There’s an absolute ton of ways to build characters inPath of Exile 2, and if you’re the one who likes to keep things simple with pure Physical attacks, then the Armour Break mechanic is something you’ll need to take careful note of.
Shredding resistances is a common ability in many ARPGs, but it works a little differently here. Armour Break has more room for synergies with things like passives andSupport Gems inPoE 2,and some builds can turn such a simple thing like a resistance debuff into a tool that can clear entire screens' worth of monsters.
What Does Armour Break Do in PoE 2?
Armour Break is a debuff thatreduces the affected target’s Armour by a specific amount. Armour can be reduced to zero if a target is hit by multiple Armour Break attacks, and when that happens, the target is considered to beFully Broken,a status that’s important for a number of skill synergies. Enemies with reduced Armour are alsomore easily stunned.
In order to inflict Armour Break, players will need touse the right skills or have the right passives unlocked. The Warrior class, for example, has the aptly-namedArmour Breakerskill, which knocks enemies back while breaking their Armour by a certain amount. The Mercenary class has a similar skill calledArmour-Piercing Rounds. Support Gems likeDevastateandSplintercan let skills break Armour as an added bonus.
All enemies inPath of Exile 2have Armour, but ones that have more Armour than usual are indicated by a shield icon below their health bars. These enemies are the best targets for Armour Break effects, especially if you’re using purely Physical damage.
Here are some notable Skill and Support Gems that have synergies with the Armour Break effect:
Fully Broken Status
Once all Armour on a target has been broken, they become Fully Broken. The shield icon below their health bars will turn red, and a debuff icon will appear as well. In this state, they take full damage from Physical attacks, and they basically become primed for effects thatconsume the Fully Broken state. For example, theSunderskill is guaranteed to critically strike if it hits a Fully Broken target. Effects like theseconsumethe Fully Broken debuff, restoring the target’s Armour values.
Ascension classes inPoE 2may have passives that further enhance Armour Break effects. The Warbringer for Warriors has an Ascension node that lets them break Armour with every hit as well as one that can further reduce Armour below zero, making enemies take increased Physical damage. Both Armour Break and Fully Broken status effects last for 12 seconds by default, though this duration can be increased via passive skill nodes.
