The Trial of the Sekhemas in Path of Exile 2 is a challenging yet rewarding endgame activity inspired by the Sanctum mechanic from the first game. While it can be a tough challenge early on, particularly for newer players, completing the trial is an important part of character progression and can yield valuable loot. Below is a detailed guide on how to unlock and complete the Trial of the Sekhemas, along with tips for making your run smoother.

How to Unlock the Trial of the Sekhemas

The Trial of the Sekhemas becomes available after defeating Balbala the Traitor, a powerful boss found in Traitor's Passage during Act 2. Balbala has high mobility and deals substantial damage, making her a tricky opponent, especially for newer characters. However, once defeated, she will drop Balbala's Barya, a key item that is necessary to begin your first Trial of the Sekhemas run.

To unlock the trial:

Defeat Balbala the Traitor in Traitor's Passage.

Obtain Balbala's Barya.

Travel to the Trial of the Sekhemas location on Ardura's Travel Map, or use a Waypoint to teleport directly there.

At the trial location, interact with Balbala, who now serves as an advisor, not an enemy.

Place Balbala's Barya in the Relic Altar to begin your first trial run.

How to Complete the Trial of the Sekhemas

The Trial of the Sekhemas consists of a series of seven rooms, each offering different challenges, including objectives, penalties, and rewards. Here's how to navigate the gauntlet:

Structure of the Trial:

Rooms 1-6: Each room presents a distinct challenge. You'll encounter various objectives like defeating enemies, surviving waves, or reaching specific locations within the room. After completing each room's objective, you'll have the option to choose between two other rooms to continue your run.

Final Room: After completing the first six rooms, you'll face a boss fight. This is the final challenge of the trial and will grant you rewards, including loot chests and Ascendancy points.

Objective Types:

Combat Encounters: Defeat all enemies within the room.

Survival Encounters: Stay alive for a set duration or until a specific objective is completed.

Puzzle or Movement Encounters: Navigate through traps, solve environmental puzzles, or reach the end of a room without triggering penalties.

Once all rooms are completed, you'll enter the Reward Room, where you can open chests and collect your loot. These rewards can include powerful items, Keys, and Sacred Water.

Tips for Completing the Trial of the Sekhemas

Here are some useful strategies to help you survive the Trial of the Sekhemas:

Mobility is Key: Equip mobility skills such as Leap Slam, Flame Dash, or Whirling Blades to quickly move around the trial, especially in rooms with traps or when kiting enemies. Dodge Roll is also useful for evading attacks.

Pick Room Modifiers Carefully: When given a choice between rooms, carefully read the room modifiers and pick those that suit your character's strengths. Avoid rooms with high enemy density if you're not prepared for heavy combat.

Ignore Some Enemies: In some encounters, like the Gauntlet or Hourglass rooms, your primary objective might be to survive or reach a certain location. In these cases, you can often ignore or kite enemies rather than fight them.

Sacred Water: During the trial, enemies drop Sacred Water. Collect and use this resource to restore your Honour (explained below). Keep an eye on your Sacred Water reserves to ensure you don't run out in difficult rooms.

Manage Your Honour Level: The Honour bar is a unique mechanic for the Trial of the Sekhemas. It acts as a second health bar, and you'll lose Honour when hit by enemies. If your Honour reaches zero, you fail the trial, even if your main health pool is still intact. Honor can be replenished by using Sacred Water at specific fountains found in some rooms. Use your mobility skills to avoid taking hits and preserve your Honour.

Exiting the Trial: If you find yourself overwhelmed or need to take a break, you can exit the trial by creating a Town Portal. This will allow you to leave the trial and resume it later, though you may lose any progress made in that run.

Prepare for the Final Boss: The final boss in the Trial of the Sekhemas is challenging and requires careful preparation. Be sure to equip your best gear, utilize your buffs, and ensure your flasks are up-to-date.

Honour Level

The Honour bar is a critical aspect of the Trial of the Sekhemas. It functions as a secondary health bar that depletes when you take damage from enemies. If you lose all your Honour or your regular health pool, the trial fails.

Restoration: Honour can only be restored in certain rooms with fountains. You'll need to spend Sacred Water to replenish your Honour at these fountains, so it's important to manage this resource carefully.

Avoid Damage: Since Honour can be restored only occasionally, you must avoid taking damage to ensure you don't fail the trial. This means focusing on mobility and positioning during encounters.

Rewards

The rewards for completing the Trial of the Sekhemas include:

Keys: These are random drops from encounters or rewards, and they open chests in the rewards room. The chests contain valuable loot, such as high-level items and special currencies.

Ascendancy Points: The first time you complete the trial, you'll receive your first Ascendancy points critical aspect of character progression in Path of Exile 2. Future runs will not grant additional Ascendancy points but will still provide loot.

Loot and Gear: The rewards room will contain a variety of chests filled with high-tier gear, Path of Exile 2 currency, and other items to bolster your build.

Endgame and Replayability

While the Trial of the Sekhemas becomes available early in the game, its difficulty scales with your progression. The encounters grow more challenging as you reach the endgame, offering better rewards and more complex mechanics.

Ascendancy Farming: After your first completion, you can still farm the trial for additional loot, keys, and useful items, but Ascendancy points will no longer be a reward.

Endgame Scaling: As you reach higher levels, the trial becomes significantly more difficult, requiring stronger builds and better strategies to complete. The endgame rewards make it well worth the effort.

Conclusion

The Trial of the Sekhemas in Path of Exile 2 is a rewarding but challenging activity. Whether you're looking for Ascendancy points, valuable loot, or just an engaging offshoot activity, the trial provides both a test of skill and a significant source of rewards. By following the tips provided and managing your Honour, you'll be better equipped to tackle this challenging gauntlet and reap the benefits it offers in the endgame.

By following the tips provided, such as managing your Honour level, equipping mobility skills, and selecting room modifiers wisely, you'll improve your chances of success in this daunting trial. The combination of combat, survival, and puzzle-like encounters ensures that every run remains engaging and challenging, offering a rewarding payoff in the form of high-tier loot, Ascendancy points, and even POE 2 Currency and POE 2 Items.