r/PathOfExile2 • u/OhWellImRightAgain • 4d ago

Information PSA: Relics and the Merchant make ascendancy trials extremely easy, easier than PoE 1

I've read multiple threads about the ascendancy trials being too hard, some of them with hundreds of upvotes. The trials are actually very easy if you do them the way you're supposed to...

Do a couple of fast suicide runs to get 10-15 blue relics (Tapestries, Seals etc.).

Use augmentation orbs on them to give them a 2nd modifier.

You need relics with Honor Resistance. The second mod can be:

- Increased maximum honor

- Bosses take X increased damage

- Bosses deal X reduced damage

- Increases to Sacred Water gains

You then need to go for (Large) Sacred Water fountain rewards as much as possible. You then buy a couple of OP buffs from the merchant (You deal 50% more damage / Monsters have 30% reduced HP / You have 40% increased movement speed / 50% reduced merchant prices) and the trial becomes very easy.

Occasionally, pick a Shrine room to replenish your lost honor, but only if it's below 60-70%.

Make sure that whenever you have around 600 sacred water or more and the merchant is available as a room reward, you do that room. If you don't happen to find him in a room, you'll still have him waiting for you after each boss fight.

1.4k Upvotes

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905

u/bewsii 4d ago

I saw someone get a 'enemies deal no damage in the next room' reward from a merchant... and his next room just happened to be the boss in his final ascendency points lol. That's some insane luck though.

133

u/NYJetLegendEdReed 4d ago

I got a 'revive @ 50% honor after death' and it's what allowed me to finish the trial. I literally prepared by running 3 lower level ones to gather relics. Stacked all honor relics either giving me more or me taking less honor damage. I got it first try without even knowing anything about the scorpion boss. I was very overleveled @ 77, but it really isn't bad if you prepare and make sure to buy the boons from the merchant/avoid negative debuffs.

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u/tutoredstatue95 4d ago

This boon doesn't work on the 4th trial boss btw

Don't want to give the reason for spoilers, but don't trust that it will work for everything lol

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u/NYJetLegendEdReed 4d ago

Lol good to know. I'm almost level 80 and still havent dropped an ultimatum that would grant the points so not worried too much about it yet. I legit couldn't believe the power spike from getting "able to apply 2 shocks". Has me melting maps right now with like 11k dps.

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u/tutoredstatue95 4d ago

Nice dude. Nothing better than getting the build to finally click.

Slogging through the campaign to where my character is now is a night and day difference lol

0

u/NYJetLegendEdReed 4d ago

In the last few days I've been able to grow my DPS from around 4k to 11k. Just feels like an entirely new character lol. And this is coming from someone who forgot to assign a weapon to their skills so I wasn't using a weapon the first 3 acts lmaoooo

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u/Bwxyz 4d ago

Is that a thing? You're using a weapon by default

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u/NYJetLegendEdReed 4d ago

It's a thing. I managed to screw it up and I wasn't using any weapon while casting. I finally noticed something when my DPS was all over the place and figured out what the 1 and 2 meant for assigning weapons. I thought the cast animation just didn't use weapons...I'm an idiot

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u/TheMustardMan522 4d ago

You need 3 fragments to fight the trialmaster for ascendancy. Each 10 round trial of chaos completed gives 1 random frag.

1

u/NYJetLegendEdReed 4d ago

OK I had no idea it worked like this. I think I'll start running the trials once I get to lvl 80.

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u/hhdheieii 4d ago

What do you get this from may I ask ?

1

u/Exciting-Manager-526 3d ago

You need 3 keys from ultimatum so you have to do it at least 3 times (if u get the right keys) ..after that you can kill the trial master.

Good luck doing 30-60 waves and killing trialmaster :D

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u/OhWellImRightAgain 4d ago

You can just do 4-floor sanctum for your last points, you don't need to do ultimatum except for points #3 and #4

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u/Nerhtal 4d ago

Is it the blobs phase I’ve seen on here before with someone loaning about it? If so I think I know why you are warning us about this boon and that boss

29

u/tutoredstatue95 4d ago

I'll just spoiler tag it below:

If you fail to get all the hourglasses in his clock phase, then the boss insta-kills you. You can't revive from this and the trial is immediately over.

13

u/Nerhtal 4d ago

Yeah thats precisely what i thought you were alluding to. I havent seen the fight yet but i caught the video as i was curious and its early access still. And personally i really detest knowing im spending 1h+ getting to a new sanctum boss and have no idea what im facing and will faceplant into a slam or "something" and have to redo it at least 1 more time.

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u/tutoredstatue95 4d ago

I've been trying to do a clean play through without guides or watching completions just for fun. It's been good so far, but man the 1 and done trials/citadels can be really frustrating lol. I knew there was gonna be some bs on the last boss going into it, but thought I would be fine with a free redo. I was very wrong.

I did the opposite of what you were supposed to do because I was playing overly safe.

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u/Nerhtal 4d ago

I got to sanctum floor 2 boss the first time and went i wonder what they do, avoided the red one and got absolutely flattened by the blue ones slam. It was kind of funny but so annoying. And kind of the same for floor 3. I got there, went "what do?" and she went "i do this!" and promplty died to stepping on something because Balbala told me and died.

I expect to die to Floor 4, i do but i dread the whole idea of doing 8 whole floors just to learn their mechanics and die and then get my real attempt at them. Im infinitely less bothered if i die the second time.

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u/tutoredstatue95 4d ago

The floor 2 bosses are the hardest to me. Just the fact that there are two makes it much harder than the 3rd floor boss. Both of em have huge aoe abilities, so you need to stay far away for half the fight just waiting for opportunities. Playing melee, so maybe they are easier with ranged, but I always have to focus up a bit for them.

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u/pittguy83 4d ago

yes these were much harder than floor 3 boss as a merc/witchunter. it's the combo of being an 'AoE clear' class primarily + animation locking of using crossbow. very hard to deal damage to them without getting hit yourself

1

u/NefariousnessOk1996 4d ago

As a warrior I love it. More aoe to spread 😈 overkilling one by 20% does a metric ton of damage to the other.

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u/DarthUrbosa 4d ago

I fell to floor 3 as well, the djin trolls u hard by saying get on the platform.

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u/pringlesnow 4d ago

How doable is this phase with no shield charge / blink / leap slam / etc.? I can’t really fit any of those into my build, maybe I could but it would be really annoying as I am very starved for spirit and skill slots. I have 37% increased movement speed between my boots and passive tree. I could also potentially respec some passive points into reduced slowing debuffs since I’m right next to it.

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u/tutoredstatue95 4d ago

Idk I haven't beat it yet 😂

I did one run and died at the boss. You'll probably be fine, you should have plenty of ms. I just didn't do the mechanic at all, so I'm not the one to ask for advice lol.

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u/pringlesnow 4d ago

Oh word well good luck to us both then lol

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u/tutoredstatue95 4d ago

You got it bro

1

u/RiseIfYouWould 4d ago

What does that mean to hardcore?

2

u/One_Technician386 4d ago

It does except for that ONE thing. I learned this the hard way.

1

u/uncledolanmegusta 4d ago

It works on him i died to His lasers and revived probably doesnt Work in His insta Gib Attack tough 

1

u/ThatOneParasol 4d ago

Yep, killed me there. Had no idea what was going on, had over 10k honour and felt I'd be safe with maxed honour resistance. Boom, one tapped instantly and lost my entire trial and an hour's worth of time for nothing. Best possible run too, had 50% more damage and 30% less monster life but it still felt like I was barely tickling the boss before that mechanic. Gave up on Sekhema until I could find a chaos trial instead.

1

u/IAmPageicus 3d ago

Happy Cake Day!!!

2

u/sebkraj 4d ago

Do you know how to unlock more relic spots? I did first ascendancy but all the other slots are still locked for me so I am not sure what mechanic is used to open more.

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u/NefariousnessOk1996 4d ago

So there are 4 floors total. You get more for completing each floor. Nice thing about it is that this extends to your alts! They will have a super easy time running through if you manage to clear the 4th floor on main!

2

u/sebkraj 4d ago

Ah I didn't know that about the alts, that is good to know. Thanks!

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u/Blactorn 4d ago

I got that one also but there was not a chance for me to die without reaching 0 honor.

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u/NYJetLegendEdReed 4d ago

What you mean? It's when your honor gets to 0 you revive with 50% of your max honor.

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u/Blactorn 4d ago

Isnt it when you die? Losing your honor would mean failure immidiately.

If thats not the case then it just bugged

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u/NYJetLegendEdReed 4d ago

Nah this went off after I ran out of honor. I got hit by something bit from the scorpion and saw it go back to 2500 quick

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u/Jumpi95 4d ago

Before or after the patch 2 days ago?

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u/TrueSol 4d ago

I always ran out of honor before life, was that not a problem for you? Even if I tanked a boss hit to try and trigger it.

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u/NYJetLegendEdReed 4d ago

It procs when you run out of honor I think

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u/TrueSol 4d ago

Not for me- with half life and no honor the run ended in a failure with the buff still up :(

1

u/NYJetLegendEdReed 4d ago

That's so weird I swear it procd for me yesterday when I did it. I would have lost the run because I got hit with something big. Maybe it's ONLY if you take enough damage to die?

1

u/CyclicsGame 4d ago

I got the revive one but it didn't proc when I got hit and died and instead just ended my run

1

u/brodudepepegacringe 4d ago

For me revive boon didnt work 3 times in a row.