Flat damage absorbtion stacking from Ancestral Ward (Seal) and Arcane Barrier (Crab)

Grim Dawn Gameplay Discussion
1

I read through this topic Seal of Ancestry
but it leaves me uncertain about whether it is good or bad if i would use both.
Because both are using flat specific damage types. Both have Chaos and Aether flat damge reduction.
What happens if they are both up?

2

I have used them together once or twice but don’t remember what was the result. Probably should work together. The first activated will soak the hit but Idk. Effect should definitely stack.

3

My guess is that whichever of the 2 first comes online will likewise be the first to be depleted.

Regardless, it is amazing to use both.

The more sources of flat damage absorb you can stack, the more potent they become.

E.g: Phoenix + inqui seal + crab + ancestry + wyrmscale + prismatic diamond = super tank

One of the defensive strats I often use on my glassier casters actually revolves around this mechanic.

  1. Increase your max res + get healthy overcaps to reduce the amount of damage you take from each damage type
  2. Get %absorption (i.e. maiven’s) to further reduce incoming damage
  3. Stack bubbles

Steps 1 and 2 ensures that your bubbles will last significantly longer.

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4

If you still wondering which of the bubbles will get depleted first. I just did a test about this. Its always depleting the one with the shorter CD first. I am very certain about this. 3 skills with Aether absorbtion bubbles were used. Just standing next to a aether crystal was the method. 3 sec CD Crab was always first, Ancrestral Ward as second with 16 sec CD, third from boots with 20 sec CD.

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5

I remember playing a ritualist some time ago, when I had 2 bubbles, both provided by items.
Result was: When both are procced, both go down simultaneously - slower, ofc.

Anyway,
My experience is absorption really has a special status when it comes to defenses.
It is the only thing, which may grant you tankiness if you have plenty of it.
Health, DA, Armor, Physical Resistance, LifeLeech in abundance - won´t save you if you got too little of the rest. Not so with Absorption.

6

You mentioned 2 bubbles depleting both the same time. Do you know which damge types they did absorb? Was it only 1 single damge dype that was hitting you at that moment? Because i bet you did get hit by several damage types instead.

7

Was really a while back.
I assume it was physical damage.
There´s this one legendary skull off-hand with a physical bubble.
It was probably that and the legendary boots with all-damage bubble.