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Path of Exile 2 boasts one of the most intricate and engaging class systems among ARPGs, heavily reliant on its 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 when to start this quest, this guide will walk you through the process and provide 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. Before heading to the third location, Traitor's Passage, make sure to speak with the NPC Zarka. She'll direct you to seek out Balbala, a trapped Djinn, to gain more power.
Given that Path of Exile 2's maps are procedurally generated, the exact location of the boss, Balbala, will vary, but you can expect to find her near the end of Traitor's Passage. Look for the Ancient Seal Door, which leads to Balbala's prison. To initiate the encounter, you must defuse three seals and wait for the ensuing cutscene before engaging in the boss fight.
How To Beat Balbala The Traitor In Path Of Exile 2
Balbala is resistant to Fire Damage and deals Physical, Chaos, and Fire damage, capable of inflicting Poisoning and Ignition. To defeat her effectively, leverage Cold Damage, as she is vulnerable to it.
While Balbala isn't overly complex, mastering her mechanics might take a couple of attempts. Here's a breakdown of her main abilities and how to counter them:
- Slash Attack: A standard attack that can be blocked or dodged. It may cause burning or poisoning. Use your Energy Shield sparingly to counter more dangerous attacks.
- Throwing Attack: A ranged version of the slash attack. Dodge or block to avoid Poison buildup.
- Whirling Dash Attack: Balbala lunges forward rapidly, causing damage and leaving explosive AoE in her path. Dodge this attack, signaled by her voice cues 'Face Me!' or 'Na'kai!'.
- Teleport Dagger Attack: She teleports and throws daggers creating an AoE. Dodge to avoid damage, signaled by 'Atul!'.
- Summon Shadow Clone: Balbala throws a Barya (coin) to create a summoning circle. Step on the yellow AoE to prevent the clone from appearing. She'll follow with a teleport and slam attack.
- Teleport Slam: After stepping on her summoning circle, she teleports and yells 'Tithe!'. Dodge the resulting fiery circle AoE.
- Summon Poison Mist/Vanish: Mid-fight, she vanishes and a poisonous mist emerges. Quickly find and attack her to cancel the channeling. Circle counterclockwise from her last position to locate her faster.
- Explosive Blade Rain: If the fight drags on, she throws explosive daggers in a conical pattern counterclockwise. Dodge in the opposite direction.
- Blade Storm: If the Shadow Clone isn't eliminated, Balbala summons a storm of swirling blades. Quickly eliminate the clone to prevent this.
Upon defeating Balbala, collect Balbala's Barya and return it to Zarka, who will then reveal the location of the Trials of the Sekhemas, the next step in the Ascent to Power quest.
How To Complete Trials Of The Sekhemas In Path Of Exile 2
With Balbala's Barya in hand, head from the Ardura Caravan to the Trials of the Sekhemas node. Initially, you'll need to command the caravan to move to the Sekhemas' map.
Upon arrival, unlock the Waypoint and approach the altar where Balbala will guide you through the trial. The map is a procedurally generated dungeon with various challenges in each room, including timed challenges, traps, and elite enemies. Before entering, you can use a Relic to gain a boon.
You'll have a new resource bar called 'Honor' and a currency called Sacred Water. Here's how they work:
- Killing enemies may drop Sacred Water, which you can use to buy boons, keys, and recover Honor.
- Damage received reduces your Honor.
- Reaching 0 Honor results in failing the Trial, requiring a restart.
- Remaining Honor at the end of the Trial converts to Sacred Water.
- Excess Sacred Water at the end can be exchanged for keys to open chests (Bronze, Silver, and Gold).
- Honor is preserved across multiple trials in Cruel Difficulty, allowing you to earn more ascendancy points.
Energy Shield drain does not affect Honor, giving an advantage to Energy Shield builds.
Each Trial starts with a map showing various pathways. Clear one section to access a backroom with boons, merchants, or Fountains to recover Honor and gain more Sacred Water. Completing a section grants a boon and a curse, with boons providing positive effects and curses imposing negative ones.
Here are the different Trials you might encounter:
- Chalice Trial: Defeat two boss monsters by following the blood path to their location.
- Escape Trial (timed): Defuse Death Crystals within the time limit, avoiding monsters to prevent failure.
- Gauntlet Trial: Navigate traps, find levers, and escape the room to preserve your Honor.
- Hourglass Trial (timed): Survive waves of enemies until the time runs out. Killing them can yield Sacred Water.
- Ritual Trial: Find and kill Summoners to deactivate their portals and summoned beasts.
- Boss Trial: Face bosses at the end of each floor: Tier 1 - Rattlecage, the Earthbreaker; Tier 2 - Terracota Sentinels; Tier 3 - Ashar, the Sand Mother; Tier 4 - Zarokh, the Temporal.
To complete the Trials and achieve Ascension, balance your choices to preserve Honor and mitigate the impact of curses. When facing Rattlecage, the Earthbreaker, equip Fire Resistance gear and avoid his lava cracks. Stun him repeatedly to secure victory.
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, where you can select your first Ascendancy at the altar. Each class has two paths, and your choice is permanent, so choose wisely.
For those tackling Ascent to Power in Cruel difficulty to earn an additional 2 Ascendancy points, follow these steps:
- Speak with Zarka to start the quest.
- Defeat Balbala in Cruel difficulty and collect the Djinn Barya (ensure it says 'Number of Trials 2').
- Return to Act 2 Normal Difficulty and enter the Trials of the Sekhemas.
- Use the Coin with 'Two Trials' to access the Trials in 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 due to a current bug, this method is necessary to bypass issues in Cruel difficulty. Remember, reaching 0 Honor means failing 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 earn the remaining 4 Ascendancy Points, complete the Trial of Chaos in Act 3 Normal and Cruel, bringing your total to 8 points.
