PoE 2: Guide to Reigning Supreme in Ascent to Power

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 the third node, "Traitor's Passage," speak with Zarka. She'll direct you to Balbala, a trapped Djinn, to gain power.

Balbala's location within Traitor's Passage is randomized due to procedural generation, but she's generally found near the end. Locate the Ancient Seal Door leading to her prison. Defuse three seals to initiate the encounter.

Defeating Balbala the Traitor

Balbala resists Fire Damage and inflicts Physical, Chaos, and Fire damage, along with Poison and Ignition. Exploit her weakness to Cold Damage for optimal results.

Here's a breakdown of Balbala's attacks and counter-strategies:

• Slash Attack: A basic attack easily blocked or dodged. Save Energy Shield for more dangerous attacks. May inflict Burning or Poison.
• Throwing Attack: Ranged version of the slash attack; dodge or block. Each dagger hit applies Poison.
• Whirling Dash Attack: A fast lunge with an explosive AoE that detonates after 1.5 seconds. Cannot be blocked, only dodged. 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 yellowish AoE. Step over it quickly to prevent a Balbala clone from spawning. A teleport and slam attack follows if you step on the AoE.
• Teleport Slam: After summoning the clone, 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!") and summons poisonous mist. Quickly locate and attack her to cancel the channeling. She'll then yell "Sands of Wrath!" or "Darakatha!" before a slam attack.
• Explosive Blade Rain: Throws explosive daggers in a counter-clockwise conical pattern. Dodge in the opposite direction.
• Blade Storm: If the Shadow Clone isn't eliminated quickly, Balbala summons a destructive blade storm. Prioritize eliminating the clone to prevent this.

After defeating Balbala, take Balbala's Barya to Zarka. She'll reveal the location of the Trials of the Sekhemas.

Completing the Trials of the Sekhemas

Travel to the Trials of the Sekhemas node from the Ardura Caravan (note: you may need to command the caravan to move to the Sekhemas map initially). Unlock the Waypoint and approach the altar where Balbala will explain the trial.

The Trials are procedurally generated. Each room presents a unique challenge: timed challenges, traps, or elite enemies. Before entering, use a Relic to receive 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.

Energy Shield drain doesn't reduce Honor, giving Energy Shield builds 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: Tiered bosses (Rattlecage, Terracota Sentinels, Ashar, Zarokh).

Balancing boons and curses while preserving Honor is crucial. Rattlecage, the Earthbreaker, is a particularly challenging boss; high Fire Resistance is recommended.

Completing Ascent to Power

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

Cruel Difficulty: To obtain additional Ascendancy points in Cruel difficulty, a workaround is necessary due to a bug:

1. Talk to Zarka and defeat Balbala (ensure the Barya indicates "Number of Trials 2").
2. Return to Normal difficulty and enter the Trials using the Barya.
3. Complete two Trials consecutively to gain 2 additional Ascendancy points.

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