Big Problem about ascendancy.

intro
HI,I really like poe games for the build diversity we can do and their game mecanics. but right now in poe2 there is a really huge probleme with your ascendency(+atlas tree) system when it come to defensives possibility,

Context
when it comme to defences we need to be able to take huge hit from all elements chaos and physicals with huge life pools, resistance, armor,and other means.
and we need to have enough élémentals and chaos resistances and enough regeneration to survives dots. to not have Achilles heel who make us die.

as a hardcore player i know that there is no reason to build tanky if you have a weakness that will kill you when you encounter it.

so most of the time i go full damage and try to kill before getting killed.
and honnestly i dont like that kind of gameplay especially as a hardcore player
we want to be a bit sturdy and not be oneshot by some random moves.


But you did something great when you added the ascendency of smith of kitava
which is a really do strong early game because it give the possibility to use armor to protect against chaos hits(which is a pain to protect against early games) and give the possibility to max all your elementals resistances really easily, and thx to that we can focus in chaos resistances and offenses.

it really felt great to be able to have a bit of tankiness without having uniques or a full set of legendary gear with perfect rolls of fulls defences and elementals resistances.

i was a bit weak against dots but it felt really great to have a defensive build who look like something without lucky on legendary rolls or uniques, and without achilles heels.

the real problem
the problem is that almost all ascendency have no impact in early game.
the one that did before like stormweaver, deadeyes and gemling have been nerfed and are now (in early game) as useless as the others ascendency.

I realised after playing a defensive build with the smith of kitava, that what really made me avoid playing this game even though i liked it, is because there is almost no defensive(and sometime offensive)ascendency (except smith of kitava) who was useful early game. each one of them need a strong end game build with some uniques and perfect rolled stats legendary (or way too many atlas tree point) to be useful.

and i find it sad that every league out of all the ascendancy, i can play none of them because i dont have the uniques to bring out 10% of the potential of all the ascendancy nodes availables.

it would be great if at least one ascendency of each character was beginner friendly (like smith of kitava) and have node who have a real impact early game when you are leveling up, doing campaign and have no money or craft matérial to get perfect legendarys or uniques.


PS
please do something about ascendency who have a downside too heavy to use like for exemple: oracle,Harmony Within with it 15%less life and mana,or gemling: Enhanced Effectiveness(20% less attribute).

Useful defensive techniques Asc-exclusive:

Shaman:
- 15% Phys dmg taken as Ele
- 10% Reduced Ele damage taken flat
- Adaptation system - additionally reduces Ele damage taken, stacking in combat

Oracle:
- Unlucky damage taken and enemy crit chance

Chonk:
- Darkness (it is actually decent for the campaign)

Witchhunter:
- Sorcery Ward -> Armour and/or Evasion stacking supporting system

Gemling:
- No extra damage taken from Crits (if red support gems condition met)

Stormweaver:
- 20% Damage taken on Mana

Chronomancer:
- Recoup boost
- Slow Aura
- Active Utility Abilities

Varashta:
- ES recharge massive boost
- Free armour in low amounts
- Damage taken on Mana, but only Elemental damage

Titan:
- Life and Armour boosts

Warbringer:
- Block chance boost
- 10% additional Physical dmg taken reduction
- Jade Active ability to gain decent amounts of Guard every 10-15s

Kitava:
- Various Armour synergies
- 25% Phys to Fire damage taken option (but only for hits)
- Max Resi setup support
- Life boost

Pathfinder:
- Evasion applies to Ele damage taken
- Flasks support
- Slow immunity

Deadeye:
- Tailwind (evasion and deflection support)

Infernalist:
- Life stacking boosts ES or Mana (reserves life)
- 20% Phys dmg taken as Chaos dmg
- 20% Cold and Lightning dmg taken as Fire dmg

Bloodmage:
- Spell Leech
- part of Life damage taken over time
- Gain Life from Body ES

Lich:
- Life cannot be damaged when any ES is up.
- 10% of damage taken mitigated if any ES is up.

Some are more or less suited for Campaign.
Some are scaling better into the end-game.
Nevertheless, there's quite a bit of options.