How to survive the elite difficulty in Torchlight 2

torchlight-2

I'm trying for the third or fourth time to make it through the Elite difficult level in Torchlight 2, and as usual, I'm unable to proceed past the second stage of act 1 (the Estherian Steppes). This time through I'm trying out a two-handed engineer, which I've had good success with on other difficulty levels. However, my character simply cannot stay alive against the monsters I'm fighting. The Healing Bot, for example, simply cannot provide enough heal points fast enough, and I inevitably run out of healing potions.

My problems typically go one of two ways:

  1. I load up on defense points (Vitality), but this results in a noodle armed character who cannot deal near enough damage to make progress.

  2. I load up on offense points (Strength), but this makes my character extremely vulnerable, especially to mobs and champion monsters. The damage I deal is still considerably less than it would be in a lower difficulty level.

Long story short, what should I be focusing on to survive (and eventually beat) the game in Elite difficulty? I know the game says I should expect to die a lot at this difficult level, but the brick wall I find myself up against seems impassible.

Best Answer

Firstly this mode WILL require you to be carefule more than the others. The damage spike from the monsters means you are vulnerable to be OHKO(One-hit KO) with certain monsters. The difficulty is visible from the beginning. So here is the excerpt from a thread I had started on the official forums HCE help/guidelines. Credits to miniminionette on runic games forums

  1. Always kite the mobs around. You'll take too much damage if you stick to one place. Every class has some form of escape mechanism, ala, "oh shit" buttons; learn to use them effectively in the offense/defense.

  2. Every class has some form of Crowd Control, whether through slows, stuns, immobilization or other effects. Use them efficiently!

  3. Summons are your HCE char's best friend!~ Always have 2 - 3 summon spells on your pet to help mitigate some damage.

  4. During Boss Fights, focus on the trash mobs first, boss later. They do more damage than the boss due to their quantity.

  5. Always let your pet start every battle if you are unfamiliar with the boss mechanics. Don't leeroy the fight. Study the battlefield.

  6. If you cant stack ADR (all damage reduction), stack % Reflect Gems on your gear instead; most of the damage you'll receive will be ranged attacks.

  7. A shield is your best friend, always have one in handy for very tight fights.

  8. Target Priority during trash mobs are:Chargers, Casters, Mobbers and anything else. Chargers first because casters in general have predictable attacks and you can avoid them, chargers can sometimes put you in corners leading to death.

  9. Always be at least 3 - 5 levels ahead of the mobs; those extra levels help.

  10. Town Portal whenever possible; no shame in running away to fight another day.

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