Today, I'm breaking down my league starter tier list for Torchlight: Infinite's SS8 Sandlord League. This list is based on the patch notes and my thoughts on which builds will perform best at the start of the league, especially when pushing to Tier 8 where you can begin making currency efficiently.

Just to be clear—this is my opinion. Some of the builds ranked lower could still clear all content in the game. I'm just trying to give a safe and reliable overview of what looks strong going into the new league, based on the info we have.

Thea 3 - Strong New Hero

Let's start with the new hero, Thea 3. As usual with new heroes, she looks overtuned, which isn't surprising since the developers want people to try her out.

One of the biggest things about Thea 3 is her stacking multiplicative damage buff. If you have any source of "gain blessing on hit," you'll be able to stack this buff fast, up to 15 or 25 times, depending on your setup. That means you're looking at a big increase in damage right out of the gate.

While we're not exactly sure what her leveling experience will be like, she seems flexible. You might use haunting abomination, shadow shot, or even melee attacks similar to other Thea versions. The devs also added new gear to help with her progression, though it's unclear if it drops early in the campaign or from higher-tier bosses.

Overall, Thea 3 should be an easy, smooth, and powerful league starter.

DOT Builds Still Strong - Affliction Scaling Remains Untouched

Affliction scaling hasn't been nerfed, so DOT builds are still in a really strong spot. Anything that relies on damage over time is going to perform well.

This includes characters like Yuga 2 (Space-Time Elapse). She got a nice little buff at level 45, with a new trait that improves her bossing potential. There's also another new node you can use if you're not relying on curse effects as much, which is good since curse scaling was nerfed a while back.

The only small nerf to Yuga was that Mind Control lost a bit of movement speed. It's not a huge deal—you can make up for it through other sources like blurry steps or gear, but you might need to adjust your tree slightly.

Rayne (Whirlwind and Burst) - Still Great

Rayne (Rahan) builds, especially Whirlwind and Burst, were really strong last league, and they haven't been touched much this patch. The only nerf was again a minor movement speed reduction, which won't affect how well the builds perform overall.

If you liked Rayne last league, you'll probably enjoy it again this time around. It's still a smooth build with good damage and clear speed. Several high-end players pushed this build through all content, so it's viable.

Iris 1 - Stronger Than Expected

When Iris 2 came out, people thought Iris 1 might fall behind. But actually, Iris 1 is looking really solid.

One big change is that a node that used to limit you to one spirit using an ultimate can now support two. This gives her a noticeable damage boost. Minion skill level scaling also got buffed—from 8% to 12% per level, and that extra damage adds up, especially since most people hit level 30 on those.

There's also the Friend Nemesis chest. It used to be Turna-exclusive and only for Frost Iris, but now it's in the general drop pool and has been reworked. It now gives 40% extra skill damage, which is massive. Expect this chest to be much easier to find, too.

So yeah, Iris 1 is back in a big way.

Iris 2 - Small Nerfs, Still Viable

Iris 2 took a couple of hits. The damage bonus from breeze stacks has been lowered, and Whirlwind Tango (which lets you spam ultimates while inside your spirit) got nerfed too.

These changes reduce her damage by a fair amount—around 45% from breeze, plus potentially another 50% if you're still trying to use Whirlwind Tango. Most people will probably drop Whirlwind Tango altogether and use Breezy's Whisper instead.

That said, she was overperforming before, so even after these nerfs, she'll still be playable. You'll just need to adjust your playstyle and expect slightly slower clear times.

Summary of Other Changes

• DOT builds - Still very good because affliction scaling wasn't changed. This keeps builds like Space-Time Elapse and other damage-over-time setups in a strong spot.

• Rayne Whirlwind/Burst - Minor movement speed nerf, but otherwise untouched. Still a top-tier starter.

• Yuga 2 - Got a small bossing buff and lost a bit of movement speed. Still solid overall.

• Thea 3 - Very strong starter option, with flexible leveling and high damage thanks to stacking buffs.

• Iris 1 - Big buffs across the board, especially for summoners. Should be one of the best pet builds this league.

• Iris 2 - Nerfed, but still okay. Just don't rely on Whirlwind Tango for damage anymore.

Final Thoughts

This list isn't meant to say any specific build is unplayable. Pretty much every build in Torchlight: Infinite can work with the right gear and planning. And buy cheapest Torchlight Infinite Flame Elementium and Torchlight Infinite Currency from MMOexp shop, our service 24/7 online and help you so fast.

MMOexp Torchlight Infinite Team