unique items *no longer updated*

I run two block builds, neither uses Lazhwar. Maybe I'm not 'serious' enough, but there are so many better options than spell block for any given character.

I'd absolutely consider the new amulet for one of the builds, though.

Spell block is awesome but to say that the new amulet is useless on block builds because it doesn't have spell block is silly.

I have two block builds and would love to run the new amulet on either.

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guvnor wrote:

Spell block isn't important tbf. Spells can easily be mitigated by resistances.

"Easily." Megaera and Temple Piety would love to have word with you. As well as any spellcaster (Voidbearers included) in a minus-max-resistance map.

Really, I don't know how you can say that with a straight face after the recent Elemental Adaptation nerf and the fact that you can block reflected spell damage now.

Besides, not all spells are purely elemental: Detonate Dead, EK, Bear Trap, Vaal smash, and possibly some other spells I forget are physical or half-physical—and they will crush your armor under certain circumstances (extra damage mods, Vulnerability mod, chaining mod). A 50% spell block is a huge boost to survivability and a must-have for an Aegis Aurora build.

The new amulet really isn't as good as Stone of Lazhwar for the endgame content where spells do idiotic amount of damage, whereas a 3% increased cap on attack block doesn't make a noticeable difference. I do, however, agree that it might work as a leveling amulet for a block build.

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Museifu wrote:

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MenderSwiftpaw wrote:

If atleast it would be less and more. 15% increased is nothing.

This is equal to 15% increased physical damage and 15% increased elemental damage. Ele builds benefit greatly from 30% WED. This is actually not that bad.

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Sodomee wrote:

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Museifu wrote:

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MenderSwiftpaw wrote:

If atleast it would be less and more. 15% increased is nothing.

This is equal to 15% increased physical damage and 15% increased elemental damage. Ele builds benefit greatly from 30% WED. This is actually not that bad.

The helmet, without anything else, is -15% physical/elemental/all types of damage.
The "30% reduced Damage" affix means you deal 30% reduced damage. It doesn't affect the damage you take.

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Sodomee wrote:

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Museifu wrote:

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MenderSwiftpaw wrote:

If atleast it would be less and more. 15% increased is nothing.

This is equal to 15% increased physical damage and 15% increased elemental damage. Ele builds benefit greatly from 30% WED. This is actually not that bad.

That's not how increased damage moidifiers work.

I think Anvil could be great for cylone build, as -% move speed is actually benefiting cyclone.

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Odoakar wrote:

I think Anvil could be great for cylone build, as -% move speed is actually benefiting cyclone.

No it's not actually. Cyclone is played best with Multistrike + as much AoE as you can stack. Multistrike auto-targets and prolongs your Cyclone by 200% or even more for the SAME mana costs and increased AoE gives more killspeed vs mob packs than for example Increased Melee Dmg.
So imagine you have huuuuge AoE and fast movespeed now. You cyclone wildly through mobs and hit everything because of your AoE, slow movespeed would drag you down, lessening your killspeed by a huge margin while with fast movespeed you can just 'run' through mobs while maintaining fast killspeed. Also fast moving enemies that run away are a pain with slow movespeed Cyclone.

Slow movespeed Cyclone is only good vs slow boss monsters.

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Grislo wrote:

I run two block builds, neither uses Lazhwar. Maybe I'm not 'serious' enough, but there are so many better options than spell block for any given character.

I'd absolutely consider the new amulet for one of the builds, though.

edit: I am arguing form the point of builds that use Aegis Aurora and enough armor for the ES recharge to be useful. In my experience other melee block builds don't cut it and should rely on other mechanics (like ranged abilities) for survival. Feel free to contradict me here.
edit 2: I'll conciede that if you choose not to use Aegis Aurora for whatever reason then the anvil might have it's uses. Though if you begin to fall asleep from the 20% movement penalty feel free to try Aegis!

If you're looking to be really tanky and already using Aegis Aurora, spell block will be a lot more useful than the stats that anvil gives. At a certain point (easily reachable without anvil or bringer of rain) you just don't need any more block. Spell block is the same but is harder to get, with 62% from stone and the templar node you will have a nice chance to avoid being frozen and shocked.

Resistance helps a lot to be sure but even at 86 cold resistance I can be frozen and there are some very hard hitting spell bosses. For example with Stone of Lazwar I can almost go AFK while fighting the Harbinger boss from the cells while Aegis' aurora keeps me alive. If I tried this on my 4.5k life res capped freeze pulser with no spell block I would die in 5 seconds.