Choose the route for your current character
These are conditional routes assembled from the original client’s talent descriptions. Check prerequisites and the points you have already spent in the game before following an endpoint. [1]
| Route | Talents to inspect | What makes it work | Condition that changes the choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protection | Hallowed Ground → Ardent Defender → Hammer of the Righteous | Hammer of Justice can trigger Consecration; the shield route connects defence with damage. Hammer of the Righteous adds maximum-health scaling and a burst when a shield breaks. | Damage while shielded and damage on shield break are different conditions. Do not count both as permanently active. |
| Retribution | Critical-hit interactions → Divine Storm | A separate direction for Exorcism-related burst rather than the health-and-shield plan. | Critical-triggered effects need actual critical hits. A defensive gear setup does not automatically supply the offensive trigger rate. |
What to prioritise during the run
- Check the opening spell after changing talents. If the shield branch changes it to Hammer of Justice, draft around that start.
- For Protection, choose effects that keep the shield/health engine relevant before adding a disconnected damage branch.
- For Retribution, establish the critical-hit and Exorcism interaction before evaluating more conditional burst.
- If a run ends to sustained contact, compare recovery and shielding first. If the character survives but cannot finish a boss, invest in damage that reaches the boss.
This is an editorial choice order, not a guaranteed card sequence. The offered upgrades and your current permanent investment still determine which step is available. [1]
When the intended build is not ready
Without the shield-start milestone, Consecration is the baseline opening. A later-game retaliation example can depend on maximum health and permanent gear that a new character lacks. Take a survivable route now rather than copying an end-state allocation by name.
Before changing the whole plan, identify the failure: no room to move, too little recovery, or too little damage on the target. Change the part that addresses that failure, then compare another run with similar talents and equipment.
Check the starter and trigger before copying a build
Baseline starter: Consecration. Talents can replace it; use the route conditions above rather than treating this as the opening for every developed character. [1]
Do not replace the original’s start with an old reconstruction’s Hammer of Wrath. The documented Protection milestone changes the opening again, so always state the talent condition.
Record the game version, zone, difficulty, selected capstone, permanent equipment and the card that changed the run. Comparing two different progression states cannot establish that a single spell was better. Use the meter carefully →
Sources & verification
- Aethus · original game ↗ (external website, opens in a new tab) — Original v0.127.0 / d1c85453 public client text inspected 29 October 2026. Single-source menu and talent evidence; no completed run or damage benchmark.