If you’re looking for one of the strongest melee builds in Last Epoch, the Echo Rive Void Knight should be at the top of your list. Now in its third refined version, this build has proven itself as a true powerhouse, reaching over 1,600 corruption while maintaining speed, damage, and survivability. It’s straightforward to play, scales extremely well into the endgame, and has an incredibly satisfying rhythm thanks to automated skills that keep the action flowing. Having enough Last Epoch gold makes the rhythm more comfortable.

 

In this guide, we’ll break down every part of the build: gameplay showcase, skills, passives, gear, and leveling tips so you can recreate this melee monster for yourself.

 

Gameplay Showcase – Crushing 1625 Corruption

 

The Echo Rive Void Knight thrives in high corruption content. At 1625 corruption, the build tears through mobs and bosses alike. With over 5,300 life and heavy sustain, you can endure punishing fights while dishing out enormous damage.

 

Against normal enemies, Rive effortlessly shreds packs, especially with echoes duplicating your attacks. Single-target damage is equally impressive—bosses melt under the pressure of echo-enhanced Rive strikes and kill thresholds.

 

While the build is tanky, it’s not invincible. In high corruption fights, you’ll still need to dodge lethal boss mechanics, especially against Harbingers. However, most pinnacle bosses—including Aberroth—can be face-tanked with little concern.

 

Core Skills and Specializations

 

The heart of the build lies in Rive, converted to void damage. Around it, several automated skills enhance damage, utility, and sustain. Let’s look at each:

 

Rive – The main damage dealer. Convert it to void using Temporal Warrior. Prioritize nodes that boost multiplicative damage on the third strike and apply kill threshold. With Bound Weapon, your strength and armor stack as you fight, giving massive momentum in prolonged battles.

 

Healing Hands – Automated via Cleric’s Hammer, triggering whenever you attack with Rive. Turn it into a melee strike, make it cost no mana, and buff melee nodes for sustain. It can also double as a movement skill if you prefer, but many opt for an unspecialized Lunge instead for faster mobility.

 

Devouring Orbs – A critical automated source of damage. With Abyssal Rush, they autocast as you move. Stack multiplicative void damage, void essence, and resistance shredding to amplify your Rive damage.

 

Symbols of Hope – Recently reworked, this provides crit chance, endurance threshold, and additional symbols. Converted to void, it synergizes perfectly with the rest of the kit.

 

Anomaly – Manually triggered but extremely powerful. Instantly applies effects with time bubbles, boosting attack speed, crit chance, and enemy vulnerability to void damage.

 

Together, these skills create a smooth rotation where three are fully automated, letting you focus on positioning and Rive execution.

 

Passive Tree Breakdown

 

At level 100, you’ll have access to the full Sentinel and Void Knight passives. Prioritize nodes that maximize void damage, echoes, survivability, and leech.

 

Sentinel Base: Invest in vitality (Fearless), armor reduction (Armor Clad), and optional points in Valiant Charge if you frequently use Lunge.

 

Paladin: Unlock Symbols of Hope with 5 points in Defiance and 10 in Valor. Adjust as needed for mana and resistances.

 

Void Knight: The bulk of your investment. Maximize crit, crit multiplier, void damage, echo chance, leech, and defensive nodes like endurance. Key nodes include Mortal Cleave for massive execute potential and Echoing Strikes for 30% echo chance.

 

Optional points can flex into Forge Guard for sword attack speed or leech, depending on your weapon choice.

 

Blessings, Idols, and Gear

 

Blessings

 

Choose blessings based on your gear and needs. Recommended options include:

 

Critical Strike Multiplier

 

All Resistances

 

Double Armor

 

Stun Chance

 

Swap in resistance blessings as necessary to cap your defenses.

 

Idols

 

The ideal setup includes two 4x1 Solar Idols for the Rive critical strike multiplier. Complement them with idols that add vitality, shred armor, or patch resistances.

 

Gear

 

This build does not require any mandatory uniques, but several items elevate its power:

 

Nihilus Amulet – Extra skills, life, and resistances.

 

Needle Sword – Excellent synergy with sword passives.

 

Titan Heart – 15% damage reduction at the cost of less armor.

 

Siphon of Anguish + Shattered Chains – Stack doom for multiplicative damage.

 

Eternal Gauntlets, Citadel Boots, Great Helm – Exalted gear to round out defenses.

 

For advanced setups, Uber drops like Immortal Vice gloves or Shattered Worlds Relic push damage and survivability even further.

 

Leveling Path

 

While this is not a dedicated leveling guide, you can comfortably start with Rive from the beginning of the campaign. Focus on nodes that boost attack speed, pull enemies in, and add kill thresholds for smooth progression.

 

Recommended early skills:

 

Rive – Your bread-and-butter skill throughout the campaign.

 

Lunge or Shield Rush – For mobility; choose based on preference.

 

Healing Hands – Automated sustain through Cleric’s Hammer.

 

Symbols of Hope – Damage and crit support.

 

This setup makes the campaign fast and efficient while laying the foundation for your endgame build.

 

Conclusion

 

The Echo Rive Void Knight is one of the most reliable and devastating melee builds in Last Epoch. With echoing strikes, automated sustain, and devastating void damage, it handles corruption levels above 1600 with ease. Its blend of tankiness and damage output makes it a perfect choice for players who want a melee build that scales deep into endgame without demanding perfect gear. Having a large selection of cheap Last Epoch gold makes the choice even more perfect.

 

If you’re ready to unleash a melee monster with a mix of simplicity and raw power, this is the Void Knight build for you.