Skip To...
Now that Diablo 4 has a new endgame known as the Gauntlet, arriving on February 13th, it’s time to min-max. After all, there’s no better way to beat demons than to math the hell out of them. One of the more significant aspects of min-maxing in Diablo 4 and other Diablo games is determining how much armor you need before the excess amount starts going to waste. Thus, we’re here to explain the Diablo 4 armor cap in preparation for the Gauntlet in Season 3.
What Is the Diablo 4 Armor Cap? Explained
An intricate formula was determined through data analysis and rigorous tests from the paragons of the Diablo 4 community. Thanks to their efforts, they have determined that the Diablo 4 armor cap caps out at 85 percent damage reduction. That means if you get hit with 100 physical damage, only 15 will go through (only an example).
In terms of the actual armor amount needed, that translates to around 13,000-14,000 armor. That’s how much armor you need to hit the maximum physical damage reduction of 85 percent. For many, this is quite a hefty goal, especially since you need to keep changing armor sets if your build isn’t complete yet.
Sometimes, you have to sacrifice armor amounts to accommodate that perfectly rolled Aspect. Moreover, bear in mind that this damage reduction is only for physical damage. Elemental damage (including Shadow and Poison) goes through your Resistance amounts instead of armor.
Hence, something can still one-shot you even if your armor is at the armor cap, depending on how the assailant’s damage types are split. Additionally, the formula for the Diablo 4 armor cap favors higher amounts (keep it close to at least 10,000 armor if you want comfortable playthroughs).
Armor Cap is Lower for Content Below T100
The good news is that you don’t exactly need to reach that armor cap amount for all content. The calculation for 85 percent damage reduction and 13,000+ armor was under the assumption that you’re doing a T100 Nightmare Dungeon and you’re fighting enemies that are level 150+, as per the T100 Nightmare Dungeon’s parameters.
For weaker content and lower Nightmare Dungeon tiers, you don’t need to reach 13,000+ armor. The damage reduction percentage is dependent on the enemy level.
So, for example, enemies are only level 100 (not 150); you only need around 9,000 armor to hit the Diablo 4 armor cap of 85 percent damage reduction against them. The amount of armor needed increases the higher the enemy level is.
That should serve as a good metric on what level of enemies you can tackle, which is a lot more important for Hardcore players. As a good rule of thumb, just ensure that your armor in Diablo 4 is at the minimum of 10,000 armor so you can fight enemies at least 10 levels higher (if you’re level 100).
