If you’ve been searching for a companion-focused endgame build in Last Epoch that can push high corruption without requiring fully min-maxed gear, the Lightning Retaliation Wolves Beastmaster might be exactly what you’re looking for. Capable of clearing 1300+ corruption with ease, this build turns your wolves into lightning-charged predators that melt enemies and shred pinnacle bosses. With further bug fixes and proper gearing, it could become one of the strongest companion setups in the game.

 

In this guide, we’ll break down how the build works, its key skills, gear choices, passives, and why it scales so effectively into endgame.

 

Why Lightning Retaliation Wolves?

 

The concept behind the build is simple: your wolves aren’t just pets—they become walking storm generators. By leveraging key nodes that convert their damage into lightning retaliation bolts, combined with high attunement scaling, the wolves gain insane spell damage and survivability.

 

Even with only partially optimized gear (for example, non-perfect exalted items and low-legendary potential uniques), this setup was able to clear 1300+ corruption comfortably. With stronger rolls and proper blessings, the ceiling is even higher. Sufficient Last Epoch gold will help to further increase the upper limit.

 

Core Gameplay Loop

 

The build feels both active and rewarding without being overly complicated. Here’s the basic flow:

 

Leap into a pack of enemies – your wolves follow and land alongside you.

 

Drop Warcry and Frenzy Totem to buff your companions and debuff foes.

 

Use the Howl command for additional boosts.

 

Attack once every few seconds with Gathering Storm to keep the synergy rolling.

 

Watch as your wolves disintegrate everything on screen.

 

Despite not being a zoomy mapper (due to missing ideal boots or movement speed), it absolutely dominates in terms of damage and corruption pushing.

 

Skill Setup

 

Gathering Storm

 

This is the central melee attack you use to “transfer” storm power to your wolves.

 

Nodes like Jolting Strikes and Tempest Weapon empower both you and your companions, scaling lightning damage effectively.

 

Provides attack speed, mana efficiency, lightning penetration, and storm stack generation.

 

Because wolves attack so rapidly, they keep proccing storm effects, turning the battlefield into a lightning storm.

 

Frenzy Totem

 

Essential for companion synergy.

 

Grants +45 base damage to companions, refreshes the Howl ability, and provides 250% crit chance.

 

Adds Haste and Frenzy, making your wolves attack and move at blistering speed.

 

Some players swap it for Maelstrom, but Frenzy Totem offers superior consistency for this build.

 

Summon Wolf (Lightning Retaliation Wolves)

 

The heart of the build.

 

Critical nodes:

 

Safety in Numbers – unlocks wolf pack playstyle.

 

Tundra Stalkers – adds the cold tag, which synergizes with Warcry buffs.

 

Storm Callers – converts them into lightning retaliation wolves.

 

Wolves scale with attunement, giving them massive health and spell damage as your attributes rise.

 

Warcry

 

Converted into a totem, benefiting from companion-focused passives.

 

Key node: Bringer of Winter, which grants wolves 100% chill and 100% crit chance.

 

Combined with Frenzy Totem, this means your wolves sit at 450% extra crit chance, pushing their DPS through the roof.

 

Also offers cleanse, haste, frenzy, and crowd control by pulling enemies inward.

 

Leap

 

Not mandatory, but a huge quality-of-life skill.

 

Wolves leap with you, ensuring they’re always in position.

 

Grants invulnerability frames, Frenzy, and extra spell/melee base damage.

 

Gear Choices

 

Required Unique

 

Howl of the West Wind (helmet) – core of the build, converting wolves into lightning retaliation companions. Without this, the build doesn’t function.

 

Other Recommended Items

 

Evolution’s End (weapon)

 

Tempest Maw (dual wield) – boosts storm damage.

 

Mantle of the Pale Aegis (chest)

 

Phantom Grips (gloves)

 

Brewmaster’s Buckle (belt)

 

Foot of the Mountain (boots)

 

Jeweler’s Obsession (amulet)

 

Tyrant Skull (relic)

 

Stat Priorities

 

Attunement (damage + survivability for wolves).

 

Strength/Dexterity – hitting 100 in each grants you an additional wolf through passives.

 

Resistances & Crit Avoidance to stay alive at high corruption.

 

Blessings & Idols

 

Blessings should patch defensive gaps first (max resists, crit avoidance, health regen).

 

If resistances are covered via gear, swap for armor % and base armor to increase mitigation.

 

Idols: prioritize health% % + Aspect of the Shark idols. Fill the rest with resistances or Frailty on hit.

 

Passive Tree

 

Primalist Base

 

Attunement, health, strength, and resistances.

 

Shaman

 

Shamanistic Infusion for lightning/cold penetration.

 

Beastmaster

 

Heavy investment (80+ points).

 

Highlights:

 

Aspect of the Shark for massive minion attack speed and movement speed.

 

Aspect of the Boar for damage reduction.

 

Ancient Might & Exemplar for extra wolves and spell scaling.

 

Viper Fangs for attack speed boosts to both you and your wolves.

 

The passive tree offers tough choices, as nearly every node is useful. Expect to 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.