Path Of Exile 2: Ascent To Power Walkthrough

Path of Exile 2: Mastering the Ascent to Power

Path of Exile 2's intricate class system hinges on the Ascension system. Unlocking your first Ascendancy requires completing the Ascent to Power quest in Act 2. This guide details how to initiate and conquer this quest, including the Trials of the Sekhemas.

Initiating Ascent to Power

Once you unlock the Ardura Caravan in Act 2, explore the available location nodes. Before reaching "Traitor's Passage," speak with Zarka. She'll direct you to Balbala, a trapped Djinn, to gain power.

Balbala's location is randomized due to PoE2's procedural generation, but she's generally found near the end of Traitor's Passage. Locate the Ancient Seal Door, leading to Balbala's prison. Defuse three seals to trigger the boss fight.

Conquering Balbala the Traitor

Balbala resists Fire Damage and inflicts Physical, Chaos, and Fire damage, plus Poison and Ignition. Exploit her Cold Damage vulnerability. While not overly complex, mastering her mechanics may take a few attempts.

Balbala's Attacks & Counters:

• Slash Attack: A basic attack; easily blocked or dodged.
• Throwing Attack: Ranged attack; dodge or block. Each hit applies Poison.
• Whirling Dash: A fast lunge with AoE explosion (1.5-second delay). Cannot be blocked, but dodgeable. Voice cue: "Face Me!" or "Na'kai!"
• Teleport Dagger Attack: Teleport and AoE dagger throw. Dodging is crucial. Voice cue: "Atul!"
• Summon Shadow Clone: Throws a Barya (coin), creating a yellow AoE. Step over it to prevent clone summoning. A teleport slam follows if you step on the AoE. Voice cue: "Tithe!"
• Summon Poison Mist/Vanish: Vanishes, summoning poisonous mist. Voice cues: "Visions of Jarah!" or "Mists of Sulamith!" Quickly find and attack her to cancel the channeling. She'll then yell "Sands of Wrath!" or "Darakatha!" before a dodgeable AoE slam.
• Explosive Blade Rain: Throws explosive daggers in a counter-clockwise pattern. Dodge accordingly.
• Blade Storm: If the Shadow Clone survives, Balbala unleashes a devastating blade storm. Prioritize clone elimination.

Defeating Balbala yields Balbala's Barya, to be given to Zarka, revealing the Trials of the Sekhemas.

Completing the Trials of the Sekhemas

From the Ardura Caravan, navigate to the Trials of the Sekhemas node. Initially, you'll need to command the caravan's movement.

Balbala will explain the trial's mechanics at the altar. The procedurally generated dungeon presents various challenges: timed challenges, traps, and elite enemies. Before entering, offer a Relic for a boon.

Key Mechanics:

• Honor: A resource depleted by damage. Reaching 0 Honor results in failure.
• Sacred Water: Earned by killing enemies; used for boons, keys, and Honor recovery.
• Keys: Obtained from remaining Sacred Water at the end, used to open chests.

Energy Shield drain doesn't affect Honor. Energy Shield builds have an advantage.

Each trial section offers boons and curses. Trial types include:

• Chalice Trial: Defeat two bosses.
• Escape Trial (timed): Defuse Death Crystals before time runs out.
• Gauntlet Trial: Avoid traps and find levers.
• Hourglass Trial (timed): Survive enemy waves until time runs out.
• Ritual Trial: Kill summoners and their summoned beasts.
• Boss Trial: Rattlecage (Tier 1), Terracota Sentinels (Tier 2), Ashar (Tier 3), Zarokh (Tier 4).

Successfully navigating the Trials, especially defeating Rattlecage (focus on Fire Resistance), grants access to the final altar where you choose your first Ascendancy. The choice is permanent.

Ascent to Power in Cruel Difficulty (Bug Workaround)

To gain two additional Ascendancy points in Act 2 Cruel, follow these steps (due to a current bug):

1. Talk to Zarka.
2. Defeat Balbala in Cruel, obtaining the Barya (ensure it indicates "Number of Trials 2").
3. Return to Act 2 Normal, enter the Trials, and use the Barya to access the Cruel difficulty Trials.
4. Complete two consecutive Trials, defeating a boss in each.
5. You'll receive two additional Ascendancy Points.

Note: This is a workaround; the intended method is currently bugged. Only the first Normal and Cruel runs grant Ascendancy points. The Trial of Chaos in Act 3 (Normal and Cruel) provides the remaining 4 points (for a total of 8). Reaching 0 Honor results in failure but doesn't consume the Barya on the first attempt. Subsequent attempts consume it.