Path Of Exile 2: Ascent To Power Walkthrough

Mastering Path of Exile 2's Ascension: A Comprehensive Guide to Ascent to Power

Path of Exile 2's intricate 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 complete this quest, including navigating the Trials of the Sekhemas.

Starting Ascent to Power

In Act 2, after unlocking the Ardura Caravan and exploring two location nodes, speak to Zarka before visiting "Traitor's Passage." She'll direct you to Balbala, a trapped Djinn, to gain power.

Balbala's location is randomized within Traitor's Passage, typically near the end. 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 causes Poison buildup.
• Whirling Dash Attack: A fast lunge with an AoE explosion (1.5-second delay). Dodge only; 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 (coin), creating a yellow AoE. Step over it to prevent summoning a Balbala copy. A teleport slam follows if you step on it; voice cue: "Tithe!"
• Summon Poison Mist/Vanish: Vanishes (voice cues: "Visions of Jarah!" or "Mists of Sulamith!") summoning poisonous mist. Find and attack her to cancel; voice cue 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, which you take to Zarka. She'll reveal the Trials of the Sekhemas.

Completing the Trials of the Sekhemas

From the Ardura Caravan, navigate to the Trials of the Sekhemas node. 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 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: Earned by killing enemies; used to buy boons, keys, and recover Honor.
• Keys: Earned with remaining Sacred Water at the end; open chests.

Each Trial section provides a boon and a curse. 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 summoned beasts.
• Boss Trial: Tiered bosses (Rattlecage, Terracota Sentinels, Ashar, Zarokh).

Completing the Trials, especially defeating Rattlecage (focus on Fire Resistance), unlocks the final altar where you choose your first Ascendancy (this choice is permanent).

Ascent to Power in Cruel Difficulty

To gain two additional Ascendancy points in Act 2 Cruel difficulty:

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

Remember, reaching 0 Honor fails the Trial. Only the first Normal and Cruel difficulty runs grant Ascendancy Points. You'll also need to complete the Trial of Chaos in Act 3 (Normal and Cruel) for the remaining 4 points (totaling 8). Subsequent Trials consume the Djinn Barya.