EZNPC What to Know About PoE 2 Trials of Ascendancy Guide

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Path of Exile 2 Trials of Ascendancy: beat Sekhemas or Chaos to unlock your Ascendancy, then push harder runs for all 8 points with smart relics, resist prep, and clean boss play.
In Path of Exile 2, the real jump in power doesn't come from a lucky weapon drop, it comes from the Trials of Ascendancy. You can feel it the moment your build starts to "click" and the campaign stops pushing you around. A lot of players even sort out basics like flasks, gems, and sometimes trading for a missing piece through places like EZNPC before they commit to a trial run, because failing one when you're undergeared is just a waste of time.
Your First Trial, And Why It MattersYou'll usually meet the system properly around Act 2 or Act 3, and the choice isn't equal early on. The Trial of the Sekhemas in Act 2 is the one most people should do first. You need Balbala's Barya, which drops while you're progressing anyway, then you open a portal into a multi-floor run full of traps and packed rooms. It's not "hard" in a single moment, it's hard because it keeps going. If you stay calm, reach the final boss, and close it out, you unlock your Ascendancy tree and get your first 2 points, which is a massive spike for almost any build.
The Act 3 Option: Chaos And The TrialmasterThe Trial of Chaos in Act 3 is a different mood. You're hunting a Chimeral Inscribed Ultimatum from the Trialmaster in the Vaal Jungle, then you're dealing with wave-style fights and randomised modifiers. It can be fun, but it can also roll something that messes with your setup. A lot of people try to be brave and "play through it" anyway, then wonder why the run feels impossible. If you're new, do Sekhemas first, then come back with more damage and better defenses for Chaos.
Getting All Eight Points Without Losing Your MindAfter the first clear, the next 2 points usually come from completing the trial type you skipped, so you learn both styles early. The later points are where it stops being a quick detour and turns into real prep. Sekhemas asks for higher-level Djinn Baryas (think level 60+), while Chaos pushes you toward level 75+ Ultimatums. For the last 2 points, you're also chasing specific Fate fragments like Cowardly, Deadly, and Victorious, because that's your ticket to the top-end encounters. Before you go in, cap your resists at 75% and don't show up with a flimsy life pool.
Small Habits That Make Trials Feel EasyIn Sekhemas, watch your Honour like it's your real health bar, because in practice it kind of is. Craftable relics help a ton, especially when floor afflictions start stacking and you're suddenly playing around reduced recovery or nasty trap pressure. In Chaos, read the modifiers and pick like a grown-up; if one bricks your build, skip it and move on. And if a run fails, it happens, just grab another Ultimatum and go again with a clearer head, or patch the weak link in your setup with targeted upgrades such as POE 2 iteams so the next attempt feels controlled instead of desperate.