No it reduces incoming crit damage by increasing your crit resistance stat which can be viewed on your character sheet. Each piece of yellow impen gear adds 250 crit resistance, so all 7 would give you 1750 crit resistance. I don't know the math behind it though. Spending cp in the Resistant tree also raises the same stat, which is how players get over 2k crit resistance.

Ok so thank you @code65536 for the link. I checked it out.

So at all max impen you get to mitigate 60% of an attacks critical damage (and only the critical damage)

Or in other words removal of 60% from the 50%.

Meaning, when you are critically hit you are taking +20% dmg at least.

So long run totals mean my 50% crit chance +50% dmg would mean +25% dmg added to base damage. Imp then prevents 15% of total damage in the long run.

Not bad seeing as the thief would provide only what? 10ish % damage in the long run?

Of course all of this goes out the window if wards are introduced.

Making the linch pin in the impen meta, the ward meta.

Very intriguing.

I love this community, thanks everyone