Path of Exile 2: The Rust King boss guide

As you progress through Path of Exile 2’s Act I, you’ll come across The Rust King. Unlike many of the powerful enemies you see on the map, The Rust King is a must-fight enemy. He guards an important secret that your character needs to progress in the game. If you want all the Runes of Power, you’re going to have to go against this amalgamation of rusty bits of armor and weaponry.

Unlike some of the other bosses, such as Beira of the Rotten Pack or Brambleghast, The Rust King in Path of Exile 2 is very mobile. It’s going to be important to stay out of his range, as he hits pretty hard. If you want to know how to deal with this PoE 2 boss, we’re here to help.

Note: Some parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer's opinions.

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How to beat The Rust King in Path of Exile 2

Not only is The Rust King in Path of Exile 2 mobile but he’s also incredibly swift. For a pile of rusted junk, this boss can really close the gap between you and him swiftly. If he charges directly at you, he’s going to swipe at you, so be sure to dodge out of the way, using the amazing new dodge roll mechanic.

Thankfully, The Rust King telegraphs all his dangerous attacks (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

He does this several times in a row, so stay on the move, attack when you can, and try to predict where he’ll be if you have ground-based AOE attacks. Occasionally, The Rust King in Path of Exile 2 will summon a series of red-hot blades. When you see this, make sure to stay on the move to avoid being hit my them.

When The Rust King stands still and yells at you, he’ll summon 8 swords around himself. After a delay, they will be launched in your direction, with energy crackling around them. You can stay safely between them, or dodge roll through.

He can also channel what looks like pieces of rusted armor over his head. The boss will hold one arm up while doing this. The result is a series of blasts that shoot out from him, similar to the swords. He can also do an electrically charged slam in front of himself. He’ll walk up to you to do this, most likely.

He can summon blades, but they aren't especially strong (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

You must also keep an eye out for when he summons electricity and spins it around himself. The end result of this is not only potential damage, but summoning a hoard of Ancient Ezomyte warriors to help him fight.

Like all good Path of Exile 2 bosses, he’ll keep on using different mechanics at the same time. Thankfully, he doesn’t introduce any other new mechanics to deal with. He just keeps repeating the same familiar moves, so it’s easy to stay mobile and slaughter him and his friends.

Since this is a mobile fight, being able to determine where the boss will be, or quickly moving out of melee reach and dropping an AOE at his feet can certainly help. I feel like the Mercenary might do well at this fight, considering it can stay mobile while blasting away with its shotgun. Success will grant you the Runed Skull Cap quest item, as well as other pieces of gear, gems, and gold.

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