Having triumphed over Path of Exile II‘s Doryani for the second time and surpassed the challenges of Cruel Mode, players are soon welcomed by an enhanced cutscene and thrust into the depths of the Endgame.Prepare yourself; the difficulty escalates from here.
As you venture into the mapping phase, you’ll encounter a plethora of new mechanics that demand your engagement to ultimately confront the formidable Pinnacle Bosses waiting for you.
This guide focuses on one of the four pivotal Endgame mechanics: Breaches. We will explore how to navigate these encounters and dominate the foes that lie within.
Understanding Breaches
While exploring the map, you might spot a small purple hand hovering above a node—this is a clear indicator of an active breach in that area that requires your attention.
Although it’s not mandatory to engage with the breach to complete a map (you can just eliminate all rare enemies), taking the time to tackle it can yield valuable rewards.
When you encounter a breach on the map, look for a large purple hand emerging from the ground. Activating this hand will initiate the breach encounter, causing a radial ring to spread out from the starting point.
As the ring expands, you’ll see special Breach monsters spawning around its edges, targeting you from all directions. Be wary, as these creatures can quickly overwhelm you depending on the map layout.
Before racing to the ring’s perimeter, ensure you have an effective strategy to eliminate these mobs quickly. The goal is to prolong the encounter, allowing you to defeat more foes and acquire better loot—but remember, the encounter is limited by time.
Maximize your time by eliminating as many monsters as you can and by stepping over Clasped Hands scattered throughout the area.The more foes you dispatch, the longer the encounter lasts. Skilled players can even extend the ring to the far reaches of the map.
This event concludes once the ring retracts towards the initiation point, clearing away any remaining monsters. Prioritize targeting the Ras monsters and stay mobile; constant movement and engagement are crucial.
It’s advisable to clear the map of other enemies before initiating a Breach, as familiarizing yourself with the terrain can help you avoid getting trapped in dead-end paths.
Utilizing Lost Towers and Precursor Tablets
Did you notice a lack of Breach icons on your map? Fortunately, there’s a solution.
You can spawn additional Breaches using a Precursor Tablet, found as random loot from Breach monsters, to activate dormant map nodes.
To utilize a Tablet, locate and clear a Lost Tower on your map, then activate the Precursor Beacon at the tower’s pinnacle. After completing this node, interact with the tower to insert the Tablet.
Enhance your Tablets further with orbs of Transmutation and Augmentation for added modifiers.
This action will surround the Lost Tower with a large ring, offering bonus modifiers and generating Breach encounters on specific maps within the ring’s scope.
Strive to activate multiple Lost Towers surrounding a wide range of nodes with varying Tablets to maximize rewards and difficulty. This tactic ensures a bountiful return, especially when combined with Rare Waystones.
Effective Builds and Strategies for Clearing Breaches
Breach encounters are notoriously chaotic and challenging, necessitating a dynamic approach to gameplay. Remaining static while attacking can lead to being quickly overwhelmed and finishing your run prematurely.
To capitalize on these encounters, consider builds that feature large Area-of-Effect (AoE) attacks and crowd control abilities.
Empower your character by acquiring a Polcirkeln Ring in conjunction with Herald of Ice. This combination can trigger chain explosions, shattering monsters into icy fragments—a perfect match given the high monster density during Breach encounters.
If the Polcirkeln Ring isn’t accessible, utilize both Herald of Ice and Herald of Thunder for a comparable effect. Linking these with the right support gems allows for chilling lightning and explosive ice effects to work in tandem.
Other powerful builds include the Archmage Spark Stormweaver or the Corpsewade Pathfinder Ranger, who can unleash toxic clouds, annihilating foes in a mass frenzy.The more foes you eliminate at once, the longer the event persists, and consequently, the richer your loot.
Understanding Breach Rewards
One crucial rule regarding rewards is to avoid collecting any loot until the encounter concludes.
Focusing on picking up items mid-fight can lead to wasted time and an overflowing inventory, making you vulnerable to additional enemies. This unfortunate event has happened to many, so it’s best to stay attentive unless you spot a high-value drop like a Divine Orb—those are worth the risk!
Once the Breach closes, you’ll be left with a pile of loot, and knowing what to prioritize is essential:
- Breach Catalysts
- Breach Rings
- Breach Precursor Tablets
- Breach Splinters
Breach Catalysts can enhance the capabilities of your jewelry beyond standard thresholds. For example, applying a Tul’s Catalyst on a Sapphire Ring elevates its Cold Resistance or Cold Damage potential. With 12 types available, they serve as valuable trading currency.
Breach Rings are also great finds, as they can be upgraded to 50% quality instead of the regular 20%. Utilizing catalysts can create exceptionally powerful rings offering diverse elemental resistances.
Always keep an eye out for Precursor Tablets, as the more you collect, the more Breaches you can create and subsequently conquer.
The Significance of Splinters and Stones
The final noteworthy reward type, Breach Splinters, warrants special consideration due to their role in advancing your gameplay. Upon reaching Map Tier 11+, you’ll begin accumulating Breach Splinters from defeated Breach enemies and Clasped Hands.
Collecting 300 of these Splinters enables you to obtain a Breachstone, allowing you to confront Xesht, the Breach Pinnacle Boss. Defeating this boss is integral for gaining points toward the Breach Passive Skill Tree.
To challenge Xesht, use the Breachstone at the Realmgate located at the center of your Endgame Map, which will transport you to the Twisted Domain. As with the Breach mechanic, you’ll need to navigate through this domain, eliminating foes to extend the Breach timer.
If you can survive long enough during this encounter, you’ll face Xesht, also known as We Are That One.This battle requires careful preparation, as you only have one shot. Failure means you’ll need to collect another Breachstone, a time-consuming endeavor.
Exploring the Breach Passive Skill Tree
Upon defeating Xesht, you’ll earn your first two Skill points for the Passive Tree. A diverse array of rewards awaits in this tree, but for newcomers to Breaches, I recommend focusing on the following:
- First, acquire Crumbling Walls to enable access to more Breaches and enhance your proficiency during these encounters, leading to greater rewards.
- Next, select Grasping Hands to increase the quantity of Clasped Hands during Breaches, translating to more Breach Splinters and additional chances against Xesht.
- After gaining some experience, consider Frantic Invasion. This skill increases damage taken while boosting Breach Splinter acquisition—ideal for experienced players with powerful builds.
- Finally, opt for Rising Pyre for enhanced monster kills, or Sustained Siege if you’re struggling to clear Breaches effectively.
These choices aren’t definitive; players should tailor their paths on the tree according to their unique playstyle and builds.
Navigating Map Layouts
A significant frustration with Breaches arises from unfavorable map spawns, rendering all prior strategies moot.
Even with a powerfully juiced node surrounded by multiple towers and a Rare T15 Waystone, spawning on maps like Crypt, Seepage, or Augury—which have confined environments—can severely limit enemy spawns and thus hinder your encounter.
This aspect of Path of Exile II Endgame is largely out of your control; sometimes, it’s simply a matter of luck to secure a more spacious map such as Savannah or Steppe.
Ultimately, your focus should remain on expanding your map exploration and engaging with new areas. With persistence, you’ll soon find those Breaches crumbling effortlessly under your might.
Leave a Reply