Last Epoch Beginner's Guide: What Should I Be Doing in This Game?

If you’ve just stepped into Last Epoch and find yourself staring at the screen wondering, “What now?” — don’t worry, you’re not alone. This guide breaks down everything you need to know as a new player: from early progression and specialization to endgame corruption farming and gear building. Let’s get started.

1. Reaching the End of Time (Around Level 20)

Once your character hits around level 20, you’ll arrive at a major hub area called The End of Time — a central place where every hero’s real journey begins.

Here’s what you should do first:

• Unlock Your Mastery – Climb the stairs and speak to the NPC at the top to start your Mastery Quest. This determines your advanced subclass.

• Continue Main and Side Quests – Your short-term goal is to unlock all Idol Slots (there are eight total).

• Once every Idol slot is open, it’s time to enter the game’s true endgame system — the Timelines.

2. Understanding Timelines (Levels 40–60)

Timelines are the foundation of Last Epoch’s endgame. Each timeline represents a different era — such as the Black Sun or The Age of Dragons — and functions as a self-contained map with its own bosses and rewards.

Each timeline features three key values:

• Area Level (e.g., 66, 100): Determines enemy strength and item drops.

• Corruption: A dynamic modifier that increases enemy power, health, and loot quality.

• Stability: A progress bar that unlocks boss fights and resets when completed.

When you enter a timeline, you’ll see two difficulty options — Normal and Empowered.
Tip: Always choose Empowered once it’s available. It increases Corruption faster and offers far better rewards.

3. The Relationship Between Corruption and Stability

Corruption is the heartbeat of Last Epoch’s endgame — it scales your enemies but also multiplies your loot.
You can increase it in two main ways:

1. Defeat Timeline Bosses to gain Corruption Stones.

2. Unlock “Shade of Orobyss” events (appears after reaching eight stacks of “Orobyss’ Gaze”), which add +58 Corruption per victory.

Stability, on the other hand, fuels your boss progression. Each map you clear adds Stability.
Once you hit 800 Stability, you can challenge that timeline’s boss.
Beating the boss resets your timeline, adds Corruption, and begins a new cycle.

In short, your gameplay loop looks like this:

Run maps → Build Stability → Fight Boss → Increase Corruption → Earn Better Gear.

4. Building Gear and Power Progression

By the time you reach levels 50–70, you should focus on gearing up.
There are two main routes for item progression:

1. Merchant’s Guild (The Bazaar)

   • Functions like a player market where you can buy and sell items.

   • Perfect for quickly filling gear gaps or testing builds.

2. Circle of Fortune (The Observatory)

   • Lets you target-farm gear using the Lens System (a.k.a. Prophecies).

   • Great for players who prefer self-found progression without trading.

5. The Observatory and the Lens System

The Observatory is one of Last Epoch’s most creative systems, allowing you to direct what kind of loot you want to find.

It’s divided into four cardinal zones:

• North: Armor

• East: Weapons

• South: Accessories

• West: Idols

There are two main lens types:

• Exclusive Lenses – Filter what category of items you want to appear (e.g., weapons, idols).

• Universal Lenses – Modify outcomes, such as doubling prophecy completion or increasing rarity.

Example:

If you’re hunting for the Humble Weaver Idol, buy both Humble and Idol lenses, place them in the Idol prophecy slot, and focus your farming there.
Using Refraction Lenses doubles your prophecy completions, letting you finish tasks twice as fast.

6. Boss Fights and Rewards

Every timeline culminates in a unique boss, such as Reyah, the Black Sun’s guardian.
Defeating them not only grants loot and Corruption Stones but also unlocks Empowered Timelines.

At higher Corruption levels, you’ll encounter Orobyss, a challenging endgame boss that drops powerful items and boosts your Corruption dramatically.

Rewards vary by area — gold, keys, exalted items, or special runes — so tailor your farming based on what you need most.

7. Advanced Tips for New Players

Success in Last Epoch is all about rhythm. Once you understand the cycle, progression feels natural and rewarding.

Your gameplay flow should look like this:

Learn your mastery → Unlock timelines → Farm stability → Kill bosses → Raise corruption → Build your gear.

A few key reminders:

• Don’t rush high corruption early — focus on learning your class and mechanics.

• Experiment with different lenses in the Observatory to find your ideal farming method.

• Use early timelines to test builds before committing to your endgame grind.

Final Thoughts

Last Epoch’s beauty lies in its structured freedom — it rewards planning, experimentation, and consistency.
Once you grasp Corruption, Stability, and the Observatory, the game opens up into a deeply satisfying loop of growth and discovery.

So step through time, embrace the chaos, and carve your legacy at the End of Time.

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