Hey gamers, what's up? My adventure through Path of Exile continues, and I'm getting closer and closer to completing the main quest I'm on, which is "reaching the Prisoner's Gate." It's the last point on the map, and today I finally reached the second-to-last area, "The Climb." I've passed through all of "The Ledge," fought my way through, and traveled the path to get here.
During my journey through "The Ledge," I was annihilating monsters that are relatively new to the ecosystem of monsters you face in the first worlds. And I say relatively new because I had reached this point in my old account, but I didn't manage to advance to the end. Besides the new monsters, we have the invasion of the hive, so we'll have to deal with the new enemies and the invaders at the same time.
The Ledge: A Linear Path Full of Surprises
The Ledge is one of those areas in Path of Exile that truly shows you what this game is about. It's a highly linear zone, which means you won't get lost easily—the path is pretty straightforward. But don't let that fool you into thinking it's going to be a walk in the park. The monsters here have different resistances, and if you're not careful with your build and equipment, you'll find yourself respawning at the waypoint more times than you'd like to admit.
One thing I noticed right away is that the area is dusty, with winds that carry the scent of old bones. Yeah, Path of Exile doesn't hold back on the atmosphere. The whole place feels desolate and dangerous, which is exactly what you'd expect from Wraeclast. The monsters here include Ancient Archers, those damn skeletal bastards that shoot from a distance, Cannibals that can attack both ranged and melee, and of course, the infamous Goatmen. These goat-headed creatures are no joke—they can leap onto you and cast fire spells that'll melt your health bar if you're not paying attention.
The waypoint is roughly in the middle of the area, which is super convenient because you can use it to go back to town, sell your loot, and return quickly. And speaking of the waypoint, there's this cool detail: there are three small cairns or stone piles next to it that indicate the direction you need to go. They point toward Kuduku, the False God, and The Climb. It's these little environmental clues that make Path of Exile feel so well-designed.
Now, let me tell you about Kuduku. This unique totem spawns at the top of a hill in an open area near The Climb exit. It's immobile, but it deals heavy lightning damage. Some players in the community say it's bad luck to kill Kuduku, so I just left him alone and moved on. I'm not about to tempt fate in a game that already wants me dead every five minutes.
Loot Drops and The Hive Invasion
Also in this world, "The Ledge," the weapon drops improve quite a bit, and new, pretty interesting items start appearing at the rare level to improve the equipment you bring from the first worlds. As the world drops improve, so does the drop from the Hive when you destroy it.
The hive invasions are something else, man. These things pop up randomly, and when they do, you better be ready for a fight. The hive monsters are aggressive and come in swarms. But the payoff is worth it—destroying a hive can give you some really nice loot. I've been getting better quality weapons and armor pieces, which has helped me upgrade my gear significantly.
The great thing about The Ledge is that it's become a popular farming spot for many players because the layout is simple and the enemies, while challenging, are manageable if you know what you're doing. I found myself going back and forth, clearing the area multiple times because the experience gain is solid, and the loot drops keep getting better. Plus, since the area is so linear, it's easy to speed through without getting lost or turned around.
Teleporting Back and Forth Like a Madman
The path of The Ledge is completely straight, unlike previous worlds. It's very easy to reach the entrance to The Climb. Another thing I was doing during the journey was constantly entering and exiting the world with teleportation scrolls to go sell items and return. It's very quick to fill up your equipment, so I've been accumulating quite a few Scrolls of Wisdom.
Let me tell you, inventory management in Path of Exile is a whole thing. Your inventory fills up SO FAST. Between all the weapons, armor pieces, currency items, and crafting materials, you're constantly making decisions about what to keep and what to vendor. That's why I've been using Portal Scrolls like crazy. I'll clear a section, portal back to town, sell all my junk, and then jump right back into the action.
The vendor system in Path of Exile is actually pretty clever. You can sell items for currency shards, and there's this whole recipe system that you can use to get specific currency items if you know what combinations to sell. I'm still learning all the recipes, but I've figured out a few basics that help me generate more currency. I hope the vendors evolve as you advance—I'm curious to see if they'll start offering better items as I level up and progress through the acts.
The Climb: Where Things Get Real
After conquering The Ledge, I finally made it to The Climb. And let me tell you, this area lives up to its name. You're literally climbing up sheer cliffs, fighting your way from the bottom to reach Axiom Prison at the top. The area has a waypoint, thankfully, which you can find by following along the left or right edge about halfway through the area.
The enemies here are tougher than what you faced in The Ledge. The Goatmen are back, but now they're even more aggressive. These bastards can leap onto you from above and below, and they cast ranged fire spells that can wreck you if you're not careful about dodging. The Burning Bowmen are also here, skeleton archers that set everything on fire. And then there are the Flame Hellions and Dune Hellions—these four-legged beasts that charge at you with incredible speed.
One cool piece of lore in The Climb is Lioneye's Standard, a large flag that reads: "There is no Honour without Sacrifice." This marks the site of a major battle between King Kaom and Marceus Lioneye during the Purity Rebellion. Path of Exile is filled with this kind of environmental storytelling, and I love it. It makes the world feel lived-in and real, even though it's a post-apocalyptic hellscape.
The Climb has some wide-open parts, but it mostly continues the linear layout of the previous zone. The thing is, the goatmen enemies here are dangerous not just because they can easily outnumber you, but they can also overwhelm you with their mobility. They jump around, cast spells, and before you know it, you're surrounded. I've died a few times here already because I got cocky and didn't respect their damage output.
Boss Encounters and What's Ahead
During my climb, I encountered Ironpoint the Forsaken, a unique Skeletal Archer who uses Rain of Arrows and Split Arrow. He's positioned on an elevated platform near the entrance to The Prison. He can pin you down with his attacks, but if you keep moving and don't stand still, he's manageable. Some people just run past him, but I wanted the loot and the experience.
There's also The Faun, another unique boss in this area. He guards Navali's cage, and when you kill him, you free Navali. The Faun enters the zone by dropping down from the sky, killing nearby monsters when he lands. It's a pretty dramatic entrance, I'll give him that. The fight itself isn't too difficult if you have decent DPS and can avoid his attacks.
After all the fighting through The Climb, I'm finally getting close to Prisoner's Gate. That's the ultimate goal of this quest chain—to reach the gate, defeat Brutus, Lord Incarcerator, and open the path forward. From what I understand, Prisoner's Gate has one of the most varied layouts in Act 1, with something like 12 different possible configurations. It's going to be interesting to navigate.
The path ahead connects to The Lower Prison, where I'll face more undead, necromancers, and zombies. Eventually, I'll make my way to The Upper Prison and the Warden's Chambers, where Brutus awaits. I've heard his attacks are slow but devastating—basically, if you get hit, you're going to feel it. But hey, that's Path of Exile for you. Every boss encounter is a test of your build, your reflexes, and your ability to learn attack patterns.
Leveling, Grinding, and Building Strength
Something I've been focusing on during this journey is making sure I'm properly leveled and equipped before pushing forward. Path of Exile is a game where you can't just brute force your way through content if you're under-leveled or under-geared. You need to be strategic about your progression.
That's why I've been doing some grinding in The Ledge and The Climb. I'm making sure my passive skill tree is optimized for my build, that I'm using the right support gems with my main skills, and that my resistances are capped. In Path of Exile, resistances are HUGE. If you don't have your fire, cold, and lightning resistances at 75%, you're going to get shredded by elemental damage. I learned that the hard way in my previous playthrough.
I've also been picking up and identifying rare items to see if I can get some upgrades. The vendors refresh their stock every time you level up, so I check in with them regularly to see if they have any good base items for sale. Currency is always tight early in the game, but it's worth spending a few Chromatic Orbs or Orbs of Alchemy if it means getting a significant upgrade to your gear.
My next plan...
So, gamers, my journey from The Ledge to The Climb has been a blast. Path of Exile continues to impress me with its depth, its challenge, and its incredible atmosphere. Every area feels distinct, every enemy type requires a different approach, and the sense of progression is incredibly satisfying.
The Ledge taught me the importance of farming and inventory management. The Climb reminded me that in Wraeclast, you're never safe—enemies can come at you from any direction, and you always need to be ready for a fight. And now, as I stand on the threshold of Prisoner's Gate, I know that even tougher challenges await.
I'm excited to see what's next. Brutus, The Lower Prison, and eventually moving on to Act 2—there's so much more adventure ahead. If you're playing Path of Exile or thinking about starting, let me know! I'd love to hear about your experiences and what builds you're running. This game has so much depth that there's always something new to learn.
Catch you in the next post, gamers. Time to push forward and see what other nightmares Wraeclast has in store for me!
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