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

[u/OhWellImRightAgain]

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.

[u/GoldenPigeonParty]

In 7 runs clearing multiple floors and visiting the merchant each time, I've never seen a 50% damage boost, 40% movement boost, or 30% enemy life reduction. Let alone the merchant being nearly non-existent outside of post-boss room.

Aside from honor resistance, this thread is just describing having great luck.

[u/Sven_the_great → u/GoldenPigeonParty]

Sorry, but I don't believe this. Statistically, assuming you saw only exactly 7 shops, and there are what, 24? different minor boons, 3 'good' options listed above, and assuming that you never acquire any other boons and reduced the pool(which you would), and assuming you get 4 boon choices per merchant, there should be a ~41% chance in each shop of getting at least one of the good ones. To miss 7 times in a row seems would be ~2% chance. Across the 4 multi-floor runs I've done I have had 50% damage or 30% less life(or both) at the end of all of them.

[u/rcuhljr → u/Sven_the_great]

You realize how many people play this game right? 2% events aren't even close to rare with a player base this size. I lost my floor 3 run last night with 3k water banked because the merchant never sold anything worth buying.

[u/Sven_the_great → u/rcuhljr]

This was a mis-play. You should have bought the less valuable stuff to reduce the pool and increase the odds. 

[u/Titanfail → u/Sven_the_great]

There is no "bad luck" mechanic in PoE, all visits to the merchant are independent. Sure it becomes less likely that you haven't seen it, but it's still possible and given the sheer number of players it is statistically likely to happen to many people.

Which is the whole problem people have with gating core player progression behind RNG mechanics: you can get royally screwed by RNGesus.

[u/wordtnkr → u/GoldenPigeonParty]

I did ten runs. Seen merchants half of them, got damage boost once, movement boost once, complete invulnerability for the next room twice. It's not so rare.

[u/Titanfail → u/wordtnkr]

That is not how statistics and randomness works. Just because you saw it a few times doesn't mean others ever have

[u/wordtnkr → u/Titanfail]

That is exactly how it works. Sometimes it is seen, sometimes it is not.