Torchlight Infinite SS13 Afterlight Early-Farming Strategies Tier List | Best Seasonal Mechanics Ranked by Profitability

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• Torchlight Infinite SS13 Charge Calling Moto Build Guide: From Start to T8 Maps with Reworked Machine Lord Helmet

  Machine Lord is getting a rework in Torchlight Infinite SS13 Afterlight - changing from elemental damage to massive amounts of additional summon damage, with the benefits increasing dramatically with the number of damage barrels. As a representative of Self-Destruct Protocol summoning build, can Charge Calling Moto fully capitalize on this change in SS13?

  The answer is definitely yes, and we'll walk you through the entire progression from early game to endgame, helping you better utilize the buffs and play Charge Calling Moto effectively in the new season.

  Core Mechanism Changes

  The core change to Charge Calling Moto build in SS13 comes from the mechanics of Machine Lord helmet.

  Previously, this helmet converted physical damage into Fire, Cold, and Lightning elemental damage, while increasing the maximum number of Synthetic Troops (from two to three). In the new season, it's changed to directly provide a large amount of additional Minion damage.

  It's worth noting that regardless of whether the helmet has Corroded affix, its base stat is fixed at 1, and Corroded version only provides an additional 10% bonus to Minion damage.

  Therefore, if you're focused on significantly increasing Charge Calling Moto's damage output, prioritize Machine Lord helmet with Double Corroded affix.

  

  Additionally, players should understand Torchlight Infinite's damage mechanics, as a key principle applies: the more damage sources you have, the higher the multiplicative benefit.

  For example, suppose your character now has four different sources of damage in Torchlight Infinite, each providing you with 100% bonus damage. The final damage you receive is the result of their multiplicative summation, which will be far greater than the 400% bonus damage from a single source.

  Therefore, when choosing gear and talents, prioritize multiple types of damage-boosting affixes, such as extra damage from Minions under specific conditions, extra Fire damage, or extra Cold damage. These different dimensions of damage amplification multiply, significantly improving Charge Calling Moto's overall damage output.

  Early Game Phase

  First, we need to know that you need to switch to Grim Phantoms playstyle as early as possible during Torchlight Infinite SS13 progression phase.

  The most obvious benefit of Grim Phantoms for you is that it eliminates your tedious operations and makes things smoother, because it has an automatic summoning mechanism, and the active skill Summon Grim Phantom is also very efficient at clearing maps.

  In terms of skill synergy, to enhance Grim Phantoms' survivability and area-of-effect damage, we need to utilize Mechanical Modification, Manual Army, Increased Area, and Servant Life.

  Furthermore, Swiftness Dew is a key skill for increasing Charge Calling Moto's map traversal speed; prioritize equipping and using it to accelerate SS13 early game progression.

  If you encounter a boss fight, you can make a small adjustment to the skill configuration above: use Machine Army and Vulnerability, and pair them with the two passive skills Fearless and Swiftness to ensure Charge Calling Moto's output and mobility.

  Throughout the story, simply picking up usable equipment dropped on the ground is enough to easily complete the game.

  Key survival equipment includes Born in Fire ring and Interlocking Soul Hammer, which are not only inexpensive but also provide Charge Calling Moto with sufficient protection.

  Mid-Game Transition

  By the mid-game of SS13, our goal is to gradually replace Charge Calling Moto's gear with Tier 2 quality. The priority for each piece of gear is as follows:

  • Helmet: Prioritize Minion Damage, Energy Shield, or Life (if going for a Life build), and the necessary Resistance.
  • Chestplate: Also prioritize Energy Shield or Life, combined with Minion Attack and Cast Speed, directly affecting the trigger frequency of your Minion Self-Destruct Protocol.
  • Gloves: Vow's Grasp is extremely cost-effective in the early season, providing 120 points each of Strength and Intelligence.
  • Belt: Cry of Divinity can be used initially, later upgrading to a belt with +1 Minion skill level.
  • Shoes: Focus on movement speed, Energy Shield or Life, and Minion damage.
  • Rings: Focus on Minion damage, maximum Energy Shield or Life, and Resistance.

  Advanced Stage

  When your damage in Torchlight Infinite SS13 reaches around 90 million, you should have a full set of Tier 2 gear and begin gradually introducing some Tier 1 affixes.

  At this stage, you can consider replacing your previous Machine Army with Rising Edge and try to get Precise Skills to further improve the output efficiency of Charge Calling Moto.

  The core skill Self-Destruct Protocol tag contains multiple keywords such as Melee, Physical, and Attack. Therefore, we need to pay special attention to Hero Memories and Divinity Slate, which can provide benefits to these tags.

  High-Tier Gear

  Once your Charge Calling Moto damage reaches around 4 billion, you can efficiently farm Tier 8 maps in Torchlight Infinite SS13.

  At this stage of the game, Machine Lord is a key piece of equipment that you absolutely must obtain. Don't worry about its affixes; just try to get it directly, because it will still have a powerful damage-boosting effect on your character in the new season.

  Resonance of the Stars is a core item with extremely high cost-effectiveness in the early game. It replicates the effects of all peripheral minor nodes, including affixes like Command, Max Life, and Energy Shield, but not Minion Skill Level.

  This means you can obtain a significant amount of extra attributes at a relatively low cost, achievable in the early stages of SS13 with approximately 100 Torchlight Infinite Flame Elementium, much cheaper than unlocking multiple high-tier Divinity Slates.

  Because Torchlight Infinite SS13 Afterlight introduces a completely new Skill Tree and several mechanic adjustments, remember to adjust the configurations in this guide flexibly. Hopefully, this complete roadmap for Charge Calling Moto, from beginner to advanced, will help you get off to a smooth start in SS13!

• Torchlight Infinite SS13 Early Stage Farming Strategies and Hidden Keybindings Help You Dominate Afterlight Launch

  There is less than a day left until the official launch of Torchlight Infinite SS13. As you face the new season, beyond understanding the various changes it brings, you need to devise a solid strategy to get off to a fast start after the reset.

  Notably, the key to boosting farming efficiency early in the season lies not only in combining old and new mechanics but also in leveraging special QoL tips. If you haven't yet found a Season 13 farming strategy that suits you, this guide is here to help!

  

  Focusing on Afterlight and Lunaria

  While there are numerous mechanics for obtaining currency and other standard resources in Torchlight Infinite, we recommend focusing on Afterlight and Lunaria for Season 13, doing so offers significant advantages, especially in the early stages.

  As the seasonal mechanic for SS13, Afterlight is characterized by high-intensity bursts of action, allowing you to generate substantial returns in a short amount of time.

  This mechanic involves escorting a coffin as part of a funeral procession. Along the way, the procession encounters waves of vengeful spirits and monsters; you must keep moving while rapidly eliminating them until you reach the destination and claim your rewards.

  It is important to note that the quantity of the final reward depends on your clearing efficiency during the escort; the game displays a real-time status bar to track this.

  A green bar indicates excellent clearing speed and optimal status; the procession advances efficiently, spawning more monsters and loot.

  A yellow bar signals that the monster spawn rate is exceeding your capacity to handle them; the procession slows down, and the volume of spawns decreases. If the bar turns red, the situation spirals out of control, putting you at risk of death and the loss of everything.

  To ensure efficiency, you can buy IGGM Torchlight Infinite Flame Elementium before starting the escort mission to invest in crafting gear and boost your character's power. After all, successful battles will yield even greater rewards!

  Additionally, special events may trigger randomly as the procession moves, including Lunaria mechanic carried over from the previous season. This allows you to farm them individually or combine the two strategies for maximum benefit.

  Lunaria mechanics guide you to special maps containing harp devices and statues; interacting with them awakens monsters that can be farmed.

  During combat, you can use various string effects to alter how enemies spawn or behave; achieving high combo counts further boosts the drop rates for currency and items.

  Although Season 13 introduces changes to Lunaria mechanic, they are designed to maximize your rewards. So, whenever the effect triggers during the Funeral Procession phase, be sure to seize the opportunity!

  Enhancing maps and gear

  Beyond these special mechanics, entering Netherrealm system in Torchlight Infinite allows you to earn even greater rewards through mapping. However, this gameplay carries higher risks, making gear enhancement essential.

  To this end, in SS13, you should first use currency to enhance your maps, a process commonly known as oiling or juicing. Simultaneously, utilize Embers and Flame Sand collected via Afterlight and Lunaria to craft your gear.

  Once your gear setup is solid, consider investing a few points into Sandlord system to increase the chance of it appearing in your maps; this allows you to gain extra passive income through Oasis mechanic.

  Later, you can shift your focus to farming Beacons or try out Cube mechanic. If you have a well-developed Cube talent tree and a Dream-related pet, but prefer not to farm Dream mechanic itself, try configuring your pet to focus on Cube instead.

  If successful, this strategy allows for rapid progression in SS13 and can help you secure one or two top-tier Slates early on.

  Another excellent early-season option is Black Sail. It allows you to farm Scraps, an item that typically retains high value throughout the entire season.

  Notably, maps can drop Snowpaper Fragments even without Frozen Canvas mechanic active. These fragments sell very well and have a high drop rate.

  Finally, if your mapping speed is slow, investing at least 16 points into God of War talent tree can help. After all, greater speed means more FE and crafting materials, enabling you to boost your character's power in SS13 as quickly as possible.

  

  Efficient keybindings

  Once you've mastered these core farming strategies, there are some unexpected details that can further boost efficiency and reduce strain, such as reconfiguring your in-game keybindings in Torchlight Infinite.

  We anticipate that Season 13, like most previous seasons, will feature a mechanic requiring manual activation within the map, often with a default keybind that feels awkward to use. You should remap this to a key that feels natural to you, such as the easily accessible 1 key.

  Additionally, the default key for Torchlight: Infinite's auto-pickup function is A. If you set all your skills to auto-cast, you can simply hold down A while traversing the map, allowing the system to automatically collect all loot and saving you a significant amount of time.

  However, this strategy relies on having a reliable loot filter set up; otherwise, sorting through the collected items later will end up consuming even more time.

  You can also hold Left Alt key to display all dropped items and temporarily disable the loot filter, allowing you to pick up items that would otherwise be hidden. Binding this function to a key that is easily accessible during map runs can greatly improve your gameplay experience.

  Further keybind adjustments depend largely on the specific playstyle or mechanics you choose for mapping. For instance, if you frequently farm bosses, it is essential to set up a convenient hotkey for Town Portal.

  Using the built-in Town Portal function during a boss fight teleports you to a random location, whereas your own Town Portal returns you directly to NPC, facilitating quick, repeated boss farming.

  Beyond keybinds, if you don't yet have a custom, highly efficient combat setup, we recommend enabling Auto-Channeling feature found in the combat settings.

  Once enabled, this feature allows certain skills to channel continuously without requiring you to hold down the key. Although you need to reactivate it upon entering a new map, it offers significant convenience overall.

  It is also worth noting that Season 13 introduces an option to increase the cursor size. If you have previously found the mouse cursor too small or difficult to track, be sure to adjust this setting once the new season launches.

  These are just a few strategies to help you boost your farming efficiency in Season 13. Take some notes and get ready to become a Night Watcher in Netherrealm!

• Torchlight Infinite SS13 Afterlight Starter Build Tier List | Top Characters for Fast Leveling

  Once Torchlight Infinite SS13 begins, choosing a build that offers high efficiency and fast leveling becomes the top priority. During the early progression phase, players need a build that can carry them to around Time Mark 7 as quickly as possible.

  At this stage, the primary considerations are how rapidly the build comes online, how heavily it depends on gear, and how effectively it clears maps. Endgame strength is not the deciding factor, though it certainly counts as a welcome bonus if your build also performs well later on. Below is the tier ranking for season start builds in SS13 Afterlight.

  

  Tier S

  Selena 2: Dance of the Deep

  Selena 2 comes with a brand-new exclusive talent tree, and if we rank by novelty, she absolutely belongs in Tier S. Moreover, whenever the game introduces fresh content, the new character traditionally receives significant support, with the development team ensuring sufficient power levels.

  Combined with her custom talent tree, Selena 2 offers many distinct playstyle variants. At the same time, the game is undergoing a massive overhaul of Terra system.

  As a result, whether you plan to build her as a hit-based character or a damage-over-time specialist, you will find a suitable Terra configuration. In short, there are numerous directions to explore her potential, and she is expected to be exceptionally powerful.

  Yuga 2: Spacetime Elapse

  Yuga 2's Mind Control variant excels during the early leveling phase. Although the talent tree has removed the channel stacks for Mind Control, SS13 introduces a support skill, Channeled Depths, that directly provides two additional maximum channel stacks.

  This does occupy a valuable support slot in the later game, but it represents a huge power boost early on. Furthermore, the new Terra system may also suit him very well.

  Rayhan 2: Seething Silhouette

  Rayhan 2 has received notable buffs as well. Seething Spirit no longer suffers from a 30% attack speed penalty; instead, it gains a substantial damage bonus equal to 30% of your character's damage output, and the attack speed malus has been removed. This greatly improves his damage potential.

  In SS12, Rayhan 2 was already a popular starting choice for many players, with some speed-focused players reaching Time Mark 7 within three hours. With these enhancements, his pace may become even faster.

  Iris 1: Growing Breeze

  Thanks to adjustments to summoner-related mechanics and the addition of new bond skills, Iris 1 has received major defensive improvements without sacrificing offensive capability.

  She may not be the fastest character in the game, but she can comfortably carry you into T8 maps, allowing you to accumulate Torchlight Infinite Flame Elementium for other builds or continue progressing all the way to Profound and beyond.

  Erika 1: Wind Stalker

  Erika 1 is a relatively fragile character, yet she remains one of the swiftest in the game. Her late-game scaling is also solid, so you do not need to switch to another build after reaching the endgame.

  That said, she is not for everyone; if your mechanical execution is less than stellar, you will find yourself dying frequently during the early stages.

  

  Tier A

  Bing 1: Blast Nova

  Since the game has removed most easy ways for characters to obtain extra projectiles, the development team has essentially redefined Bing 1's core identity, making him revolve almost entirely around attack-based projectile skills.

  After the rework, when he uses projectile attack skills, he throws multiple bombs at once. In addition, he gains extra projectiles, a host of bonuses, and excellent quality-of-life improvements that let him fully leverage this mechanic.

  In SS12, Bing 1 was only moderately strong, but based on the announced changes, this adjustment should work greatly in his favor, and he is predicted to be very formidable.

  Thea 3: Blasphemer

  Although Thea 3's Erosion damage and her signature item, Ruinous Star, have been nerfed, which may limit her late-game potential, she remains a top-tier starter during the early and mid phases by relying on Haunting Abomination or Mind Control setups.

  Gemma 2: Frostbitten Heart

  Gemma 2's Frost Terra variant has been weakened because the removal of the maximum entanglement stack cap has reduced the effectiveness of her entanglement build. Nevertheless, she still has other alternatives.

  With Terra system rework, pairing her with that system or new frost spells could become her strongest playstyle. She remains a powerful option.

  In the early stages, freeze effects help you easily navigate the pre-gear phase, providing reliable defensive control and making progression very smooth.

  Sage: Licorice Note

  Sage has received some nerfs, including reduced movement speed and fewer projectiles, while her previous 100% damage recoup has been changed to redirect damage to her summons.

  This means you lose that nearly infinite sustained recovery, but you can now shift a large portion of incoming damage to your minions through new pathways.

  She still retains solid defensive capabilities. The main drawback is slightly lower early damage, yet you can rely on your summons, so the leveling process remains quite comfortable.

  Tier B

  Rosa 1: High Court Chariot

  Rosa 1 has seen few changes and remains a reliable, time-tested build. During the early game, certain niche tactics allow Rosa 1 to lure mobs into chain explosions that quickly eliminate bosses, enabling rapid progression into Deep Space.

  However, this is a specific playstyle that demands good mechanical understanding and execution, and it is not consistently reliable.

  Gemma 1: Icefire Fusion

  Gemma 1 requires multiple interlocking components - skills, gear, and talents - to reach full effectiveness. Since these items are difficult to assemble during the early leveling phase, progressing with her will be more challenging.

  Tier C

  Rosa 2: Unsullied Blade

  Rosa 2 finds herself in a less favorable position. Her mana-stacking setup has become considerably harder to put together, because the relevant gear now drops mainly in Deep Space, especially the mana-stacking gloves. Without those gloves, her damage drops significantly.

  These gloves were already very costly in the previous season, and with their drop rate further reduced, they are now even rarer and harder to obtain. She is not suited for league starting, but if you manage to gather all the required equipment, she might be one of the strongest endgame characters.

  That concludes the tier ranking for character starters in Torchlight: Infinite SS13 Afterlight. A starter build does not necessarily have to be overwhelmingly powerful; its primary goal is to get you into the endgame quickly and allow you to farm resources efficiently, preparing gear and materials for your second character.

• Torchlight Infinite SS13 Afterlight Preview: Seasonal Mechanic, Hero Trait, and More New Content | How to Prepare for This Season?

  Although the official launch of Torchlight Infinite SS13 is still a few days away, the recent livestream and released patch notes provide a comprehensive overview of Season 13.

  To ensure you are fully prepared for Afterlight season, we present a complete preview based on all known information, covering the seasonal mechanic, the new trait for the hero Selena, and more.

  

  New seasonal mechanic

  As with previous seasons, the seasonal mechanic for Torchlight Infinite SS13 shares the season's title: Afterlight. In short, it requires you to follow a coffin, much like the funeral procession shown in the teaser.

  During the procession, you will encounter challenges marked by indicators showing one of three states: red, yellow, or green. You must maintain your pace to keep the indicator within the green zone.

  If the color shifts to yellow, it means the procession is spawning too many monsters and your clearing speed is insufficient. If it turns red, the situation has spiraled out of control; you risk imminent death, or the procession may vanish entirely.

  Additionally, special events may trigger during the procession, seemingly depending on the character inside the coffin, and there is even a chance to trigger Season 12 Lunaria gameplay mechanics.

  Whether you complete the escort or the additional events, you will earn various rewards, including Torchlight Infinite Flame Elementium. Combining these activities, provided your clearing speed is high enough, should yield even greater rewards.

  To make the most of this new seasonal mechanic, you should prioritize builds with excellent map-clearing efficiency for Torchlight Infinite SS13.

  It is also worth noting that the new seasonal mechanic introduces a special type of item known as Nether King's Divinity Slates. These come in various unique shapes and can be rolled to obtain highly distinctive and powerful affixes.

  Judging by the list of available special affixes, the potential power ceiling is extremely high, depending entirely on the specific affixes you roll. This will revolutionize the existing Divinity Slate system, offering a wider range of options for build crafting.

  While full details regarding these new Divinity Slates remain scarce, likely to be revealed gradually after the official Season 13 launch, new seasons typically bring generous rewards.

  New Hero Trait

  Season 13 introduces a second Hero Trait for Selena: Dance of the Deep. Unlike her first trait, Dance of the Deep does not lock Selena into a fixed position while casting; instead, it allows certain skills to move across the battlefield along with her.

  More importantly, this trait utilizes a brand-new branching Hero Trait system, offering a wider range of character setup options rather than limiting you to a single path.

  Naturally, the addition of a new Hero Trait brings with it new skills, gear, and Pact Spirits; if you plan to play Dance of the Deep Selena in Season 13, you will need to understand and master these elements.

  Optimizations to Lunaria mechanic

  Although the launch of Afterlight season marks the end of SS12, Lunaria gameplay introduced in that season has not only been retained but also optimized to further enrich your overall experience in the new season.

  To engage with this mechanic, you must first use harp devices found on maps to awaken, and subsequently defeat, dormant monsters.

  In SS13, all farmable harps have been standardized to Legendary quality, thereby lowering the barrier to entry for Lunaria mechanic.

  Furthermore, Torchlight: Infinite has integrated Lunaria mechanic into Void Chart, allowing you to configure the system to target and farm specific, superior affixes more precisely.

  

  Other adjustments

  Starting in Season 13, you will no longer be able to apply Dream-related affixes to your gear, as they have been removed. While the dream content itself remains in the game, the core rewards are no longer obtainable.

  Adjustments have also been made to affix configurations on Priceless gear. Gear featuring Sweet Dream type affixes will now be significantly more powerful.

  Hero Trait buffs and nerfs

  While you might be inclined to try out new Hero Traits like Dance of the Deep Selena in the new season, existing traits have also received buffs, and choosing them could offer you a distinct advantage.

  Therefore, familiarizing yourself with these Hero Trait adjustments is essential for preparing for SS13.

  Notably, Rehan 2 has received a massive buff. Previously, Fury Onslaught reduced attack speed and provided only a 48% self-damage bonus; now, it grants a 78% self-damage bonus and no longer penalizes attack speed.

  However, note that these values only apply at Level 5; while the stat scaling curve from Level 1 remains unknown, this is clearly a damage buff.

  Thea Incarnation of the Gods has also received some improvements. Possessing a Blessing now expands Divine Realm's range, stacking up to six times. Additionally, Divine Realm now prioritizes triggering on nearby enemies, and the damage bonus has been slightly increased.

  In contrast, Scent Weaver Sage trait, introduced last season, has been comprehensively nerfed. While the impact on component effects is relatively minor, the nerf to Pungent Stimulant Salt is significant, particularly because this skill dictates how elixir skills interact with empower skills.

  Erica 3 has also been nerfed. Curiously, however, this trait has never seen high usage rates, making the nerf seem rather unnecessary.

  That covers the key information you need to know about Torchlight: Infinite SS13 Afterlight. The season launches in three days; if you're interested, be sure to pick a hero trait that suits your playstyle and embark on your new adventure!

• Torchlight Infinite SS13 Afterlight Beginner Mistakes to Avoid | Essential Tips before Starting

  Torchlight: Infinite SS13 Afterlight is set to launch in about a week. Since the game shares certain similarities with Path of Exile and introduces a substantial amount of new content each season, it is sure to attract some new players.

  However, because multiple past league mechanics overlap, Torchlight: Infinite can feel rather unforgiving for first-time adventurers. If you happen to pick the wrong hero or engage with the wrong system, your experience might turn sour. Below are some mistakes you can avoid once SS13 Afterlight goes live.

  

  Server Selection

  On the initial server selection screen, choose the server that is geographically closest to you. Opting for a server on another continent will likely subject you to frustrating lag. MS you see may appear quite high or jump around frequently, but that is merely a normal refresh artifact and will stabilise shortly afterward.

  Auction House is shared across all servers. The only consequence of picking a non-local server is increased delay, which feels especially noticeable when crafting items, and you will only see the leaderboard for that server's region.

  Character Choice

  The character selection in Torchlight: Infinite can be confusing for new players. Compared to ARPGs such as Path of Exile or Last Epoch, the long list of characters makes Torchlight: Infinite look more like a MOBA game.

  In reality, the development team has split playstyles into distinct characters, so the character you choose largely determines the direction of your endgame build.

  During the levelling process, your character is mostly funnelled into a specific archetype, but that does not mean you cannot respec later. Nevertheless, these characters will only drop weapons and skills that suit their respective archetypes.

  Trade Mode Selection

  Before you officially start, be sure to pay close attention to the mode selection. It is strongly recommended that you create a Trade-mode character on Seasonal Server. Avoid Hardcore or SSF modes at all costs.

  The game's economy revolves heavily around trading; you will need to farm Torchlight Infinite Flame Elementium and other currencies to trade for skills and equipment that fit your character.

  Gear Upgrades

  As you progress, you will continuously pick up items. A notification bar appears at the lower-right corner of the screen. If you see an upward arrow on an item icon, that usually means the piece offers better defence or attack stats than your current gear, so you should equip it immediately.

  At the same time, you will soon obtain a Movement Skill - be sure to slot it, because movement skills are crucial throughout the campaign.

  Path of Progression

  At a certain point in the game, you will unlock Path of Progression system. This is essentially the season's progress track and provides generous rewards. You need to keep a close eye on it, as you will gain numerous Passive Points from it to strengthen your character.

  Furthermore, completing each stage yields materials such as Pactspirit Crystals and Jagged Primocryst, which are used in the game's gacha system. Path of Progression offers many free draw opportunities.

  Among these, Pactspirits are particularly important - the seasonal Drop Pactspirit can significantly boost your returns, and you need to draw to acquire new Pactspirits.

  

  Season Mechanic

  When you enter Dragonbone Ridge area in Act 1, an NPC will stand there and give you a brief introduction, after which a season mechanic node will appear nearby. It is highly advisable to engage with and defeat the monsters within that mechanic.

  You can also click Reset Stag option to fully reset the current zone, allowing you to repeatedly farm the seasonal content. Although the legendary drops from the mechanic are not always abundant every single time, clearing it a few times is definitely well worth the effort.

  Treasure Trove

  Treasure Troves are golden portals scattered across the campaign maps. Completing one for the first time rewards you with a passive point.

  Each act contains two Troves; if you miss one, you will permanently lose those passive points. Once you enter a Treasure Trove, you will find a large number of monsters inside. This is one of the few places during the campaign where you should stop and clear the area thoroughly.

  Additionally, the first clear of each Trove guarantees a legendary item drop. You do not need to farm them deliberately, but if the dropped item suits your character, equip it straight away.

  Every act has two Treasure Troves, and these pieces of gear can provide tremendous assistance - you might even use them throughout the entire campaign, so do not skip them.

  Levelling

  During the campaign, pay special attention to acquiring and equipping Support Gems and Auras. When the empty skill slot prompt appears on the interface, fill it without delay. Keep upgrading your gear as you go: pick up new items, compare their highlights, and if they offer more damage or defence, swap them in immediately.

  For any useless equipment, you can use the Recycle option below the inventory bar and then select the item you wish to break down. This is the game's primary method of discarding items - you obtain materials through recycling rather than gold. You can also recycle multiple items in one go.

  The above are some points you should keep in mind for the new season of Torchlight: Infinite. For first-time players, completing the campaign may take several hours; however, once you become familiar with the skills and the route, that time can shrink to one or two hours. By then, you will be ready to try out other characters as well.

• Stop Stacking HP Only! Torchlight Infinite SS13 Defense Mechanics Guide: Complete Roadmap from Story to Deep Space

  As a popular ARPG, each season update of Torchlight Infinite undoubtedly attracts a large number of new players to the game. With the latest SS13, Afterlight, only a week away from release, many Torchlight Infinite players often mistakenly believe that defense is simply a matter of stacking high HP.

  However, in actual high-difficulty content, this simplistic approach often leads to disastrous results.

  Therefore, we must re-evaluate our understanding of defense in Torchlight Infinite before SS13 arrives, so that we can stand firm at any difficulty level in Afterlight.

  Early Gameplay and Before T7

  In the early stages of the upcoming SS13 story, and before we climb to T7, building a strong defense mechanic doesn't warrant excessive effort.

  Because monster damage is relatively low at this stage, players only need to follow mainstream build guides, acquiring some basic health through gear and a small amount of Resistance through crafting.

  Therefore, a wiser strategy is to focus resources on improving map clearing speed and damage output, as quickly eliminating enemies is the most effective defense at this stage.

  Additionally, you need to focus on accumulating basic currencies like Torchlight Infinite Flame Elementium during this phase to lay the economic foundation for crafting core gear after T7.

  In short, from the start of SS13 to T7, you only need to ensure your damage is sufficient to one-shot monsters; defensive attributes are secondary.

  

  T7 to T8

  Once you successfully reach T7 in SS13 and begin preparing for T8, you'll find the game significantly more difficult than at the beginning. That's when you should consciously build a defensive system for your build in Torchlight Infinite.

  For T7, a crucial defensive requirement is that you cannot allow your three types of Resistance (Fire, Lightning, and Cold Resistance) to fall below 60%. In the game, Resistance directly reduces damage taken; 60% Resistance means a 60% reduction in elemental damage.

  Furthermore, at this stage you can consider temporarily delaying the accumulation of Erosion Resistance, as its damage contribution is not as high as the three types mentioned above.

  Simultaneously, you need to actively increase your life pool through equipment affixes, such as maximum life and flat life on rings and chest armor.

  The introduction of Block mechanic is another milestone at this stage: Block chances should be applied separately to attacks and spells. Ideally, prioritize stacking spell blocks to 100%, as spell damage in Torchlight Infinite is often more lethal.

  The default Block effect reduces damage by 30%, but this can be increased to 60% through specific talents and equipment.

  In conjunction with Blocks, you can also introduce Regain mechanic, which instantly restores a certain percentage of life or a shield when you hit an enemy. This differs completely from traditional Regeneration and is a powerful survival tool that relies on attack frequency.

  In addition to the above, you can consider activating Tenacity Blessing to provide 4% damage reduction per stack and equipping a defensive pet to further reduce the damage taken.

  Upon entering T8

  After entering Tier 8, besides the basic Resistance and Block, we need to choose Armor or Evasion as the core physical damage reduction layer based on your build direction.

  Given that Armor has certain limitations in its effect against elemental damage, you can consider using Ember Armor or specific legendary equipment to improve your defense against elemental damage.

  Evasion, by default, provides an additional 40% reduction in spell damage and works exceptionally well with Blur and Deflection.

  Blur is an independent buff that provides a damage avoidance chance based on Blur value - each point of Blur provides a 0.25% damage avoidance chance, so a base of 100 points would provide a 25% chance to avoid damage.

  Of course, Blur is not permanent; it decays by 10 points per second over time. However, you can continuously generate Blur through actions such as the movement effect of Eternal Sea Fog or Valerie's Night Stroll.

  Similar to Blur, Deflection grants an 8% damage reduction per stack, stacking up to three times. However, being hit resets the stack count, requiring you to acquire it through Lightning Striker's Sacrum and Feline Steps.

  In summary, you need to make Armor and Evasion complement each other in SS13 T8, combining them with Blur and Deflection to create a multi-layered defensive damage reduction system.

  

  Profound and Deep Space

  Once you've finally made it to Profound and Deep Spaces in SS13, Torchlight Infinite will be even more stringent in its considerations regarding your defenses.

  First, you must push the three elemental Resistances mentioned above to the 90% cap, while simultaneously starting to stack Erosion Resistance according to your budget.

  In these challenging phases, you can no longer just stack up Blocks randomly; you must reach a hard requirement of 100%. Otherwise, you will have no chance of survival when facing monsters with much higher damage than before.

  On top of these, you must introduce more advanced damage reduction layers into your build.

  For example, Light Hunter Belt is a very useful item when your mana is low, as it provides additional damage reduction, or using Injury Buffer to convert some instantaneous damage into damage over time to avoid instant death

  Furthermore, in these two high-difficulty phases, the mechanism of converting physical damage to elemental damage is crucial for builds lacking physical defense.

  In short, your defensive system in Torchlight Infinite should never be static; it must be dynamically adjusted based on the difficulty level and the characteristics of your build. Understanding the strategy at each step will definitely help you perform better in the upcoming SS13!