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The best Halls of Torment build depends on your character, unlocked gear, and preferred damage style. Pocket Gamer’s guide, updated October 5, 2026 for version 1.1.1495, recommends five options: a flexible beginner template, plus builds for the Swordsman, Archer, Exterminator, and Cleric. Treat them as starting points rather than fixed recipes: equipment and upgrades can vary, and patches may change what works.
Which Halls of Torment build should you choose?
Use your available equipment and the way you want to deal damage as your first filters. The beginner template is the most flexible; the character builds call for more specific items and favor different damage patterns.
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| Build | Best fit | Core damage approach |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner template | Early-game players without specialized gear, Blessings, or Compendium bonuses | Exterminator example focused on burn damage |
| Swordsman | Players who want a mix of close-range power and broad coverage | Attack speed, damage, and area of effect |
| Archer | Players who like moving, kiting groups, and building around critical hits | Projectiles and critical chance/bonus |
| Exterminator | Players who want to emphasize fire damage | Burn chance and damage, with a crit alternative |
| Cleric | Players who want area damage and piercing rather than a crit-focused setup | Radiant Aura, area, and attack speed |
Before committing, consider whether you have the build’s named items, how much mobility and survivability you want, and the difficulty and patch you are playing. Pocket Gamer’s recommendations do not establish a universally best build or independently verified performance ranking.
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This is a starting framework for players who do not yet have the gear or progression bonuses required by more specialized setups. The guide uses the Exterminator as its example, but the point is flexibility, not a claim that every early-game player should use that character.
#1 Best Overall
- Equipment foundation: Plated Boots and Plated Armor.
- Abilities: Dragon’s Breath and Flame Strike.
- Early priorities: Burn chance and burn damage, followed by force and attack speed.
- Other useful priorities: Movement speed and defensive stats to help stay alive.
The guide identifies Dragon’s Breath burn as the main damage source in this setup. Its reported end-of-run damage is not a general expectation; results depend on the run and its upgrades.
2. Swordsman build: attack speed and area coverage
The Swordsman setup combines attack speed and damage with area-of-effect scaling. Wind Crown is the recommended core helmet, while the remaining slots give some room to adjust.
Equipment
- Helmet: Wind Crown.
- Amulet: Collar of Confidence.
- Chest: Blood-Soaked Shirt.
- Gloves: Quickhand Gloves.
- Boots: Spike Boots or Berserker Boots.
- Rings: Guiding Star with Echoing Band, or the guide’s listed alternatives.
Abilities and priorities
The guide recommends Radiant Aura, Astronomer’s Orbs, Lightning Strikes, and either Flame Strike or Transfixion. Prioritize attack speed and area, then build crit, pickup range, and survivability as the run requires.
3. Archer build: projectiles and critical hits
The Archer is the clearest choice among these five if you want a build centered on critical hits. Its recommended approach uses projectiles to damage enemies while moving and kiting groups.
Equipment
- Helmet: Wind Crown.
- Amulet: Blood Catcher.
- Chest: Blood-Soaked Shirt.
- Gloves: Quickhand Gloves.
- Boots: Running Boots or Berserker Boots.
- Rings: Choose from the ring options listed in the guide.
Abilities and priorities
Start with Phantom Needles, then take Lightning Strikes, Transfixion, and Flame Strike. Emphasize critical chance and critical bonus, followed by damage, attack speed, force, and movement speed. Mobility supports the build’s kiting approach; it is not a substitute for dealing enough damage.
4. Exterminator build: make burn the focus
This version of the Exterminator emphasizes fire and burn effects. Flame Crown, Ring of Fire, and Flame Strike form its fire-focused core, with area and burn chance especially important early in the run.
Rank #3
Equipment
- Helmet: Flame Crown.
- Amulet: Collar of Confidence.
- Chest: Blazing Shell.
- Gloves: Sparking Tips.
- Boots: Firewalker Boots.
- Rings and mark: Use the guide’s listed alternatives; Mark of the Arrow is its suggested option for a crit-oriented variation.
Abilities and priorities
Take Dragon’s Breath, Flame Strike, Astronomer’s Orbs, and Lightning Strikes. Build area and burn chance early. The Mark of the Arrow variation is an alternative approach, not the defining focus of the burn setup.
5. Cleric build: scale area and piercing, not crit
The Cleric entry is the “cool cleric” side of the title, but it is not a critical-hit build. The guide’s goal is Wind Crown paired with Radiant Aura, using area scaling, piercing, and attack speed to strengthen the setup.
Equipment
- Helmet: Wind Crown.
- Amulet: Collar of Confidence or Jade Amulet.
- Chest: Hunter’s Garb or Blood-Soaked Shirt.
- Gloves: Quickhand Gloves or Hunting Gloves.
- Boots: Spike Boots or Electrostatic Treads.
- Ring: Guiding Star or Seal of Rebirth.
Abilities and priorities
Use Radiant Aura, Lightning Strikes, Phantom Needles, and Astronomer’s Orbs. Prioritize attack speed and damage, then area and range; the guide also lists force and pickup as useful stats. If you specifically want crits, the Archer is the more direct recommendation, while the Swordsman includes crit among several priorities.
Rank #4
How patch changes affect these recommendations
Chasing Carrots’ October 5, 2026 announcement describes changes on the experimental branch and says a main update was planned for October 22. The announced changes include a weekly Challenge Shrine, a kill-count mode, Compendium statistics, and balance adjustments. Until a change is confirmed in the main branch, its experimental numbers should not be treated as current game constants.
- The experimental announcement listed 50% more enemy health.
- It changed the additional enemy health and defense per Torment level from 9% to 10%.
- It raised stage kill targets from 12,000 to 30,000.
- It described movement as about 20% faster for most characters and about 10% faster for Norseman.
Those are figures from the announcement about experimental changes, not independently measured results. For current play, check which branch and version you are running and whether the announced changes have reached it. A change to enemy durability, movement, or progression can alter how a build feels without making any one recommendation permanently best.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Pocket Gamer: Top 5 builds in Halls of Torment – Of cool clerics and crippling crits (updated October 5, 2026; version 1.1.1495).
- Halls of Torment on Steam.
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