Path of Exile 2's Ascent to Power Guide

Path of Exile 2: A Comprehensive Guide to the Ascent to Power Quest

Path of Exile 2's intricate Ascendancy system significantly impacts gameplay. 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. 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 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 explosive AoE; 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 clone summoning. Balbala follows with a teleport and slam attack if you step on it.
• Teleport Slam: After clone summoning, teleports and slams with a fiery AoE; dodge. Voice cue: "Tithe!"
• Summon Poison Mist/Vanish: Vanishes and summons poison mist. Voice cue: "Visions of Jarah!" or "Mists of Sulamith!" Quickly locate and attack her to cancel the channeling. She'll then yell "Sands of Wrath!" or "Darakatha!" before a slam 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, which you take 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 via the Ardura Caravan. Balbala will explain the trial's mechanics.

The Trials feature 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: Used to buy boons, keys, and recover Honor. Earned by killing enemies.
• Keys: Earned with remaining Sacred Water to open chests.

Energy Shield drain doesn't reduce Honor. Energy Shield builds have an advantage.

Each Trial section offers boons and curses. Examples of trials 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: Face various bosses (Rattlecage, Terracota Sentinels, Ashar, Zarokh) at the end of each tier.

Defeating Rattlecage grants access to the final altar where you choose your first Ascendancy. This choice is permanent.

Completing Ascent to Power in Cruel Difficulty

In Cruel difficulty, you need to:

1. Talk to Zarka.
2. Defeat Balbala (ensure the Barya indicates "Number of Trials 2").
3. Return to Act 2 Normal Difficulty and access the Trials using the two-trial Barya.
4. Complete two Trials consecutively to gain two additional Ascendancy Points. (Note: This is a workaround for a current bug.)

Only the first Normal and Cruel difficulty 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 of 8). Reaching 0 Honor fails the trial, but the first attempt doesn't consume the Barya. Subsequent attempts do.