Path Of Exile 2: Ascent To Power Walkthrough

Path of Exile 2: Mastering the Ascent to Power Quest

Path of Exile 2's intricate Ascendancy system significantly impacts gameplay. Unlocking your first Ascendancy requires completing the Ascent to Power quest in Act 2. This guide details initiating and completing this quest, including the Trials of the Sekhemas.

Starting Ascent to Power

Upon reaching 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 due to procedural map generation, but she'll generally be near the end of 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. Cold damage is highly effective. While not overly complex, mastering her mechanics may require a few attempts.

Balbala's Attacks and Counters:

• Slash Attack: A basic attack easily blocked or dodged. Save energy shield for more dangerous attacks. May inflict burn or poison.
• Throwing Attack: Ranged version of the slash attack. Dodge or block. Each dagger hit builds poison.
• Whirling Dash Attack: A fast lunge with explosive AoE. Cannot be blocked, but dodgeable. Preceded by a voice cue ("Face Me!" or "Na'kai!").
• Teleport Dagger Attack: Balbala teleports and throws daggers creating AoE. Dodging is crucial. Voice cue: "Atul!"
• Summon Shadow Clone: Balbala throws a Barya (coin), creating a yellow AoE. Step over it quickly to prevent a Balbala clone. Stepping on it triggers a teleport and slam attack.
• Teleport Slam: After the summoning circle, Balbala teleports and yells "Tithe!", creating a fiery AoE to dodge.
• Summon Poison Mist/Vanish: Balbala vanishes (voice cues: "Visions of Jarah!" or "Mists of Sulamith!") summoning poisonous mist. Quickly locate and attack her to cancel the channeling. She'll then yell "Sands of Wrath!" or "Darakatha!", performing an AoE slam.
• Explosive Blade Rain: (Late-game) Throws explosive daggers in a counter-clockwise conical pattern. Dodge accordingly.
• Blade Storm: (If the clone isn't eliminated quickly) Balbala summons a destructive blade storm. Prioritize clone elimination.

Defeating Balbala yields Balbala's Barya, which must 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 (note: the first time, you'll need to command the caravan's movement). Unlock the Waypoint and approach the altar where Balbala provides instructions.

The Trials are procedurally generated. Each room presents a challenge: timed events, traps, or 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: Earned by killing enemies; used to buy boons, keys, and recover Honor.
• Keys: Earned with remaining Sacred Water at the end; used to open chests.

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

Each Trial section offers boons (positive effects) and curses (negative effects). Trial types include:

• Chalice Trial: Defeat two bosses along a blood path.
• Escape Trial (timed): Defuse death crystals before time runs out.
• Gauntlet Trial: Avoid traps and activate levers.
• Hourglass Trial (timed): Survive enemy waves until time runs out.
• Ritual Trial: Find and kill summoners and their summoned beasts.
• Boss Trial: Tiered bosses (Rattlecage, Terracota Sentinels, Ashar, Zarokh).

Balancing boons and curses while preserving Honor is crucial. Rattlecage, the Earthbreaker, is a particularly challenging boss; prioritize fire resistance.

Completing Ascent to Power

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

Cruel Difficulty: To gain two additional Ascendancy points in Cruel difficulty, complete the following (due to a current bug):

1. Talk to Zarka.
2. Defeat Balbala in Cruel (ensure the Barya indicates "Number of Trials 2").
3. Return to Normal difficulty and access the Trials using the two-trial Barya.
4. Complete two Trials consecutively, defeating a boss in each.
5. Gain two additional Ascendancy points.

Remember, reaching 0 Honor fails the Trial. The first Normal and Cruel difficulty runs each grant 2 Ascendancy points. You'll need to complete the Trial of Chaos in Act 3 Normal and Cruel for the remaining 4 points (total 8).