Tank & Shield

Build Card

Recommended Weapons: Aegis (core), Aura (control), Axe (boss finisher)
Tomes (order): Armor → Shield → Cooldown → Thorns/Area
Stats to stack: Effective HP, Guard uptime, Proximity control, Retaliation scaling
Best fits: Sir Oofie (armor), Athena (thorns), Megachad (control)
Weak vs: Slow clear if you skip DPS too long, Boss checks without a finisher
Beginner preset: Aegis + Aura; Armor → Shield → Cooldown → Thorns; add Axe later.
High-Curse preset: Armor/Shield → Cooldown → Area → Damage; play front-to-back and avoid getting surrounded.

Core Mechanics & Gameplan

Defense-first archetype that converts armor/shields/thorns into safe farming and late-game damage.

Weapons & Upgrade Path

Aegis — Aegis (core)
Aura — Aura (control)
Axe — Axe (boss finisher)

Tome Priority & Why

Armor — rationale depends on your kit; synergizes with this archetype’s multipliers.
Shield — rationale depends on your kit; synergizes with this archetype’s multipliers.
Cooldown — rationale depends on your kit; synergizes with this archetype’s multipliers.
Thorns/Area — rationale depends on your kit; synergizes with this archetype’s multipliers.

Step-by-step Route

Phase 1 (0–4 min) — Stabilize wave-clear and safety; lock Tome #1, secure one tool for crowds and one for elites.
Phase 2 (4–8 min) — Finish main weapon upgrades; add Tome #2–#3; set up boss damage (burst or sustained).
Phase 3 (8+ min / Boss) — Cover weaknesses (Shield/Armor/Evasion), align cooldown windows, and kite smartly.

Common Mistakes

Greeding damage before wave-clear is stable.
Ignoring shrine tempo / pot routes.
Overcapping one multiplier (e.g., Crit) and starving Quantity/Cooldown/Area.
Taking Tome picks that conflict (e.g., heavy melee commit without defensive backup).

Map Notes & Matchups

Open maps favor kiting and projectile arcs.
Tight maps require early control (Aura/Aegis) and cooldown management.
Elites with charges need spacing or grouping tools.

Patch Notes (keep updated)

Track buffs/nerfs that change weapon/Tome priority.