Path Of Exile 2: Ascent To Power Walkthrough

Path of Exile 2: Mastering the Ascent to Power Quest

Path of Exile 2's Ascendancy system significantly impacts character builds. Unlocking your first Ascendancy requires completing the Ascent to Power quest in Act 2. This guide details how to initiate and complete this quest, including strategies for challenging encounters.

Starting Ascent to Power

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

Balbala's location is randomized within Traitor's Passage. Locate the Ancient Seal Door leading to her prison. Defuse three seals to trigger the encounter.

Defeating Balbala the Traitor

Balbala resists Fire Damage and inflicts Physical, Chaos, and Fire damage, along with Poison and Ignition. Exploit her Cold Damage vulnerability.

Balbala's Attacks and Counters:

• Slash Attack: A basic attack; easily blocked or dodged.
• Throwing Attack: Ranged attack; dodge or block. Each dagger inflicts Poison.
• Whirling Dash Attack: A fast lunge with an AoE explosion (1.5-second delay). Dodge; voice cue: "Face Me!" or "Na'kai!"
• Teleport Dagger Attack: Teleports and throws daggers creating an AoE. Dodge only; voice cue: "Atul!"
• Summon Shadow Clone: Throws a Barya, creating a yellow AoE. Step over it to prevent clone summoning. A teleport slam follows if stepped on; voice cue: "Tithe!"
• Summon Poison Mist/Vanish: Vanishes, summoning poisonous mist; voice cues: "Visions of Jarah!" or "Mists of Sulamith!" Find and attack her to cancel; voice cues upon discovery: "Sands of Wrath!" or "Darakatha!"
• Explosive Blade Rain: Throws explosive daggers in a counter-clockwise pattern. Dodge accordingly.
• Blade Storm: If the Shadow Clone isn't eliminated quickly, Balbala summons a destructive blade storm. Prioritize clone elimination.

Defeating Balbala yields Balbala's Barya, to be given to Zarka. She'll then reveal the Trials of the Sekhemas.

Completing the Trials of the Sekhemas

Travel to the Trials of the Sekhemas node via the Ardura Caravan. You'll unlock a Waypoint and find an altar where Balbala provides instructions.

The Trials are procedurally generated dungeons with various challenges: timed challenges, traps, and elite enemies. Before entering, use a Relic for a boon.

Key Mechanics:

• Honor: A resource bar depleted by damage. Reaching 0 Honor fails the Trial.
• Sacred Water: Used to purchase boons, keys, and recover Honor.
• Keys: Obtained with remaining Sacred Water to open chests.

Energy Shield drain doesn't affect Honor. Energy Shield builds are advantageous.

Each Trial section offers boons and curses. Examples of Trials 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: Find and kill Summoners and their summoned beasts.
• Boss Trial: Rattlecage (Tier 1), Terracota Sentinels (Tier 2), Ashar (Tier 3), Zarokh (Tier 4).

Balance boon/curse choices to preserve Honor. Rattlecage, the Earthbreaker, is a significant challenge; prioritize Fire Resistance.

Completing Ascent to Power

Defeating Rattlecage unlocks the final altar, where you choose your first Ascendancy (permanent choice).

Cruel Difficulty: To obtain additional Ascendancy points in Cruel difficulty, complete the following:

1. Talk to Zarka.
2. Defeat Balbala in Cruel (ensure the Barya shows "Number of Trials 2").
3. Return to Normal difficulty and access the Trials using the two-trial Barya.
4. Complete two Trial runs, defeating a boss in each. This grants 2 additional Ascendancy Points. (Note: This is a workaround for a current bug.)

Only the first Normal and Cruel difficulty runs grant Ascendancy Points (2 each). You'll need to complete the Trial of Chaos in Act 3 (Normal and Cruel) for the remaining 4 points (total 8). Reaching 0 Honor fails the Trial, but the first attempt doesn't consume the Barya. Subsequent attempts do.