Defense is '''''not''''' the same thing as [[Armor]]. The terms are confusingly similar in Diablo III, but Armor is what armor items grant. e.g. a buckler might have 8 armor while a tower shield might have 200. Armor helps increase a character's phyiscal damage reduction, just like the while Defense stat doesreduces all damage.

==Defense vs. Armorvs. Resistance==

The terms were used interchangeably in Diablo II, but in Diablo III they mean different things. The key thing to remember is that in Diablo IIIDefense, Armor works much like a resistance; it affects damage mitigation, not to/hit (as was the case in Diablo 1 and Diablo 2.) Higher Armor in Diablo 3 does '''not''' mean that your character gets hit less often. It means your character takes less damage per hit. This is one of the major changes Resistances are all stats used to the combat engine in Diablo III, and results in characters taking constant, steady damage, rather than the D2 style of attacks almost always missing, but when one does land it does huge reduce damage.

* Defense and Armor were used interchangeably in Diablo II, but in Diablo III they mean different things. The key thing to remember is a value on that in Diablo III, all types three of armor items. More armor = more these stats work much like a resistance; they affect damage reductionmitigation, but a lot of Armor is required not to see significant improvements/hit (as was the case in Diablo 1 and Diablo 2.* Defense is one of the four core ) Higher Armor in Diablo 3 does '''not''' mean that your character attributes/statsgets hit less often. It grows as means your character levels uptakes less damage per hit. This is one of the major changes to the combat engine in Diablo III, and can be added as a bonus from itemsresults in characters taking constant, gemssteady damage, skillsrather than the D2 style of attacks almost always missing, and morebut when one does land it does huge damage.

Both Armor and * Defense increase is one of the four core character attributes/stats. It applies to all damage. It grows as your character's damage reductionlevels up, and can be added as a bonus from items, gems, but Defense offers much larger gainsskills, per pointand more. (But since high level * Armor is a value on all types of armor items . It only reduces damage from physical attacks.* Resistance can have many hundreds of points of Armor, both values must be cultivated for long term success.  [[File:Defense-vs-found as a bonus on certain armor-beta1items.jpg|center|thumb|800px|Armor vs. Defense compared with item bonuses. Shot There are five different elements, and five corresponding resistance stats which reduce damage from the Diablo III betathose elements.]]