You ever face a boss so brutal that you start questioning all your life choices?Path of Exile 2is packed with those — the kind ofbossesthat shatter your confidence, ruin your build, and make you wonder if you should’ve just played something easier. You walk in feeling unstoppable, and five seconds later, you’re a stain on the dungeon floor, trying to figure out what just happened.
Path of Exile 2: 8 Tips and Tricks We Wish We Knew Sooner
This is your cheat sheet for surviving countless challenges in Path of Exile 2.
Some bosses are nasty because they hit like a runaway cart. Others drown you in status effects, summon endless waves of minions, or decide that one phase isn’t enough, so they have two or three. And then there are those special fights where the arena itself is trying to kill you — because dodging the boss’s attacks apparently wasn’t hard enough. But which of these merciless bosses is the hardest of them all? Let’s find out.
10Lachlann of Endless Lament
Always Be On the Move
Lachlann of Endless Lamentis a nightmare with an axe, a master of spirit-infused destruction, and he won’t rest until you’re the one lamenting your endless deaths. The fight takes place in a ruined cemetery, a tight space where dodging becomes tricky. Lachlann’s swings are slow but devastating — he’ll telegraph his attacks, but if you react too late, you’re done for. He can also summon exploding spirits, send ghostly projectiles flying at you, and even call forth a spectral eruption that rains death from above.
To beat the Lachlann of Endless Lament, you don’t want to ever stand still. The moment he spawns chilled ground, get out of there. The slow effect will get you killed. He also slams his weapon in front and behind him. Dodge to his side to avoid both hits. Lachlann’s moves are powerful, but they leave him open afterward. So if you manage to dodge a big swing, that’s your moment to strike!
9The King in the Mists
Arena-Controlling Menace Who Throws Debuffs, Minions, and Brutal Phase Transitions Your Way
The King in the Mistsisn’t just a spooky name — he’s a full-on arena-controlling menace who throws debuffs, minions, and brutal phase transitions your way. The King’s Affliction Totem is one of his movesets I dislike the most. It pops up around the arena and makes you take way more damage. Ignore the Affliction Totems for too long, and suddenly everything the King does hits like a truck. Make it a priority to destroy them as soon as they appear to keep the battlefield in your favor.
The King loves to mess with your movement. When he casts the Ritual of Meditation, it’s time to play statue — stop running, or you’ll find yourself captured faster than you can say “uh-oh.” On the flip side, during the Ritual of Dance, keep those feet moving! Standing still will have you locked up in no time. It’s a deadly game of freeze and go, so stay alert and respond accordingly.
8The Executioner
Finding The Executioner is Like Walking Into an Execution Chamber
The Executioner hits like a freight train, and if you’re thinking about trading blows with him, well, I hope you like respawning. But wait, it gets worse. The Executioner has a nasty little trick up his sleeve — a massive guillotine blade that drops from the sky like it’s tax season. He telegraphs this move by jamming his weapon into the ground and pulling a giant lever. If you see that happening, MOVE. IMMEDIATELY. The floor will start kicking up gusts of wind, marking where the blade is going to fall. If you’re standing there when it lands, well… you won’t be standing for much longer.
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The monstrous being will beat you over the head with his giant arms, but also a giant bell.
And just when you think you’ve got a rhythm going, he switches it up with huge area-of-effect attacks that can’t be dodged the usual way. Rolling around like a headless chicken won’t save you here — you need to create space and put real distance between you and him. If you’re close, you’re toast. Your best bet against The Executioner is to stay mobile. Dodge, weave, and only strike when you see a safe opening.
Out to Zap, Slam, and Burn You Into Oblivion
Doryani loves to show off, and lucky for you, that means he telegraphs his attacks like he’s performing for an audience. Every wind-up is your cue to move, dodge, and never, ever stand still. If you see him preparing to strike, don’t just admire the visual effects — get out of the way before you become a charred stain on the arena floor.
Then there’s his lightning beam fiesta. At some point, a deadly rotating contraption in the center of the room starts firing beams of pure pain. Doryani’s final form is where he launches massive slams, laser beams, and a flurry of elemental destruction. If you want to survive, you’ve gotta stay close, but not too close — right around his sides is the safest place to be. Patience, quick reflexes, and good positioning will help you survive.
6Zalmarath, the Colossus
Sword-Swinging Giant with Minions
Zalmarath’s biggest flex is his earth-shattering sword slam. The moment he lifts that thing high, you had better roll out of the way like your life depends on it. Once it crashes down, he sometimes leaves it stuck in the ground like a giant lightning rod, and that’s when things get spicy. He follows up with a sweeping energy beam attack that will absolutely wreck anyone standing in front of it.
The secret is to use the sword itself as cover. If you hide behind it, the beam won’t hit you, and you’ll live to fight another day. And because one giant enemy isn’t enough, Zalmarath summons minions mid-fight to make your life even harder. If you ignore them, they’ll swarm you faster. Take them out before they turn this fight into a chaotic mess. Managing these adds while dodging Zalmarath’s slams, beams, and cleaving strikes is key to staying in control.
5Xyclucian, the Chimera
Fire-Breathing, Lightning-Slinging, and Ice-Spitting Boss
This fight starts in the worst possible way — Xyclucian perched up high, chucking elemental hellfire down on you. Fire, lightning, ice — he doesn’t discriminate. Focus your attacks on the towers he’s standing on, knock the beast out of the sky, and watch him crash to the ground.
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The bramble comes to life in this deadly early-game boss.
Now that he’s grounded, things get personal. Xyclucian starts lunging, clawing, and smashing the ground like he’s trying to dig your grave himself. If he rears up for a slam, that’s your cue to move — fast!. You don’t want to be under those paws when they land. Stay mobile, keep weaving, and don’t let him pin you in a corner.
4Ekbab, Ancient Steed
A Tag-Team Encounter
This is a tag-team encounter, and if you’re not careful, you’ll be trampled, blasted, and stomped into the ground. When the fight starts, Ekbab and Iktab, the Deathlord, will rush you together. Your first instinct might be to take down the giant undead horse first, but don’t fall for it! Iktab is the real problem here. His central orb of doom loves spamming deadly projectiles, turning the entire battlefield into a bullet hell nightmare. You do not want to deal with that while dodging a warhorse’s stomps.
While you’re working on Iktab, Ekbab will be galloping around, smashing the ground, charging at you, and doing his best to break every bone in your body. His frontal wave attack is nasty, but here’s the trick: don’t back away — sidestep it! Once Iktab finally bites the dust, it’s time to focus all your attention on Ekbab. The good news? Without his magic-spamming buddy, he’s way more predictable. Just stay out of his attack zones, time your strikes carefully, and keep chipping away at him until this oversized skeletal steed crashes for good.
3Jamanra, the Abomination
Be Ready to Deal With Lightning and Sandstorms
This lightning-spewing monstrosity is the final boss of Act 2. Jamanra loves zapping everything in sight, and if you walk into this fight without some protection, you’re gonna light up like a festival lantern. Grab some gear that boosts your lightning resistance, and if you may, bring a few cold-damage skills or weapons — because guess what? Jamanra hates the cold.
The fight starts off with him throwing out huge area-of-effect lightning blasts, and if you’re not paying attention, you’ll get roasted before you even land a hit. The key here? Keep your distance, dodge when needed, and don’t stand in one place too long. But just when you think you’ve got him figured out, phase two hits.
Jamanra cranks up the aggression, unleashing even bigger lightning attacks and a rapid-fire barrage of projectiles. This is the point where dodging becomes your new best friend. If you try to go all-out, he’ll punish you hard. Instead, watch his patterns, wait for safe openings, and land your hits when it counts.
2Viper Napuatzi
Dishes Out Chaos and Poison Damage
Viper Napuatzi isn’t about hitting hard — she’s a master of poison, agility, and shrinking your space until you’ve got nowhere left to run. First off, poison resistance is your best friend in this fight. If you walk in without it, you might as well bring a “Please Melt My HP Bar” sign. Napuatzi loves coating the battlefield in toxic pools and launching poison-spewing attacks that will chew through your health if you’re not careful.
Stack chaos resistance, bring some anti-poison flasks, and get ready to dance around the danger zones. This isn’t some slow, lumbering boss you may kite for days — Napuatzi lunges, spins, and zips around the arena like she drank ten energy drinks. The trick here? Stay mobile. Dodge when she charges, sidestep the poison, and never, ever stand still.
1Count Geonor
Puts Your Dodging, Cold Resistance and Minion Management Skills to the Test
Count Geonoris the final boss of Path of Exile 2’s Act 1, and he’s not your average “stand there and smack him” kind of boss. He’s got two brutal phases, each with its own nasty tricks. In his first form, Geonor is a powerful melee fighter with a mix of physical and cold damage. He’s got some big swings, but his real danger comes from his area control — he wants you boxed in with nowhere to run. He charges forward and slashes, sending a deadly projectile your way. If you’re in its path, you’re in for a bad time.
Geonor isn’t content with just being a deadly noble — he transforms into a massive, putrid wolf, and his attacks become even more aggressive. He’s faster, stronger, and way meaner in this phase. So never stand in marked areas! The moment you see blue lights on the ground, move — that’s where ice shards will drop. And since Geonor loves ice-based attacks, having high cold resistance will make your life way easier. That said, you will take some hits no matter how good you are, so keep your Life Flask handy.
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