Path of Exile 2 0.5.0 features three Masters of the Atlas, each enhancing your endgame Atlas in different ways. Let's explore how to unlock each Master and what effects they bring to the endgame.
What are Masters of the Atlas?
After completing the campaign in POE 2, players enter Atlas. The Atlas is the endgame map system after completing the story, used to continuously challenge randomly generated, increasingly difficult maps and obtain greater rewards.
Masters of the Atlas is a switchable enhancement mechanism within Atlas system. Different Masters provide unique talent trees to change your map clearing style and reward focus. Each Master can unlock and upgrade to gain 12 skills to handle various situations on the map, but a maximum of four skills from the same Master can be activated at a time. Let's look at how to unlock each Master's skills.
Doryani's Science
The first Master is Doryani, whose skill allows him to clear Corrupted Nexus from Atlas map. He possesses the ability to traverse the map quickly and allows players to obtain more Path of Exile 2 currency more safely.
To unlock the Doryani's Science questline, you need to speak with him at Ziggurat Refuge and then traverse the entire Atlas to find Corrupted Nexus. Once unlocked, your quest essentially involves defeating three Corrupted Nexus, with the required Waystones for entry being Tier 6, 11, and 14 respectively. Finally, you must defeat Imured Fury - an Atlas Boss.
Each of these three Nexus rewards one Doryani Atlas Master Point and provides an additional upgrade to Doryani's Science. Imured Fury, however, only rewards one Atlas Master Point.
Hilda's Hunting
Hilda specializes in boss battles in Path of Exile 2, increasing the map difficulty and providing players with richer rewards. If you enjoy challenging various bosses in the area, then Hilda is the best choice, as she possesses skills that allow her to easily defeat these powerful enemies while making the battles fun and rewarding.
To unlock her questline, you'll need to find her first; her camp is southwest of Atlas starting point. Hilda's Hunting requires players to hunt down Great Beasts - a type of Map Boss - marked by Hilda as worthwhile targets. Defeating them will earn you Hilda's Favor. She will also make nearby Beast-type Map Bosses stronger.
Specifically, players need to defeat four Great Beasts with minimum Waystone Tiers of 6, 11, 14, and 15 respectively. Each Beast is randomly selected, and each will grant one Hilda Atlas Master Point.
Jado's Spycraft
As a member of the Order of the Djinn, specializing in collecting powerful artifacts, Jado can help you find more special chests and Anomaly Maps.
To unlock Jado's Spycraft questline, players need to find one of four Anomaly Maps: Jade Isles, Sealed Vault, Derelict Manor, and Sealed Reservoir. Finding one will unlock Jado's Spycraft and grant an Atlas Master Point.
His quest requires players to complete these four Anomaly Maps. All Waystones this time only require Tier 6, and they can be completed in any order. These maps will spawn near Atlas starting point; after completing one, the location of the nearest map will automatically appear.
Recommended Point Allocations
After completing the quests for the three Masters of the Atlas, we obtain some Atlas Master Points. How to allocate these limited points for optimal results becomes a new question. Next, I will focus on early combinations that require only a few points to achieve good results.
Doryani
Compared to the other two Masters, Doryani requires more time to unlock and upgrade.
If you only have one point, Stitch the Flesh is definitely your best choice early on. It gives you a chance to revive a map, clearing out the content and bosses before being kicked out and forced to re-challenge a map with no extra content.
If you have two points, your map difficulty should be quite high by then. Disengaged Safeties combined with Evolutionary Pressure or Improved Calibration will be a very powerful choice. This combination will allow you to get better loot when defeating higher-level monsters.
Hilda
Hilda unlocks points the fastest among the three Masters, but since we're focusing on improving early-game strength, let's assume she also only has two points.
Breeding Season and Mighty Prey are undoubtedly her strongest skills early on. Breeding Season increases the number of rare monsters, so no matter how bad the resource level of a map you enter, the loot won't be too bad. Mighty Prey allows you to easily increase your Waystone level, giving you more freedom to move between different POE 2 maps.
Jado
To be fair, we'll assume Jado only acquired two points. If you prefer strongboxes, then you should definitely choose Trove Seeker and Mysterious Gifts combination. They will give you more strongboxes and the rare item Cryptic Key - which you can use to unlock Researcher's Strongboxes.
If you prefer exploring Anomaly Maps, In the Wrong hand and Unforeseen Threats are a better fit. They will help you more easily obtain Unique items and Lineage Support Gems from Anomaly Maps, and help Jado level up faster.
Mastering the endgame gameplay of Path of Exile 2 0.5.0 is not only about constantly advancing map levels, but also about making good use of the three Masters of the Atlas, each with a different specialization. Regardless of your preference, each Master can inject a new strategic dimension into your map-clearing journey.
Marketing
