The Trial of Chaos is the second Ascendancy Trial in PoE2 Early Access, and it is not for the weak. The Trial of Chaos is far more difficult than the Trial of the Sekhemas, the first Ascendancy Trial, especially for some builds. If you want to take on the Trial of Chaos and earn more Ascendancy points, you will find everything you need to know here.

How to Unlock the Trial of Chaos

The Trial of Chaos can be found in the Chimeral Wetlands, which is accessible in Act 3. You won't be able to take the Trial, however, unless you have the Chimeral Imbued Ultimatum. This is the Chaos equivalent to Balbala's Coin and is dropped by the boss Xyclucian, the Chimera.

You can find Xyclucian in the Chimeral Wetlands as well. To find him, continue exploring the area until you start hearing an ominous roaring sound. That's when you know you're close to Xyclucian.

How to Beat Xyclucian, the Chimera

Xycluxian, the Chimera, is a large, dragon-like creature that can command all elements. And, unfortunately, it is not afraid to use them. You will face every elemental challenge possible throughout this fight, such as ice, fire, lightning, and even poison. Gearing up with some strong elemental resistances is a must before taking down Xyclucian.

Thankfully, the boss is a little more on the slow side, especially when it lands and stays stationary for a few seconds. It's not long, but it is long enough to land a couple of hits before the beast rises again.

The biggest tip you can use to your advantage in the Xyclucian fight is destroying the rock pillars. There are a few of these rock pillars situated around the arena. When Xyclucian perches on one to unleash whatever elemental attack it has up its sleeve, start focusing your attacks on the pillar instead of the beast.

These pillars can be broken, sending Xyclucian into a rocky hole and trapping it there for a decent amount of time. Take that opportunity to get in as many hits as possible without worrying about retaliation.

How to Complete the Trial of Chaos

Once you've got your hands on the Ultimatum, you next need to track down the Trial of Chaos itself, which is located in a temple in the Wetlands. Approach the pillar and place the Ultimatum in the slot to open your way to the Trial.

The Trial of Chaos has a total of 10 floors for you to complete, although only four floors have to be completed to get your first two Ascendancy points. The monsters in the trial are level 38, so we recommend being at least that, if not higher, before taking on the first four challenges.

To begin, take a look at the loot on offer and turn your attention to the three icons below it. Those icons are Tribulations that negatively impact your run in some way. These can range from buffing the enemies, making them resistant to certain effects, or introducing some kind of elemental challenge to make your run harder.

Once you're ready, head through and face the horde that awaits you. After successfully clearing three rooms, you will be ready to face the boss in the last area. There are three possible bosses you can encounter here, each of which is difficult in its own way. Here is what you can expect from each boss:

Uxmal, the Beastlord: Uxmal is very similar to Xyclucian, the Chimera boss that you faced to collect the Ultimatum needed to access the trail. This beast uses many of the same attacks, making this the easiest of the three options, as you will already be familiar with how to defeat it.

Bahlak, The Sky Seer: This is a bird-like boss that can blanket the arena in tornadoes that can cause immense damage if you get caught in them. Like Xyclucian and Uxmal, it also has control of each of the elements. Bahlak can be difficult to reach since it spends a lot of time in the sky.

Chetza: The Feathered Plague: Chetza is a slow but powerful boss that summons minions, rains plague down from the sky and raises thorns that blanket the battlefield and can do some serious damage.

How to Get More Ascendancy Points

To get more Ascendancy Points, you will need to retake the Trial of Chaos. For that, you will need another Ultimatum. These are dropped randomly throughout your adventure, so you can't simply seek one out and retake the trial. Once you manage to find another Ultimatum, you will have to redo the trial and complete more floors than you did before.

Since these Ultimatums are a random drop, it makes retaking the trial ultimately out of your control. Keep playing, however, and you are bound to come across one at some point!

To conquer challenges like the Trial of Chaos, PoE 2 currency and strategic PoE 2 items acquisition play a critical role. Proper preparation and resource management can significantly enhance your gameplay experience.