In the action RPG Path of Exile 2, players encounter a challenging optional boss known as The King in the Mists within the Freythorn map. Navigating through Freythorn can be particularly tricky due to its narrow wooden bridges that often lead players into overwhelming battles against groups of monsters.
Facing The King in the Mists can be particularly daunting for lower-level players. This cultist shaman employs a variety of formidable techniques, making the confrontation feel chaotic and demanding a keen understanding of his attack patterns.
Locating The King in the Mists in Freythorn
To summon The King in the Mists, players must first find, activate, and complete three Ritual Altars strategically placed along the edges of Freythorn. Engaging with each Ritual Altar triggers a monster wave that must be defeated to consider the altar completed.
Each Ritual Altar is conveniently located near a Checkpoint, providing a helpful marker for players. Once all three altars are activated, players must seek out a large open area where the King resides. Here, a fourth altar can be activated to summon the boss.
Be mindful that if players attempt to enter the boss arena without completing the altars, a dark cloud will obstruct the central altar, preventing access. Return once all conditions are met to dispel the cloud and face the King.
It’s worth noting that Path of Exile 2 features randomized maps. This means the locations of the Ritual Altars will vary with each instance reset, though they generally remain near the map’s edges.
Strategies to Defeat The King in the Mists
The encounter with The King in the Mists unfolds in two distinct phases. Initially, players must eliminate a group of cultists that spawn upon activating the altar, much like previous Ritual Altars.
Phase 1: Human Form
When first confronted, The King in the Mists appears as a hooded figure wielding a wooden staff. His primary tactic involves using curses, afflictions, and area effects that inflict both immediate and lingering damage, pressuring players throughout the battle.
| Attack | Description |
|---|---|
| Thorngrip | This attack generates damaging vines in a cone, inflicting moderate damage. |
| Invasive Growth | The King slams his staff, creating a damaging area of effect (AoE) with vines. |
| Blood Pools | Red blood pools appear, dealing damage to players who linger within the area. |
| Affliction Totems | Summons totems that emit pulses, inflicting curses and physical damage across the arena. |
| Ritual of Dance | A curse that freezes players in place for three seconds if they stop moving. |
| Ritual of Meditation | This curse causes immobilization if players continue moving when the timer expires. |
Players should note the attack patterns, which are often clearly indicated and somewhat gradual. The real challenge arises from the interplay between the Ritual of Dance and Ritual of Meditation, where understanding which curse is currently active will dictate the appropriate escape strategy.
Two main indicators reveal which curse is currently in effect. Players can check the icon in the top left of the screen: the Ritual of Dance appears as a vibrant green, blue, and purple icon, while the Ritual of Meditation manifests as a red, pink, and purple icon. Hovering over these icons provides confirmation of the curse’s type.
Additionally, observing the color of the curse circle around your character can quickly calibrate your response. The purple circle denotes the Ritual of Dance, meaning you should keep moving, while the red circle signals the Ritual of Meditation, indicating you should stop. The color intensity will increase as the curse nears activation.
For those finding the fight challenging, feel free to invite allies for assistance.
Phase 2: Wildwood Form
Upon reaching approximately 33% health, The King in the Mists will become temporarily untargetable to recover his health, and upon his transformation, he declares, “The Wildwood’s power… is mine!”He shifts into a formidable leshen-like form, adopting a new set of attack methods.
The King in the Mists’ Wildwood Form retains his previous attacks while introducing new ones, enhancing the challenge:
| Attack | Description |
|---|---|
| Purple Pustules | Glowing pustules form on the ground, exploding when approached and applying Shadow Surge, which increases physical damage taken by the player. |
| Insect Swarm | A forward swing summons a wave of insects that damage anyone caught in their path. |
| Insect Ball | A swarm of dark insects trails the player, exploding on contact. |
During this phase, The King becomes increasingly aggressive with his curses. Although sustaining a couple of stacks of Shadow Surge might be manageable, let the number reach five or more at your peril—being significantly damaged becomes all too easy. Overall, the mechanics of this phase are more manageable compared to the first.
Rewards from the King of the Mists Encounter
Upon defeating The King in the Mists for the first time, players receive Gembloom Skills, an invaluable item that provides a permanent +30 Spirit benefit. Notably, he is the only boss in Act 1 that rewards players with Spirit capacity.
Additionally, players can earn Ritual Rewards by interacting with the Ritual Altar using Tribute currency. This currency can be farmed by repeatedly defeating The King, particularly in the early game, as the altar refreshes after each kill.
Upon claiming the Gembloom Skull for the +30 Spirit reward, players also receive an Uncut Spirit Gem 4, marking the earliest opportunity to acquire the Raging Spirits skill from the Sorceress skill set.
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