Imbalanced Guard

Imbalanced Guard

Keystone

100% chance to Defend with 200% of Armour
Maximum Damage Reduction for any Damage Type is 50% [1]

Layer only your most vital areas, child. We have less steel, but we are willing to bleed, and that is why we will be victorious.

Imbalanced Guard is a keystone passive skill that doubles your armour value against hits, but caps all damage reduction effects at 50%.

Mechanics

100% chance to Defend with 200% of Armour: Similar modifiers, such as the 20% chance to Defend with 200% of Armour Armour Mastery does not stack with Imbalanced Guard.

By default, the only damage reduction a character will have is physical damage reduction, either directly via modifiers or from armour.

• Unbreakable, Transcendence, and Doryani's PrototypeDoryani's Prototype
  Saint's HauberkArmour: (1107-1488)
  Energy Shield: (190-255)
  Movement Speed: -5%Requires Level 67, 109 Str, 94 Int(150-200)% increased Armour and Energy Shield
  +(60-90) to maximum Life
  Deal no Non-Lightning Damage
  Armour also applies to Lightning Damage taken from Hits
  Lightning Resistance does not affect Lightning Damage taken
  Nearby Enemies have Lightning Resistance equal to yours"This was the first step in some grand design,
  lost to the ages, now ours to decipher."
  - Dominus, High Templar apply armour to elemental damage.
• Armour and Energy Shield Mastery and The Fourth VowThe Fourth Vow
  Devout ChainmailArmour: (755-1270)
  Energy Shield: (155-259)
  Movement Speed: -5%Requires Level 55, 80 Str, 80 IntPhysical Damage taken bypasses Energy Shield
  (150-250)% increased Armour and Energy Shield
  +(17-29)% to Chaos Resistance
  Regenerate 3% of Life per second
  Armour also applies to Chaos Damage taken from HitsSeek not to avoid the mortal pains of this world.
  In flagellation, there lies freedom from temptation. apply armour to chaos damage.
• Eternal DamnationEternal Damnation
  Agate AmuletRequires Level 52+(16-24) to Strength and Intelligence+(40-70) to maximum Mana
  +(-13-13)% to Chaos Resistance
  -5% to all maximum Resistances
  Gain additional Elemental Damage Reduction equal to half your Chaos ResistanceThe price of immortality is isolation. grants elemental damage reduction.

Damage mitigation through resistances are not considered damage reduction. Reduced/less damage taken modifiers (e.g. Fortify, spell suppression) are also not considered damage reduction.

Imbalanced Guard can mitigate more damage against bigger hits, but limits your effectiveness against smaller hits. It can be useful for builds that stack several types of mitigation, rather than solely stacking armour or percentage damage reduction. Imbalanced Guard can be synergistic with permanent ward (Olroth's ResolveOlroth's Resolve
Iron FlaskLasts 5.00 Seconds
Consumes (56-60) of 60 Charges on use
+200 to WardRequires Level 40Restores Ward on use(40-50)% increased Charges per use
Ward does not Break during Effect
70% less Ward during EffectOlroth the Gallant,
tireless and true,
he fights for me,
he fights for you!Right click to drink. Can only hold charges while in belt. Refills as you kill monsters.); by improving mitigation from armour, the amount of damage left over after being reduced by ward is lower.

Location

Imbalanced Guard is located at the middle layer of the southwest part of the tree, to the left of the transition path between Duelist and Marauder, next to the Soul of Steel cluster.

Class	Distance from start
Marauder	9
Duelist	10
Scion	14
Templar	16
Ranger	18
Shadow	24
Witch	24

Related unique items

The following unique items are related to Imbalanced Guard:

Item	Base Item		Stats
Skin of the LordsSkin of the Lords Simple RobeMovement Speed: -3%Item has no level requirement and Energy Shield (Hidden) Sockets cannot be modified +2 to Level of Socketed Gems 100% increased Global Defences You can only Socket Corrupted Gems in this item Item has 6 Sockets and is fully linked (Hidden) <Random Keystone>CorruptedThe Lords are chosen so carefully. Only they may grace His flesh.	Simple Robe	1	Item has no level requirement and Energy Shield (Hidden) Sockets cannot be modified +2 to Level of Socketed Gems 100% increased Global Defences You can only Socket Corrupted Gems in this item Item has 6 Sockets and is fully linked (Hidden) <Random Keystone> Acrobatics Ancestral Bond Arrow Dancing Avatar of Fire Blood Magic Call to Arms Conduit Crimson Dance Divine Shield Hex Master Eldritch Battery Elemental Equilibrium Elemental Overload Eternal Youth Ghost Dance Ghost Reaver Glancing Blows Iron Grip Iron Reflexes Iron Will Lethe Shade Magebane Mind Over Matter Minion Instability Pain Attunement Perfect Agony Point Blank Precise Technique Resolute Technique Runebinder Imbalanced Guard Solipsism Supreme Ego The Agnostic The Impaler Unwavering Stance Vaal Pact Versatile Combatant Wicked Ward Wind Dancer Zealot's Oath Corrupted
Survivor's GuiltSurvivor's Guilt Heavy BeltRequires Level 52+(25-35) to Strength+(800-1200) to Armour Regenerate (50-70) Life per second 20% increased Stun Threshold 10% reduced Armour per 50 Strength Imbalanced GuardThe burden falls heaviest not on those that died, but on those that did not.	Heavy Belt	52	+(25-35) to Strength+(800-1200) to Armour Regenerate (50-70) Life per second 20% increased Stun Threshold 10% reduced Armour per 50 Strength Imbalanced Guard

Videos

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Imbalanced Guard mechanics and interactions

Version history

Version	Changes
3.11.1	Fixed a bug where the Skin of the LordsSkin of the Lords Simple RobeMovement Speed: -3%Item has no level requirement and Energy Shield (Hidden) Sockets cannot be modified +2 to Level of Socketed Gems 100% increased Global Defences You can only Socket Corrupted Gems in this item Item has 6 Sockets and is fully linked (Hidden) <Random Keystone>CorruptedThe Lords are chosen so carefully. Only they may grace His flesh. unique Simple Robe granted a Keystone named "Sacred Bastion". This keystone is meant to be named Imbalanced Guard (as seen on the passive skill tree).
3.11.0	Introduced to the game.