On Templar armor and the energy shield/armor nodes.

1. Does anyone find the Armor/ES nodes more useful than straight up armor nodes and Iron Reflexes? I can either get the top left series of nodes of Armor/ES in Templar area or go to Iron Reflexes. I have no armor nodes though.

2. Does anyone else find Templar armor to be deficient compared to other armor of the same level?

Seems like we get very little armor for very little energy shield. Maybe it just seems that way to me though.