Hey guys, I wanted to share tips about surviving in Path of Exile 2 after making it to t15 maps on my HC Bloodmage Molten Blaster.

I know hardcore is a niche game mode but I really think more people should give it a go since it offers the most exhilarating gameplay experiences possible and it's a shame more people don't explore it

The video will go into more depth but the outline here will cover the gist. I split the guide into 3 sections: 1) General tips you always need to be aware of, 2) Campaign check list + bossing playthru, 3) How to survive big phys hits in Endgame

YOU MUST ALWAYS UNDERSTAND

Hardcore isn’t about flexing DPS, it’s about not dying.

• Always be moving – standing still is how you get clipped.
• Fast is slow, slow is fast – rushing content is how you die. Take time to prep.
• Pausing is a must – you WILL get surrounded and put into a bad position, don't let your ego kill you. Always be ready to use pause if you get knocked down.
• New league mechanics will kill you – they’re over tuned and buggy (DO NOT ENGAGE PRE-MAPS)
• Know which bosses can one-shot you – make a mental list before you fight them.

Campaign Checklist

Act 1

• At least 50 cold res – The ice beams on last boss are rippy w/ out this

Act 2

• Start stacking armor – mobs hit harder here (priotize before heyna / titan boss)
• At least 50+ fire res (ascendency boss)
• At least 50+ lightning res (Jamanra pylons / projectiles)

Act 3

• Get 10+ chaos res – viper is rippy w/ out some
• More armor. - armor is HUGELY important for the viper fight, makes it much easier
• Push for capped resists (75%) - Doryani is a resistance check pretty much
• DON'T FIGHT MONKEY BOSS UNTIL 38+

Act 4 / Interludes

• Pick a base defense lane and stack it – Armor, Evasion, ES, or a hybrid variant. Base defense stat on gear really matters
• Add consistent recovery – regen, leech, or life gain on hit. You will start to face much higher density and spiky HP is really annoying to deal with

Mapping Survivability

• Physical damage reduction is king

Ultimately you will get hit by a big source of phys damage somewhere along the way while you're mapping and that is pretty much the only thing that will kill you, assuming you are capped on other res and have good base defenses.

Options for PDR:

Armor stack (worst, Quin's Build: https://pobb.in/8fd1z21Yu1r2)
ES stacking (the best, Alk's Build: https://pobb.in/LPlsKWtDT8aw)
Hybrid PDR stacking (my bloodmage build: https://pobb.in/Kih3jSzB16O1)

LMK if this kind of stuff is helpful if you're thinking about playing hardcore or just want to build a more tanky sc character