Find out here what equipment values you should pay attention to for your armor in Diablo 4, how much armor you need, and which value you should rather avoid.
The deeper you dive into Diablo 4, the more it resembles a math essay. This applies to many values, especially armor.
You can find the basics of armor calculation here on MeinMMO. You will also receive recommendations on which values you should focus on and why elemental resistances do not belong to that.
To be able to assess armor values well, you need to activate two important settings in Diablo 4. More on this in the short video:
Diablo 4: Armor value in detail
How does the armor value work? The Diablo experts from the site Maxroll.gg have broken down which computational backgrounds are important for the armor value (in English via maxroll.gg). Here are some facts you can remember (applies to PvE content):
- Armor reduces incoming physical damage by up to 85%
- 50% of this reduction applies to elemental damage (cold, fire, lightning, poison, shadow)
- Each point of “armor” gives you a percentage reduction in damage
- These percentages decrease with increasing level – you need more armor
- Armor progresses “linearly” with item power (example leg armor: power = armor)
- If opponents are higher level than you, the damage reduction from armor decreases
How much armor do you need? The current data situation is still not optimal. However, there are already initial estimates and a picture from a developer stream helps with the calculations:
The graphic shows how much percentage of incoming damage is reduced when you have 1 armor value. It is clearly visible how this value decreases with each increasing level.
To reach the maximum of 85%, you will therefore need a higher armor value with each level. The following examples are approximate values:
- Level 20: 0.0525% per point
- 2425 armor for 85%
- Level 25: 0.042% per point
- 2930 armor for 85%
- Level 100: 0.011% per point
- 7300 armor for 85%
These values, however, apply to opponents who are exactly at your level. In hell tide events or nightmare dungeons, opponents can hit you at level 150 – here the data situation is currently still unclear.
Your resistance to elemental damage is reduced by 50% in PvE. So you can only build up a maximum of 42.5% resistance to this type of damage via the normal armor value.
Two values are the focus
Which values are important? You should keep an eye on two values:
- Armor value
- Damage reduction
The damage reduction value reduces incoming damage. Only on this reduced damage are the 85% damage resistance of your armor value calculated.
You can increase your armor value with skull jewels, the legendary “Aspect of Disobedience”, and there are percentage increases on your equipment pieces:
- Leg armor
- Head armor
- Chest armor
- Amulet
Damage reduction can be obtained from many sources: skills, aspects, equipment – keep an eye out for this value. There are not only normal reductions but also special values such as “damage reduction from bleeding enemies”.
However, this value does not accumulate, but multiplies. The following example:
- Chest armor: 10% damage reduction
- Leg armor: 10% damage reduction
- Shoes: 10% damage reduction against injured enemies
The damage reduction from uninjured enemies is then 19%. The increase decreases with each additional reduction. Injured enemies cause 27.1% less damage in this example.
However, there are also situations where the percentages are added – when the corresponding damage reduction comes from the same source. This is the case, for example, with the wizard skill “Mana Shield”: Each time you use 100 mana, you gain 5% damage reduction for 5 seconds.
You should neglect elemental resistances
Which value should be discarded? Resistances against elements. Values like “resistance against: shadow” or “resistance against all damage types” are less effective in comparison.
The calculation works very similarly to damage reduction, and the values are accordingly multiplied. However, elemental resistance is drastically reduced in Diablo 4 – always by at least 50%.
If you play at World Tier 3 or 4, it is even harsher. Elemental resistance is further reduced by 20% at Tier 3 and by 40% at Tier 4.
Since your normal armor value and the damage reduction value already reduce incoming elemental damage, focus on these values instead and avoid elemental resistances on your equipment.
More tips and all our guides to Diablo 4 can be found here on MeinMMO – Diablo 4 Guides: All Tips, Tricks, and Builds in Overview
