Path of Exile 2 Guide: Surviving the Runes of Aldur Challenges
Getting the Knight of Aldur armor set takes a massive amount of grinding, but I can save you from wasting hours on the wrong objectives.
The challenge system is back for the Runes of Aldur league in Path of Exile 2. You have eight tasks to clear if you want the full cosmetic set, and I highly suggest you start early. The list swings wildly from basic story progression to brutal endgame encounters that'll absolutely send you back to the lobby if you walk in unprepared. Before you burn a whole weekend bashing your head against a wall, I've mapped out the most efficient way to tackle these milestones.
The Loot You Actually Care About
Every time you complete a challenge, you get a Challenger Statue for your hideout. That's a nice bonus, but I know you're really just here for the glowing armor.
The armor pieces drop on the even numbers. You get the boots at two completions, the gloves at four, the body armor at six, and the helmet requires a flawless run of all eight. Since the rewards stagger out, you can at least secure the boots and gloves without having to optimize your entire build for Pinnacle bosses.
The Freebies
You should accidentally complete these two just by playing the game normally. (Seriously, if you miss these, you might want to check your monitor is turned on).
The Hunter
You just need to kill six specific campaign bosses. Clear out the optional areas as you go, and you'll bump into all of them naturally.
The Reliquarian
Identify 50 Unique Items. The tutorial practically forces three of these on you immediately, so you only have 47 left to go. Keep a fat stack of Scrolls of Wisdom in your inventory during the campaign. Identify every single piece of trash Unique gear before you vendor it. The scroll cost is basically zero, and it all counts toward your total.
The Mid-Game Grind
Once you hit the mapping phase, your focus needs to shift toward the league mechanics and finishing up your trials.
The Runeseeker
This is the meat of the new season. You have to inscribe runes from your Tome at Runic Remnants. The challenge tiers require inscriptions of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 or more runes. Hit these remnants every single time you see them while leveling. (Trust me on this, farming low-tier inscriptions later when you just want to push maps is miserable).
The Ascendant
You need all eight Ascendancy Points. The first two trials are handouts. You get the first in Act 2 after killing Balbal the Traitor, and the second opens up in Act 3 when you find the Temple of Chaos.
The last two require specific Djinn Barya items, and this is where I see people ruin their own progress. Before you waste a high-level Barya on a bad run, check your requirements. The third trial needs a Level 60+ Barya with exactly three floors. The fourth demands a Level 75+ Barya with four floors, ending with a boss fight against Zarok, the Temporal.
The Endgame Gauntlet
These are the ones that demand a real build. If you try to brute force these, you're going to have a very bad time.
The Artisan
You have to socket an item using 13 different Veresium ingredients. You need Adaptive Alloy, any Flux, Cyclonic Alloy, Expansive Alloy, Celestial Alloy, Runic Alloy, Protective Alloy, Swift Alloy, any Kalguurian Crest, Exceptional Verisium, Prismatic Alloy, Mystic Alloy, and Sovereign Alloy. It's a massive checklist for crafters.
The Cartographer
Fully allocate the main Atlas Passive Tree. This just means exploring the Atlas and killing map bosses. Stop running your favorite map on repeat and actually push into the undiscovered regions.
The Master
Hit Level 90. This is a massive slog and will probably be the very last thing you finish. Cranking up the difficulty gives you more experience, so push the hardest content you can reliably survive.
The Vanquisher
Kill the Vessel of Kulemak, The Bodach, and Tangmazu. These Pinnacle Bosses are an absolute nightmare. They'll send you back to the lobby repeatedly if your gear is lacking. Dying means you fail the run, so only walk into those arenas when you're actually ready.
