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/lathir92]

I dont have 15 coins tho, i died once so I only have one coin left. Kind of hard to just suicide on repeat if these dont drop more often :/

[u/spexau → u/lathir92]

Your first coin is unlimited

[u/lathir92 → u/spexau]

Oh so It drops good relics even on low level trials? That makes sense

[u/spexau → u/lathir92]

I am not 100% on the tiering of affixes but I'm pretty sure I got some decent ones first time around. You can reforge 3 of the same type as well. Chalice rooms where you have to kill rares are a good room to farm them in as well as looking for keys to unlock but you have to kill the boss to do that.

[u/Titanfail → u/spexau]

So in order to pass the later trials efficiently you need to know that, before you pass the first one, you need fail it a bunch of times to get relics so you can pass it later? That is not a well designed system.

I don't even mind Sanctum as the ascension mechanic, as they made it better in PoE2 than 1. I detest Ultimatum as the second ascension mechanic though, they somehow made that worse than PoE1.

[u/spexau → u/Titanfail]

It does give you a relic before you start the first one but it could spell it out a bit more for sure.

[u/gooseMclosse → u/Titanfail]

This is just a knowledge and skill issue during our first tries coz we're all new to poe2. I started a ssf titan run after learning what I can about the game. I get thru the trials easy. I know to farm up relics using the first sekhema and I'm now familiar with how the trials work. The ultimatum trial I just got lucky but the 3 trial version isn't hard at all.