Top Builds to Conquer the Test of Time Barya Challenge
Top builds to conquer the Test of Time Barya challenge in Path of Exile 2 focus on high damage output combined with strong survivability to handle the trial’s tough encounters and boss fights. Based on current community insights and meta recommendations, here are the best build types and strategies:
1. Mercenary Witchhunter Grenadier (Crossbow + Grenades)
Why: This build excels in the Trial of the Sekhemas due to its strong ranged damage, crowd control, and survivability. The Witchhunter ascendancy offers cooldown reduction and damage boosts to grenades and crossbow attacks, which synergize well with the trial’s pacing.
Key Features:
High burst AoE damage with Explosive Grenades and Explosive Shot.
Good mobility and survivability through evasion and armor.
Effective at managing boss mechanics, especially against Zarohk.
Recommended Gear: High physical and elemental damage on crossbows, grenade damage, and cooldown recovery.
2. Energy Shield or Evasion/Armor Hybrid Builds
Why: Trials like Test of Time Barya reward tankiness. Builds stacking energy shield or combining evasion and armor can sustain through multiple floors and the boss fight.
Key Features:
Large maximum Honour pool (similar to life) to survive hits.
Defensive boons like Orbala Statuette (25% more max Honour) and Silver Chalice (upgrades minor boons) synergize well.
Use relics like Sanguine Vial (monsters have 30% less max life) to reduce boss durability.
Recommended Classes: Witch, Sorceress, or Mercenary with defensive ascendancies.
3. High Damage Minion Builds (Infernalist or Necromancer)
Why: Minions can tank damage and provide sustained DPS, allowing you to focus on positioning and survival.
Key Features:
Summon powerful minions (skeletons, raging spirits) to distract enemies.
Use Detonate Dead or other AoE minion skills for burst damage.
Relics like Ornate Dagger increase minion and player damage by 50%, crucial for boss kills.
Recommended Gear: Minion damage, minion life, and survivability stats.
4. Lightning Arrow Deadeye (Ranger)
Why: Fast projectile clear speed combined with strong single-target damage makes this build effective for clearing trial floors and handling bosses.
Key Features:
Chain and pierce support gems for efficient mob clearing.
Cast on Shock support for automated burst damage on shocked enemies.
High evasion and movement speed for dodging trial hazards.
Recommended Gear: Projectile damage, attack speed, critical strike chance.
General Tips for Test of Time Barya Runs
Choose Relics Wisely:
Orbala Statuette: Increases maximum Honour, boosting survivability.
Silver Chalice: Converts minor boons to major, enhancing your buffs.
Enchanted Urn: Amplifies effects of your relics, increasing survivability or damage.
Sanguine Vial: Reduces monster max life, making bosses easier to kill.
Ornate Dagger: Boosts your and your minions’ damage by 50%, essential for tough bosses.
Manage Honour: Honour acts like a life pool in the trial; avoid unnecessary damage and use movement skills to dodge attacks. Use fountains and relics to restore Honour.
Learn Boss Mechanics: The final boss, Zarohk, has complex attack patterns. Builds with good mobility, crowd control, and burst damage handle him best.
Cooldown Recovery: Use builds and ascendancies that reduce cooldowns to maximize uptime on powerful skills.
Summary
Best Overall: Mercenary Witchhunter Grenadier for balance of damage and survivability.
Tanky Survivors: Energy Shield or Evasion/Armor hybrids with Honour-boosting relics.
Minion Masters: Infernalist or Necromancer builds leveraging minions for tanking and damage.
Ranged Precision: Lightning Arrow Deadeye for fast clear and boss damage.
These builds, combined with strategic relic selection and Honour management, provide the strongest chances to conquer the Test of Time Barya challenge efficiently.