Path of Exile 2: How To Beat Rathbreaker

Path of Exile 2: How To Beat Rathbreaker

As a seasoned adventurer with countless battles under my belt, I can confidently say that the battle against Rathbreaker is one for the books. With its swift attacks and relentless pursuit, it certainly gave me a run for my money.

In Path of Exile 2, certain obstacles will be set up by bosses, preventing your advancement through the storyline. As Act 2 begins, you’ll need to discover a means to link with the eastbound Mariketh Caravan, who are currently beset by aggressive Raiders in close proximity.

In the course of the quest ‘Earning Passage’ during Act 2, you are tasked with venturing into barren lands to demonstrate your value to the traveling caravan. By overcoming Hyena Raiders in the vicinity, you will eventually encounter the formidable boss, Rathbreaker – a ruthless Hyena and the chief of the group. If he gives you trouble, you’ll have ample opportunity to get acquainted with him.

How To Get To Rathbreaker

In Act 2’s first map, the Vastiri Outskirts, you can locate Rathbreaker by exploring the boundaries of the Vastiri Outskirts map until you discover a narrow path diverging from the main mass in the center. One such slim path departing from the outskirts’ edge will guide you to Rathbreaker.

Despite the game’s maps being randomly created, this particular arena is guaranteed to be linked to an exit path that extends from its boundaries, rather than being located centrally within the map.

At the termination of your journey, you’ll encounter a Checkpoint in a spacious expanse. This area is teeming with numerous Hyenas congregated around a central mound, and towering above them all is Rathbreaker, the leader of their clan.

If you’re struggling to locate Rathbreaker or eliminate all Hyenic Raiders in the region, remember to stick to the map’s borders and follow any potential routes that seem to lead outward. It’s possible that you didn’t uncover enough of the Fog of War during your previous travels through the zone, which might explain why you didn’t spot the path before.

Path of Exile 2 Rathbreaker Boss Strategies

Path of Exile 2: How To Beat RathbreakerPath of Exile 2: How To Beat RathbreakerPath of Exile 2: How To Beat RathbreakerPath of Exile 2: How To Beat RathbreakerPath of Exile 2: How To Beat RathbreakerPath of Exile 2: How To Beat RathbreakerPath of Exile 2: How To Beat Rathbreaker

To conquer most bosses in Path of Exile 2 effectively, it’s crucial to grasp their underlying mechanics, much like in a Soulsborne game. You may encounter numerous bosses multiple times as you decipher their attack patterns and devise strategies to counter them, tailoring your character build accordingly.

Rathbreaker’s boss arena stands out because a band of Hyenic Raiders are stationed overhead.

Approaching the walls within the boss’s arena too closely may prompt the Hyenic Raiders to hurl their spears at you swiftly. These spears can inflict substantial physical damage, so it is crucial to maintain the boss in the center of the arena to dodge repeated attacks.

In this battle scenario, these adversaries can’t be eliminated either before the combat starts or while fighting. Instead, they will only appear to have an active hit zone after you defeat Rathbreaker, as they drop from above.

Beyond supplying ranged assistance on the walls surrounding the boss battlefield, Rathbreaker summons a pack of Hyenas when he reaches roughly 75% of his maximum health, and then continues to do so approximately every minute for the remainder of the fight. In this confrontation, it’s crucial to have an area-of-effect skill at your disposal to handle these reinforcements effectively, as they can swiftly overpower a character who is not adequately prepared to deal with around a dozen Hyenas during the battle.

Every time, Hyenas appear at the two ramps on both sides that lead to the arena. This means you can strategize by unleashing your area-of-effect (AoE) abilities as soon as the Hyenas begin to gather. If your AoE skills are strong enough and your gear is of good quality, they should be able to clear out a significant portion of the group if used at the right moment.

Rathbreaker Boss Strategies, Moveset, & Counters

Amidst all the diversions, it’s crucial that players keep their focus on the Rathbreaker boss in Path of Exile 2 as well.

In the thrilling world of Path of Exile 2, I found myself up against the formidable Rathbreaker, a foe that seemed unyielding and devoid of vulnerabilities. It’s not a matter of finding weaknesses here, but more about passing the DPS test while keeping a sharp eye on its mechanics. Rathbreaker cycles through five distinct moves during combat, so staying alert is key to emerging victorious.

  • When you engage Rathbreaker, it will roar and charge towards your location in a straight line.
    • It won’t chase you, so just quickly dodge out of the way or walk to the side as it begins its charge.
  • After reaching the end of its initial charge, Rathbreaker will start rotating between its regular abilities.
  • Normally, it will open with a series of long-range melee attacks that blast three waves of damage forward while standing still. If you can avoid Rathbreaker’s attacks during this move, you can deal a lot of damage with ranged and AoE attacks.
    • If you see the boss stop moving, drag its weapon on the ground, and wave it in the air, it means it’s about to use this move.
    • You can walk to the side out of the way of the first two swings while circling Rathbreaker, then watch for the third swing, signified with a red visual effect on the boss. This red effect also signifies that the move is Unblockable, if you are using a shield.
    • The third swing in this combo takes longer to charge up, covers a wider area, and deals immense damage. It will track your movement until cast, so Dodge out of the way right as the boss slams down its weapon.
  • After its three-hit ranged combo, Rathbreaker will chase down the player and take a swing at melee range.
    • Wait for the boss to get about 10m away (about 1 sec running time) and Dodge to the side to avoid the Charge and follow-up melee attack.
    • The arena will also suddenly be blanketed in a line of spears from the surrounding Hyena Demons. Watch for the start point and make sure you avoid both the Charge and the line of spears.
  • If you are in melee range at any point, the boss may start attacking you with its sword instead of using its other moves.
  • To avoid Rathbreaker’s normal melee attacks, either circle around it counter-clockwise (to the boss’ left) or Dodge to the boss’ left when it swings.
    • Rathbreaker wields its weapon in its right hand, which doesn’t reach as far on the left side.
    • Melee players can relatively reliably circle the boss counter-clockwise to consistently get hits in and avoid damage.
    • It’s not a perfect strategy, as the boss will jump away and do ranged attacks, but it does help avoid being hit. Rathbreaker can be especially tough for melee builds.
  • Randomly as part of its regular melee attacks, Rathbreaker will quickly raise and slam down its weapon on the ground, sending a blast forward not unlike the damage blasts during its three-hit combo.
    • This one can be hard to avoid if you are in melee range, especially if the Hyenas have joined the fight. Watch for the boss to raise its weapon without dragging it on the ground, usually after another attack combo. Stop attacking and immediately get out of the way.

If you manage to dodge the potential pitfalls and Hyena Demons during battle, and if you can anticipate and counter Rathbreaker’s quick, albeit predictable attacks effectively, then it is likely that you will defeat Rathbreaker within a few attempts. Remember, an area-of-effect (AoE) skill is nearly essential for this fight due to the additional enemies, and skills capable of dealing high ranged damage are particularly beneficial.

If you can consistently inflict damage from a distance while the boss remains stationary during its three-hit distant melee combo, you should find defeating Rathbreaker effortless. Engaging in melee combat significantly increases the difficulty of this battle, and it might be wise to adjust your Support Gems and gameplay style to focus on long-range attacks instead.

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2024-12-10 01:07