How to get Hand of Wisdom and Action (HOWA) in Path of Exile 2
Hand of Wisdom and Action, or HOWA in short, is one the most expensive Unique Gloves in Path of Exile 2, and for good reasons. This glove single-handedly (pardon the pun) enables certain interactions that you can build some extremely powerful builds around. At the time of writing, a HOWA in the Path of Exile 2 player-run trade market will generally cost you a Divine Orb (7x Divines in hardcore). Note that the price can easily be much higher in a brand-new League economy.
In this guide, we'll go over why exactly HOWA is so highly prized, and how to farm one in Path of Exile 2.
How to get Hand of Wisdom and Action (HOWA) in Path of Exile 2
The only non-trade drop source for Hand of Wisdom and Action (HOWA) is the Breach boss, Xesht, We That Are One. One of the Pinnacle bosses in Path of Exile 2, Xesht can only be fought inside the Twisted Domain. This is accessed by opening a Realmgate with a Breachstone. Before we explain how to obtain Breachstones, let us clear a common question:
Can the HOWA be obtained using Orbs of Chance in Path of Exile 2?
No. Even though HOWA is categorized as a Furtive Wrap, using an Orb of Chance on a white Furtive Wrap will never produce this unique glove. HOWA's only direct source of acquisition is Xesht's drop pool.
How to get Breachstones and access Xesht
To get a Breachstone, by extension, you must collect 300x Breach Splinters, which drop by the boatloads on a properly juiced-up Breach map. As the general rule dictates, the higher the map tier, the higher the Breach Splinters you can collect on average, so save up your best high-tier Waystones for the Breach maps.
Read More: Path of Exile 2 Breach guide
If you're not running into many Breaches, Breach Precursor Tablets can generate this mechanic in nearby uncleared map nodes. Make sure your build is up to the task both offensively and defensively, and farm Breaches in maps that have Increased Item Quantity + Increased Item Rarity modifiers.
It just so happens that Breach is currently the most reward-heavy league mechanic woven into endgame mapping content. Therefore, in the process, it's possible to get a handful of Exalted Orbs to drop from each Breach if you can clear mobs fast enough.
With these, you can also use the Currency Exchange to outright buy a Breachstone for 50 Exalts (price may vary).
What does HOWA do in Path of Exile 2?
HOWA gives you two attribute boosts: 15-25 to DEX and INT. The much bigger prize, however, is its two unique affixes:
- 3% increased Attack Speed per 25 Dexterity
- Adds 1 to 10 Lightning Damage to Attacks per 10 Intelligence
This makes it the centerpiece in any Attribute-stacking build, such as a Gemling Legionnaire, especially if also paired up with Astramantis, an even more expensive Attribute-pumping Unique Amulet.
Check out our other guides on the game:
- Path of Exile 2 Skill Gems and Gemcutting guide
- Path of Exile 2 Endgame systems guide
- Path of Exile 2 Item Crafting guide
- Path of Exile 2 Runes and Sockets guide
- Path of Exile 2 Defense guide: Energy Shield, Armor, and Evasion explained