A look back in time : Design of Cloak of Defiance

That nostalgic feel when I was the first to find it (or at least, link it):
http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/475284/page/106#p4948328

Thanks again for this awesome unique!

Very nice write-up; a bit of a shame that I didn't see much of you while I was in guild RIP:

On the main point, I love the unique - very powerful and definitely hits the nostalgia spot with Energy Shield; it is also the first item I managed to six-link myself! Thank you for your contribution to this great game!

I would raise a slight concern about the key-stone however, many players don't appreciate it being that far away from EB - "out there nowhere" as one player on reddit has put it... I would like to see it around where Elemental Equilibrium/Vaal Pact/Nercomantic Aegis sit and not want it to be near Iron Reflex for the sake of over-powering synergy - thanks again!

I don't think your unique is overpowered, there are large enough drawbacks. To properly use it you have to keep a good amount of unreserved mana, i.e. you have to sacrifice multiple mana reserving buffs. And if we ever get back to running rare maps, half and no regen are pretty hard to do with Mind over Matter. At least no regen seems like a no go.

So thank you for designing an awesome unique, hope we're seeing the 3D art for it soon. :)

Love the item personally, but have really only ever used it in one end-game build: incinerate. Otherwise, I've used it for leveling because of the mana but generally "graduate" out of it later on for most builds.

I think what makes it seem OP is the fact that everyone and their brother runs incinerate now (myself included until I found a Mjolner) and the whole synergy with spell block, incinerate, AA, etc is what makes it seem OP. If anything, I think they'll be nerfing Rathpith or AA before they nerf this item (lol75spellblock). And to be honest, this item is one of the only ways right now to comfortably run a max or more level AA without stacking mana regen on every piece of gear. If they nerf this item I'm asking for a refund on all my supporter packs and sending my t-shirt and hoodie back to them... I'll have lost faith in their ability to properly balance the game when it's TECHNICALLY not this item that is overpowered in itself, just the synergy with other items/spells.

amazing unique but really questionable if it isnt op in combination with aa atm
in beyond its coil or cod or go home



imagine the ring made it into the game holy shit

"

CharanJaydemyr wrote:

As I've said elsewhere, you 'lived the dream' of the Diaternal who actually changed the game irrevocably. For that alone you have my admiration.

Thanks for the write-up.

Never too late Charan: lets hope your last sword will be impactful

Thanks for the writeup! This is one of my favorite-flavored items in the game. It's really not overpowered; you need lots of mana and life to make it work in high level maps (fewer points to spec into damage nodes on the tree), you lose out on an extra aura or two, and running AA with it can be dangerous since it can be deactivated when you're swarmed.

I wouldn't mind seeing the passive in a more convenient location on the tree...

Great item, the only OP thing about it is its fusing hunger.
Also WTB 3D art ):

fianlly you tell us the story of making this great item
fall in love with this item when i found invalesco guide about ninja crit caster and make that build on ambush
now i use it for RF incinerate on rampage
3D art please
this item gave me achievement for 6 linking
this is the second item that 6 linking myself

Love these threads, thanks for taking the time to write this up