Halls of Torment Ability Tier List – Best Abilities for each character

Abilities are secondary means of attacking in Halls of Torment. You can obtain them by picking up Scrolls of Mastery, which are shining golden scrolls that will occasionally drop when you defeat elite enemies. They can also be found randomly on the map. Each ability has its own traits, and I found that some work better than others, depending on which character I play. Here is a tier list of the best abilities for each character in Halls of Torment.

Ability Tier List for Halls of Torment

All Abilities in Halls of Torment ranked

We ranked abilities based on how they work individually. Note that some abilities might perform better or worse depending on which character you play. We will cover individual characters and the best abilities for each of them in the paragraph below.

S Tier

Radiant Aura

Radiant Aura casts a light circle around the character, distributing its damage equally among all enemies in its range. It is automatically cast in intervals. It can be upgraded to deal 20% more damage at the cost of a 15% smaller radius, which is what I usually take. In my opinion, Radiant Aura is one of the most valuable abilities in Halls of Torment. Due to the game's nature, I am constantly getting surrounded by enemies. Being able to attack these enemies all at once is extremely useful, so I make sure to have this ability on most of my characters.

Astronomer's Orbs

Another beast of an ability, Astronomer's Orbs gives you three orbs that constantly orbit around your character, dealing damage to anything in their path. Their damage output can be upgraded via traits, which I also recommend. Coupled with Radiant Aura on a close-range character, this Ability will make you a true powerhouse.

Related: Halls of Torment Gold Farm Guide

A Tier

Arcane Splinters

I like taking Arcane Splinters with an Archer due to their innate high crit chance. This ability fires ranged projectiles in a vertical spread pattern with the option to have their firing rate and crit chance upgraded.

Dragon's Breath

Dragon's Breath is an ability that emits a wave of fire in the direction you're facing at the time it ticks. The fire has a high chance of setting enemies ablaze. I never felt like it did too much damage, but its real utility lies in its knockback, which can push enemies away and get me out of tight spots.

B Tier

Meteor Strike

Meteor Strikes fire three projectiles in an arc in a random direction, exploding upon impact and dealing AoE damage. Unfortunately, they fire automatically in set intervals, which means you can't control them. If you take Scattered Debris, projectiles will become cluster bombs, carrying smaller meteors that spread out after an initial explosion.

Phantom Needles

This ability fires needles at random nearby enemies in quick succession. If you choose this ability and then choose Multihit, keep in mind that this trait will stack on this Ability, increasing its attack speed. It's a rather average ability that only starts to shine after you unlock Phantom Split, which makes projectiles split upon impact.

Ring Blades

This ability flings two blades that alternate left and right from your character. They do decent damage, but I find them rather limited by their range. I recommend taking Piercing Blades as soon as possible because it adds two more blades to the cycle, adds magic damage, and can also apply the Fragile status to enemies.

C Tier

Kugelblitz

Kugelblitz fires a slow-moving ball of electricity toward a random enemy. The ball will periodically emit an electric pulse in regular intervals damaging enemies around it. High Voltage makes this Ability a bit more interesting because it allows the ball to produce chain lightning around it. I personally never pick this Ability due to its overall low damage output and because it lacks in reach.

Summon Golem

This ability can summon a clay golem that fights at your side. It starts by rolling in a circular motion and damages all enemies in its way. It works better when upgraded with one of the traits that will infuse it with lightning or fire elemental damages, respectively.

Lightning Strike

Lightning Strike is a rather mediocre ability that fires off multiple bolts of lightning at randomly chosen enemies. It can also stun the enemies around the ones that got hit by the bolt, but its AoE is too small to create a significant impact, especially during larger enemy waves.

Related: Best Items for each class in Halls of Torment

D Tier

Transfixion

Transfixion is potentially the least powerful ability in Halls of Torment, firing projectiles in the direction your character is facing. The projectile can go through multiple enemies but deals more damage after each successive hit. Both of its upgrades provide an additional projectile fired in the opposite direction your character faces, applying afflictions, but the ability still does subpar damage and doesn't affect many enemies. In my opinion, Transfixion should be avoided most of the time.

Best Abilities for each character in Halls of Torment

We composed a list of the best abilities for each character in Halls of Torment individually. Your choice may differ depending on your playstyle and preferences, so nothing's set in stone. We will update this list if any new characters get released in future updates of the game.

Looking for more guides to help you fight off waves of enemies in Halls of Torment? You've come to the right place, Pro Game Guides keeps your items safe! Check out How to get the Token of Pain in Halls of Torment and Halls of Torment Cupbearer Guide & Location.