With 15 Mastery classes to choose from, Last Epoch offers one of the most diverse character progression systems in modern ARPGs. Masteries act as subclasses, allowing you to Last Epoch gold focus on a specific playstyle. They range from traditional fantasy archetypes like the Sorcerer to more experimental options like the Falconer, which has you darting across the battlefield while your bird companion deals devastating damage.
Choosing the right Mastery can be overwhelming, especially for new players. Some are strong across all aspects of the game, while others excel in niche areas but fall short overall. A large amount of Last Epoch gold provides you with strong support. To help you decide, we've ranked every Mastery for Season 2 in a tier list based on their performance in both mapping (clear speed) and bossing (single-target fights), as well as their defensive capabilities.
How We Ranked the Masteries
Several factors determine where a Mastery falls on the list:
Damage Scaling: Multipliers that provide "more" damage are far stronger than simple increases. Masteries with access to heavy multipliers naturally rise in the rankings.
Defensive Tools: Damage reduction, resistance, crit avoidance, and sustain (such as leech or regen) are vital to surviving in high corruption and late-game bosses.
Skill Power and Fluidity: Even a mathematically strong skill can underperform if it feels clunky or slow. Masteries with efficient, responsive toolkits generally perform better.
Synergy and Flexibility: A strong Mastery doesn't just do damage-it supports multiple archetypes and provides defensive flexibility so you can focus gear elsewhere.
With that in mind, here's where each Mastery lands in Season 2.
S-Tier: Void Knight, Paladin
These two Masteries sit comfortably at the top thanks to their unmatched mix of power, survivability, and smooth gameplay.
Void Knight – Famous for Erasing Strike and the World Splitter variant, Void Knight deletes entire screens while remaining mobile and tanky. Its passive tree is packed with value: critical chance, crit multiplier, life leech, resistances, and even damage reduction. It also offers the unique benefit of being able to deal damage while moving-making it not just strong, but fun and fluid to play.
Paladin – After the Sentinel rework, Paladin skyrocketed to dominance. The Judgement skill alone has absurd numbers, combining healing with enormous damage in one ability. Holy Aura, Symbols of Hope, and Healing Hands round out its kit with equally strong buffs and sustain. The Paladin passive tree is unmatched defensively, offering resistances, recovery, block, armor, and penetration. In short, Paladin has no real weaknesses, which is why it continues to dominate endgame ladders.
A-Tier: Falconer, Bladedancer, Shaman, Druid
Strong Masteries that perform well in most areas but lack either the overwhelming numbers or defensive safety net of S-Tier picks.
Falconer – Fast, stylish, and incredibly fun, Falconer combines mobility with explosive damage from its bird companion. Its weakness lies in defenses, as the passive tree offers little in the way of resistances or sustain. Popular builds like Ballista or Umbral Blades deliver top-tier clear, but players must rely heavily on Dodge, Silver Shrouds, or Glancing Blows to survive.
Bladedancer – A melee rogue option with balanced strengths. High DPS, strong mobility, and reliable defensive layering (Dodge, Glancing Blows, Dusk Shrouds) make it extremely versatile. It lacks the sheer over-tuned power of Paladin or Void Knight, but remains one of the most rewarding melee classes to play.
Shaman – Known for its arena-pushing potential, Shaman combines elemental damage and melee with strong sustain and utility. Tornado is the standout skill, providing damage and vacuum utility, while the passive tree gives penetration, cooldown reduction, and auto-casting effects. It may not farm as quickly as top picks, but its ability to climb deep corruption or arena waves makes it a sleeper powerhouse.
Druid – The shapeshifting Mastery excels with Storm Werebear, offering massive DPS, excellent survivability, and flexibility through forms like Spriggan or Swarmblade. Its primary weakness is speed; while durable and deadly, it's not the fastest farmer. Still, for players who enjoy tanky, hard-hitting shapeshifters, Druid is one of buy Last Epoch gold the best all-around options.