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There's an absolute ton of ways to build characters in Path 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 and Support Gems in PoE 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.

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What Does Armour Break Do in PoE 2?

The Armour Breaker skill in PoE 2

Armour Break is a debuff that reduces 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 be Fully Broken, a status that's important for a number of skill synergies. Enemies with reduced Armour are also more easily stunned.

In order to inflict Armour Break, players will need to use the right skills or have the right passives unlocked. The Warrior class, for example, has the aptly-named Armour Breaker skill, which knocks enemies back while breaking their Armour by a certain amount. The Mercenary class has a similar skill called Armour-Piercing Rounds. Support Gems like Devastate and Splinter can let skills break Armour as an added bonus.

All enemies in Path of Exile 2 have 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:

  • Sunder (Skill): Guaranteed to crit against targets with Fully Broken Armour.
  • Leap Slam (Skill): Deals 500% more Stun Build-up against Fully Broken enemies.
  • Armour Breaker/ Armour Piercing Rounds (Skill): Hits Break Armour.
  • High-Velocity Rounds (Skill): Consumes Fully Broken debuff to deal more damage.
  • Resonating Shield (Skill): Slam your shield with your weapon to emit Armour-breaking shockwaves.
  • Devastate (Support): Inflicting Heavy Stun also fully breaks Armour.
  • Armour Explosion (Support): Attacks trigger an explosion when they fully break Armour.

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 that consume the Fully Broken state. For example, the Sunder skill is guaranteed to critically strike if it hits a Fully Broken target. Effects like these consume the Fully Broken debuff, restoring the target's Armour values.

Ascension classes in PoE 2 may 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.