Survivability is a critical factor in Path of Exile 2 (PoE 2), especially as you move into higher difficulty levels and face endgame content. When ranking skills, it’s not only about damage and utility but also about how well your character can survive against overwhelming odds. Defensive skills, which can improve your ability to tank hits, avoid damage, or regenerate EZNPC health, play a pivotal role in how long you can last in combat. In this article, we’ll explore how skills are ranked based on survivability and defense in PoE 2.

What is Survivability in PoE 2?

Survivability refers to a character’s ability to withstand and recover from damage over the course of a battle. This can include things like:

Damage Mitigation: Reducing incoming damage or avoiding hits altogether (e.g., through evasion, block, or armor).

Healing: Regenerating life, energy shield, or mana during combat.

Defensive Buffs: Applying buffs that grant resistance to certain types of damage or make the player harder to hit (e.g., through status ailment immunity or increased dodge).

Crowd Control Resistance: Being able to break free from stuns, freezes, and other forms of crowd control that might leave you vulnerable.

Skills that directly influence these aspects often rank highly in survivability and are particularly crucial for players looking to tackle harder content or participate in Hardcore leagues.

Top Defensive Skills in PoE 2

Molten Shell: Molten Shell is a classic defensive skill that provides a burst of damage reduction followed by a powerful explosion when it’s triggered. The skill’s high ranking comes from its ability to mitigate significant damage during tough encounters, especially boss fights. It can make the difference between life and death when facing high-damage abilities from endgame bosses.

Vaal Grace: This skill provides a temporary but powerful evasion boost, allowing you to dodge most forms of incoming damage for a short duration. It’s a top-tier defensive skill for players who rely on evasion and mobility to stay alive. Whether in a boss fight or mapping, Vaal Grace can give you the edge when it comes to survival.

Steelskin: Similar to Molten Shell, Steelskin grants a temporary shield that absorbs a portion of incoming damage. It is typically used by builds focused on armor and physical damage mitigation, offering an additional layer of defense that scales with your total life pool. Steelskin is a valuable skill for players who focus on tanking and withstanding damage.

Flame Dash: Although not purely a defensive skill, Flame Dash provides a crucial mobility tool that helps you dodge dangerous attacks and reposition in combat. Its ability to quickly move out of danger makes it a must-have for many builds, especially for avoiding fatal hits during high-tier content.

Immortal Call: Immortal Call provides a temporary period of immunity to physical damage, making it one of the best defensive skills for high-risk situations. It’s particularly useful when dealing with massive physical damage attacks or in situations where you need a moment of invulnerability to recover or reposition.

Ranking Defensive Skills for Different Content

In PoE 2, defensive skills play a different role depending on the type of content you're tackling:

Boss Fights: When fighting endgame bosses, the most critical defensive skills are those that mitigate high burst damage or offer temporary invulnerability. Skills like "Molten Shell" or "Vaal Grace" are often ranked at the top due to their ability to reduce incoming damage or avoid it entirely. "Immortal Call" is also highly ranked for its ability to protect you during dangerous moments.

Mapping and Clear Speed: While survivability is important, speed is often key in mapping. Defensive skills like "Flame Dash" for mobility and "Steelskin" for armor-based builds allow you to quickly navigate the map and survive without slowing down your clear speed. The balance between mobility and damage mitigation becomes crucial here.

Hardcore League: In Hardcore leagues, where death is permanent, defensive skills take on even greater importance. Players may lean heavily on "Vaal Grace," "Steelskin," and other tanking abilities to ensure they survive the most dangerous encounters. Skills that offer layers of defense against all forms of damage—physical, elemental, and chaos—are the most highly ranked.

Conclusion

Ranking skills based on survivability and defense is essential for creating a character that can endure PoE 2’s toughest challenges. While raw damage and utility are important, being able to survive long enough to unleash that damage and apply utility makes all the difference in high-stakes encounters. By selecting the right defensive skills, players can ensure their success in any content the game throws at them, especially in Hardcore leagues or endgame content.