Shattering items - If an item is "bricked" (out of FP or has bad stats), you can destroy it with a Rune of Shattering. This refunds some of Last Epoch gold the shards used, letting you recycle materials.

Shattering is especially valuable early on, when you're hunting for specific affixes to fuel future crafts.

Viewing Crafting Materials

Inside the Forge, click the Crafting Materials button (top left). Here you can:

Search for affixes by name (e.g., "Health" or "Minion").

See which item types each affix can apply to.
This is an excellent way to plan your builds and check if you already have the shards you need.

Why Crafting Matters

Unlike many ARPGs, where crafting feels random, Last Epoch offers a deterministic system. You pick exactly which affixes to add. The only randomness comes from FP consumption and critical successes, which can sometimes boost affixes by multiple tiers.

This makes the system both approachable for beginners and rewarding for experienced players. Even if you don't find the perfect drop, you can craft an item tailored to your build and keep progressing.
Having enough Last Epoch gold can also help you move forward.

Final Tips for Beginners

Always use Glyph of Hope when crafting-it's free efficiency.

Don't hoard materials. You'll gather tons of shards and glyphs just by playing.

Experiment often. Even if you "brick" an item, you shatter recycled materials.

Start with rares. They give the best balance of FP and flexibility for early crafting.

As you move into the endgame, exalted and legendary items will take center stage. But the core principles remain the same.

Conclusion

Crafting in Last Epoch might seem intimidating at first, but once you understand shards, affixes, and forging potential, it becomes one of the most satisfying systems in any ARPG. With just a few glyphs and some practice, you can take basic gear and turn it into powerful equipment that perfectly suits your character. Having enough cheap Last Epoch gold can be of great help to you.

Master the basics now, and you'll be ready to dive into more advanced crafting strategies when you reach endgame.

If you're new to Last Epoch or even to ARPGs in general, this guide will help you take your first steps into the world of Eterra. We'll cover the basics of classes, skills, crafting, loot filters, and endgame so you can jump right in with confidence. Having a large amount of Last Epoch gold can also help you get started with confidence.

Understanding Classes and Masteries

When you start a new character, you'll choose from five base classes:

Sentinel - a heavily armored fighter.

Rogue - fast and agile, excelling with bows and blades.

Mage - master of elemental and arcane magic.

Primalist - attuned to beasts and nature.

Acolyte - dark caster, often commanding minions.

Each base class eventually branches into three masteries (subclasses). For example, the Sentinel can become a Paladin, Void Knight, or Forge Guard. These choices drastically change how your character plays by unlocking unique passives and skills.

Tip: You can respec skills, but mastery choice is permanent. Try a class long enough to get a feel for it before committing.

Skills and Specializations

Every class starts with a set of base skills, but the real depth comes from specialization trees.

You can specialize in up to five skills as you level.

Each specialization has its own passive tree, allowing you to customize how the skill works.

Not all specialized skills need to be on your skill bar-some trigger automatically through other abilities.

For example, a Rogue's Shadow Cascade does moderate damage by default. But with the right nodes, it can scale with summoned shadows, massively boosting its power. Other skills, like Smoke Bomb, can be modified into movement tools or defensive utilities.

Attributes and Scaling

Your character's stats matter. Press C to open the character sheet:

Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Attunement, and Vitality all improve damage and defenses in different ways.

Each skill has scaling tags (e.g., "Melee, Physical, Dexterity"), showing which attributes or effects improve it.

Resistances are crucial-keep them high to survive as you progress.

If you're a Rogue stacking Dexterity, you'll not only boost your damage but also gain Dodge Rating for extra survivability. Understanding scaling ensures your build feels powerful instead of underwhelming.

Campaign Quests, Idols, and Factions

During the campaign, pay attention to the gray diamond side quests. These often reward:

Extra passive points.

Idol slots (special charm-like items that provide bonuses).

Later, you'll choose between two factions:

Merchants Guild - focused on trading with other players.

Circle of Fortune - rewards self-found farming and loot bonuses.

You're not locked in forever-you can switch factions if you change your mind.

Crafting Basics

Crafting is one of Last Epoch's core systems. To understand it, turn on "Always Show Mod Ranges" in settings so you can see affix values when hovering over items.

Key terms:

Implicits - base stats every item has (e.g., swords add melee damage).

Prefixes - usually offensive modifiers (attack speed, damage).

Suffixes - usually defensive or utility stats (resistances, health).

The Forge

Press F to open the Forge anywhere. Items have Forging Potential (FP), which acts like crafting stamina. Each modification consumes FP until the item can't be altered anymore.

Glyphs and Runes

Glyph of Hope - 25% chance to not use FP on craft.

Glyph of Chaos - rerolls an affix into another of the same type.

Rune of Shattering - destroys an item to Last Epoch gold for sale recover its affix shards.