The passive tree offers tough choices, as nearly every node is useful. Expect to Last Epoch gold experiment based on your playstyle and gear.

Strengths of the Build

Insane scaling potential – even without perfect gear, the damage is top tier.

Companions carry hard – wolves act as storm generators, shredding bosses in seconds.

Highly corruptible, capable – tested at 1300+ corruption without min-max.

Flexibility – final passive points and certain skills (like Leap) can be swapped to taste.

Weaknesses

Requires the Howl of the West Wind unique.

Movement speed can feel slow until boots and rolls are optimized.

Reliant on a current bug fix: once the Permanent Bond + T-Rex wolf bug is corrected, the build will gain an additional wolf, making it even stronger.

Final Thoughts

The Lightning Retaliation Wolves Beastmaster is shaping up to be one of the most powerful companion builds in Last Epoch. With its ability to tear through 1300+ corruption while still running suboptimal gear, it shows incredible promise for both casual and hardcore players looking to push deep into endgame.

Once the wolf bug is patched, and with proper gear investment, this may very well become the strongest companion archetype in the game. If you love companions and want to watch bosses evaporate under a storm of lightning, this is the build to try. Having enough cheap Last Epoch gold will be of great help.

The Harbinger of Hatred is one of the most intimidating endgame bosses in Last Epoch, introduced with Patch 1.1 as part of the Forgotten Knight faction questline. Built around the Tank archetype, the Harbinger delivers crushing physical blows while weaving in destructive void magic borrowed from Rahyeh, the Black Sun. Facing this boss is a major milestone: not only is it required for progressing the Forgotten Knight faction, but it also serves as the gateway to the pinnacle boss, Aberroth.

If you're preparing to face this monstrosity, this guide will break down where to find it, how to prepare your gear, the mechanics you'll need to learn, and the rewards that await once you've triumphed.

Where to Find the Harbinger of Hatred

You won't encounter the Harbinger by accident. It appears in the Black Sun timeline of the Monolith of Fate after you've already defeated Rahyeh. But its spawn is tied to the corruption level.

First spawn: At 100 corruption

Repeat encounters: Every 25 corruption levels thereafter, up to 300 corruption

Since normal Monoliths cap at 50 corruption, you'll need to unlock empowered timelines first. To do that, clear the regular versions of Spirits of Fire, The Last Ruin, and The Age of Winter, then interact with the chest on the central island. This unlocks empowered timelines across the board, including the Black Sun, where you'll farm stability, defeat Rahyeh, and face the Harbinger.

Corruption itself is a double-edged sword: higher levels make enemies tougher, but they also improve drop rates, Echo rewards, and experience gained. Think of it as both the difficulty slider and loot multiplier for Last Epoch's endgame.

Preparing for the Fight

The Harbinger of Hatred hits hard-both physically and with void damage-so going in blind is a recipe for disaster. Having enough Last Epoch gold will protect you well. Here's what you should bring:

Recommended Gear

Void Resistance: Essential, as many of its deadliest abilities are void-based.

Physical Mitigation: Armor, endurance threshold, and health all reduce the impact of tank-style slams.

Mobility: Boots with movement speed and a mobility skill like Shift, Leap, or Transplant help you dodge telegraphed AoEs.

Health Sustain: Life leech, regen, or minion healing (for pet builds) provides recovery between mechanics.

Choosing Echo Modifiers

Not all modifiers affect bosses equally.

Avoid: Enemy critical strike chance, dodge, or ailments on hit-these make the fight riskier.

Take: Modifiers targeting rare enemies (since they don't apply to bosses) are essentially free value.

With the right setup, you'll be able to withstand the Harbinger's punishing attacks long enough to learn its patterns.

Fight Overview

Before fighting the Harbinger directly, you'll first need to kill Rahyeh, the Black Sun. Once Rahyeh falls, the Harbinger immediately steps in, borrowing some of its void-based abilities while bringing its own tank-style mechanics to the table.

The key challenge here is patience. The Harbinger soaks up huge amounts of damage and punishes reckless DPS. Instead, you'll need to weave attacks in between telegraphed slams while staying mobile to dodge AoEs.

Mechanics and Counters

The Harbinger uses a mix of tank archetype abilities and void magic inherited from Rahyeh. Here's a breakdown of the most important mechanics and how to counter them:

Tank Abilities

Tank Slam: A cone-shaped ground slam. Watch for the hammer lift and sidestep.

Massive Tank Slam: A large AoE with a red telegraph. Move out immediately.

Echo Slam: Sends out waves of physical and void damage in lines. Stand between the lines to stay safe.

Void Combo: A three-hit slash sequence ending in Last Epoch gold for sale a slam. Back away until the sequence ends.