A QUICK Guide to Breach in PoE 2
Summary
- Tutorial Progression: Alath guides players through a tutorial-esque introduction to the Breach mechanic, culminating in a fight against the pinnacle boss, Xesht.
- The Genesis Tree: A deterministic crafting system allows players to allocate points into specific branches to influence jewelry or currency orb outcomes.
- Minion-Specific Crafting: The Genesis Tree includes a dedicated branch for minion-related modifiers on jewelry and provides access to unique base types.
- Resource Collection: Players must clear encounters within a time limit to gather Hiveblood from tough enemies and “womb gifts” from the commander Vrune.
- Endgame Access: Breachstones are crafted using 300 splinters, granting access to domains containing hive fortresses, classic bosses Tul and Esh, and eventually Xesht.
Introduction to Breach and the Monastery
The storyline introduces Alath, an NPC who leads players through the fundamental mechanics of Breach. This tutorial-style approach covers the mechanic from its start to the eventual encounter with the pinnacle boss, Xesht.
The mechanic introduces the Monastery, where players learn about the Keepers and interact with the Genesis Tree. While the Genesis Tree appeared in Path of Exile 1, its PoE 2 iteration offers significant crafting power through a deterministic system. Players earn points by engaging with Breach and can allocate them into specific branches to dictate the outcome of their crafts.
The Genesis Tree and Deterministic Crafting
Crafting via the Genesis Tree focuses on two primary paths:
- Jewelry: Specialized branches for crafting rings and amulets.
- Currency Orbs: Specific branches dedicated to orb outcomes.
Points can be respecced at any time at no cost, allowing for complete player control over the crafting process. A notable addition in this version is a dedicated branch for minion-related modifiers on jewelry, as well as the ability to create new item base types that are exclusive to the Genesis Tree.
Market Differentiation and Mechanics
Path of Exile 2 differentiates league mechanics to ensure each serves a unique purpose in the endgame economy:
- Breach: The primary source for specific jewelry bases and minion-related jewelry modifiers.
- Delirium: Provides “liquid emotions” for crafting and instilling amulets.
To utilize the Genesis Tree, players must clear Breach encounters before the timer expires. Successful clears spawn tougher enemies that drop Hiveblood, a required resource for the tree. Occasionally, a commander named Vrune will appear; these monsters drop womb gifts, which serve as the initial items required to begin crafting at the Genesis Tree.
Breachstones and Boss Encounters
The endgame boss mechanic is accessed via Breachstones.
- Breachstones: Created by the Genesis Tree once 300 splinters are collected.
- The Domain: Using a Breachstone opens an area filled with hives that must be cleared. This area is an excellent source for farming additional womb gifts.
- Progression: As players move deeper into the domain, they encounter hive fortresses featuring larger, tougher enemies.
- Bosses: Players must face Tul and Esh (returning bosses from PoE 1) before gaining access to the final fight against Xesht.
Integration with the Infinite Atlas
Following the completion of the storyline, Breach domains appear randomly within the Infinite Atlas. Accessing these specialized areas requires a Breachstone. Players can earn Breach Atlas passive tree points simply by engaging with the content and clearing Breaches within the Atlas maps.