Mastering Armor and Resistances in Diablo 4

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In Diablo 4, gearing up isn't solely about increasing damage output. If players are unable to withstand enemy attacks, their damage output becomes irrelevant. This is where defensive stats, such as armor and resistances, play a crucial role.

Diablo 4: Armor vs. Resistances

In Diablo 4, damage resistance is not just about stacking one particular stat. While there are multiple sources of resistance, players need to understand how they work and choose the appropriate gear accordingly. Simply stacking too much of one stat may not always provide the desired outcome, which is why it's important to have a comprehensive understanding of the mechanics behind damage resistance.

To put it in simpler terms, Armor is effective against Physical Damage, whereas Resistances offer protection against Elemental Damage. However, understanding how these stats interact with each other and their impact on building a character can be a bit perplexing.

Armor in Diablo 4 not only reduces Physical damage, but also reduces incoming Elemental damage by half of its Physical damage reduction value, as stated in the in-game tooltip. However, increasing the game's difficulty will decrease the effectiveness of all resistances. To prevent players from becoming too powerful in the late game, Diablo 4 utilizes a harsh diminishing returns formula for resistances. Equipping two rings with 20% Fire Resistance will not result in a total resist value of 40%, as resistances are not additive. Depending on the player's current level of protection, they may only see a minimal increase of 2-3% or even less. Additionally, the Elemental Resistance value shown in the character sheet includes the value added by Armor, making the actual amount of Elemental Resistance provided by items lower than what is indicated.

Having Elemental Resistance stats on items can create a dilemma for players. It's recommended to steer clear of them as substats unless protection values are exceptionally low, particularly on Torment difficulty. This is because it can be challenging to reach the 50% resistance mark. Essentially, players with low resistance values against a specific Elemental damage type will benefit most from bonus Elemental Resistance stats. However, once resist values hit the 40% mark, stacking Elemental Resistances will provide little advantage. In these instances, it's more beneficial to focus on stacking Life or Armor instead.

Damage Reduction

Damage Reduction effects work in conjunction with Armor and Resistances to reduce incoming damage when certain conditions are met. Unlike Armor and Resistances, Damage Reduction stacks multiplicatively with other protection modifiers and is not limited to a specific type of damage. However, if players equip multiple sources that activate off the same condition, such as Damage from Bleeding or Damage while Fortified, Damage Reduction will stack additively.

To maximize their chances of survival, players should aim to stack all three defensive effects. However, when it comes to prioritizing gear stats, elemental resistances should only be given priority if a certain element is causing frequent deaths. Diablo 4 is currently available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.