With three distinct mastery paths-Paladin, Void Knight, and Forge Guard-the Sentinel can specialize in holy magic, void-infused attacks, or enhanced armor and forged weaponry. But before committing to Last Epoch gold a mastery, you'll spend some time as a base Sentinel, and your choices during these early levels can greatly shape your progress. When you have a lot of Last Epoch gold it will help you develop. This guide will walk you through the most effective leveling strategies, skills, passive point allocations, and gear recommendations to get your Sentinel off to a strong start.
Starting Strong: Core Skills for Leveling
As a base Sentinel, you'll have access to a variety of melee-focused abilities early on, including Vengeance, Warpath, Hammer Throw, Lunge, Rive, Shield Bash, Javelin, and Void Cleave. As you progress, the passive tree also unlocks Rebuke, Shield Rush, Multistrike, and Smite.
Of these, Rive is the standout skill for leveling. It deals solid physical damage, scales well with early-game gear, and synergizes with other Sentinel passives. Pairing Rive with Lunge provides reliable mobility, letting you quickly close gaps and maintain offensive pressure. Adding Shield Rush later as a secondary movement option makes campaign progression noticeably faster.
When you specialize in Rive, prioritize nodes on the left side of the skill tree to boost damage. If you intend to transition into Forge Guard, the Bound Weapon node is a good early pickup, summoning Forged Weapons when you kill enemies or strike bosses.
On the right side of the Rive tree, nodes like Flurry, Rending, Cadence, and Double Slash are particularly strong. These modify Rive's combo sequence, skipping the slower third strike while enhancing the speed and effectiveness of the first two swings. Together, they grant faster clear speeds and consistent armor shredding on enemies.
For additional area damage, the Projection of War node can be taken, though it increases Rive's Mana cost. This is only recommended if you have the sustain to support it.
By combining Rive, Lunge, Shield Rush, and a flex slot skill of your choice, you'll have all the tools necessary to breeze through the early stages until your mastery choice becomes available.
Passive Tree Recommendations
The base Sentinel passive tree leans heavily toward defense. While this defensive scaling becomes incredibly valuable once you choose your mastery, it offers less impact in the early campaign. Because of this, your initial passive point allocation should aim to enhance survivability while boosting damage where possible.
Start by maxing out Overwhelm and Juggernaut for a strong foundation of damage and tankiness. From there, put points into Relentless to unlock the third tier of passives. If you're using the Projection of War node with Rive, sprinkle a few points into Time and Faith for extra sustain during fights.
After investing 20 points into the core Sentinel tree, stop spending and save additional points. These will be crucial when you unlock your mastery, allowing you to quickly progress into more impactful nodes tied to cheap Last Epoch gold your chosen path.