Mana before Life
Mana before Life is a defensive technique that utilizes the The Agnostic and Mind over Matter keystone passive skills. By using both keystone passives, a character's mana pool acts as both a source of effective hit points and a source of life recovery. The technique's effectiveness can be improved by additional sources of Damage is taken from Mana before Life and other modifiers related to increasing maximum mana or mana recovery. The strategy also synergizes well with builds that cast spells like 
ArcArcSpell, Chaining, Lightning
Level: (1-20)
Cost: (8-23) Mana
Cast Time: 0.70 sec
Critical Strike Chance: 6.00%
Effectiveness of Added Damage: 120%Requires Level 12An arc of lightning reaches from the caster to a targeted enemy and chains to other enemies, but not immediately back. Each time the arc chains, it will also chain a secondary arc to another enemy that the main arc has not already hit, which cannot chain further.Deals (6-198) to (32-1122) Lightning Damage
Chains +(4-7) Times
15% more Damage with Hits and Ailments for each remaining Chain
Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
Chains +(0.05-1) TimesPlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.
or 
Ball LightningBall LightningSpell, Projectile, AoE, Lightning
Level: (1-20)
Cost: (12-23) Mana
Cast Time: 0.70 sec
Critical Strike Chance: 5.00%
Effectiveness of Added Damage: 60%
Projectile Speed: 400
AoE Radius: 22Requires Level 28Fires a slow-moving projectile that damages each enemy in an area around it repeatedly with bolts of lightning.Deals (2-32) to (47-617) Lightning Damage
Base radius is 1.8 metres
Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
Base radius is (0.01-0.2) metresPlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.
, especially those linked with 
Archmage SupportArchmage SupportLightning, Arcane, Support, Spell
Icon: ^
Level: (1-20)Requires Level 31Supports spell skills that deal damage with hits and have no reservation. Cannot support arcane skills, Brand skills, Orb skills, Vaal skills, or skills used by totems, traps or mines. Cannot modify the skills of minions.Supported Skills gain Added Lightning Damage equal to (10-19)% of Unreserved Maximum Mana
Supported Skills have added Mana Cost equal to 5% of Unreserved Maximum Mana
Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
Supported Skills deal (0.5-10)% increased Spell DamageThis is a Support Gem. It does not grant a bonus to your character, but to skills in sockets connected to it. Place into an item socket connected to a socket containing the Skill Gem you wish to augment. Right click to remove from a socket.
.
Builds with large mana pools using The Agnostic can easily mitigate damage over time. For example, the resulting life recovery can completely counteract the damage from traps in the Labyrinth. Such builds will also strive for high mana regeneration and mana recovery, and may forgo a 
Eternal Life FlaskEternal Life FlaskRecovers 2080 Life over 2.00 Seconds
Consumes 15 of 45 Charges on useRequires Level 65Right click to drink. Can only hold charges while in belt. Refills as you kill monsters.
and instead use one or two 
Eternal Mana FlaskEternal Mana FlaskRecovers 1800 Mana over 7.00 Seconds
Consumes 8 of 42 Charges on useRequires Level 65Right click to drink. Can only hold charges while in belt. Refills as you kill monsters.
s.
Mechanics
Incomining damage that would be inflicted on the character's life is deducted from mana instead. If the character has insufficient mana, then the remainder of the damage will be taken from life.
Damage is applied to energy shield before life, and as a result there is no opportunity for any damage to be absorbed by mana.
Suppose you have 50% damage taken from Mana before Life, and you have 5000 life. If you have 5000 mana or higher, then a 10000 damage hit will deal you 5000 life damage and 5000 mana damage, hence your Effective hit points is 10000. However, if you have only 3000 mana, then an 8000 damage hit will deal you 5000 life damage and 3000 mana damage, hence your EHP is 8000.
When the passive skill Eldritch Battery is allocated energy shield protects mana instead of life. This energy shield will absorb the converted non-chaos damage before it is applied on mana. Since chaos damage bypasses energy shield the chaos damage will then be applied directly on mana.
It does not reduce total incoming damage or increase a player's actual life total, and so does not affect the threshold or effectiveness of stun and ailments applied to players.[1]
Skill tree
Players can obtain 40-50% mana before life from skill tree passive nodes:
- Mind over Matter - provides 30% of Damage is taken from Mana before Life
- The Agnostic - Allows rapid regeneration of life by stealing mana (the engine of the defense mechanism)
- Hierophant - Ascendancy that grants an additional 8% of Damage is taken from Mana before Life
- Divine Guidance - Ascendancy that grants an additional 10% of Damage is taken from Mana before Life
Useful items
Items
Atziri's FoibleAtziri's Foible
Paua AmuletRequires Level 16(20-30)% increased Mana Regeneration Rate+100 to maximum Mana
(16-24)% increased maximum Mana
(80-100)% increased Mana Regeneration Rate
Items and Gems have 25% reduced Attribute RequirementsThe world is but a piece of parchment, blank and symmetric.
We label each side: one Good, one Evil; one Black, one White.
The divine truth, however, is that both are one and the same.
-Jaetai, Vaal Advisor
- Required for rapid regeneration of Mana- Alternatively any rare amulet with high Mana regeneration can be used
The AylardexThe Aylardex
Agate AmuletRequires Level 32+(16-24) to Strength and Intelligence+(30-50) to maximum Life
+(50-70) to maximum Mana
+1 to Maximum Power Charges
10% increased Mana Regeneration Rate per Power Charge
(80-100)% increased Power Charge Duration
1% of Damage is taken from Mana before Life per Power Charge
40% reduced Critical Strike Chance per Power ChargeShackled fires dance about;
Might within from force without.
- Grants 1% of Damage is taken from Mana before Life per Power Charge
Mind of the CouncilMind of the Council
Harlequin MaskEvasion: (518-666)
Energy Shield: (155-208)Requires Level 57, 64 Dex, 64 Int(230-260)% increased Evasion and Energy Shield
+(15-20) to maximum Energy Shield
(20-30)% increased maximum Mana
10% chance to Shock
+20% chance to be Shocked
30% of Lightning Damage is taken from Mana before Life
Attack Skills have Added Lightning Damage equal to 6% of maximum Mana
Lose 3% of Mana when you use an Attack SkillYou think we do not know.
We know all that you think.
- Grants 30% of Lightning Damage is taken from Mana before Life
Jewels
Watcher's EyeWatcher's Eye
Prismatic JewelLimited to: 1(4-6)% increased maximum Energy Shield
(4-6)% increased maximum Life
(4-6)% increased maximum Mana
<Two or Three random aura modifiers>One by one, they stood their ground against a creature
they had no hope of understanding, let alone defeating,
and one by one, they became a part of it.Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket.
with the mod 10% of Damage is taken from Mana before Life
Body armour
Cloak of DefianceCloak of Defiance
Lacquered GarbEvasion: (1144-1645)
Energy Shield: (236-340)
Movement Speed: -3%Requires Level 52, 76 Dex, 76 Int(300-400)% increased Evasion and Energy Shield
+(100-150) to maximum Mana
Regenerate 1% of Mana per second
Mind Over MatterWhen the throat roars,
As eyes weep,
When the hand grips hard
With trembling fingers,
When belly twists
Yet legs stand strong,
That is the work
Of the Defiant Heart.
provides 10% of Damage is taken from Mana before Life- Any Shaper body armour with 10% of Damage is taken from Mana before Life
Related Mods
Damage taken Gained as Mana when Hit
If the character has equipped items with the x% of Damage taken Gained as Mana when Hit modifier, this can help with maintaining mana. This mana gain is spread over 4 seconds following the hit.[2] This modifier can be found on certain items and passive skills:
MindspiralMindspiral
Aventail HelmetArmour: (101-119)
Energy Shield: (21-25)Requires Level 37, 42 Str, 42 Int+(100-120) to maximum Mana
Gain (10-15)% of Maximum Mana as Extra Maximum Energy Shield
Enemies Cannot Leech Mana From you
(10-20)% of Damage taken Recouped as Mana
Cannot Leech ManaWhere top is bottom and weak is strong.
PraxisPraxis
Paua RingRequires Level 22+(20-30) to maximum Mana+(30-60) to maximum Mana
Regenerate (3-6) Mana per second
-(8-4) to Total Mana Cost of Skills
8% of Damage taken Recouped as ManaThe Thaumaturgical masters of the Eternal Empire,
as unpredictable and varied as they were,
all understood one thing:
Free thinking leads to free action.
Victario's FlightVictario's Flight
Goathide BootsEvasion: (84-135)Requires Level 12, 26 Dex+15 to Dexterity
+15 to Intelligence
(100-150)% increased Evasion Rating
(10-20)% increased Movement Speed
(10-20)% increased Movement Speed when on Low Life
Quicksilver Flasks you Use also apply to nearby AlliesAlive but not unscathed, Victario fled
as slaughter blossomed at the gates.
- Any Warcry w/
Spirited ResponseSpirited Response
Cobalt JewelLimited to: 1
Radius: Medium(7-10)% increased maximum Mana
With at least 40 Intelligence in Radius, 10% of Damage taken Recouped as Mana if you've Warcried RecentlyThe Purity Rebels fought with heart and soul,
To free their empire from corruption.
And the fires of war did merely serve,
To temper the steel of their spirits.Place into an allocated Jewel Socket on the Passive Skill Tree. Right click to remove from the Socket.
- Battle Rouse