Like all other classes in Last Epoch, the Mage has access to three different Masteries: Sorcerer, Runemaster, and Spellblade. All three of these Masteries are extremely different from one another, featuring vastly different buffs, skills, and play styles. This guide goes over all three of the Mage's Masteries in Last Epoch and offers an opinion on which one is the best to pick.
Mage Mastery classes in Last Epoch
Below, you can see the description for each Mage Mastery along with its Passive Bonuses and Mastery Skill:
Sorcerer
- Description: A master of the arcane who wields unprecedented power to devastate their foes from a distance.
- Passive Bonuses: +50 Mana, Spells deal increased damage equal to their mana cost
- Mastery Skill: Meteor (Call a meteor from the sky that deals a large amount of damage upon landing. Added damage is applied at 900% effectiveness. 2074 DPS, 56 Mana cost)
Runemaster
- Description: A savant of the art of runes, able to infuse magic into offensive and protective wards that devastate those who trespass them.
- Passive Bonuses: 30% increased Elemental Damage, 10% increased Cast Speed with Elemental Spells
- Mastery Skill: Runic Invocation (Whenever you directly use an elemental skill, gain 1 Rune of the corresponding element. Consume all of your active Runes to cast a unique Invocation based on the combination and order of Runes consumed. 12 Mana cost)
Spellblade
- Description: A mage who has mixed martial prowess and cunning with their mastery of spells to face enemies in close range.
- Passive Bonuses: 4 Ward gained on melee hit, Mana spent on melee attacks is converted to Ward
- Mastery Skill: Shatter Strike (A sweeping melee attack that strikes enemies in a circle around you dealing cold damage and instantly kills frozen enemies below 100 health. 497 DPS, 15 Mana cost)
Every Mastery class also has unique spells to learn as well as passive skills you can acquire through leveling up in Last Epoch. You can see all the Mastery classes have to offer by going to your "Passives" menu and clicking on each of the Masteries in the top-left corner.
Best Mage Mastery to pick in Last Epoch
With how vastly different each playstyle is with the Mage Masteries, you might find you like one better than the other due to your preferences in combat. However, if I'm going to pick an overall best Mage Mastery, it has to be Runemaster.
The Runemaster is a fantastic mix between the two other Masteries; the Sorcerer emphasizes big damage from long-range while the Spellblade is all about quick, close-range attacks. As a Runemaster, you have access to huge DPS attacks that can be cast from a distance as well as spells that require you to be up close and personal. When I think of a Mage class in an ARPG, it resembles something close to the Runemaster, and you really can't go wrong with any of its unique skills.
However, the big ticket item with the Runemaster is its Mastery Skill, Runic Invocation. This skill allows you to completely customize what kind of damage you're dishing out based on the element of the Runes you're acquiring, but all attacks with Runic Invocation still deal massive damage. Pair that with other elemental skills, such as Fireball, Disintegrate, Elemental Nova, etc., and passive buffs to elemental damage, and you're looking at an extremely high DPS Mage.
Can you change your Mastery in Last Epoch?
You can decide to pick your Mastery starting at level 17. You're also able to forego the decision until later, but that just means you're denying your character access to better spells and other buffs.
It's important to remember that you cannot change your Mastery Class once you pick one. As the game warns you, your decision "can not be undone or changed." So be sure to read over each Mastery in Last Epoch and triple-check that it's the one you want to pick. If you have misgivings a few days later, there's nothing you can do to change your choice.
However, you can always respec your Passive Skills and regular Skill Points in Last Epoch.
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