Dragon's Immortal Tank (Updated for 1.2)

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So I have been stricken with worry about the day when GGG fixes the mechanic that allows us to stack auras on hp without incurring the 200% modifier of a BM gem. This has gotten me theorycrafting and trying my hand at math.

At first I had thought to seek out all 4 of the 5% reduced mana reserved nodes. But if my math is correct (and I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't) the seven points spent to reach all 4 of those nodes are better spent in 6% hp nodes.

It appears that with all 4 of the 5% reduced mana reserved nodes, I will be able to run either anger or wrath on mana in addition to what I currently run on mana. So that saves me 232 hp. Then, a 20% reduction in the remaining bm gem'd auras would only amount to a savings of 168 hp. So in total, those 7 points save me 400 hp. And being that I stack hp on my gear, 7 6% hp nodes would give me more than 400 hp and also provide additional benefits, such as more hp regen and a higher maximum health pool to protect against status effects.

I hope I did that right.

The extreme downside of all this is, where do I find 7 points? The only answer I could come up with sadly was... less block Q_Q

So, in preparation for the inevitable fix to the bm uniques, I have theorycrafted a build for the day this happens and am in the process of testing it right now to see just how the build is effected by less block and more hp. I'll keep updating as I experience it with some maps.

Well then, it appears that 7 points are indeed better spent on 6% hp nodes rather than chasing the 4 5% reduced mana reserved nodes for me specifically. Each 6% node gives me 91 hp. If I had to BM gem my 4 auras that are on hp it would increase hp reserved to 1052. 7x6% hp nodes gives me 637 hp which more than covers the additional hp reserved by the 196% modifier on BM gem.

Dragon's Hilarious Attempt at Math

My current hp rests at 4473

With 7 points to reach the 4 reduced mana reserved nodes 659 of my hp will be reserved leaving me with 3814.

With 7 6% hp nodes my maximum hp will rise to 5110 and will have 1052 reserved leaving me with 4058 hp and the perks of a higher maximum health pool (higher hp regen and increased defense vs status effects).

So how bad do we need these auras? Well I can't speak for everyone since gear is a factor, but for me losing wrath and anger results in a dps loss of 2180 which is HUGE. Losing discipline is something I have yet to determine as a problem or not. For me, it won't hurt nearly as bad since I have ES on my chest. But for others that only have es from AA and discipline, it could prove to be a huge loss.

Losing grace is not even an option. The armor it adds is worth it. Tempest shield, although awesome, is likely to be removed from the build in the future. 4% block vs 232 less hp reserved was a hard choice, but I think with 2 passives to gain that 4% back, it can be a small gain in the right direction.

The key to preparing for this fix is going to be perfect optimization. And that is likely going to mean only taking the nodes that give higher bonuses. Which also means that block capping will no longer be an option until late 90s.

One thing is for certain. None of these auras are easy to give up. My current testing build will try to maintain all 8 auras at the full cost of BM gemming them, while sacrificing some dps (I know, I don't like it either) and block.

My control will be the Map version of Piety. If I can still beat her and feel in control for the majority of the fight, then that is good enough for me. If not, then more tweeks will need to be made.

I don't know when this fix will get implemented, but it has become clear to me that it WILL be fixed eventually. So it is best to prepare for it.

edit: Actually, rather than work myself up I am going to just test how the build performs with less block first. Baby steps. I hope to be at least level 90 by the time this fix reaches us. That will give me more options than I currently have.