6 tips to follow before you go into Cruel mode in Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2 gives players an insightful look into the game's inner workings through its lengthy and narrative-driven campaign, which is chock full of secondary objectives and intuitive boss battles. However, it is not without its perils as players move on to the second part of the campaign progression.

In Early Access, Path of Exile 2's campaign is divided into two separate arcs. The first is only three acts long. The second is a rerun of the first three acts, but with greater difficulty, and is called the Cruel mode. This is only a temporary measure, as the game will feature six unique acts upon its full release.

This article provides players with six essential tips to be aware of as they move from their normal acts to the Cruel mode.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions

Tips for easier Cruel mode progression in Path of Exile 2

1) Fix your Resistance stats

Craft whatever you can, buy the rest (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Resistances are by far the most important factor in succeeding against the harder mobs and bosses in Path of Exile 2's Cruel mode. Some of the final bosses of acts, like Count Geonor and Jamanra, can absolutely ruin your day if your resistance stats are lower than zero.

While it is rather hard to cap out your resists during the campaign, there are some mitigating factors to make life easier. For example, putting an Artificer's Socket in your armor and slotting in runes to boost any lacking resists can make a significant difference against Geonor, giving you a fighting chance.

Also Read: All Path of Exile 2 Campaign bosses, explored

2) Get Life rolls wherever possible

While Resistances are undoubtedly important, it means nothing if your health pool is lower than the incoming hit, which will inevitably lead to a one-hit kill. Therefore, it is imperative to fill out every armor piece with a "# to Maximum Life" affix, wherever applicable.

When it comes to the Passive Skill tree, it is rather devoid of Maximum Life nodes. You can offset this issue by taking Passives that indirectly add to your defenses. Passives like Damage Recouped as Life and Life Regeneration are extremely valuable in sustaining your health.

3) Complete Spirit quests

First time a witch has ridden a bike made of bones into battle (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Spirit is a new resource in Path of Exile 2 that is quite literally reserved for special skills and summoning minions. It is quite rare and has to be found from rare affixes on gear pieces.

Spirit also has limited sources in the campaign. Players can encounter two separate bosses that will give them a total of 60 Spirits before moving into the Cruel mode. The King in the Mists from Act One's Freythorn area and Ignagduk, the Bog Witch from Azag Bok in Act Three, both give 30 Spirits each.

If allocated carefully, these Spirits can be used to make one of your Herald skills extremely strong or to activate two such auras instead. We recommend reserving Wind Dancer whenever possible to make yourself a little bit tankier for the harder mode.

4) Sort out your Attributes

Attributes in Path of Exile 2 are effectively the bread and butter of any build as they are mandatory for equipping gear and slotting more gems. These stats are naturally obtained through gear or can be slotted as needed via your Passive Skill tree, with each attribute offering different stat bonuses.

The quickest and easiest solution for an easier time is to allot as much Strength as possible. Strength is by far the strongest attribute for most classes as it raises your health pool passively, by a measure of +2 Life for each point of Strength.

However, caster frames, especially those using Mind over Matter and Mana stacking methods, should take Intelligence instead. Intelligence improves a character's maximum Mana, which directly improves a spell caster's offense and defense if they use Mana to mitigate their health damage.

Also Read: How does Armor Break work in Path of Exile 2

5) Check the vendors

Use the town vendors for maximum efficiency (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Throughout your playtime in the normal mode of the act rush, you will obtain many types of currencies and Gold from monsters. These can be put to good use to make your progress through the acts much easier.

Gold is handily available throughout your playthrough and increases in volume as you progress further into the campaign. For example, enemies will drop one or five Gold in Act One, which will become 20-30 when you're in Act Three. Bosses can also easily shower you with hundreds of Gold and good items.

You should always check all of the vendors in town at a regular interval, as these NPCs can hold the necessary items for a smoother progression. For example, Minion enjoyers can easily obtain a "# to level of All Minion Skills" affix-laden Scepter from Una in Clearfell, which will skyrocket your early-game DPS.

6) Buy items off trade, if you can

Path of Exile 2 has a robust trading system that begins in your browser but ends in-game. Most players opt to enjoy the benefits of the softcore trade playstyle, which is undoubtedly one of the safest routes to take. While there aren't any benefits to playing hardcore, the bragging rights alone are worth it for some players.

Anyhow, trading with others in softcore is one of the biggest factors towards a successful playthrough. You can obtain decently rolled gear with moderate to excellent stats for very low prices, as players will usually sell off their leveling gear for a quick payout.

Your most important purchase during leveling is your weapon, especially if you're a melee or a bow-build enjoyer. Buying a weapon with a high enough DPS ensures that your overall DPS output stays respectable for killing the bosses in Cruel mode.

As for the normal currencies, they are straightforward in explaining their functions and are designed for crafting. However, refrain from using Exalted Orbs and Divine Orbs as they are much more useful for trading.

As for crafting items using the rest of the currencies, that can be saved for the endgame, as it is a fight against RNG itself to get good results. And you will come out empty-handed rather often, but that's just the Path of Exile experience.

Check out our other Path of Exile 2 features and guides:

Path of Exile 2 gearing guide for beginners: When and how to modify gear
Path of Exile 2 Salvaging and Disenchantment guide
Path of Exile 2 Finding the Forge quest guide (Find Renly's tools)
Path of Exile 2: All Permanent stat bonuses you can get from the campaign