What is Bulwark in Remnant 2? – Destructoid

Bulwark is one of Remnant 2’s unique buffs that you have access to. If you’re interested in making good use of Bulwark, here’s what you need to know about it.

What is the Bulwark buff in Remnant 2?

As the name of this buff implies, Bulwark is a defensive buff that gives you a stacking, duration-based damage reduction, helping you stay alive even in the direst of situations. Its usefulness depends on how you wield it in your build, as it very much wants to be stacked up quickly to gain its full effectiveness. A single stack of Bulwark is not noticeable, but if you find ways of stacking up, you can turn into a literal tank while the buff is active.

How to gain Bulwark in Remnant 2

There are many, many sources of Bulwark, with the most obvious coming from accessory items like Whispering Marble, which gives you three stacks of it permanently just by equipping the item.

You can compound Bulwark effects by using other items that also grant the buff, such as the Fae Bruiser Ring, which gives you two stacks when you land a melee attack on an enemy.

The more sources of Bulwark you have, the more powerful it becomes. Some items also work exclusively off the fact that you have it active rather than just giving you the buff. For example, the Insulation Driver increases your damage by 15% and gives you the Haste buff while you have Bulwark.

Additionally, the other method of obtaining Bulwark is by playing the Challenger archetype. Its Prime Perk, Die Hard, grants you a stack as a passive effect while it is on cooldown. Naturally, this Archetype-based Bulwark works with all other item-based Bulwark stacks, so you can compound them together to make a build around it. Just keep in mind that Challenger needs to be set as your Prime Archetype to get the Bulwark stack from the class.

Is Bulwark worth using in Remnant 2?

I’ve completed Remnant 2 on the hardest difficulty without ever making use of Bulwark, as I used Shields instead to mitigate damage. That said, one of my coop partners used Bulwark exclusively throughout the entire game (and DLC), and played with the buff to make a powerful, functional, melee build. In conclusion, Bulwark is worth using only if you build around it.

Other items and abilities that give Damage Deduction will function well with Bulwark. Stacking Base Armor, Armor Bonus, and Damage Reduction through the new Fragment/Prism System will further benefit Bulwark. Just don’t expect it to be effective if you’re using the buff half-heartedly, as it requires several stacks to be even remotely effective.