How Has Crowd Control Mechanic In Path Of Exile 2 Changed From Before? - Differences & Impacts
Sep 11, 2024 Source: POECURRENCY
Hello Exiles, Path of Exile 2 Early Access is finally confirmed to be released on November 15th! I believe you are already rubbing your hands and are ready to jump into the game. But don’t worry, here we will highlight the mechanic changes between PoE 2 and PoE 1 in the future so that you can be prepared before the release!
In this guide, we will focus on introducing Crowd Control effects, such as Stun and Freeze, to see how exactly they work and how they differ from the same mechanics in Path of Exile 1.
So this guide should be useful for anyone who is completely new to the series, and it will serve as a good resource for PoE 1 players to help them compare the mechanics of the two games and how they stack up against each other, whether they are new or old players.
After the release of Path of Exile 2, it is very likely that league updates between the two games will be staggered, and some players will play both games at the same time and jump between the two leagues when new leagues are released. This inevitably makes it a bit jarring for some players to switch between two games with different mechanics, but this is where this guide comes into play. If you plan on jumping into POE 2, then don’t miss this guide!
Crowd Control Effects & Differences
Crowd Control effects in POE 2 include, but are not limited to, Stun and Freeze and a new effect that didn’t exist in POE 1, Electrocute. These effects prevent you from performing normal actions, but they can be implemented in different ways. For example, Freeze applies a 100% Action Speed Slow, preventing movement and the use of abilities, while Stun interrupts the action and then plays the stun animation, during which the stunned entity cannot perform any actions.
Although the results of these Crowd Control effects are very similar, the major difference is how they are applied. For example, Freeze is inherently tied to Cold damage by default, and is inflicted by Cold damage that has a chance to Freeze or Critical Strike. With Stun, on the other hand, any type of damage can naturally cause Stun, but melee damage is more effective at causing Stun, while non-physical damage is less effective.
Stun also has a new mechanic, Heavy Stun, which will build up over time and appear as another bar below the monster’s health bar. Heavy Stun will cause a significantly longer stagger animation, providing a larger opening for damage.
Then we have Electrocute, which by default is caused by Lightning damage. But even if you have a 100% chance to do so, it doesn’t mean you will always cause this Crowd Control effect.
Damage Threshold System
This is because there is a Damage Threshold System that determines whether a strike will cause a Control effect on Freeze and Electrocute.
This is an Ailment Threshold that is generally equivalent to the monster’s maximum life. You must have a chance to cause a Control effect or cast a Critical Strike, and must also cause enough damage for it to be effective.
Using the monster’s Ailment Threshold as an example, for Freeze, a strike that causes 5% of the monster’s maximum life will have a base Freeze duration of 0.3 seconds, and any lower strike will not apply Freeze.
However, you can re-roll modifiers to increase Freeze duration by spending POE2 Currency, which means you can go as low as 0.3 seconds. Freeze Threshold is smaller in damage relative to Ailment Threshold, though. For Stun, you can also adopt a similar system to set Stun Threshold.
What Are The Affects Of The Changes To Control Effects?
But the important thing is that Crowd Control effects have changed drastically in Path of Exile 2. Control effects that do not reach Threshold are not simply discarded like in POE 1, instead, they are added to a counter. This counter keeps track of all instances of Control effects of that type, and the counter adds the size of these instances together until they reach the required Threshold.
Builds
At this point, the effect will affect the entity, which means that some builds that were used to dealing multiple slight damages and could not reach Ailment Threshold of Control effect in POE 1 with a single hit can now finally shine in POE 2.
This will also have a significant impact on build crafting, as you will be able to more reliably inflict these Control effects on enemies that were previously restricted from doing so.
Bosses
In addition, these settings will deal a lot of positive damage in a single hit. But the most notable impact of this change is on boss design. Because in POE 1, GGG was forced to make bosses immune to Freeze by limiting their minimum Action Speed, and they also needed to patch the ability for players to Stunlock bosses by making bosses immune to Stun for a long time after being stunned.
But in POE 2, it will work very differently. Bosses will not have a minimum Action Speed or Stun Immunity. Instead, when a boss is affected by a Control effect, the threshold that needs to be reached to inflict the same Control effect will increase, so players will need to wait longer and longer to apply these effects to the boss.
However, this threshold scaling will also decay naturally over time in boss encounters, so you can take advantage of these Crowd Control effects even with low damage builds.
This system with threshold scaling is largely to prevent over-application of Crowd Control effects to bosses, and to avoid situations in party games where players can stack a bunch of the same effects and keep stunning the boss.
Overall, I have to say this is a great way to apply Crowd Control effects. When you apply these Control effects to a boss, you feel rewarded for really investing in them, which is really not that good in POE 1 at the moment. What do you think of this? Do you think there is room for improvement? See you in the game!
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How To Make Your Ranger Have The Best Build When You Enter The Endgame Content In Path Of Exile 2?
In Path of Exile 2 Early Access that has swept the world some time ago, you will experience 6 classes with different styles. Among them, Ranger that focuses on long-range shooting has attracted the love of many players. It can cleverly balance risks and rewards in battle, and you will cause very serious damage to the enemy while constantly moving, instead of standing there stupidly.
Based on the powerful abilities of Ranger, you not only need to think about where you should stand and when to act in combat strategically, but you also need to make a suitable build for it to make its offensive and defensive capabilities more balanced, which is especially important when you explore the endgame content in POE 2.
So this guide will introduce you to the equipment, skills and Ascendancy that can be placed in the best Ranger build suitable for exploring the endgame, and you can make appropriate choices based on your game style.
Best Equipment
First of all, we need to understand that choosing the best equipment for Ranger build cannot only focus on enhancing its damage ability, but also defensive ability is very important, otherwise you will not have enough ability to support your output of the highest damage.
Here are some of the gear you can choose for your Ranger. If you don’t have the recommended gear before entering the endgame, you can also spend some POE 2 Regal Orbs to upgrade the gear that is already powerful in your build by increasing its rarity or adding affixes.
- Lightning Damage Bow (Weapon): Increases your damage output, and ideally increases lightning damage and attack speed.
- Beyond Reach Visceral (Quiver): Increases your critical strike chance and damage in combat, and ideally adds some cold damage for Herald, bow skill damage, and projectile speed to your skills.
- Hands of Wisdom and Action (Gloves): Significantly increases your damage output and attack speed, especially when combined with Intelligence scaling.
- Feathered Sandals (Boots): Provides buffs such as high movement speed, Energy Shield, and Resistances.
The specific gear recommendations above are the ones that are most powerful for Ranger, and for some gear, such as Helmet, Body Armor, or Amulet, you just need to focus on a specific attribute. For example, a Helmet with high Energy Shield and resistance can improve your survivability to a higher level, and a Body Armour that can increase your Spirit level by 190 can give your build a stable and continuous output capability.
In addition, an Amulet that can increase the level of Projectile Skills can also be a powerful assistant in your build. Here I can recommend a Bone Storm, which is more suitable for you to enhance the damage of Ranger’s shooting skills. For belts that can be used for treatment and recovery, you can choose those that can increase the potion charge or treatment amount, so that your survivability will also increase.
Best Skills
When choosing skill gems for your Ranger build, the first thing to consider is how to maximize Class’ strengths, and the second is whether you’re facing a single target or a group of enemies. The skill gems you choose will be different depending on the situation. Here are some recommended skill gems and their functions.
- Lightning Arrow: Can deal with both single target and area damage, and works well with various support gems.
- Lightning Rod: Creates a rebounding arrow field for you, which can be combined with Lightning Arrow to cause tremendous damage.
- Explosive Shot: Has excellent area clearing capabilities, and can interact with Shockburst Rounds to cause burst damage.
- Shockburst Rounds: Can be used with Explosive Shot to explode damage to enemies that have been damaged by Shock effect.
- Ice Shot: Makes your skills have extremely high ice damage so that you can freeze enemies and trigger Herald effects.
- Poisonous Concoction: Can cause high poison damage to enemies over time. You can try using it with Pathfinder ascendancy, which will greatly maintain the duration and damage of poison.
- Gas Arrow: It will produce a poison cloud and deal area damage, which is suitable for you to use when dealing with groups of enemies.
- Ball Lightning: It can quickly trigger Lightning Rods and deal a lot of automatic damage, which is very suitable for players who like to move constantly.
- Herald of Thunder: It is more powerful in shock-based builds, which can effectively increase damage and clear speed.
Remember that because of the unique skill gem mechanism in POE 2, you may not get the gems we recommend for you in the endgame stage, so experimentation and adjustment are the key to finding the best gem settings for your character.
Best Passive Skills
In POE 2’s massive passive skill tree, you can choose skill nodes anywhere, regardless of class. So here are two types of passive skills recommended for your endgame Ranger build: one that focuses on increasing damage, and one that focuses on increasing defense.
First, among the nodes that focus on damage, you can choose those that increase projectile damage, elemental damage (especially lightning and cold), and critical hit chance or damage, all of which can provide strong benefits to your build to varying degrees. In addition, those passive skill nodes that increase attack speed are also very important, which will allow you to fire more projectiles or projectiles at the same time and cause more damage.
For nodes that increase defense, it is recommended that you prioritize those that can increase your dodge rating, Energy Shield, and Dodge Chance, such as Acrobatics keystone, because Ranger will often use these attributes for defense. Improving these attribute statistics will allow you to bring back POE 2 Currency and other loot during the very difficult endgame stage safely.
Best Ascendancy
After you beat Ascendancy Trials, which are exclusive to POE 2, you’ll be able to choose between three Ascendancy Classes for your endgame Ranger build - Deadeye, Pathfinder, or Raider. They all have different strengths in terms of damage, survivability, and utility, so the best one for you may depend on the skills and gear you plan to use.
Deadeye focuses on high damage and projectile speed, especially after using Endless Munitions. Pathfinder will be more suitable for players who like to use a lot of flasks in their build and deal a lot of poison damage, while Raider has excellent speed and burst damage, but you may need to be more thoughtful in choosing skills to get the best effect.
These are some of the build details that can be selected to take your Ranger build through the endgame stage in POE 2 Early Access. Hopefully, you can use this guide to complete the very difficult endgame stage successfully with a stable and supercapable Ranger build, and I wish you a happy game!
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What Skill Gems Should You Choose For Your Witch In Path Of Exile 2’s Early Game? - Top 4
In the early access of Path of Exile 2, which was popular all over the world some time ago, there are 6 basic classes available for players to use, among which Witch has become the choice of many players. On the one hand, it is because it can summon some minions to reduce the pressure of the character in battle, and on the other hand, it can use powerful spell skills to cause extremely destructive damage from a distance.
Regardless of which aspect, the key part of making a strong build in POE 2 is to choose some of the best skills. Given the unique mechanism of skill gems in the current game, you will have a lot of skills to choose from. Generally speaking, it is suitable to place skill gems that focus on increasing the durability and damage of the character in the early Witch build, and some players will pay more attention to the summoned minions.
To help you spend less time in the game, this guide will show you some skill gems you can choose for your Witch in the early stages. However, because each player explores differently, it is very likely that the skill gems obtained in the same stage are different, so you can use different ones according to your own needs and progress, which is also possible.
1. Unearth
The first one we introduce to you is Unearth, which can be cut by the first level Uncut Skill Gem you get. This skill will create some bone spikes on the ground between you and the enemy, which can continuously damage the enemy and has 15% Critical Chance. What’s more, Unearth can revive dead enemies along the entire path, and they will help you finish the battle.
This skill gem that enhances the sustainability of Witch builds will be your best choice in the early game when gear is not effective, and you can even use it in the late game. It is very suitable for dealing with those combat scenes that may make you busy, because it can deal area damage while turning fallen enemies into friendly forces, enhancing the strength and sustainability of the battle.
2. Skeletal Arsonist
In fact, Skeletal Arsonist is a skill gem dedicated to summoning Bone Minions, which will cause tremendous damage by throwing exploding fireballs at the enemy. Compared to Skeletal Snipers, which only focus on single enemies, it is more suitable for casting some area damage, which can be used to deal with some groups of enemies rushing at you in the early stage of the fight.
You can also combine Skeletal Arsonist with Unearth, so that the minions that throw fireballs will signal other minions to self-destruct when their health is low. So the more minions you summon, the more damage they will cause after the explosion. No matter how powerful the enemy is, they can easily destroy it, which is very suitable for farming those lower-level bosses to gain more experience points and POE 2 currency.
Since this skill focuses on dealing fire damage, if you plan to make it your main skill, you can put more gear focused on fire damage in your Witch build, or spend some POE 2 Regal Orbs to increase the rarity or affixes of these gears to maximize the ability of this type of elemental damage.
3. Skeletal Warrior
If you want to feel the pleasure of some melee or physical attacks in a Witch build that focuses on spells, then Skeletal Warrior Minions will be a good fit for you, especially in the early stages when the entire build’s defense capabilities are not very strong. They can be used in some battles where the enemy has strong mobility, pulling the enemy to facilitate the Witch to perform powerful spell attacks from a distance, so that you can more easily obtain POE 2 Currency and other loot.
However, since these minions themselves have few defensive means, they are easily defeated in battle, so you need the Skeletal Warrior skill gem to revive them so that they can fight for you again. You can compare it to Unearth in the same way, both of which can enhance the persistence of a Witch in early game content, but Skeletal Warrior can only revive exclusive minions, while Unearth will revive enemies.
It should be noted here that you need to manage Spirit when using this skill, and you may need to spend a large amount here. In addition, this skill can also be obtained through your equipped weapons, so you can use those Uncut Skill Gems to cut into other skills first. But as long as you no longer use this weapon, you can only rely on skill gems to summon Skeletal Warrior Minions.
4. Bone Cage
Bone Cage is a level 3 skill gem that deals more damage to enemies than the previous ones. It will summon a circle of bone spikes around the enemy when cast. Once the enemy touches the bone spikes, they will be destroyed immediately, causing damage and pinning the enemy in place. Generally, it will cause 15-22 points of physical damage and has a 15% chance of causing critical damage.
You can combine this skill with various skills that can summon minions, so that when the enemy is pinned and their movement and attacks are restricted, those minions that can cause different elemental damage can cause the most damage here.
The above are some of the skill gems you can choose for the early Witch build in POE 2 Early Access. Once again, because these gems are all searched by you during exploration, you may not get the same gems at the same stage, and you can also make appropriate skill choices according to your situation. I wish you a happy game!
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What Best Minions Should You Choose For Witch In Path Of Exile 2? - Top 6
Currently, Path of Exile 2 has been released in early access for a while, and players have basically understood how each Class in the entire game works, and can make a character build that suits their own game style according to their needs. Among the 6 Classes currently provided to players, Witch has become a favorite because of its ability to summon minions and powerful ranged damage.
In Witch build, whether you like to be the commander of those death minions or want to deal huge spell damage yourself, it is very important to choose a minion that suits you best. So here this guide will introduce you to several best minions for different game styles, so that you can explore smoothly from Act 1 to endgame with their help.
1. Skeletal Brute
Requirements
- Your character must be at Level 33
- The character must have 55 Intelligence
- A Level 13 Spirit Gem
For players who want to experience the thrill of powerful physical attacks from a spell-damage-focused Witch, the large Skeletal Brute will be your best choice, as it can deal a lot of damage to enemies with its powerful melee attacks.
In addition to this physical damage, Skeletal Brute can easily stun some more agile enemies and continue to cause shock waves with tremendous damage within this range. This super ability can give you a better chance of winning when facing some group enemies, and it can be easier to pick up POE 2 Currency and other loot they drop.
But it is worth noting that the summoning of Skeletal Brute requires more Spirit than most other minions, so its cost in battle may be the highest of all minions, even though it is a very good tank and damage dealer, so it may only be suitable for your early exploration of the game. Or you can combine it with multiple ranged minions that can deal spell damage, such as Skeletal Cleric and Frost Mage.
2. Skeletal Reaver
Requirements
- Your character must be at Level 31
- The character must have 72 Intelligence
- A Level 9 Spirit Gem
In fact, Skeletal Reaver is a direct upgrade of Skeletal Brute just introduced, and many players will consider it as the best choice in the early game. On the one hand, it is easy to obtain because the required level and attributes are relatively low; on the other hand, it requires less Spirit, which can cause more sustained damage to the enemy.
Although Skeletal Reaver is not as powerful as the original variant, it has a special mechanism. In combat, it can enrage. Although this minion will lose a certain amount of health per second in this state, the damage caused will be greatly increased.
If you spend some POE 2 Regal Orbs to upgrade the rarity and affixes of your build’s gear that can enhance this minion’s defense, it will greatly increase your sustainability and safety in this fight. Or you can run it at the same time as Skeletal Cleric, which can also provide some healing to Skeletal Reaver.
3. Skeletal Frost Mage
Requirements
- Your character is at Level 14
- The character has 34 Intelligence
- A Level 5 Spirit Gem
In your Witch build, you can choose to focus on your character’s spell casting ability or focus on letting the undead army fight fiercely on your behalf. Or you can focus on both aspects at the same time, and Skeletal Frost Mage allows you to do this idea.
It can fire ice bombs for great area damage, and can also apply cold damage to enemies, slowing their movement and attack speed. Thanks to these two effects, it’s more suitable to be used as a support minion in your build rather than a core, as this minion, which casts ranged damage like the Witch, is more effective in combat when the enemy is focused on more powerful melee minions, such as Skeletal Brute or Skeletal Reaver.
Read More: Diablo 4 Fans, Would You Give Path Of Exile 2 A Try? - 5 Reasons
4. Skeletal Cleric
Requirements
- Your character is at Level 52
- Your character has 119 Intelligence
- A Level 13 Spirit Gem
As mentioned above, Skeletal Cleric is a support minion that focuses on healing other minions and resurrecting those that die in combat. While it doesn’t cost much Spirit to summon it, over-running it can leave your entire build with a lot of damage and put you in a difficult position, so the best way to do this is to mix it with minions that can provide melee and ranged damage.
While Skeletal Cleric itself isn’t a super powerful minion, they are essential in your build because they can make other powerful minions more durable in combat, which is very important when you are exploring higher difficulty content or farming some special POE 2 currency or other items.
5. Infernal Hound
- Requirement: Unlock Loyal Hellhound ability in Infernalist Ascendancy skill tree
Once you complete the trial of ascendency in Act 2 of POE 2 and choose Infernalist path, you can choose this Ascendency Class-exclusive minion, Infernal Hound, which can continuously ignite enemies in the surrounding area to cause unbearable fire damage. More importantly, it can also help you share some blows cast by enemies, making you more survivable.
Since summoning Infernal Hound does not require Spirit, it can be easily integrated into any Infernalist build that focuses on summoning minions. Combined with some ranged attack skills and minions that can provide you with support, this highly tanky minion will make you difficult to defeat in battle.
6. Skeletal Sniper
- Requirements: Your character is at Level 1 & a Level 1 Spirit Gem
As one of the earliest minions available to Witch, Skeletal Sniper is also one of the most powerful minions. It can deal continuous ranged damage, leaving enemies nowhere to hide. It also fires a gas arrow that leaves flammable gas behind, which eventually causes area fire damage to the enemy.
This minion is suitable for any Witch build, and can cause continuous damage to enemies from a safe range away from the center of the battle. Like Skeletal Frost Mage, you need to combine it with a minion that can engage in melee to complete the battle together, no matter at any stage of the game.
The above are some of the best minions you can choose for your Witch in the current POE 2 Early Access. I hope you can complete the game content at each stage with the help of these powerful minions and get the best gaming experience in it. I wish you a happy game!
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How To Fight The Powerful Xesht Which Is The Optional Boss In Path Of Exile 2 Early Access?
As you explore the thrilling endgame content in Path of Exile 2 Early Access, you may encounter many optional bosses, which are usually hidden behind quests and requirements. Once you find and defeat them, they will provide you with some permanent attribute bonuses and a lot of valuable loot.
This guide will introduce you to Xesht, We That Are One, which is one of these optional bosses. It requires you to complete some requirements on the map in Atlas to appear. Since the difficulty of these bosses will be greatly increased in the endgame stage of POE 2, here are the specific locations of Xesht, the tips you need to fight it, and what rewards it will provide you.
Xesht’s Location
As you explore Twisted Domain, you may come across a Realmgate, which is your portal to the current area boss encounter. But before you open this portal, you need to clear a large breach contained here - clear all the monsters that appear here and collect Breach Splinters, which are important items for opening the portal, as well as other loot.
After you collect 300 Breach Splinters, you can combine them into a Breachstone, then take it to the beginning of Atlas to find Realmgate, and then place it in the slot shown on the screen, and then click Traverse button, you will be teleported to the arena where you and Xesht, We That Are One fought.
It should be noted here that because of POE 2’s unique map update mechanism, you may find that the furnishings and the location of Realmgate on the map have changed when you explore again the next day. This is the developer’s effort to give you a fresh exploration experience. But no matter how it changes, the Realmgate is generally always located near the beginning of the Atlas map, and you can look for it carefully.
Xesht’s Moves
Now that we know where Xesht, We That Are One is, let’s take a look at what attacks he’ll use in battle and how you can react to them. Here we’ll divide his attacks into low-risk and high-risk moves based on how dangerous they are, but since each player will use his moves in a different order, it’s best to learn them all.
It is important to note that before taking on this optional boss, you should interact with the nearest checkpoint near Realmgate. This is so that you can spend POE 2 Currency to make your gear in your build higher in rarity and with a better affix before the fight. It is also so that if you lose the fight, you can respawn here and make the next attempt.
Low Risk
- Fireball: Xesht will gradually charge up, eventually throwing a large fireball and slamming it in front of the boss. Although the fire damage this move can cause is huge, it’s good to predict when it’s charging. Most importantly, the fireball only affects a small area in front of Xesht, so you just need to dodge in time or increase your fire resistance by spending POE 2 Regal Orbs to improve defensive gear capabilities.
- Lightning Puppet: Like most optional bosses, Xesht will summon some puppets during battle to help him complete the battle. One of these is Lightning Puppet, which charges up to create an expanding area of lightning that explodes after a few seconds. This deals more area damage than the previous move, so make sure you stay away from the expanding blue source to avoid taking more damage.
- Cold Puppet: Like Lightning Puppet, this is another puppet summoned by Xesht that deals elemental damage. However, Cold Puppet fires many projectiles with strong cold damage, so you may need to stay as close to the circle behind the puppet as possible or keep a certain distance from it to avoid the projectiles.
- Hand Crawl: In this move, Xesht disappears from the arena, but you will see a crawling hand that keeps chasing you and can cause damage. Stay calm and stay still. When it reaches you, look for the lines indicating the direction of the wave and dodge accordingly to avoid subsequent attacks.
High Risk
- Finger Guns: Xesht points his fingers forward and fires a number of projectiles that explode when they hit you. While these projectiles are very powerful, the duration of this move is very short, so you can avoid being hit by getting close to Xesht to cast his attack skills.
- Giant Hand: You will see a giant hand hovering above the arena, and the shadow area will burn with flames. It should be noted that this hand will track your position, so you need to dodge and roll in time to avoid this move that can cause continuous damage.
- Arm Portals: At this time, portals on the floor of the arena will spawn some giant arms and slam down on you. Since these arms are generated around the arena, you can move to the center of the portals to get past the minimum range and avoid subsequent attacks. But it should be noted here that even if Xesht is defeated, these arms will continue to attack you, so you need to be careful when picking up loot.
- Double Puppets: besides being summoned individually, Lightning Puppet and Cold Puppet can also be summoned by Xesht at the same time, and they will flood the entire arena with their projectiles and area attacks. Avoid being in the arena, and preferably in one hallway to keep your character safe.
- Wind Blast: Xesht will also charge up a wind projectile and fire it for physical damage. Of course, you can also predict it while it’s charging, so try to dodge from a distance. Or you can just get in close to avoid the projectile’s path.
Rewards From Xesht, We That Are One
Generally, this type of optional boss will drop a lot of POE 2 currency and some loot. But players are most concerned about what kind of permanent attribute rewards it can provide you. Here Xesht will reward you with an Otherworldly Book of Knowledge, which can provide you with 2 Breach Atlas Passive Points, but only if you defeat it for the first time.
In addition, Xesht also has a certain chance to drop a Unique, so that you can use it to enhance your build. Generally, it will drop one of the following lists. But some of these items have a relatively low drop rate, so you can farm this boss multiple times at different difficulty levels.
- The Pandemonius Lapis Amulet
- Beyond Reach Visceral Quiver
- Hand of Wisdom and Action Furtive Wraps
- Skin of the Loyal Garment
- Choir of the Storm Jade Amulet
- Xoph’s Blood Amber Amulet
- Controlled Metamorphosis Diamond
This is the location and strategy of the very important optional boss Xesht, We That Are One that you will encounter in POE 2 Early Access. Hopefully, you can use this guide to complete this boss’ encounter in a smooth manner. Have fun!
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What To Prepare Before You Dive Into Path Of Exile 2’s Extremely Difficult Endgame Content? - Tips & Strategies
After you complete all the game content in Normal and Cruel difficulties provided to you by Path of Exile 2 Early Access, you will enter the second half of the entire game, which is the endgame content that most players are very troubled by. In this content that differs completely from the first half, you will need to learn new ways to navigate the game, judge the value of items, and learn the ability to use new functions to ensure that your exploration is in the best state.
Generally speaking, when players reach the endgame stage, they are already familiar enough with most of the mechanisms and builds in POE 2 to cope with most challenges. However, given that the difficulty here is several times that of the previous game content, you may need to learn about some of the special mechanisms and knowledge in advance according to the introduction in this guide. The tips and strategies provided here may bring you a better endgame experience.
1. Use Some Loot Filters
As you explore the endgame in POE 2 and explore Atlas of Worlds, enemies or bosses here will drop a lot of loot. At this time, you need to learn some loot to judge which loot will have a greater benefit to your build, such as POE 2 Currency, which can be used to upgrade gear, and Magic-quality Flask, which is very important in combat.
In general, it is difficult for you to see what specific effect this item will have on your build directly, so you can use some loot filters. They will highlight those valuable or useful loot in a pile of loot and hide those that are not suitable for your build or not worth picking up.
But here I need to remind you that it is best to use loot filters in some maps that use advanced Waystones, because with the help of this Waystone, the map you explore will become more difficult, but the loot provided to you will also be a lot, and even cover your entire screen without filtering.
2. Focus On Gear With Rune Sockets And High Quality
Although I just said that you don’t need to pick up all the loot, gear with rune sockets or high quality deserves your special attention. After you obtain these items and salvage them, you will obtain Armorer’s Scrap, Blacksmith’s Whetstone, and Shards, which can be used as materials for Artificer’s Orbs that can add rune sockets to any of your gear.
By the way, these crafting materials are useful in themselves and can be exchanged for some currencies you often use when making builds. For example, 2-3 Armorer’s Scrap plus 5-6 Blacksmith’s Whetstone can be exchanged at Currency Exchange for a POE 2 Exalted Orb, which can add a useful affix to the gear in your build and make it more effective.
If you follow the first tip, you can set these items with high quality or rune sockets as exceptions when using the loot filter to avoid missing these important items. Or if you don’t have much help, you can choose based on the description of the item: the little white square on the description means it has a rune socket, and then see if the item has Superior in the title. You can also see if the loot has these two important pieces of information on their description by hovering your mouse over them.
3. Use Portals Early
In the endgame in POE 2, after you activate a Waystone for a map on Atlas, six portals appear in Ziggurat Refuge, each representing an opportunity to use a Town Portal to return to Refuge during exploration. Generally, you can use this as an opportunity to refresh Flasks and Charms, clear inventory space, or readjust your build to handle more difficult map challenges.
When you die on a map, all portals are closed, and you can only use a Waystone to return to Ziggurat Refuge and try again, but only if you don’t destroy the map node. So you should use the portals as early as possible in the process of exploring the map, so that there is a low probability of running out of resources.
4. Add Some Gear With Elemental Resistances
When you are playing the previous game content, you may have always adhered to the rule of standardizing Elemental Resistances, which can help you deal with most situations. However, some maps or enemy types in the endgame will threaten you with specific and very high elemental damage, so you should try to use some gear with specific Elemental Resistances to counter them before exploring.
For example, high Fire Resistance will be suitable for areas with a lot of Fire enemies, and high Poison defense stats will be suitable for areas with a lot of Poison enemies. If you don’t need these gears in your current exploration, you can save them in your Stash, because you never know when you will encounter a map that can cause 200% specific elemental damage and a lot of elemental enemies. These gears will increase your survivability far more than those combat modifiers.
5. Select Atlas Skills That Have Buffs To Waystone Rarity & Drop Chance
Once you enter Atlas and complete ten Tier 1 or higher Waystones in a map, an NPC named Doryani will give you a book that grants you 2 Atlas Passive Skill Points, which are only applicable to maps in Atlas.
While nodes on Atlas Skill Tree affect maps in a variety of ways, you should prioritize two points of gain, the rarity and drop rate of Waystones. The more Waystones are valuable and available, the more rewards you will get from exploring maps here. Generally, these passive skill nodes are to the right of the starting point of Atlas Skill Tree and in the lower right corner.
The above is the preparation of information you need to know before exploring the endgame of POE 2. I hope that with the help of these strategies and tips, you can explore the second half of the game more easily and smoothly, and establish your own exploration awareness and playing style in the process. I wish you a happy game!
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How Does Honor System Work In Trial Of Sekhemas In Path Of Exile 2 Early Access?
As you explore Path of Exile 2 Early Access, you will encounter a side quest in Act 2 called Trial of Sekhemas. Although this quest is optional, once you pass this trial, you will choose Ascendancy Classes, which will completely change or customize your build.
So all players should try Trial of Sekhemas so that you can maximize your character’s potential. However, given that there is a very complex Honor System in this trial, the difficulty of the entire trial has increased dramatically. Because of the difficulty of this trial, it is very important to understand how Honor System works and some precautions in this guide before starting to explore, which will make it easier and faster to pass this very difficult trial.
How Does Honor System Work?
When you first enter Trial of Sekhemas, you will have a new health bar at the bottom of the screen. This is Honor bar, which acts as a secondary HP bar here. It will show you how much Honor you currently have, the maximum Honor you can get, and which Trial Keys you currently have. You will start your Trial of Sekhemas exploration with a full Honor bar. It is important to note that the maximum Honor you have is determined by the sum of your Life and Energy Shield stats. For example, if your two stats are 250, then the maximum Honor you can use will be 500.
Given this mechanism, you should try to improve these two key attributes in your build as much as possible before starting this trial. For example, you can spend some POE 2 Exalted Orbs to give defensive gear some new affixes to ensure maximum gains. However, it should be noted that your Honor Bar and health are two different increase and decrease mechanisms, so your health will not be greatly affected if your Honor is used up.
During your trial, your Honor will be reduced bit by bit as you take damage from enemies. It can be explained here that the honor damage you take depends on the type of damage the enemy inflicts on you and your resistance to damage. For example, if your character has very little Chaos Resistance and the enemy casts poison, lightning or fire damage on you, your Honor will be greatly reduced because they are all the same type of elemental damage.
In addition to the elemental damage type, the Honor you lose is also related to the distance between you and the enemy. The closer you are to the enemy, the less damage your Honor will suffer. So whether you are using a Sorceress that focuses on long-range attacks or a Warrior that emphasizes melee attacks, try to get as close to the enemy as possible to avoid more Honor from being damaged. But don’t get too close, otherwise you will be more likely to be hit by the enemies in the trial and cause greater damage.
During the entire exploration process of Trial of Sekhemas, Honor will not be restored as often as health points, so each damage is very serious. Once your Honor reaches 0, your journey in this trial ends immediately. Since Trial of Sekhemas is a one-life dungeon, if you run out of health or lose all Honor, you will lose your chance to explore Trial and can only enter Trial by resetting the map and fighting Balbala.
How To Recover Honor?
Although Honor is difficult to recover during exploration, it is not impossible. The first way to recover Honor is to use specific Djinn Boons that you can apply to your character during Trial of Sekhemas. You need to find Balbala in Trial Room and exchange Sacred Water for these Boons.
Boons provided here are divided into Minor or Major according to their effects. Minor Boons require less Sacred Water than Major Boons, but the effects are also weaker than those of Major Boons. They all provide some benefits to your build so that you can more easily obtain POE 2 Currency and other loot in subsequent explorations.
The most noteworthy Major Boon is Earned Honor, which requires you to deliver 600 Sacred Water. Earned Honor will restore a certain percentage of Honor for each Trial Room you complete, so that you can continuously complete all challenges. In addition, you can also restore some Honor at fountains in some public areas, but it should be noted that it does not appear after each room is completed, so you can’t rely on it too much.
Besides this external factor, you can also gain some Honor by upgrading your character during Trial of Sekhemas, because during your upgrade, the main sources of Honor, Life and Energy Shield, will be enhanced to a certain extent, so Honor will also be increased and restored to a certain extent.
How To Reduce The Damage Taken By Honor?
Now that you know how Honor system works, you might be thinking about it in relation to health and wondering if there is a way to increase Honor’s resistance in POE 2 Early Access. In fact, there is.
First, you can equip some Relics in your build that can increase Honor’s resistance. You can get them from Balbala. Relics not only reduce the damage taken by Honor but also increase the maximum Honor value. But it should be noted that when you first start Trial of Sekhemas, you can only place one Relic in your build. But as you go deeper into Trial, you can add more and more Relics, and the boosts and rewards you get will increase accordingly.
That’s all the details of Honor system you are experiencing in the current Trial of Sekhemas in POE 2 and some strategies you can use. Hopefully, this guide will keep your Honor value in this Trial stable and within a safe range, and make it through this difficult Trial with ease. Have fun!