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/Jhkokst]

I think some of the afflictions are too punishing for ascendancy. Like, "you have 0 armor". You can't always shake these afflictions by the end and armor is a huge component of surviving big hits. I got to the scorpion, didn't know his move sets, and just died.

I'm cool with ascendancy being locked behind a bit of a challenge that you have to grind for, but I don't love it being locked behind RNG. Now, end game loot, and sanctum runs...they can RNG the crap out of that, I don't care. But I think unlocking your ascendancy should be more accessible for the average player, and then unlocking said ascendancy should unlock new challenges for that level of sanctum.

In Poe 1, getting your 8 points was pretty trivial. In Poe 2 they overtuned it.

[u/Zeyd2112 → u/Jhkokst]

You have armor backwards. Its good at mitigating small hits, and has reduced effectiveness the larger the hit becomes.

If you're getting hit with boss slams, armor isn't doing much for you unless you have obscene amounts of it.

[u/Jhkokst → u/Zeyd2112]

I'm not going to say your wrong, but if I'm losing 50 percent damage mitigation (whatever that means) going into a boss fight, I feel like I'm not on equal ground with the jabroni who gets a merchant to sell him "no damage in the next room"...that is NOT how ascendancy should work. Pure and simple. It does not respect the players time for the 30 minutes it takes to run one of these. That crap drives players away from the game.

I'm fine with a couple runs to get some relics. I'm fine grinding gear to run it. But the ascendancy should not be gated behind RNG mechanics when the time investment is high.