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 is crucial for character progression. This guide details how to initiate and complete the Ascent to Power quest, unlocking your first Ascendancy in Act 2.

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, 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 version of the slash attack; dodge or block. Each dagger inflicts poison.
• Whirling Dash Attack: A fast lunge with explosive AoE; undodgeable, but dodgeable. Voice cue: "Face Me!" or "Na'kai!"
• Teleport Dagger Attack: Teleports and throws daggers creating AoE; dodge only. Voice cue: "Atul!"
• Summon Shadow Clone: Throws a Barya (coin), creating a yellow AoE. Step over it to prevent clone summoning. Teleport and slam attack follows if stepped on.
• Teleport Slam: After clone summoning, teleports and slams with fiery AoE. Voice cue: "Tithe!"
• Summon Poison Mist/Vanish: Vanishes, summoning poisonous mist. Voice cues: "Visions of Jarah!" or "Mists of Sulamith!" Quickly find and attack her to cancel. She'll yell "Sands of Wrath!" or "Darakatha!" upon discovery, followed by an AoE slam.
• Explosive Blade Rain: Throws explosive daggers in a counter-clockwise conical 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 from the Ardura Caravan to the Trials of the Sekhemas node. Initially, you'll need to command the caravan to move to the Sekhemas map.

Balbala will explain the trial mechanics at the altar. The map is procedurally generated, with various challenges in each room: 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.

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

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: Find and kill summoners and their summoned beasts.
• Boss Trial: Tiered bosses: Rattlecage, Terracota Sentinels, Ashar, Zarokh.

Balancing boons and curses, and preserving Honor, is key. 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:

In Cruel difficulty, the quest is bugged. To gain additional Ascendancy points:

1. Talk to Zarka.
2. Defeat Balbala (Barya should indicate "Number of Trials 2").
3. Return to Act 2 Normal and enter the Trials using the two-trial Barya.
4. Complete two Trials consecutively, defeating a boss in each.
5. This grants 2 additional Ascendancy points.

Only the first Normal and Cruel 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.