PoE Iron Reflexes — Path of Exile

Iron Reflexes is a keystone passive skill in Path of Exile that converts all evasion rating into armor, effectively turning your character’s agility-based defenses into a more solid, armor-based protection. This keystone also disables the inherent bonus to evasion rating that Dexterity normally provides, making it an essential choice for characters looking to maximize their physical damage mitigation through armor rather than evasion.

PoE Iron Reflexes

Mechanics

  • Evasion to Armor Conversion: Iron Reflexes converts your total evasion rating, including all bonuses from gear, skills, and passives, into armor. This conversion allows characters who would normally rely on evasion to benefit from the damage reduction that armor provides against physical hits. The conversion is a one-to-one ratio, meaning that every point of evasion rating is directly transformed into an equal amount of armor.
  • Dexterity Interaction: Normally, Dexterity grants a bonus to evasion rating, improving your character’s ability to avoid attacks. However, with Iron Reflexes, this bonus is negated. Instead of boosting evasion, Dexterity will no longer provide any defensive benefit, making it less valuable unless it is required for equipping certain items or boosting attack speed and accuracy.
  • Final Armor Calculation: The final armor value after the conversion is calculated using a specific formula that takes into account both the flat values of armor and evasion, as well as any modifiers that increase or reduce these values. The formula for calculating the final armor value is:

Final Armour = Flat AR * (1 + [total #% increased/reduced AR]) * (More/Less AR modifiers)
+ Flat EV * (1 + [total #% increased/reduced AR or EV]) * (More/Less AR modifiers) * (More/Less EV modifiers)

  • Flat AR: Sum of armor from equipped items and other sources, such as Determination.
  • Flat EV: Sum of evasion rating from equipped items and other sources, such as Grace.
  • Increased/Reduced Modifiers: Modifiers that apply to either armor or evasion rating individually or globally, such as those from passive skills.
  • More/Less Modifiers: Multiplicative modifiers that further affect the final calculation, often provided by flask effects or auras.

Example Calculation

Let’s consider a scenario where your character has the following stats:

  • Flat Armor: 1000 from equipped items
  • Flat Evasion: 1000 from equipped items
  • Additional Armor: +1500 from Granite Flask, +2051 from Determination
  • Additional Evasion: +1500 from Jade Flask, +2575 from Grace
  • Increased Armor: +80% from passive skills
  • Increased Evasion: +40% from passive skills
  • Increased Evasion and Armor: +36% from passive skills
  • More Armor: +49% from Determination
  • More Evasion: +29% from Grace

Using the formula:

Final Armour = (1000 + 1500 + 2051) * (1 + 0.80 + 0.36) * 1.49 
 + (1000 + 1500 + 2575) * (1 + 0.80 + 0.40 + 0.36) * 1.49 * 1.29 
Final Armour = 4551 * 2.16 * 1.49 
+ 5075 * 2.56 * 1.49 * 1.29 
Final Armour = 14646.9 + 24972.9 
Final Armour = 39620

Thus, the final armor value after all conversions and modifiers would be 39,620.

PoE Iron Reflexes Build

Classes:

  • Gladiator: 51%
  • Trickster: 20%
  • Slayer: 12%
  • Warden: 3%
  • Pathfinder: 3%
  • Chieftain: 3%
  • Ascendant: 3%
  • Juggernaut: 2%
  • Berserker: 1%
  • Elementalist: 0.3%
  • Champion: 0.3%
  • Deadeye: 0.2%
  • Hierophant: 0.2%
  • Necromancer: 0.1%
  • Occultist: 0.0%
  • Guardian: 0.0%
  • Assassin: 0.0%
  • Inquisitor: 0.0%
  • Saboteur: 0.0%
  • Shadow: 0%

Main Skills:

  • Lacerate of Haemorrhage: 31%
  • Flicker Strike: 17%
  • Lightning Strike: 12%
  • Vaal Lightning Strike: 10%
  • Eviscerate: 7%
  • Spectral Shield Throw: 6%
  • Dual Strike of Ambidexterity: 3%
  • Vaal Flicker Strike: 3%
  • Molten Strike: 2%
  • Ground Slam of Earthshaking: 2%
  • Raise Spectre: 2%
  • Earthquake: 2%
  • Splitting Steel: 1%

Masteries:

  • +1% Chance to Block Spell Damage per 5% Chance to Block Attack Damage: 47%
  • 12% increased Mana Reservation Efficiency of Skills: 47%
  • +3% to Damage over Time Multiplier for Bleeding per Endurance Charge: 43%
  • +1% Chance to Block Attack Damage per 5% Chance to Block on Equipped Shield: 39%
  • Bleeding you inflict deals Damage 15% faster: 36%
  • 10% more Maximum Physical Attack Damage: 30%
  • 8% increased Evasion Rating per Frenzy Charge, 8% increased Armour per Endurance Charge: 29%
  • 3% increased Damage per Endurance, Frenzy or Power Charge: 25%
  • +1% to all maximum Elemental Resistances if Equipped Helmet, Body Armour, Gloves, and Boots all have Armour: 25%
  • 100% increased Charge Duration: 24%
  • 100% increased Energy Shield from Equipped Helmet: 21%
  • Non-Vaal Strike Skills target 1 additional nearby Enemy: 20%
  • Auras from your Skills have 10% increased Effect on you: 20%

Strategic Use

Iron Reflexes is particularly valuable for characters who prefer a more consistent damage mitigation method over the chance-based nature of evasion. It is often chosen by characters who already have a high evasion rating but want to transition into a tankier, armor-based build without losing the defensive value of their evasion investments.

Summary

  • Conversion: All evasion rating is converted to armor.
  • Dexterity: No longer provides a bonus to evasion rating.
  • Best Synergy: Works best with modifiers that increase armor or both evasion and armor.

In conclusion, Iron Reflexes is a powerful keystone for characters looking to solidify their defenses by converting evasion into a more reliable form of physical damage mitigation through armor. This can be particularly effective in builds that focus on avoiding large bursts of damage through armor’s mitigation properties, rather than relying on the chance to evade attacks.

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