To make the most out of your Test of Time Barya in Path of Exile 2’s Trial of the Sekhemas, a strategic approach from the Relic Altar setup to the final reward claims ensures you get maximum value from each fast-paced run. Here’s a focused guide on how to leverage this special coin:
1. Slotting the Test of Time Barya at the Relic Altar
Before entering the trial, place your Test of Time Barya on the Relic Altar. This activates the speedrun modifier, transforming standard trial rooms into time-limited challenges where you must move and clear quickly.
Review any modifiers listed on the coin or trial interface. Adapt your strategy for the specific mix of timed objectives and increased difficulty these may add.
2. Planning Your Route and Room Selection
After initiating the trial, study the revealed map (and use boons like All-Seeing Eye for full visibility). Plot a route that balances ease of completion, Honour restoration opportunities, and high-reward rooms.
Prioritize paths that include shrines, Sacred Water (which restores Honour), or rooms granting beneficial boons, especially those that complement your build (e.g., boosting speed, damage, or Honour regen).
3. Managing Honour and Choosing Boons/Afflictions
Carefully select boons at merchants or reward nodes, prioritizing those that restore/boost Honour, reduce trap/enemy damage, or give map insight.
Accept afflictions only when the associated boon justifies the added difficulty, and avoid those that cripple Honour gain or impose extreme time penalties if your build struggles with speed.
4. In-Trial Execution: Balancing Speed and Survival
Use clear speed and area-of-effect skills to maximize room completion within time limits—mobility flasks like Quicksilver can make a meaningful difference.
Always weigh the risk of chasing the clock versus the risk to Honour; sometimes slowing down to avoid traps or ranged hits grants a better chance of reaching the trial’s end.
Leverage relics (especially those improving Honour recovery) and stack any temporary buffs that shore up your weaknesses.
5. Reaching Rewards: Boss and Final Floors
The trial concludes with a boss encounter or highest floor, often against Zarohk, the Temporal. Approach with maximum Honour, triggering any final recovery boons before entry.
Upon completion, claim your Ascendancy points and valuable loot—rewards scale with performance, completion time, and modifiers/difficulty stacked by the Test of Time Barya.
6. Post-Trial Use and Repeat Value
The Test of Time Barya is consumed after each run. For continued farming or mastery runs, collect or trade for more Barya coins to access repeat trials.
Snapshot Baryas reflecting your best runs (with rare boons/afflictions) may also have market value for trading with other players.
Key Takeaways
Maximize the Test of Time Barya effect by preparing your build for mobility, burst AoE, and Honour resilience.
Smart relic, boon, and affliction selection can turn a tough trial into a lucrative, repeatable source of Ascendancy and gear progression.
Use every part of the trial—from Relic Altar planning to reward strategy—to reinforce your strengths, patch your build’s weaknesses, and enjoy both challenge and reward at the peak of PoE 2’s endgame design.