replace with one of your own Uniques. The Egg of the Forgotten becomes a random Unique otherwise when Challenged.
Credits
Written by VisionGL.
Reviewed by McFluffin, Tenkiei.