Choosing between spell block and spell suppression in Path of Exile is a crucial decision that impacts your character’s survivability against magical damage. Here’s a breakdown of their differences to help you decide:
Spell Block:
Mechanic: Prevents damage from spells entirely if you successfully "block" them. Similar to attack block, you have a chance to block spells based on your spell block chance, with a maximum cap of 75%.
Investment: Requires specific gear with high spell block chance (e.g., shields, unique items) and passives on the skill tree dedicated to increasing block chance.
Strengths:
Negates damage completely on successful blocks, potentially saving you from large one-shot hits.
Synergizes well with Glancing Blows: This support gem allows you to take glancing blows for reduced damage when not blocking, further improving survivability.
Weaknesses:
Requires constant investment: Maintaining high block requires dedication to specific gear and passives.
RNG-based: Relies on chance, meaning you might get unlucky and take full damage from spells.
No effect against ailments: Doesn’t prevent the application of spell effects like ignite or chill.
Spell Suppression:
Mechanic: Reduces the damage and ailment chance of spells by 50% as a constant passive effect. Requires no active blocking.
Investment: Primarily relies on specific passive nodes on the skill tree, with limited gear options offering small spell suppression bonuses.
Strengths:
Reliable damage reduction: Applies to all spells, offering consistent defense against magical damage.
No RNG involved: Always reduces damage by 50%, making it more predictable.
Reduces ailments: Also mitigates the chance of being inflicted by spell effects like ignite or chill.
Weaknesses:
Lower maximum reduction: Can’t achieve the 75% damage negation possible with perfect block.
Requires specific investment: Relies heavily on specific skill tree nodes for effectiveness.
Less impactful against large hits: Doesn’t completely negate damage, offering less protection against one-shot attacks.
Choosing the right option:
Playstyle:
Reactive/tanky: Spell suppression aligns well with tanky builds that prefer passive damage reduction.
Proactive/dodge-based: Spell block can be advantageous for builds that actively dodge attacks and rely on moments of high block chance.
Content:
Bossing: Spell suppression offers consistent defense against unpredictable boss attacks.
Mapping: Spell block might be more efficient for clearing large groups of enemies due to its chance to completely negate damage.
Gear availability: Consider the availability of gear with high spell block or the ease of accessing necessary skill tree nodes for suppression.
Remember, there’s no single "best" option. You can even consider combining both to create a hybrid defense against spells. Ultimately, the choice depends on your specific build, playstyle, and the challenges you intend to tackle.
I hope this information helps you make an informed decision!
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