How to Defeat Blackjaw, The Remnant in Path of Exile 2

Hidden deep within The Oubliette of Jiquani's Machinarium, Blackjaw, The Remnant stands as one of the more dangerous optional encounters in Path of Exile 2. While this boss is not mandatory for story progression, skipping him is rarely the right choice. Blackjaw drops a unique permanent reward that grants bonus Fire Resistance, an extremely valuable stat as you move deeper into the campaign and eventually into end-game content.

For players looking to optimize survivability, save POE 2 Currency in the long run, and prepare for fire-heavy encounters later on, defeating Blackjaw is well worth the effort. Below is a complete breakdown of his mechanics, attack patterns, and the best strategy to bring him down efficiently.

Why You Should Fight Blackjaw, The Remnant

Optional bosses in Path of Exile 2 often offer rewards that scale far beyond their immediate difficulty, and Blackjaw is no exception. The permanent Fire Resistance bonus he provides is useful across all builds, regardless of class or playstyle. Fire damage becomes increasingly common later in the game, and having a free resistance boost reduces your reliance on gear upgrades, freeing up POE 2 Currency for other investments.

In short, Blackjaw is a short-term challenge with long-term benefits.

General Strategy

One of the first things you'll notice when fighting Blackjaw is how front-loaded his damage is. The majority of his attacks are heavily forward-facing, meaning positioning alone can trivialize much of the encounter.

The safest and most effective approach is to:

Stay close to his hitbox

Circle behind him whenever possible

Avoid lingering directly in front of him

Blackjaw turns slowly, and many of his strongest attacks punish players who panic-roll backward rather than repositioning to his sides or rear. Staying aggressive while maintaining good positioning will drastically reduce the damage you take.

Blackjaw's Phase One Attacks

In his first phase, Blackjaw relies on a limited but punishing set of abilities. Learning their tells makes this phase very manageable.

Slam

Blackjaw's most dangerous early attack is a frontal slam that deals heavy damage in a narrow cone in front of him. He frequently chains this move up to two additional times.

How to avoid it:

Dodge-roll to either side, not backward. Rolling sideways keeps you close and sets you up to punish him while he recovers.

Flamethrower

Much like Candlemass, Blackjaw can inhale deeply before unleashing a stream of fire in front of him. This attack applies fire damage and ignite, which can quickly drain your health if you're caught in it.

How to avoid it:

Run clockwise around him or dodge-roll backward out of range. Avoid rolling sideways too early, as the flame spray lingers briefly.

Push

If you hug Blackjaw's front for too long, he'll use a shove with his hammer. While it deals minimal damage, it can cause stun and disrupt your positioning.

How to avoid it:

A simple dodge-roll to the side or backward negates this entirely.

Slash

This upward slash has a noticeable wind-up and covers a medium arc in front of him. The damage is moderate but can catch players who tunnel vision.

How to avoid it:

When you see the wind-up, dodge-roll backward or reposition behind him.

Phase Two: Increased Fire Pressure

Once Blackjaw enters his second phase, the fight becomes more chaotic, but the core strategy remains the same. He retains most of his original attacks, but adds new fire-based threats that punish poor positioning.

Jump Slam

Blackjaw will leap into the air and crash down, dealing area damage around his landing point.

Tip:

Wait for the landing animation, then roll away from the impact zone. The recovery window afterward is generous.

Flame Cleave

Using his axe, Blackjaw performs a sweeping cleave that ignites enemies hit by it.

Tip:

This attack has wide horizontal coverage but limited reach behind him. Stay close and circle aggressively.

Burning Ground and Fire Projectiles

In the most dangerous part of phase two, Blackjaw ignites the ground around himself and launches flaming projectiles outward.

Tip:

Don't panic. Move to safe ground first, then focus on dodging projectiles. Greedy damage here often leads to unnecessary deaths.

Build Considerations and Preparation

You don't need a specific build to defeat Blackjaw, but a few preparations can make the fight much easier:

Bring a fire resistance flask if available

Equip gear with ignite mitigation if you have it

Save mobility skills for repositioning, not damage

Investing heavily in gear upgrades just for this fight isn't necessary, and doing so may waste POE 2 Currency better spent later. Good movement and patience matter far more than raw damage output.

Blackjaw, The Remnant Rewards

Defeating Blackjaw grants a unique permanent bonus:

The Flame Core: +10% Fire Resistance (Permanent)

This reward applies account-wide for that character and stacks with other resistance sources. It's especially valuable as enemy fire damage scales sharply in later acts and end-game encounters.

Final Thoughts

Blackjaw, The Remnant is an excellent example of Path of Exile 2's optional boss design: challenging but fair, rewarding skillful play rather than raw stats. By mastering positioning, learning his attack patterns, and staying calm during his second phase, you can defeat him consistently without burning through flasks, deaths, or POE 2 Currency.

If you're serious about preparing for the tougher content ahead, Blackjaw is a fight you shouldn't skip. The permanent Fire Resistance alone makes it one of the most worthwhile optional encounters in the game.

MMOexp POE 2 Team