Path of Exile 2: Mastering the Ascent to Power
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 reaching "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, usually 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 inflicts Poison.
- Whirling Dash Attack: A fast lunge with an AoE explosion (1.5-second delay). Cannot be blocked, but dodgeable. 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 clone summoning. Teleport Slam follows if stepped on. Voice cue: "Tithe!"
- Summon Poison Mist/Vanish: Vanishes, creating poisonous mist. Find and attack her to cancel. Voice cues: "Visions of Jarah!" or "Mists of Sulamith!" Discovery cue: "Sands of Wrath!" or "Darakatha!"
- Explosive Blade Rain: Throws explosive daggers in a counter-clockwise cone. 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 must be given to Zarka. She'll then reveal the location of the Trials of the Sekhemas.
Completing the Trials of the Sekhemas
Travel to the Trials of the Sekhemas node (initially requiring caravan movement). Balbala will explain the trial mechanics.
The Trials are procedurally generated. Each room presents a challenge (timed challenges, traps, elite enemies). Before entering, use a Relic for a boon.
Key Mechanics:
- Honor: A resource bar depleted by damage. Reaching 0 Honor results in failure.
- Sacred Water: Earned by killing enemies; used to buy boons, keys, and recover Honor.
- Keys: Earned with remaining Sacred Water; open chests (Bronze, Silver, Gold).
Energy Shield drain doesn't reduce Honor. Energy Shield builds are advantageous.
Each trial section offers 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).
Successfully navigating the Trials, particularly defeating Rattlecage (use Fire Resistance), grants access to the final altar where you choose your first Ascendancy. The choice is permanent.
Completing Ascent to Power (Cruel Difficulty)
In Cruel difficulty, a bug necessitates a workaround to gain additional Ascendancy points:
- Talk to Zarka.
- Defeat Balbala in Cruel, obtaining a Barya indicating "Number of Trials 2."
- Return to Normal difficulty and access the Trials using the "Two Trials" Barya.
- Complete two Trials consecutively, defeating a boss in each. This grants 2 additional Ascendancy Points.
Note: Only the first Normal and Cruel difficulty runs grant Ascendancy Points. Subsequent runs consume the Barya. The Trial of Chaos in Act 3 (Normal and Cruel) provides the remaining 4 points (total 8). Reaching 0 Honor results in failure, but the first Normal difficulty attempt doesn't consume the Barya.
