Path Of Exile 2: Ascent To Power Walkthrough

Path of Exile 2: Mastering the Ascent to Power

Path of Exile 2's engaging class system heavily relies 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 challenging quest, including strategies for the Trials of the Sekhemas.

Starting Ascent to Power

In Act 2, after accessing the Ardura Caravan and exploring two location nodes, speak with Zarka before reaching Traitor's Passage. 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 Traitor's Passage's end. Locate the Ancient Seal Door leading to Balbala's prison. Disarm three seals to trigger the boss fight.

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. While not overly complex, mastering her mechanics may take a few attempts.

Balbala's Attacks and Counters:

• Slash Attack: A basic attack easily blocked or dodged. Save your energy shield for more dangerous attacks. May inflict burning or poisoning.
• Throwing Attack: Ranged version of the slash attack. Dodge or block. Each dagger causes poison buildup.
• Whirling Dash Attack: A fast lunge with an explosive AoE detonation after 1.5 seconds. Dodging is crucial. Preceded by the voice cue "Face Me!" or "Na'kai!".
• Teleport Dagger Attack: Balbala teleports and throws daggers creating an AoE. Dodge to avoid damage. Voice cue: "Atul!".
• Summon Shadow Clone: Balbala throws a Barya (coin), creating a yellow AoE. Quickly step over it to prevent a Balbala clone from spawning. Stepping on it triggers a teleport and slam attack.
• Teleport Slam: After the summoning circle, Balbala teleports, yells "Tithe!", and creates a fiery AoE. Dodge!
• Summon Poison Mist/Vanish: Balbala vanishes (voice cues: "Visions of Jarah!" or "Mists of Sulamith!") and summons poisonous mist. Quickly locate and attack her to cancel the channeling. She'll then yell "Sands of Wrath!" or "Darakatha!" before a dodging-required AoE slam.
• Explosive Blade Rain: (Late-fight) Conical pattern of explosive daggers counterclockwise from her position. Dodge in the opposite direction.
• Blade Storm: (If the Shadow Clone isn't eliminated promptly) A swirling blade storm. Prioritize eliminating clones to prevent this.

Defeating Balbala yields Balbala's Barya, which you must give to Zarka to reveal the Trials of the Sekhemas.

Completing the Trials of the Sekhemas

Travel to the Trials of the Sekhemas node from the Ardura Caravan. (Note: Your first time, you'll need to command the caravan's movement.) Unlock the Waypoint and approach the altar where Balbala will explain the trial.

The procedurally generated dungeon features various challenges per room: timed challenges, traps, and elite enemies. Before starting, use a Relic to gain a boon.

Key Mechanics:

• Honor: A resource bar depleted by damage. Reaching 0 Honor fails the trial.
• Sacred Water: Earned by killing enemies; used to buy boons, keys, and recover Honor.
• Keys: Obtained by trading remaining Sacred Water after completing a trial; used to open chests.

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

Trial Types:

• Chalice Trial: Defeat two boss monsters.
• 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 boons and curses to preserve Honor. For Rattlecage, prioritize fire resistance.

Completing Ascent to Power

After defeating Rattlecage, choose your first Ascendancy at the altar. The choice is permanent.

Cruel Difficulty: To obtain two additional Ascendancy points in Act 2 Cruel difficulty, a workaround is needed due to a bug:

1. Start the quest with Zarka.
2. Defeat Balbala in Cruel (ensure the coin shows "Number of Trials 2").
3. Return to Act 2 Normal, access Trials, and use the "Two Trials" coin for Cruel difficulty.
4. Complete two consecutive Trials, defeating a boss in each.
5. You'll gain two additional Ascendancy Points.

Remember: Reaching 0 Honor fails the trial. Only the first Normal and Cruel runs grant Ascendancy Points (2 each). You'll also need to complete the Trial of Chaos in Act 3 Normal and Cruel for the remaining 4 points (total 8).