The Flames of Midnight is a highly sought-after, unique Celestial Ring in the action RPG Last Epoch. It is considered a cornerstone item for many powerful endgame builds due to its exceptional synergy of offensive and defensive bonuses. Unlike many items that simply offer statistical boosts, the Flames of Midnight fundamentally alters a character’s gameplay by combining mobility, damage, and survivability into a single piece of gear. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how to acquire this unique ring, why it is so powerful, and how to integrate it into your character’s arsenal, aiming to equip both new and veteran players with the knowledge needed to farm and utilize this game-changing item efficiently.
The ring’s appeal lies in its unique modifiers that cater to specific damage types: Fire, Necrotic, and Void. It is not merely a stat-stick but a piece of gear that enables entirely new playstyles, particularly for builds centered around these elemental and chaotic energies. Its value as a versatile piece of gear for endgame characters, particularly those within the Acolyte, Mage, and Sentinel classes, makes it a frequent target for you looking to push into higher-difficulty content. So let’s look at how to get Last Epoch Flames of Midnight.
Where to Find Flames of Midnight in Last Epoch
Acquiring the Flames of Midnight is a goal-oriented process, as it is not a random world drop. Instead, this unique ring is a “target-farm” item, meaning you can only obtain it from specific bosses within the Monolith of Fate, Last Epoch’s primary endgame system. The item is classified as a “Rare Empowered Only” drop, which is a critical detail for anyone hoping to acquire it. This means the ring will not drop in the standard difficulty version of the Monolith; it is exclusively available in the more challenging, Level 100 Empowered Timelines.
The primary location to farm for Flames of Midnight is the Spirits of Fire timeline. The item has a specific drop source: the timeline’s main boss, Harbinger of Ash. The base chance for the ring to drop from this boss is approximately 10%, a rate that can be significantly improved with increased item rarity.
Other Locations
While the Harbinger of Ash is the most reliable source, the ring can also be found in other locations within the Monolith of Fate, albeit with different drop rates. These alternative farming spots include:
- The Fading Brink: This location has a 10% base chance to drop the ring, similar to the primary source.
- Woven Echo, Threshold of Eternity: The boss of this location, Aberoth, has a much lower 2% chance to drop the ring, though this rate increases to 10% for the “host only.”
The item’s rarity and the necessity of farming in an Empowered Monolith underscore a fundamental progression path for the player. One cannot simply stumble upon this ring; they must first advance their character to a point where they can successfully navigate and defeat the challenges of Level 100 content. This progression naturally funnels players toward the correct farming strategy, preventing a frustrating and unproductive grind in earlier stages of the game.
Flames of Midnight Farming Locations & Drop Rates
The following table provides a clear overview of the confirmed drop locations and their associated rates for the Flames of Midnight ring:
Location (Timeline/Boss) | Base Drop Chance | Notes |
Spirits of Fire / Harbinger of Ash | 10% | Item is an Empowered Monolith-only drop, affected by Corruption and Item Rarity. |
The Fading Brink | 10% | Item is an Empowered Monolith-only drop, affected by Corruption and Item Rarity. |
Threshold of Eternity / Aberoth | 2% | The drop chance for this specific boss increases to 10% for the “host only” in multiplayer. |
More Farming Strategies
Obtaining a rare unique like Flames of Midnight is not just about knowing where to find it; it’s about optimizing your entire farming process to maximize your chances. The endgame of Last Epoch presents several interconnected systems that, when utilized together, can significantly enhance efficiency.
Corruption and Item Rarity
Corruption is a key Monolith mechanic that directly influences the quality and quantity of rewards. As a character’s corruption level increases, so does the difficulty of the timeline, but this also provides a proportional boost to Item Rarity and experience gains. For the purpose of farming unique items, a higher Corruption level is highly beneficial. The increased Item Rarity from Corruption directly raises the drop chance of rare items, including Flames of Midnight.
While there are debates within the community about diminishing returns on corruption at very high levels (e.g., above 2000), a significant difference in drops has been noted between corruption levels of 300 and 900. The most effective strategy is to push your corruption to the highest level, where you can still clear echoes quickly and safely. A player with a fast-clearing build at 300 corruption may find more items over time than a slow-clearing build at 900 corruption due to the sheer number of echo runs completed. This emphasizes that farming efficiency is a balance between difficulty and clear speed.
Echo Web
The Monolith’s Echo Web is more than just a map; it is a system that you can easily manipulate to your advantage. Rare echoes known as “Vessels” are a key component of this strategy.
- Vessel of Chaos: When completed, this vessel rerolls the rewards of all uncompleted echoes on your web. This is particularly useful for rerolling less desirable rewards into more valuable ones, such as a “Specific Unique/Set Item” reward that offers a higher chance for items like Flames of Midnight.
- Vessel of Memory: This vessel “uncompletes” the Echo Web, allowing you to claim the rewards from completed nodes a second time. This is a powerful tool for repeating valuable echoes without having to find them again.
The optimal strategy involves a calculated approach: first, reveal as much of the Echo Web as possible, strategically avoiding unwanted echoes and using Beacons to scout new paths. Once you find a few Vessels, you can use a Vessel of Chaos to reroll a large number of echoes at once, then complete the new, desirable rewards. A Vessel of Memory can then be used to reset these newly completed echoes, allowing them to be run again for more chances at a unique item. This process dramatically increases the number of high-value echoes you can run in a single timeline session.
Factions
Your chosen faction also plays a significant role in its farming methods.
- Circle of Fortune (CoF): This faction is ideal for players who prefer to be self-sufficient. At Rank 5, CoF provides a chance to double Echo rewards, including unique item drops. Additionally, CoF members can acquire prophecies that directly reward specific items upon completion. This allows a player to actively hunt for Flames of Midnight through a dedicated, repeatable task.
- Merchant’s Guild (MG): This faction provides an alternative path for acquisition. Instead of farming for the item directly, players can use the Bazaar to purchase the ring and its legendary crafting materials from other players. This is a more direct and often faster route for players who would rather use in-game gold to acquire their gear.
The choice of faction represents a fundamental playstyle decision: a player can either dedicate themselves to the grind of the CoF and its farming buffs or use the MG to shortcut the process with the in-game economy.
And that’s all you will need on the Last Epoch Flames of Midnight. If you found this guide useful, do check out our other Last Epoch guides in our dedicated section here at Gamer Tweak.