There are certain bosses in Path of Exile 2 that are just tricky to defeat, both as a beginner and as someone coming back through the Acts in Cruel mode. One of those for me was the Rotten Druid. He wasn’t too bad after I fought him on a couple of different characters and with a decent build, but at first, the fight just wasn’t it. However, the fight is essential to progress and make it to Act 2, so let’s take a look at how to defeat the Rotten Druid in Path of Exile 2.
The Rotten Druid Mechanics
The Rotten Druid doesn’t have different phases, per se, but he does have some interesting attacks that he throws at you through the fight, and if you know how to prepare for them, you’ll make it throughout without much effort at all.
| Cue | Attack |
|---|---|
| Staff Charge | The Druid will fire a continuous stream of projectiles at you. These can be avoided by staying on the move and dodging side to side. |
| Branch Cage/Staff Slam | The Druid will teleport to another area of the arena, then summon branches to attack you. If you stay in motion, they won’t be able to hit you at all. Alternatively, this also happens after the Druid slams his staff into the ground. |
| Red Circle on Ground | When the Druid spawns the burning circle beneath him, anything within the circle will be teleported into the center of the arena and be dealt sizeable damage. To avoid this, dodge out of the circle before the attack begins. |
| Boulder Charge | The Druid will aim his staff toward the center of the arena and pull a large boulder from under the ground. After retrieving it from the earth, he’ll shoot it at you, which will be an insta-kill in most cases. To avoid this, wait until he throws the boulder and immediately dodge in a different direction. |
If you pay attention to these mechanics throughout your fight, you should be able to defeat the Rotten Druid with no issues.
Path of Exile 2 is now available on PC,
