The Trial of the Sekhemas in Path of Exile 2 is a thrilling test of your build, strategy, and resource management. As with any challenging roguelike encounter in the game, success often depends not just on your skill but also on preparation. Whether it’s gearing up ahead of time or ensuring you have the right consumables, many players choose to buy poe 2 currency early to smooth out the path to victory.
This guide walks you through everything you need to know about the Abyss Trial, including how to unlock it, core mechanics, room objectives, bosses, and a breakdown of rewards so you can master the challenge and make the most of your run.
Unlocking the Trial
To begin your journey in the Trial of the Sekhemas, you’ll first need to defeat Balbala, the Traitor in Act 2. Her drop, Balbala’s Barya, is the key to entering the Abyss Trial via the Desert Map located in the Ardura Caravan. After your first completion, further attempts will require Djinn Barya coins, which drop as loot. The higher the level of the coin, the more floors you can attempt—up to four for level 75+ players.
Core Mechanics
Honour System
Instead of simply surviving by your life bar, this trial introduces a unique Honour system. Honour is equal to your life, energy shield, and sometimes mana, and it’s drained by damage taken during trial rooms. Reaching zero Honour fails your run, even if you remain alive. Honing your Honour Resistance and using shrines or Boons effectively is critical to making it through.
Sacred Water & Room Choices
Sacred Water acts as a unique, trial-only currency you earn throughout your run. You can use it to heal Honour, purchase temporary buffs (Boons), or trade it for extra keys. These keys are used to open reward chests at the end of each floor—so balancing your water usage between survival and greed is key.
Some players prefer to stock up before attempting higher floors, opting for a small investment in a poe 2 currency sale to grab defensive gear or utility flasks ahead of time.
Trial Room Types and Boss Encounters
Each floor consists of eight rooms, with the final one featuring a boss. The rooms you’ll encounter include:
- Escape Trials (disable all traps before time runs out)
- Hourglass Trials (survive a timed onslaught)
- Chalice Trials (defeat monsters to fill a central chalice)
- Gauntlet Trials (navigate traps to pull switches)
- Ritual Trials (eliminate ritual casters while waves spawn)
At the end of each floor, a powerful boss—like Rattlecage the Earthbreaker or Ashar the Sand Mother—awaits, with distinct mechanics and loot drops.
Rewards and Progression
Ascendancy Points
The primary progression reward is Ascendancy passive points, granted for completing floors. Floors 1–2 reward the core points, while Floors 3–4 (via higher-tier coins) unlock the rest.
Loot Caches
Upon clearing bosses, you can use your earned keys to open various caches. These may contain class-specific weapons, armor, jewels, Sacred Water, relics, or even rare Grand Spectrum Jewels. Saving up to open a Gold Cache might yield gear that would otherwise cost a small fortune—unless you went in already stacked from a cheap poe 2 currency investment.
Strategy Tips
- Prioritize Honour Resistance relics and Boons.
- Avoid stacking Afflictions early; they compound quickly.
- Plan routes that leave options open.
- Use ranged or high-mobility builds for better survival.
- Convert Sacred Water wisely—healing might matter more than loot.
The Abyss Trial of the Sekhemas is one of PoE 2’s most dynamic and rewarding challenges, filled with tactical depth and high-stakes decision-making. Whether you’re aiming for efficient Ascendancy progression or farming valuable loot, being prepared makes all the difference. Some Exiles grind gear piece by piece—but others wisely buy poe 2 currency in advance to give themselves an edge. However you choose to prepare, dive in, strategize well, and may the Sekhemas be merciful.
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