How to Ascend in Path of Exile 2

Ascension is a significant milestone in Path of Exile 2 (PoE 2) and serves as a way to further customize and enhance your character’s power and playstyle. It provides access to unique ascendancy classes that grant powerful bonuses, additional passive skill points, and a range of new abilities. Ascending is vital for progressing through higher difficulty content and making your character more formidable in combat.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of ascending in Path of Exile 2, covering everything from unlocking the ascendancy classes to maximizing your build after the ascension.

1. Understanding Ascension in Path of Exile 2

In Path of Exile 2, the ascension system is tied to your character’s progression, granting you the opportunity to specialize further within your chosen class. You’ll have access to ascendancy options that offer powerful passive bonuses and gameplay modifiers.

Ascendancy Classes Overview:

Each character class (such as Marauder, Ranger, Witch, etc.) in PoE 2 can choose from several ascendancy subclasses. These subclasses are like advanced skill trees that provide unique bonuses, changing how your character interacts with the world and engages in combat.

For example:

  • Marauder can ascend into the Juggernaut, Chieftain, or Berserker.
  • Witch can ascend into the Necromancer, Elementalist, or Occultist.
  • Ranger can ascend into the Deadeye, Pathfinder, or Trickster.

Each of these ascendancy subclasses offers distinct advantages, and choosing one will define the style of your character moving forward.

2. Unlocking the Ascendancy Classes

Ascension becomes available after you have completed a specific set of objectives within the game’s story. The process of unlocking and ascending is as follows:

Step 1: Complete the Main Story Progression

You will need to advance through the main storyline until you reach a certain point where the Ascendancy Trials become available. These trials are a series of challenges that you must complete before you can ascend.

  • The Labyrinth: The Ascendancy Trials are tied to the Labyrinth, a special area in PoE 2 that contains traps, puzzles, and enemies. You’ll need to clear the Labyrinth and complete various trials scattered throughout the game world.
  • Labyrinth Trials Locations: The Labyrinth itself is divided into multiple acts or sections. To unlock access to the Labyrinth, you’ll need to progress through the story and unlock the necessary trial locations.

Step 2: Completing the Labyrinth and Trials

Once you’ve unlocked the Labyrinth, you’ll need to complete it by passing through a series of difficult trials. These trials test your ability to handle puzzles, traps, and sometimes combat encounters. Completing these trials will grant you access to the Ascendancy Panel, where you can choose your ascendancy subclass.

  • Note on Difficulty: The Labyrinth and its trials can be tough, especially for newer players. Be sure to bring appropriate gear, flasks, and practice dodging traps to make your way through. Some bosses in the Labyrinth will challenge your build, so make sure your character is well-equipped.

Also read : Path of Exile 2: How to Obtain the Greater Jeweller’s Orb

Step 3: Choosing Your Ascendancy Class

Once you’ve completed the Labyrinth and the associated trials, you’ll be able to choose an Ascendancy Class for your character. This decision will provide access to new skill nodes on the Ascendancy tree, enhancing your abilities and unlocking new mechanics.

After you’ve selected your Ascendancy Class, you will gain powerful new abilities, such as passive bonuses to damage, defenses, or special abilities that significantly change your playstyle.

3. Ascension Effects and Bonuses

When you ascend, you will gain access to the Ascendancy Tree, a dedicated skill tree that provides powerful bonuses. The Ascendancy tree has nodes that modify your playstyle and offer enhancements to your strengths. These can include:

  • Damage Buffs: Increased damage for your specific weapon type, element, or skill.
  • Defense Buffs: Passive bonuses to resistances, life regeneration, armor, or energy shield.
  • Special Abilities: Unlocking unique abilities that fundamentally change your approach to combat.
  • Passives: Extra passive skill points that allow further specialization into your build.

Each ascendancy class has a unique playstyle, so choosing poe2 currency one should complement your character’s abilities and your intended build.

4. Using Ascendancy Points

Ascendancy Points are earned after completing the Labyrinth trials, and they allow you to allocate them to different nodes on the Ascendancy Tree. Here’s how to make use of them effectively:

A. Choosing Your Path

Once you’ve unlocked your Ascendancy Tree, you’ll be able to pick from a variety of nodes that significantly enhance your abilities. Each class has a different tree with different paths you can choose.

  • Focus on Synergy: It’s important to choose nodes that synergize well with your build and the way you want to play your character. Some nodes will give you more survivability, while others will improve your damage output or mobility.
  • Plan Ahead: It’s a good idea to plan your ascendancy path ahead of time. Certain ascendancy nodes are best used with specific types of gear or skill setups, so understanding your build is key to making the right choice.

B. Respecing Ascendancy Points

In case you want to change your ascendancy subclass after reaching the Labyrinth, you can respec your ascendancy points. This option allows you to experiment with different builds or react to changes in your playstyle or the game’s meta.

5. Ascendancy and Endgame Content

Once you’ve ascended, your character will be much stronger, making it easier to take on endgame content like higher-tier maps, bosses, and challenges. The ascension classes significantly enhance your ability to tackle harder enemies and improve your chances of success in the more difficult parts of the game.

Additionally, ascension opens the door to more powerful item crafting, as your character’s abilities and stats will be enhanced, allowing you to push your gear and build to higher levels of optimization.

6. Conclusion

Ascension in Path of Exile 2 is a pivotal part of character progression. It grants you access to powerful bonuses, unique abilities, and specialized playstyles that shape your character’s journey. To ascend, you need to complete the Labyrinth trials, choose your ascendancy subclass, and allocate ascendancy points to improve your character’s strength.

Be sure to plan your ascendancy carefully, as it has a huge impact on your overall gameplay and build. Whether you choose to specialize in damage, survivability, or utility, your ascended character will be a force to be reckoned with in the dangerous world of Path of Exile 2.

For more advanced tools, items, and resources to further enhance your ascension experience, consider checking out U4GM, where you can find everything you need to progress efficiently through PoE 2.