Path of Exile 2: Ascent to Power Guide Unveiled

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• How To Start Ascent To Power In Path Of Exile 2

• How To Beat Balbala The Traitor In Path Of Exile 2

• How To Complete Trials Of The Sekhemas In Path Of Exile 2

• How To Complete Ascent To Power In Path Of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2 offers one of the most intricate and engaging class systems among action RPGs, heavily reliant on the Ascension system. To unlock your first Ascendancy, you'll need to complete the Ascent To Power quest during Act 2. If you're unsure about where and how to start this quest, this comprehensive guide will walk you through every detail you need to know, including tips on conquering the Trials of the Sekhemas.

How To Start Ascent To Power In Path Of Exile 2

To kick off the Ascent To Power quest, you'll need to unlock the Ardura Caravan in Act 2. Once you've explored the first two location nodes, pause before heading to the third node, Traitor's Passage. Here, engage with the NPC named Zarka, who will direct you to seek out Balbala, a trapped Djinn in Traitor's Passage, to gain more power.

Given that Path of Exile 2's maps are procedurally generated, the exact location of Balbala will vary, but you can expect to find her near the end of Traitor's Passage. Look for the Ancient Seal Door, which will lead you to Balbala's prison. To initiate the encounter, you must defuse three seals and then watch a cutscene before engaging in the boss fight.

How To Beat Balbala The Traitor In Path Of Exile 2

Balbala is a formidable foe with resistances to Fire Damage and the ability to deal Physical, Chaos, and Fire damage, as well as inflict Poisoning and Ignition. To effectively counter her, use Cold Damage, which she is vulnerable to.

Although not overly complex, mastering Balbala's mechanics might take a few attempts. Here's a breakdown of her key abilities and how to counter them:

• Slash Attack: A straightforward melee attack that can cause burning or poisoning. Dodge or block it, and conserve your Energy Shield for more threatening attacks.
• Throwing Attack: Similar to the slash but ranged, causing Poison build-up. Dodge or block the daggers.
• Whirling Dash Attack: Balbala lunges forward rapidly, leaving an explosive AoE in her path. Dodge this unblockable attack, signaled by her voice cues 'Face Me!' or 'Na'kai!'
• Teleport Dagger Attack: She teleports and throws daggers creating an AoE at your location. Dodge to avoid damage, signaled by 'Atul!'
• Summon Shadow Clone: Throws a Barya (coin) to create a yellow AoE. Step on it quickly to prevent the summoning of a clone, followed by a teleport and slam attack.
• Teleport Slam: After stepping on her summoning circle, she teleports and creates a fiery circle AoE. Dodge it, signaled by 'Tithe!'
• Summon Poison Mist/Vanish: Mid-fight, she vanishes, releasing poisonous mist. Quickly find and attack her to cancel this, signaled by 'Visions of Jarah!' or 'Mists of Sulamith!'
• Explosive Blade Rain: Throws fans of explosive daggers in a conical pattern. Dodge counterclockwise from her position.
• Blade Storm: If her Shadow Clone isn't eliminated promptly, she summons a swirling blade storm. Quickly defeat the clone to prevent this.

Upon defeating Balbala, you'll obtain Balbala's Barya, which you should take back to Zarka. She will then reveal the location of the Trials of the Sekhemas, the next step in your Ascent to Power journey.

How To Complete Trials Of The Sekhemas In Path Of Exile 2

Armed with the activated Djinn Barya, head from the Ardura Caravan to the Trials of the Sekhemas node. Initially, command the caravan to move to the Sekhemas' map. Once there, unlock the Waypoint and approach the altar, where Balbala will greet you as an NPC and outline the trial requirements.

The Trials of the Sekhemas are set in a procedurally generated dungeon with varying challenges in each room, such as timed challenges, traps, and elite enemies. Before starting, you can use a Relic to gain a boon. You'll manage a new resource bar called 'Honor' and use Sacred Water as currency throughout the Trials:

• Sacred Water: Dropped by enemies, used to purchase boons, keys, and recover Honor.
• Honor: Lost when taking damage, reaching 0 Honor results in trial failure.
• End of Trial: Remaining Honor is converted to Sacred Water, which can be used for keys to open chests.

Energy Shield drain won't affect Honor, giving an advantage to players using Energy Shield builds.

Each trial starts with a map showing various pathways. Clear sections to access backrooms with boons, merchants, or Fountains for Honor recovery and more Sacred Water. Completing sections grants boons and curses, affecting your trial performance.

Here are the different trials you might encounter and their objectives:

• Chalice Trial: Defeat two boss monsters, follow the blood path to find them.
• Escape Trial (timed): Defuse Death Crystals within the time limit, avoiding monsters.
• Gauntlet Trial: Navigate traps and find levers to escape, minimizing Honor loss.
• Hourglass Trial (timed): Survive enemy waves until the timer runs out, optionally collecting Sacred Water.
• Ritual Trial: Kill Summoners and their summoned beasts to deactivate portals.
• Boss Trial: Confront bosses at the end of each tier: Tier 1 - Rattlecage, the Earthbreaker; Tier 2 - Terracota Sentinels; Tier 3 - Ashar, the Sand Mother; Tier 4 - Zarokh, the Temporal.

To ascend, balance your Honor, avoid debilitating curses, and defeat Rattlecage, the Earthbreaker, by equipping Fire Resistance and dodging his lava cracks, stunning him to win the battle.

How To Complete Ascent To Power In Path Of Exile 2

After defeating Rattlecage, you'll access the final part of the Trials of the Sekhemas: the rewards. Interact with the altar to choose your first Ascendancy class. Remember, your choice is permanent, so choose wisely.

For those tackling Ascent To Power in Cruel difficulty, here’s how to earn an additional 2 Ascendancy points:

• Start the Quest by speaking with Zarka.
• Defeat Balbala in Cruel difficulty and collect Djinn Barya (ensure it reads 'Number of Trials 2').
• Return to Act 2 Normal Difficulty and enter the Trials of the Sekhemas using the coin with 'Two Trials' set to Cruel difficulty.
• Complete two consecutive runs, defeating a boss in each.
• You'll earn 2 more Ascendancy Points to allocate in your skill tree.

Note that this workaround is due to a bug in the Cruel difficulty quest at the time of writing. Remember, reaching 0 Honor fails the trial, but the first attempt won't consume the Djinn Barya as it's a quest item. Subsequent tries and Cruel difficulty runs will consume the Barya, requiring you to find another.

To achieve the full 8 Ascendancy Points, you'll also need to complete the Trial of Chaos in Act 3 on both Normal and Cruel difficulties.