Revenant and Zephyr can both survive using their unique abilities to any level. Zephyr has a harder time of it and they both need casting speed for real safety, but they both can do it (plus Zephyr gets all her other cool tricks, CC, and damage spreading tornadoes). Garuda can also get away with spamming her 4 for invincibility (and 3 for energy) using Molt Reconstruct + shield-gating, and of course there are invisibility frames. Loki with Safeguard Switch is nearly as invincible as Revenant and any invisibility frame (Voruna, Ivara, Ash, Octavia) with rolling guard can survive pretty well even when allies are getting enemies to fire straight at you (at least long enough to reposition out of harm’s way or kill the enemies).
If you want to facetank, slotting in adaptation is extremely useful, in addition to Arcane Blessing and Arcane Double Back. Healing is important, though, so I also recommend subsuming gloom, which is the ultimate subsume for HP tanking since it provides tons of CC in addition to lifesteal, and there really isn’t any better source of super-consistent healing for most frames. You can get to level 900+ with all of this, especially once you add in umbral mods.
I would also note that Revenant is the ultimate facetanker, but doesn’t use HP for it (Mesmer Skin is my favorite ability in the game because it lets me chill even in Steel Path). All he needs is casting speed (recasting Mesmer Skin leaves you temporarily vulnerable and is slow enough that a shield-gate won’t necessarily keep you alive, but casting speed will fix that), energy (he’s not energy-hungry as long as you don’t slot in blind rage and don’t use his 4 (though there are builds that work with his 4 rather than abandon it)), and ability strength (though even unranked and with no strength mods Mesmer Skin can keep you alive better than a normal shield-gate build provided casting speed). As a word of warning, a few rare things (mostly barrels/environmental damage) do bypass Mesmer Skin, but Mesmer Skin will keep you alive regardless because you literally cannot go below 2 HP with Mesmer Skin active (though you will assuredly die when you attempt to recast it if you don’t have your shield up).
As always, though, the best method of defense is offense. You’re going to have trouble taking damage if you just stand still, no matter how much EHP you get. It’s important to have weapons that can clear rooms in seconds in Steel Path because you will only have seconds to clear before you die or have to bother with surviving in some way (like refreshing your shield).
To note:
Revenant and Zephyr can both survive using their unique abilities to any level. Zephyr has a harder time of it and they both need casting speed for real safety, but they both can do it (plus Zephyr gets all her other cool tricks, CC, and damage spreading tornadoes). Garuda can also get away with spamming her 4 for invincibility (and 3 for energy) using Molt Reconstruct + shield-gating, and of course there are invisibility frames. Loki with Safeguard Switch is nearly as invincible as Revenant and any invisibility frame (Voruna, Ivara, Ash, Octavia) with rolling guard can survive pretty well even when allies are getting enemies to fire straight at you (at least long enough to reposition out of harm’s way or kill the enemies).
If you want to facetank, slotting in adaptation is extremely useful, in addition to Arcane Blessing and Arcane Double Back. Healing is important, though, so I also recommend subsuming gloom, which is the ultimate subsume for HP tanking since it provides tons of CC in addition to lifesteal, and there really isn’t any better source of super-consistent healing for most frames. You can get to level 900+ with all of this, especially once you add in umbral mods.
I would also note that Revenant is the ultimate facetanker, but doesn’t use HP for it (Mesmer Skin is my favorite ability in the game because it lets me chill even in Steel Path). All he needs is casting speed (recasting Mesmer Skin leaves you temporarily vulnerable and is slow enough that a shield-gate won’t necessarily keep you alive, but casting speed will fix that), energy (he’s not energy-hungry as long as you don’t slot in blind rage and don’t use his 4 (though there are builds that work with his 4 rather than abandon it)), and ability strength (though even unranked and with no strength mods Mesmer Skin can keep you alive better than a normal shield-gate build provided casting speed). As a word of warning, a few rare things (mostly barrels/environmental damage) do bypass Mesmer Skin, but Mesmer Skin will keep you alive regardless because you literally cannot go below 2 HP with Mesmer Skin active (though you will assuredly die when you attempt to recast it if you don’t have your shield up).
As always, though, the best method of defense is offense. You’re going to have trouble taking damage if you just stand still, no matter how much EHP you get. It’s important to have weapons that can clear rooms in seconds in Steel Path because you will only have seconds to clear before you die or have to bother with surviving in some way (like refreshing your shield).