How to Beat The Rust King in Path of Exile 2
The world of Path of Exile 2 is filled with brutal bosses, treacherous zones, and punishing mechanics that test even the most seasoned Exiles. One of the earliest real tests of skill you'll encounter is The Rust King, a massive automaton coated in corroded armor and powered by dark energy. He's the first major boss fight that teaches you the fundamentals of dodging, positioning, and exploiting weaknesses, all things that will carry you through the rest of the campaign.
In this guide, we'll cover where to find The Rust King, how to defeat him efficiently, and what kind of rewards to expect for your trouble. We'll also discuss how using your POE 2 Currency smartly before the fight can make the difference between victory and defeat.
Where to Find The Rust King
You'll face The Rust King during the Secrets in the Dark quest, which takes place early in Act One of the Path of Exile 2 campaign. This fight occurs in The Red Vale, a gloomy area crawling with corrupted machines and debris from past civilizations.
As you progress through the quest, you'll come across several Obelisks of Rust. Interacting with the third one will trigger the boss encounter. The ground will shake, a chilling mechanical roar will echo through the valley, and The Rust King will emerge from beneath the earth, ready to crush anyone who dares disturb his domain.
Before entering this area, make sure to stock up on Flasks and double-check your gear. If you've been collecting and trading POE 2 Currency, this is the perfect time to upgrade your weapons, armor, and support gems. Having the right equipment can turn what would otherwise be a grueling fight into a manageable challenge.
The Rust King's Abilities and Attack Patterns
The Rust King is heavily armored and primarily uses area-of-effect (AoE) attacks. Each of his abilities deals heavy damage if you're not prepared, but they're all telegraphed, meaning you can see them coming and react appropriately. Here's what you should watch for:
Rust Blades (Linear Attack): The Rust King launches spinning blades in straight lines across the arena. These travel quickly and can knock you back if you're not careful. Dodge sideways rather than backward to avoid getting cornered.
Falling Blades (Vertical Attack): The automaton summons a rain of blades that crash down from above. Look for the glowing red circles on the ground, these indicate where the blades will land. Keep moving and you'll take no damage.
Blade Swarm (Homing Projectiles): Occasionally, The Rust King fires a swarm of smaller blades that track your position. These are slower but more numerous. Use a quick dash or roll to escape their path and reposition.
Exomyte Army (Minion Summon): At around 50% health, The Rust King summons his Exomyte army, a swarm of rusted minions that attack relentlessly. They don't deal much damage individually, but they can block your movement and make dodging harder. Take them out quickly with area-of-effect skills or lead them behind obstacles.
Weaknesses and Damage Strategy
The Rust King's biggest strength is his high resistance to fire and physical damage. This means your standard melee strikes or fire-based spells won't be very effective. However, he's notably vulnerable to lightning damage, and that's your key to victory.
If you have access to lightning-based abilities or weapons (such as Arc, Lightning Strike, or Storm Burst), now's the time to equip them. Even a single lightning gem linked with good support gems can dramatically increase your damage output. If you've been saving up POE 2 Currency, consider investing in lightning damage gear, rings with added elemental damage, or skill gems that scale with Intelligence.
Another solid tactic is to stun The Rust King. Building up his stun bar will temporarily disable him, causing him to kneel to the ground. This creates a large damage window where you can unleash your most powerful attacks without fear of retaliation. Strength-based characters or builds that focus on heavy strikes (like Maces or Slam skills) are especially good at generating stuns.
If your build doesn't include stun mechanics, your approach should be more defensive: stay mobile, clear his minions quickly, and chip away at his health whenever there's an opening.
Battle Tips and Positioning
Use the Environment: The Rust King's arena has scattered obstacles you can hide behind. Trees and debris can block line-of-sight attacks and help you corral the Exomytes into manageable groups.
Manage Your Flasks: Save your health flasks for when you actually take hits, it's easy to panic and waste charges. Make sure your flasks are upgraded using POE 2 Currency and crafting materials for better recovery.
Keep Distance: Most of The Rust King's attacks are close-range or linear. Ranged builds have an advantage here, especially lightning casters who can keep steady pressure while dodging.
Time Your Dodges: His attack animations are slow but punishing. Learn the rhythm, his arm raises before every big attack, giving you a brief window to roll or sidestep.
The Rust King's Rewards
When The Rust King finally collapses, he'll drop a satisfying pile of loot, including gold, rare equipment, and the Runed Skull Cap, a key quest item needed to complete Secrets in the Dark. This helm is also a great early-game piece that offers solid defenses and can be upgraded further later in the campaign.
Use your newly acquired POE 2 Currency to identify, trade, or enhance the POE 2 items he drops. Some players choose to save their currency for late-game crafting, but early investments in gear can drastically speed up your progress through Acts One and Two.
Final Thoughts
The Rust King may be the first major hurdle in Path of Exile 2, but he's also a fantastic introduction to the game's combat depth. He forces players to pay attention to resistances, positioning, and skill synergies, the exact mechanics that define Path of Exile's challenging endgame.
Remember:
Focus on lightning damage.
Use stuns to create openings.
Manage your POE 2 Currency wisely to keep your equipment upgraded.
Defeat him, and you'll not only earn valuable loot but also gain a stronger understanding of how to conquer the many bosses yet to come. The Rust King might be made of rust and ruin, but with preparation and precision, you'll be the one left standing.
MMOexp POE 2 Team