Torchlight InfiniteGuide
Torchlight Infinite builds: how they work and what to start with
A build is a trait, a skill setup, three talent panels and the gear to hold it together. How each piece works, which starters to pick for SS14 and where to find guides you can trust.
A Torchlight Infinite build is your hero trait, your skills and the supports linked to them, three talent panels, and the gear that holds it all together. Slates, Pactspirits and Hero Memories come on top once you reach the endgame. If you are starting out in SS14 Tartarus, pick a proven starter from the list below and follow one guide closely rather than mixing several.
The short version
- The hero trait comes first. Everything else in a build is chosen to feed it.
- Talents come from six gods. You fill up to three panels, and the first one is usually the god the game recommends for your hero.
- Safe starters for SS14 are Selena 2, Erika 1, Youga 2 and Thea 3, based on how they finished SS13.
- The in-game build guide lists recommended skills and early gear, and it is a good first stop before you look anything up.
The parts of a build
| Part | What it does | When it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Hero trait | The core mechanic the build is made around | From level 1 |
| Skills and supports | Your attacks, buffs and auras, changed by the support skills linked to them | From level 1 |
| Talents | Passive bonuses from the god trees, with core talents that change how a build plays | Campaign onwards |
| Gear | Most of your damage, life and resistances | Most of all in the endgame |
| Divinity Slates | Extra talent like bonuses you slot in | Endgame |
| Hero Memories | Items that add stats and can raise your trait's level | Endgame |
| Pactspirits | Pets with their own stat tree, plus auto pick-up | Any time, small effect |
Hero trait
Every build starts with a hero and one of their traits. Erika 1 wants to keep moving, Thea 3 turns Blessings into Erosion damage, Youga 2 builds around damage over time. A build guide for one trait is useless for another trait of the same hero, so always check the number. Our list of every hero and trait explains what each one does.
Skills and support skills
According to the Torchlight Infinite database, skills come in four types: active, support, passive and triggered. Supports are linked to an active or passive skill and change it, for example by adding projectiles or converting its damage. Skill slots unlock with energy, so early on you have fewer slots than a finished build shows.
Most builds have one main skill that does the killing and a handful of others for movement, defence and buffs. Get the main skill and its supports right first. One common piece of advice from beginner guides is to focus on one or two damage types instead of spreading your bonuses across several.
Talents
Our talents guide covers this part in depth. Talents come from six gods: God of Might, Goddess of Hunting, Goddess of Knowledge, God of War, Goddess of Deception and God of Machines. Each god has several talent panels, and a character fills up to three of them. The game marks a recommended god for your hero's first panel, which is a sensible default if you are not following a guide.
The most important nodes are the core talents. Each one is a choice between a few options, and some of them change how a build plays more than any single item. Build guides list them for a reason, so copy those exactly. Resetting talents later costs Water of Forgetting once the free reset window ends, which our currency guide covers.
Gear, slates and the rest
Gear is where most of a character's power comes from, and it is the part that costs Flame Elementium. Early on you need life, resistances and a weapon upgrade more than anything clever. Later, crafting with embers and FE or buying finished pieces on the Auction House is how builds reach the endgame. Our Auction House guide helps with the buying side.
Divinity Slates, Hero Memories and Pactspirits are endgame tuning. Beginner guides agree you can ignore slates and Pactspirits while leveling. Hero Memories are worth slotting as soon as you find decent ones, since good primary attributes or life on them make a noticeable difference. The Hero Memories guide and Pactspirits guide cover both in detail.
Starter builds for SS14
Until Tartarus has its own player data, the best guide to SS14 starters is how builds finished SS13 Afterlight.
| Build | Why it starts well |
|---|---|
| Selena 2, Dance of the Deep | Clears maps fast on cheap gear and keeps scaling into the endgame |
| Erika 1, Wind Stalker | The fastest early currency farmer, rewards constant movement |
| Youga 2, Spacetime Elapse | Damage over time that kills bosses on a small budget |
| Thea 3, Blasphemer | Erosion damage and explosions, strong against bosses |
Youga's new trait, The Ultimate One, is the big unknown this season. Our tier list ranks every trait as a starter and in the endgame, and the leveling guide covers the campaign itself.
Where to find build guides
- The in-game build guide. It lists recommended main, active and passive skills and early legendary gear to watch for, and it is updated with the game.
- The Torchlight Infinite database for exact skill, talent and item numbers.
- Build guides from players who post their season, gear and budget. A build guide without a season number is probably out of date.
Whatever you follow, check it was written for the current season. Balance changes every few months, and a guide from two seasons ago can send you into a trait that has since been nerfed.
Builds for farming
If your goal is currency, pick a build that clears a full map in a few casts and does not depend on careful positioning. Those builds are faster by hand and easier to automate. Our best heroes for farming compares them. MUSA's Torchlight Infinite bot reads your equipped skills from the game, so it fights with whatever build you have set up. Automation breaks the game's rules, and the bot safety guide explains the risk.
Common questions
What is the best build in Torchlight Infinite right now?
Going into SS14 Tartarus, Selena 2 is the safest all-round pick because it starts well and scales into the endgame. Erika 1, Youga 2 and Thea 3 are the other strong starters.
How many talent panels can you use?
Up to three, chosen from the six god trees.
Can you change your build later?
Skills and supports can be swapped at any time. Talents can be reset for free early on and with Water of Forgetting after that.
Do I need slates and Pactspirits while leveling?
No. Both are endgame tuning. Focus on your main skill, life, resistances and a better weapon first.
