How to Beat The Watchful Twins in Path of Exile 2
Deep within the ruined expanses of Deshar, players in Path of Exile 2 will eventually come across a foreboding arena tucked between broken pillars and piles of skeletal remains. Many of the bones scattered across the entrance look alarmingly large, suggesting that whatever lurks inside once preyed on creatures far more terrifying than the Exile. Fortunately, the boss encounter waiting inside is smaller than the remains imply, but no less dangerous. Here, players face The Watchful Twins, a dual boss encounter composed of Hunin, Storm Caller and Mugin, Frost Bringer.
This fight is notorious among players for its compact arena, punishing elemental damage, and the added unpredictability of randomized modifiers. Whether you're progressing the campaign or farming for valuable drops and POE 2 Currency, conquering The Watchful Twins is essential for moving deeper into Deshar's mysteries.
Understanding the Encounter
The Watchful Twins are fought in a tight arena with very little room to reposition. Both bosses apply relentless pressure through ranged and area-of-effect abilities. Hunin focuses on lightning-based assaults, while Mugin channels cold and frost to slow and punish careless players. Although smaller in stature than some of Path of Exile 2's more monstrous bosses, their combined aggression makes this one of the most intense early-game encounters.
Before diving into strategies, it's important to understand one unusual mechanic that sets this fight apart: randomized boss modifiers. Like other elite enemies in POE2, The Watchful Twins spawn with random traits that can greatly change the encounter. Some mods may significantly increase the boss's durability, elemental output, or aggression, and these variations can be overwhelming depending on your build.
How to Beat The Watchful Twins
There are two key tactics that dramatically increase your chances of defeating The Watchful Twins while minimizing risk. Approaching without a plan often leads to being overwhelmed by their combined elemental onslaught, so mastering these tactics is essential.
1. Lure the Bosses One at a Time
Although both bosses occupy the same arena, you can manipulate the encounter to avoid fighting them simultaneously.
How to do it:
Enter the arena slowly and move toward the rear section.
As you get close, you'll trigger the spawn animation of only one of the twins.
Immediately back up toward the entrance and draw the first boss into an isolated duel.
Defeat the first twin completely before re-entering the back portion of the arena.
Return to the rear of the arena to trigger the second twin, repeating the same isolation strategy.
This method drastically reduces the difficulty of the fight. The Watchful Twins are designed to complement each other, one applying cold slows and the other delivering lightning bursts, so fighting them together is risky for any build. Splitting them apart gives you full control.
2. Reset the Boss Modifiers Until You Get Manageable Ones
Because the twins spawn with random modifiers, the encounter is inherently unpredictable. Some combinations, such as increased elemental penetration, extra projectiles, or improved critical damage, may be nearly impossible for certain builds, especially early in the campaign when your gear and passive tree are limited.
Fortunately, Path of Exile 2 offers a simple workaround:
If the modifiers are too powerful, intentionally die as soon as the fight begins.
Respawn at the checkpoint just outside the arena.
Re-enter to generate a fresh set of modifiers.
This process can be repeated indefinitely until you encounter a version of the twins whose mods align with your survivability and damage potential. It may feel like a cheesy tactic, but POE2's randomized difficulty scaling practically encourages adaptation through trial and error.
Essential Preparation Before the Fight
Boost Your Lightning Resistance
Even though Mugin brings frost abilities into the encounter, lightning damage is the primary threat. Hunin's abilities hit fast, hit hard, and can chain across the cramped arena. To mitigate this:
Equip charms that increase Lightning Resistance.
Ensure your character's baseline resistances are capped or near-cap.
Use any available defensive skills or gear that reduce lightning burst damage.
The less time you spend recovering from burst hits, the more time you have to reposition and retaliate.
Keep Moving, Constantly
The Watchful Twins are designed to punish stationary players. Their projectiles, ground effects, and movement patterns demand constant kiting. Since the arena is small and offers very little space for circular movement, embrace hit-and-run tactics:
Fire off damage as you reposition.
Never stand still during their wind-up animations.
Use mobility skills aggressively to escape corner traps.
Capitalize on brief recovery windows after their larger telegraphed attacks.
The fight rewards patience and precision over brute force.
Rewards for Defeating The Watchful Twins
Victory over The Watchful Twins yields one major item:
Djinn Barya
This item unlocks the Trial of the Sekhemas, opening the path to further progression in Deshar.
While the direct loot reward is singular, players often use this fight as an opportunity to farm valuable POE 2 Currency, especially when repeating the encounter with different builds or farming routes. The Twins' arena is quick to reach and features manageable mechanics once you understand the pull-and-reset strategies.
Final Thoughts
The Watchful Twins are one of the earliest tests of mastery in Path of Exile 2, blending tight arena design, randomized modifiers, and dangerous elemental attacks. With smart preparation, smart movement, and clever manipulation of the encounter, even undergeared characters can conquer Hunin and Mugin. And for those seeking both challenge and progression, along with opportunities to accumulate POE 2 Currency, this fight serves as an excellent and rewarding milestone.
MMOexp POE 2 Team