For newcomers diving into Path of Exile II, the Trial of the Sekhemas marks the first significant challenge that could momentarily stall your progress.
To initiate this trial, you need to defeat Balbala in the Traitor’s Passage and obtain a crucial item, the Barya, which is essential for unlocking ascension abilities.
This comprehensive guide will illuminate every aspect of the Trial and provide strategic insights and tips to help you navigate this complex dungeon.
Getting Started
This trial has a monster level of 22, but it’s advisable to gain experience in a few additional areas before attempting it unless you are exceptionally well-prepared.
Though it may seem optional, conquering this trial plays a crucial role in your overall game progression. Successful completion grants you two ascendancy points, unlocking powerful buffs that can significantly alter your playstyle. With this new class, you’ll gain heightened abilities to tackle subsequent challenges.
If you find yourself struggling initially, don’t be discouraged; learning the intricacies of the trial mechanics is a natural part of the process.
Trial Map Overview
The Trial of the Sekhemas comprises seven distinct rooms, leading ultimately to a challenging boss fight that obstructs your access to valuable rewards.
As you traverse these rooms, you will face a variety of challenges. The types of rooms include:
- Hourglass Trial
- Ritual Trial
- Escape Trial
- Chalice Trial
- Gauntlet Trial
It’s important to note that you won’t necessarily have to complete every room, and some are more advisable to tackle than others.
Throughout your run, you may be affected by Afflictions, which can debilitate your abilities, or Boons, which provide useful enhancements. These effects persist through your entire endeavor, including during the final boss confrontation.
Lastly, be sure to collect any keys rewarded at the end of each room; they will prove beneficial later in your journey.
Understanding the Honour Meter
From the outset of your Path of Exile II experience, monitoring your health bar is crucial, with flasks as your primary means of recovery. However, the dynamics change entirely within this trial as you must now manage the Honour Bar.
This meter combines your Total Health and Energy, and taking damage depletes it. Unfortunately, potions will not replenish this particular resource.
Regaining your Honour requires locating special fountains in Break Rooms or utilizing specific relics.
The themes of movement and dodging effectively become paramount during this trial; thus, ranged characters often have a significant advantage over melee users.
Should your Honour reach zero, you will be expelled from the trial and required to restart.
Exploring the Relic Altar
If you encounter difficulties during the trial, consider collecting relics found throughout your journey.
Before embarking on your run, you can slot these relics into an available slot for beneficial buffs, such as increasing damage dealt to bosses or enhancing Honour restoration at fountains.
With a diverse array of Relics, select those that align with your playstyle, but be mindful of their arrangement since certain relics require specific placements due to size.
Among the most advantageous relics are those that amplify your Honour levels or boost your resistance against Honour depletion.
Tackling the Hourglass Trial
Upon entering this room, you will see a significant hourglass accompanied by a lever. Pulling the lever activates the trial, giving you one minute to survive against relentless enemy spawns.
Initially, it may seem that you must defeat all the monsters, but this is not a requirement.
A great strategy is to find a corner and eliminate only the few monsters that appear nearby, as the rest will remain off-screen and won’t engage unless you attack them.
Alternatively, increasing your movement speed with passives and appropriate footwear enables you to run laps around the area, avoiding enemies until the timer expires. Once time runs out, any remaining monsters will vanish.
Avoid the temptation to chase after rare monsters to reduce the timer, as it’s often not worth the potential Honour damage incurred.
Conquering the Ritual Trial
This trial is widely regarded as one of the simpler ones and provides a quick victory.
Upon entering, you’ll encounter either one large portal with four Summoners or three smaller portals each containing two Summoners.
Swiftly eliminating the Summoners is essential to prevent overwhelming waves of enemies.
Concentrate on the Summoners while evading attacks from mobs, and similar to the Hourglass room, defeating them will cause the remaining foes to perish, allowing you to advance.
Successfully Navigating the Escape Trial
This trial poses minimal risk of Honour damage, making it advantageous to tackle.
Your objective is to swiftly touch Death Crystals scattered across the map before time elapses, with each touch extending your timer.
Prioritize speed and avoid engaging enemies; fighting them often results in Honour loss and lost time.
Keeping an eye on the movement of the wisp guiding you can help direct your path; the map design typically allows for looping back if you make a wrong turn. Maintaining constant movement should complete the challenge with notable time left.
Resist the urge to loot chests unless absolutely necessary; focus on quickly accumulating movement speed boons to improve maneuverability throughout this challenge.
Overcoming the Chalice Trial
The following trials may prove trickier, and it’s generally advisable to approach them with caution unless absolutely compelled.
Your task involves traversing the map to battle rare creatures and fill a chalice with their blood.
While the task itself appears simple, the unpredictable modifiers that accompany mobs can complicate matters. You need to focus on avoiding damage while dispatching foes swiftly.
Proceed slowly, eliminating weaker mobs before confronting rarer ones to minimize risks.
Facing the Gauntlet Trial
This trial is often met with disdain, especially when paired with movement debuffs, so it’s best avoided if possible.
A maze filled with monsters and traps awaits you, requiring you to manipulate colored levers to unlock paths.
Finding your way can be challenging, as you may easily encounter dead ends swarming with enemies, making lever manipulation perilous.
Unlike the Escape Trial, combat is typically unavoidable here, so maintaining high movement is essential. Clearing this room without sustaining any damage is quite unlikely, yet there are two strategies to consider: proceed cautiously or sprint through and hope for an Honour-restoring fountain later.
Rattlecage: The Ultimate Showdown
Upon completing the trials, you’ll face off against Rattlecage, likely getting defeated on your initial attempt.
Entering this room with maximum Honour is essential, as falling below half makes victory improbable.
Although Rattlecage moves slowly, his attacks pack a punch and can rapidly deplete your Honour.
The challenge lies not in the boss’s difficulty but in the extensive journey to reach him, amplifying the potential for disappointment upon defeat.
Watch out for these key moves:
| Attack Names | Description |
|---|---|
| The Triple Slam | Rattlecage performs three stomps, each generating a large AoE fire explosion. Evade when he raises his legs, as the area of effect is vast and he always initiates with this attack. |
| Lava Streaks | Rips of magma form lines on the ground, creating volcano-like eruptions that damage you. Roll away or stay behind Rattlecage for better evasion. |
| Falling Rubble | As the battle continues, additional environmental hazards appear, necessitating careful navigation around Rattlecage while avoiding debris from the ceiling. |
The rest of the fight involves repositioning to poke at him when opportunities arise. Focus your attacks in the final segment, as hazards accumulate around the arena, and don’t hesitate to sacrifice some Honour to secure the win.
Ironically, my first victory against Rattlecage resulted in my demise simultaneously—a moment that was particularly disheartening.
Claiming Your Rewards: The Treasure Room
After conquering Rattlecage, you gain access to the Treasure Room where many chests await your discovery, along with keys collected throughout the trial.
You can utilize Sacred Water to exchange for more keys or trade with Balbala for additional relics.
The most significant reward, however, is the Ascendancy altar, allowing you to choose between two subclasses for your character, each bestowing valuable bonuses.
While personal preference is essential, thorough research is encouraged, as you cannot revert your decision once made.
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