How to Bring Count Geonor to Heel in Path of Exile 2
Count Geonor is the final boss in Act One of Path of Exile 2. He's accompanied by Oriana and a writhing mass of tentacles in a cage. Whether you're chasing loot, grinding POE 2 Currency or pushing through Acts, the fight against Count Geonor is a key milestone. In this guide, we'll walk you through the location, phases, attacks and tactics you'll need to beat him and secure that reward haul.
Where to Find Count Geonor
You'll encounter Count Geonor in the quest "The Mad Wolf of Ogham." He lurks inside Ogham Manor, after navigating three levels of the manor, you'll descend to his arena on the lowest floor. Make sure your gear is up to date and you've stocked flasks before entering, load-outs and POE 2 Currency earned here will help you progress into Act 2.
Preparing Your Build & Gear
Before the fight:
Prioritise cold resistance, since many of his attacks deal heavy cold damage and freeze potential.
Boost your movement speed when possible, dodging will matter more than raw damage.
Use gear that deals reliable damage, preferably non-cold damage, because Count Geonor shows strong resistance to cold.
Consider how your build will handle both sustained damage phases and interruptions or CC (crowd control).
With these in place, you're ready to dive into the fight.
Phase One: Human / Wolf Hybrid
In the first phase of the encounter, Count Geonor alternates between human form and wolf form. During human form he uses more predictable sword and ice attacks; during wolf form he becomes much more mobile and dangerous.
Human form attacks:
Charges straight at you and impales you into the wall if caught.
Uses an ice spear or blast to freeze or chill you.
After damage threshold is reached, he'll pull his sword into the ground, mark circles of ice, then revert.
Tip: Stay mobile, sidestep his charges and keep out of melee range when you see the tell of him planting his sword.
Wolf form attacks:
He'll stab his sword into the ground, transform, summon reinforcements (werewolves), and dart around the arena.
Mobalytics
Attacks include a forward charge spraying blood for moderate damage or a high-damage slam from above where a large red circle appears on the ground, if you're caught in it you're in big trouble.
During this phase, focus on killing the adds (the summoned wolves) quickly so you can return to damaging the boss uninterrupted. The human form is easier to damage, exploit it.
Phase Two: The Putrid Wolf & Final Quarter
Once Count Geonor reaches roughly half health, the next big shift happens. He transforms into a corrupted abomination form (often termed the "Putrid Wolf"). His attacks become more devastating and complex.
Major new attacks include:
Freezing Gale / Chilling Frost: Frost sprays or breathes that chill you and slow you down.
Solstice of Pain: He raises his blade and ice beams rain down from the ceiling.
"I smell your blood": He stabs his sword down, ice blotches form then spikes shoot up.
Teleport Slam / Ultimate Moonbeam: At below ~25% health, he summons red beams from the floor, this is where the fight becomes a sprint to finish.
He'll also occasionally vanish into a fog cloud, spawn more werewolves, and charge through small safe zones. In this fog phase, you must crowd-control the wolves, dodge Geonor, and bring damage when safe.
Final quarter tactics:
When you're under ~25%, you must go for the kill. His upgraded "Moonbeam" style attacks stack a bleed/corrupt-blood debuff. At that point, stun him if you can, pop your life flask, and unleash your highest DPS attacks. Any delay and you'll be overwhelmed.
Tips & Strategy Summary
Learn his tells and animations: Every major attack has a cue.
Keep moving. Standing still gets you hit.
Focus damage during the safe windows (especially right after his big attacks).
Clear adds quickly in both phases. Extra enemies amplify difficulty.
Use flask charges wisely: Save them for Phase Two when the risk is highest.
In the fog phase, use the arena edges to give yourself more reaction time for his charge.
If you're ranged, exploit the long downtime when he telegraphs huge attacks, drop big damage then retreat while he resets.
Rewards
Defeating Count Geonor rewards you with loot appropriate to your level and often significant rarity and value. According to guides, his loot drop rate and item rarity multiplier are high, a good kill means you'll earn solid amounts of POE 2 Currency to upgrade your gear.
Use the POE 2 Currency earned wisely: upgrade your flask mods, re-roll sockets, and prepare for Act 2's higher difficulty. This fight is both a gear and economy checkpoint.
Final Thoughts
The battle against Count Geonor is more than just a boss fight, it's a test of your build, mechanics and readiness for the rest of the campaign. With proper positioning, dodge awareness, crowd-control usage and timing, you'll emerge victorious and loaded with POE 2 Currency to fuel your next steps.
Now load in, bring the Mad Wolf of Ogham to heel, and claim your reward. Good luck, and may your loot drop heavy!
MMOexp POE 2 Team