Path of Exile 2: Mastering the 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 tackling 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. 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, plus Poison and Ignition. Exploit her Cold Damage vulnerability.
Balbala's Attacks and Counters:
- Slash Attack: Basic attack; block or dodge. May inflict Burning or Poison.
- Throwing Attack: Ranged attack; dodge or block. Multiple daggers inflict Poison.
- Whirling Dash: Fast lunge with AoE explosion (1.5-second delay). Dodge only. Voice cue: "Face Me!" or "Na'kai!"
- Teleport Dagger Attack: Teleports, 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 Slam follows if stepped on. Voice cue: "Tithe!"
- Teleport Slam: Teleports and slams with fiery AoE. Dodge.
- Summon Poison Mist/Vanish: Vanishes, summoning poisonous mist. Voice cues: "Visions of Jarah!" or "Mists of Sulamith!" Find and attack Balbala to cancel. She'll yell "Sands of Wrath!" or "Darakatha!" upon discovery, slamming with AoE.
- 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; give it to Zarka to unlock the Trials of the Sekhemas.
Completing the Trials of the Sekhemas
Travel to the Trials of the Sekhemas node from the Ardura Caravan (initially commanding the caravan's movement). Unlock the Waypoint and approach the altar.
The Trials are procedurally generated. Each room presents challenges: 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: Currency; obtained by killing enemies; used for boons, keys, and Honor recovery.
- Keys: Earned with remaining Sacred Water; open chests (Bronze, Silver, Gold).
Energy Shield drain doesn't affect Honor. Energy Shield builds are advantageous.
Each Trial section offers boons and curses. Examples include:
- Chalice Trial: Defeat two bosses.
- Escape Trial (timed): Defuse Death Crystals before time runs out.
- Gauntlet Trial: Avoid traps, find levers, escape.
- Hourglass Trial (timed): Survive enemy waves until time runs out.
- Ritual Trial: Find and kill summoners and their beasts.
- Boss Trial: Rattlecage (Tier 1), Terracota Sentinels (Tier 2), Ashar (Tier 3), Zarokh (Tier 4).
Balance boons and curses to preserve Honor. Rattlecage, the Earthbreaker, is a challenging boss; prioritize Fire Resistance.
Completing Ascent to Power
Defeating Rattlecage unlocks the final altar, where you choose your first Ascendancy (permanent choice).
Cruel Difficulty: To gain additional Ascendancy points (2 in Cruel), complete these steps:
- Talk to Zarka.
- Defeat Balbala in Cruel (Barya should show "Number of Trials 2").
- Return to Normal difficulty and enter the Trials.
- Use the two-trial Barya to access Cruel difficulty Trials.
- Complete two runs, defeating a boss in each, for 2 additional Ascendancy points. (Note: This is a workaround for a current bug).
Failing a Trial (0 Honor) doesn't consume the Barya on the first attempt. Subsequent attempts and Cruel difficulty runs consume the Barya. Only the first Normal and Cruel runs grant Ascendancy points (2 each). Complete the Trial of Chaos in Act 3 (Normal and Cruel) for the remaining 4 points (total 8).
