This part has kind of caught my attention. I have realized that either armor or high physical resistance is needed, at least in the crucible. Or both really, but caster armor does not offer 2K armor or any physical resistance. Most casters try to make due by using tank armor, but caster armor really should be good enough to use.
Caster armor is only two pieces - chest and hat. Everything else is light or heavy, but ofcourse heavy is preferable. A caster can push his average armor to 1800-2000 with a few stacked %armor bonuses, e.g. from ancient armor plates into chest and legs. Stonehide affix offers some %armor too. Seal of Blades as well. And craft everything with Angrim for extra %armor.
As for physical resistance - besides AAR and Devastation there aren’t that many abilities that require offhand, so you can even use a shield on your caster.
Basically you are saying that to use caster armor, you have to give up everything else to make up for it. The whole point of this thread was people complaining about having to use a shield, and you go on to say to use a shield.
Let’s be honest here. Caster armor isn’t good enough. Or light armor for that matter. Why does it it exist if it can’t be used?
What exactly I am giving up for extra armor? What’s this “everything”?
You don’t have to use a shield, it’s optional. You can use a Sandstorm offhand instead. The point of a shield was not to use it as a shield with a lot of investment, but just to get some %phys resist. I use a shield on my CT Sorc because I want to facetank, and never die, because I play HC.
Let’s be honest - casters usually don’t facetank. Casters use nukes, DoTs and procs and run around. The fact that two of their items have little armor hardly has any significant impact.
Light and heavy armor was brought closer but I do agree that I prefer heavy all things being equal. It isn’t because I have to use heavy no matter what, it’s just if I’m pushing physique anyway then why not. The difference is with heavy I’d have 2.6k armor instead of 2k armor, while 2k is the point at which I’d say “good enough”.
I’ve played the game enough to know that as a caster, to get 2K armor requires you to wear heavy armor and use +armor devotions and everything +armor. I’m currently playing a Phantasmal Blade Blademaster. I wear 3 pieces of caster armor (head, chest and hands). The rest are heavy armor. I have maxed out the +armor skills in both classes, which don’t exist in your typical caster classes. I have devotion points dedicated to armor and DA mixed in with offensive stuff. I use a shield with 30% physical resistance.
Guess what my armor is? 2000 exactly. A normal caster, with more typical caster classes is not going to get that high, and I am using half heavy armor and spec’ed for defense with 2 classes that give armor bonuses.
That said, your 2K requirement for AoM isn’t really needed, that’s more of a Gladiator to 150 thing from my experience, but even then, that kind of makes caster armor hard to use.
https://www.grimtools.com/calc/eVL3vW62
This is my CT Sorc. It shows 1840 but it’s more than 2k in game, the difference is due to Angrim’s crafting bonus not being accounted by GT. Whether it took some extraordinary sacrifice to reach such values I’ll leave at your judgement.
Some (all?) Casters really don´t need much armor if they have Damage Reduction. And they often have. Physical and/or Complete Damage Reduction.
For example, the Sorceress of Stupid Dragon has 28 % Physical Resist, 20 % Damage Reduction (MSoP) and Blast Shield when the shit hits the fan.
Sadly, Blood Rager´s Set has no Physical Resistance at all and Primal Bond is subpar for my Trickster. So I have to compensate with ADctH and a lot of HP.
My formula for AoM Ultimate:
- Cap Resistances
- 2700 DA
- 100 % Armor Absorb
- some form of CC
- some Circuit Breaker (e. g. Ghoul Devotion)
Don’t forget stun res bro. You needs that stun res.
Also against the wendigo’s you’ll have to find some petrification resistance or take them out quickly.
Can´t say for the Wendigos because mostly I kill them fast or kite them with DoTs.
But Stun Resist…well, I don´t have it capped now (70 %) but finished Ultimate with 35 - 40 %. Crowd Control helps a lot in Malmouth.
The fact that you had to use all green gear for the +armor% and +armor bonuses everywhere, does kind of prove my point, doesn’t it? Using the legendary caster gear is not good enough for that 2K requirement you have. You even had to wield a shield, which is not caster gear, although there are a couple caster shields out there. Unfortunately they don’t come with physical resistance (at least the ones I’ve seen).
You don’t need it capped. But at least 30-40% will save you. When AoM was first released my crappy character had 15% and that was enough to get perma-stunned and gunned.
I know it was overturned back then but stun res can’t just be ignored
Well, yes, sort of. Dedicating two item slots for green items isn’t typically a problem though (I have %armor rolls on pants and belt, could have had more with more lucky rolls), and since many legendary helms are craftable you can roll %armor on them too. My helm is the weakest link in the setup, it’s only Preserver. Faction pieces aren’t exactly best representations as well - e.g. Agrivix chest and shoulders have 100 more armor than mine.
With this in mind, I think that even if I had Agrivix I could had managed to have 2k armor. After checking I have 2109 actually.
Okay, maybe you will have a hard time reaching 2k, but you said it yourself that 2k armor isn’t really needed.
I’d like to also point out that my devotion setup is 100% offensive.
You can even use Courageous Tinture for most tough fights.
As for shield - I had already explained why I chose to use a shield and how it’s not necessary. Not gonna repeat.
Cheers but my BM has had devotions changed and gear , like I say just waiting on the Belgothian slicer . following Superfluff’s Belgothian build . Not playing it atm so no augments on new gear etc until I get that slicer 
In my opinion, AoM is not hard on Ultimate. I had no issues with finishing it with a Death Knight, also, I was level 100 before I got to Homestead. You just didn’t clean enough, therefore you lack gear. When I reached AoM on ultimate, I was already nemesis with almost all races. Only had to farm Kymon and Cronley. If I am not wrong, the AoM monsters were stronger than now, and I still had no issues with finishing the game. You picked a fairly squishy build - Nightblade has no defensive skills except for the blade forme that reduces incoming damage by 100% but makes you unable to move. Get some life steal (attack damage converted to health).
Pro tip: explore everything, collect good rare (green) heavy armor equipment to have good armor value and remember about Armor Absorption. Life steal is good too, helpful vs. group of enemies.
Such a troll 
I just have to bring this thread back, because the oathkeeper of course.
Also, being a death knight with a shield just makes sub-par gear much more able to safely clear content than some other builds.