MY ENGINEER BUILD FOR ELITE with one hand weapon + shield - by Imada

Torchlight II★ 4 · 95 ratings6.5k views244 favorites6 min readby ImadaUpdated Nov 1, 2025View on Steam ↗

TABLE OF CONTENT:

1 - INTRODUCTION
2 - SKILLS
3 - LEVELING
4 - ROTATION
5 - HOTKEYS
6 - STATS
7 - ENCHANTING
8 - SPELLS
9 - PET SPELLS
10- HINTS
11- BEST SOCKETS
12 - VIDEO
13 - OTHER GUIDES

1 - INTRODUCTION

My first engineer build used a two handed weapon. It was a nice build, but after I posted about it, I received some critics that made the build even better. Thanks to these critics, now I'm playing an engineer with an one hand weapon and a shield. It's really better.
This build is completly viable for elite and fun to play. Consider playing it in the internet, once you'll be a great tank for embermages, outlanders and bersekers.

2 - SKILLS:

BLITZ
Seismic Slam 15
Onslaught 5
Emberquake 15
Supercharge 15

CONSTRUCTION
Healing Bot 15
Fire and Spark 15
Charge Domination 1

AEGIS
Forcefield 15
Immobilization Copter 15
Sword and Board 1
Charge Reconstitution 1

There's 19 skill points left. Where to spend them?
Personally I like to put this points at Bulwark 15 and Aegis of Fate 4, even knowing that at late game in elite, armor is not very important and most protection comes from damage reduction from skulls of limoany, and also knowing that aegis of fate doesn't proc while the forcefield is up. But I belive that the main objective of an engineer in a group is to tank, and these skills helps a little.
Some people likes to spend 15 skill points in dynamo field for the charge generation.
You may also consider investing some more points in Onslaught and charge reconstitution.
Sledgebot and gun bot are also good options.

3 - LEVELING:

As soon as possible, take the skill point from flame hammer and put it at Healing Bot.

Priorities to spend skill points:
1 - getting the first level of any skill of the build
2 - getting the level 5 of active skills
3 - getting level 15 of healing bot and forcefield
4 - for the fourth priority, spend points as you wish

You'll have a hard time until you get your first level of emberquake. Until then, try to play in groups at the internet.

Do NOT spare health and mana potions and always have a stock of them.

When at new game +, you'll really need to farm 10 riechliu and 6 to 9 limoany before going to new game ++. The precise amount depends if you have or not bulwark (see "best sockets" section). Research the metods to farm the phase beast challenge "avoid the lava" for riechliu and "protect the crystals" for limoany.

4 - ROTATION:

1 - When entering a new area, cast healing bot and immobilization copter
2 - Forcefield if the shield is down.
3 - Onslaught to aproach enemies
4 - Seismic Slam
5 - Emberquake until you have 25% or less mana
6 - Auto-attack for 5 seconds, then return to 2

While you don't have emberquake, you'll basically onslaught to aproach enemies, seismic slam to aply the damage over time effect, and then run like a chicken till you have to aply the dot again.

5 - HOTKEYS:

I like to put the healing bot and immobilization copter at the bar and at the right click I rotate between skills using the hotkeys F1 (forcefield), F2 (onslaught), F3 (seismic slam) and F4 (emberquake). The left click is only for auto-attack, movimentation and picking up itens.

6 - STATS:

Every level, put 1 stat point in DEX, 2 points in FOCUS and 2 points in VIT. After DEX reaches 53, start spending every level 3 points in FOCUS and 2 points in VIT.
Why so much points in focus?
Seismic slam and emberquake are the main source of damage. Seismic slam deals fire damage, which means STR does not increase it's elemental damage, but focus does. And besides emberquake deal 67% of you weapon DPS, it also deals 1528 fire damage. It means that your weapon DPS multiplied by 0,67 should be bigger than 1528 to STR be more effective than FOCUS for your emberquake damage. It only would happen with a weapon with 2400 or more DPS, and no weapon has that much DPS.
Why DEX 53?
DEX 53 gives 10% dodge and 10% critical chance.

7 - ENCHANTING:

When enchanting your items at end game, you'll need to enchant your mondon's trinckets with a total +200 STR to be able to use some Outcore set itens. When you have all BIS itens, search for Boris the stout and enchant two trinckets with at least +100 STR each. Then enchant each of your other items with 3 enchantments of +FOCUS.
Then search for Mooritz of the Desert and enchant your weapon with 3 enchantmens of +fire damage (NOT fire damage per second).
After that search for Karzoki the All-Powerful and give each of your itens any random fourth enchantment. You'll need at least 10 million gold to get all enchantments you need.

8 - SPELLS:

Blocking VI
Weapon Expertise VI
Concentration VI
Haste VI or Adrenaline Rush III, but I personally like Armor Expertise VI although is not very effective

9 - PET SPELLS:

Heal All VI
Summon Nether Imp V
Summon Skeleton VI
Summon Zombies VI

10 - HINTS:

1 - Keep any VENDOR BOON SCROLL to use it only when you have a lot of money (at least 700000 gold) and at an area level 100 or more (like Tarroch's Tomb at new game +). Then you may have the chance to buy many best-in-slot itens.
2 - Use a town portal at the beginning of each dungeon before adventuring in it.
3 - Don't be surprised if you die a lot of times. It's ELITE difficulty.
If you're dying to much on a boss, grind before facing him again. Explore all the map, do other dungeons, so you can gain some levels and find some items. If it was not enough, re-roll your map starting a lan or internet game with this option active, and grind some more.

11 - BEST SOCKETS:

Weapon sockets:
4x Vellinque Skulls (increasing your weapond damage increases your skills damage)
or 1x rambren and 3x vellinque

Armor/Trincket sockets:
adding extra sockets to items with less than 2 sockets and with a shield, we'll have 22-24 armor sockets. The amount of limoanys and riechlius depends if you spent or not 15 skill points in bulwark. The BIS itens will give 4% DR.
Also, I just learned that engineers have a natural 25% damage reduction.
If you have bulwark level 15:
Use 10 skulls of Riechliu and 6 skulls of limoany and 6 wfuntir
If you don't have bulwark:
Use 10 skulls of Riechliu and 9 skulls of limoany and 3 wfuntir