Last Epoch – Harbinger of Hatred Strategy Guide and Rewards Explained
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 a slam. Back away until the sequence ends.
Void Orbs: Summons lingering orbs that detonate on contact. Keep moving to avoid them.
Void Portal Blast: Creates a portal before thrusting a hammer through. Step to the side to dodge.
Void Rush: A forward charge attack. Dodge laterally.
Void Turrets: Deploys stationary orbs firing projectiles in straight lines. Position yourself outside their firing lanes.
Borrowed from Rahyeh
Void Slam: A delayed AoE slam—watch ground indicators and reposition.
Void Meteors: Random meteor strikes—keep moving.
Void Flares: Cone-shaped void blasts—move away from the targeted wedge.
The Harbinger chains these abilities together, especially as its health gets lower. Staying disciplined with movement is the difference between victory and a quick wipe.
Strategy Tips
Don’t Be Greedy: Resist the temptation to overcommit on DPS. The Harbinger punishes players who ignore telegraphs.
Manage Positioning: Avoid getting boxed in by turrets or orbs—always think two moves ahead.
Save Cooldowns: Keep defensive or mobility skills for the hardest-hitting abilities like Echo Slams or Meteors.
Kill Windows: Learn when the Harbinger pauses after big abilities—those are your safe moments to unload damage.
Think of the fight as a marathon, not a sprint. If you survive, you’ll eventually wear it down.
Rewards
Defeating the Harbinger of Hatred is not just about bragging rights—it’s also lucrative.
Exclusive Uniques: Certain items only drop here, offering build-defining effects.
High-Tier Blessings: Empowered timeline bosses grant some of the strongest blessings in the game, scaling with corruption.
Gaze of Orobyss Stacks: Killing the Harbinger contributes to the Gaze mechanic, boosting the corruption gained when defeating the Shade of Orobyss in future runs.
These rewards make the Harbinger an essential boss to farm if you’re pushing deeper into Last Epoch’s endgame progression.
Final Thoughts
The Harbinger of Hatred stands as one of Last Epoch’s most punishing yet rewarding challenges. Combining tank-level survivability with void-powered destruction, it demands patience, precise movement, and strong preparation. By stacking void resistance, managing positioning, and striking during safe damage windows, you’ll eventually bring down this towering foe. Having enough cheap Last Epoch gold will help you defeat the enemy easily.
For players aiming to progress through the Forgotten Knight faction and set their sights on Aberroth, mastering this fight is non-negotiable. The rewards—powerful uniques, blessings, and corruption scaling—make the effort worthwhile, solidifying the Harbinger as both a test and a gateway to the true heights of Last Epoch’s endgame.