All the tank that I can be

Hi folks!

I just picked up PoE, and I'm just getting my feet wet. My general 'go to' playstyle in games like this is to build myself as tanky as is possible. I like to be an unkillable juggernaut. I'm not worried about my damage output, generally. As long as I can laugh while mobs of enemies attack me, and slowly whittle them down, I'm a happy camper.

I'm seeing a lot of defensive stats in the game, and of course a HUGE skill tree. I'm just wondering what the most effective stat is, to focus on. Can I put everything into evasion and dodge most attacks? Armour? Block? Resistances? Can I make a character with a giant energy shield that enemies just can't get through? Or do I need a crafty mix of all of the above?

I'm not asking for a full build, that's way too uch time to ask of someone. Just curious what kind of gear/skills I should be picking up.

I have two different characters (that i focus on)

1. A lvl 83 Full Evasion Dual Wield Duelist.
Evasion , Acrobatics, Phase Acrobatics, Arrow Dodging, 40+ % Dual Wield Block.

Mainly uses Cyclone (with Blind) or Cleave.

2. A lvl 74 Templar going Sword and Board (Shield) with lots of Auras and Armor.
Armor, Shield with 1400+ Armor and Block-chance aimed to go over 50 % with Tempest Shield.

Using Determination, Purity, Vitality, Discipline-Auras together with Tempest Shield.


The Duelist has higher survivability atm, but as soon as the Templar reaches 83 ill do a proper comparison. :D

I personally like low life regen build. pick up
and ambus i vendord mine :D. pick up as many % life regen and life nodes as possible. Get endurance charges and cringe as you watch your life sit at 30%.

Follow neither of these. Play Etup's Ethereal Knives Marauder build, get a Kaom's Heart, Stack life to 10000+ with 2k+ regen and just laugh all day long. Or, play Invalesco's Low-Life Shavronne's Righteous Fire build, stack ES to 10000+ with 3-4k+ regen, and nuke shit into the ground before you can type /laugh. These are pretty much the two tankiest builds in the game. Maybe Kripparian's Freeze Pulse build comes close but I believe these two blow it out of the water. Although, a Pure ES Chaos Innoculation build could get up to 16-17k ES reasonably easily, and that would let you laugh a long time :p

I am currently level 73 Shield and wand Templar. I have 73% Block and 25% against spells. I still need Stone of Laz amulet that gives 50% of Block Chance.

As far as I can tell my build works well. But in any build I don't think you can be tanky without Choas Innoculation. So build a build around getting this item. Which will take me forever to get with my current build path after getting all of the Block nodes. Also mid-level leveling is very difficult.

So you have a choice:

1. Get all of the health nodes type build. And out damage them before they damage you.

2. Block build which you must have a shield to use items that have chance of block against spells.

3. Try the evade path so they miss all the time. But I don't think you can evade spells which usually have a 100 percent hit chance. I could be wrong tho.



P.S.In any build you must deal with Chaos Damge.

CI makes you very weak against lightening you will get constantly shock stacked and chilled, its rather annoying.

Althought those builds are nice getting kaoms and shavronnes is difficult and not everyone can afford them, by all means if you can then do those builds you wont make any that are tankier. Another build to think of is using aegis with high block and decent energy shield, that is also again rather expensive.

if you want a cheap tanky build though try out the springleaf low life regen. its pretty fun and people always comment on how sketchy your life gets when running docks or maps.