Deflection vs Other Defensive Mechanics

It’s worth comparing Deflection with Path of Exile 2 Currency some of PoE2’s other mechanics to understand its niche:

Block: Completely nullifies attacks but is chance-based and doesn’t work against most spells. Deflection works against spells but only reduces damage.

Evasion: Avoids attacks entirely but fails against most spells and certain unavoidable AoEs. Deflection reduces damage in both cases.

Spell Suppression: Cuts spell damage in half, but doesn’t apply to attacks or Chaos DoTs. Deflection covers both.

Armour: Best against small physical hits but ineffective against Chaos, Elemental, or spells. Deflection applies universally.

From this comparison, it’s clear that Deflection is designed to fill the gaps left by other mechanics, especially for Dexterity classes.

Deflection and Dexterity Classes

The biggest winners of the Deflection system will almost certainly be Dex-focused characters like Ranger, Shadow, and potentially the Duelist hybrid builds. These classes often relied heavily on Evasion but were historically fragile against spells and Chaos damage.

With Deflection:

Their Evasion investments now double as a reliable form of damage mitigation.

They gain a much-needed counter to Chaos-heavy encounters.

They can safely stack into Evasion without feeling “one-shot” vulnerable.

This makes Deflection a core defensive layer for buy POE 2 Currency Dex classes in PoE2’s future meta.