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The Lord’s Labyrinth Guide

Updated 19.03.2023 13 Mins to read Share
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The Lord’s Labyrinth Guide

The Lord’s Labyrinth is a procedurally generated dungeon that plays a critical role in your Path of Exile progression. You will have to pass through it on several difficulties with every character in order to pick up and develop an Ascendancy subclass. In addition to powerleveling, running the dungeon will also yield a variety of rewards, including items and modifiers that you could not get anywhere else. However, all of those benefits are gated behind considerable dangers posed by monsters, traps, and a series of fights against the dungeon’s boss.

The Labyrinth is unlike any other piece of content in the game, which is recognized in the special challenges connected to it in challenge leagues. To benefit from a Labyrinth run, you must complete it without dying. You cannot use waypoints or portals except to abandon your current attempt. You may attempt the dungeon as many times as you want, alone or in a group.

Its exact layout and contents are randomly generated, changing every midnight (GMT), but there are also a few constants. To unlock the dungeon and its higher-difficulty variants, you must complete several Trials of Ascendancy – trap puzzle sections found throughout Wraeclast and the Atlas of Worlds. Those Trials also serve as previews for the traps you will encounter in the dungeon. The boss is an ancient emperor called Izaro, who will confront you in a series of three encounters with increasingly challenging mechanics. However, the exact traps and boss abilities may differ every day. You will also encounter the following room types:

Room TypeSpecial Features
BlankNone
Aspirant’s TrialTwo sections: a buffer zone with a stash and a boss arena. After entering the arena, you can’t return to the stash room until the fight is over. All boss fights take place in rooms of this type.
Forgotten ReliquaryRoom with a chest containing a random trinket that will let you negate one of the boss mechanics (kill one Lieutenant, close one Portal, etc.) for free.
Gold DoorRoom with one or two Gold Doors requiring you to use a Golden Key to proceed. This key is found in the same room on lower difficulties or in a different room in Eternal Labyrinths.
Silver CacheA locked room containing either a special loot chest or a Mysterious Darkshrine. The door to the room is unlocked with a Silver Key found in the same room on lower difficulties or in a different room in Merciless and Eternal Labyrinths.

Higher-difficulty versions of the Labyrinth have greater requirements, more complex layouts, and stronger opposition. Just unlocking the Eternal Labyrinth can require extensive Watchstone farming to find the Trials. They also offer superior rewards in addition to the Ascendancy progress:

Labyrinth DifficultyAccess RequirementsConstant FeaturesRewards
The LabyrinthComplete the first six Trials of Ascendancy located in the following areas:
The Lower Prison (Act 1);
The Crypt Level 1 (Act 2);
The Chamber of Sins Level 2 (Act 2);
The Crematorium (Act 3);
The Catacombs (Act 3);
The Imperial Gardens (Act 3)

Monster Level 33.

The first room is a Forgotten Reliquary, followed by the first fight with the boss. The next room can lead to the second fight or might include an optional area. The road to the final fight always consists of two rooms. The final fight features no traps and restricted boss mechanics.

First completion:
An Ascendancy Class and 2 Ascendancy Skill Points.
 
Always:
Gloves Enchantment.
 
Dungeon and Treasure Chest loot.

The Cruel LabyrinthComplete the three Trials of Ascendancy located in the following areas:
The Bath House (Act 8);
The Tunnel (Act 9);
The Ossuary (Act 10).
Reach character level 50.
Complete The Cruel Labyrinth at least once.
Monster Level 68.
 
There are two rooms before each fight. There is a Forgotten Reliquary before the first fight. The boss can access all of his mechanics, many of them stronger than before.
 
Adds Argus mini-boss to a random room.
First completion:
2 Ascendancy Skill Points.
 
Always:
Choice of Gloves, Boots, or Helmets Enchantment.
 
Dungeon and Treasure Chest loot.
The Merciless LabyrinthComplete six Trials of Ascendancy found in random Atlas of Worlds maps.
 
Reach character level 60.
 
Complete The Merciless Labyrinth at least once.
 
Use an Offering to the Goddess (dropped at the conclusion of one of the Atlas of Worlds trials).
Monster Level 75.
 
Layout follows the same rules as in the Merciless Labyrinth (however, the Forgotten Reliquary is not guaranteed to be found before a boss fight). All mechanics are at full strength. Sentinel traps start to appear.
 
Adds Argus mini-boss to a random room.
First completion:
2 Ascendancy Skill Points.
 
Always:
Choice of Gloves, Boots, or Helmets (one of three options) Enchantment.
 
Dungeon and Treasure Chest loot.
The Eternal LabyrinthComplete six Trials of Ascendancy found in random Atlas of Worlds maps.
 
Reach character level 60.
 
Complete The Merciless Labyrinth at least once.
 
Use an Offering to the Goddess (dropped at the conclusion of one of the Atlas of Worlds trials).
Monster Level 75.
 
Layout follows the same rules as in the Merciless Labyrinth (however, the Forgotten Reliquary is not guaranteed to be found before a boss fight). All mechanics are at full strength. Sentinel traps start to appear.
 
Adds Argus mini-boss to a random room.
First completion:
2 Ascendancy Skill Points.
 
Always:
Choice of Gloves, Boots, or Helmets (one of three options) Enchantment.
 
Dungeon and Treasure Chest loot.
Eternal Labyrinth of PotentialAs The Eternal Labyrinth, but use the Vivid Abberarach Bulb from a Sacred Grove to upgrade an Offering to the Goddess into a Dedication to the Goddess and use it instead.

Monster Level 83.

As the Eternal Labyrinth, but monsters, traps, and the boss are strengthened. Monster packs are larger. This version buff traps, in particular, increasing their damage dramatically.

Choice of Gloves, Boots, Belts, or Helmets (one of three options) Enchantment.
 
Dungeon and Treasure Chest loot.
 
Doubled XP gain.
Eternal Labyrinth of FortuneAs The Eternal Labyrinth, but use the Vivid Abberarach Bulb from a Sacred Grove to upgrade an Offering to the Goddess into a Tribute to the Goddess and use it instead.

Monster Level 83.

As the Eternal Labyrinth, but monsters, traps, and the boss are strengthened. Monster packs are larger. This version buffs the boss, in particular, giving him greater health, speed, damage, and area of effect.

Choice of Gloves, Boots, or Helmets (one of three options) Enchantment.
 
Dungeon loot. Higher-level Silver Cache, Labyrinth Trove, and Treasure Chest loot.
 
Doubled XP gain.
Eternal Labyrinth of OpportunitiesAs The Eternal Labyrinth, but use the Vivid Abberarach Bulb from a Sacred Grove to upgrade an Offering to the Goddess into a Gift to the Goddess and use it instead.

Monster Level 83.

As the Eternal Labyrinth, but monsters, traps, and the boss are strengthened. Monster packs are larger. This version buffs monsters, in particular, giving them greater speed and damage.

Choice of Gloves, Boots, or Helmets (one of three options) Enchantment.
 
Divine Font can be used to Enchant items six more times.
 
Dungeon and Treasure Chest loot.
 
Doubled XP gain.

The Enchantments are implicit modifiers for items, meaning that they apply before any other modifiers. The ones acquired from this source tend to be aggressive, raising damage or adding new damage effects. They are acquired from the Divine Font at the end of the run.

The final room also contains Treasure Chests that may be unlocked with Treasure Keys dropped by Izaro or Argus or found in certain containers. The chests may include high-level gear, unique items like the Death’s Door boots, or currencies such as Exalted Orbs. There are other looting opportunities along the way, such as lucrative puzzles and gauntlets. You may also find four Mysterious Darkshrines that provide random boons for the rest of the run, either making it easier or increasing your rewards.

There are several distinct kinds of traps in the dungeon:

Trap TypeEffect
Cleaver TrapsBlades that move along a predictable path, causing Physical damage and bleeding on a hit.
Spike TrapsSpikes that shoot out of the floor in a square area when triggered by a timer or stepping on a plate. They remove a quarter of the character’s hitpoints, cause bleeding, and lock the character in place. Spikes also block movement when on the surface.
SawbladesSawblades that run along a straight path, dealing heavy Physical damage on contact. They can usually be switched off with a nearby lever.
Spinning BladesSpinning blades that move along tracks, dealing heavy Physical damage over time in proximity. They can turn on their own or be diverted with nearby levers.
Furnace TrapsHeated floors that occasionally activate and inflict Burning damage over time on anyone standing on top of them. Nearby cremators can spawn hostile fire skeletons that do not take damage from the trap.
Blade SentriesLarge spinning blade wheels that move along set paths over ground or in the air, dealing heavy Physical damage over time that increases the closer you are to their center.
Dart TrapsDart shooters hidden on walls or pillars, firing darts when triggered by a timer or stepping on a plate. They inflict Physical damage, a poison effect, and a speed debuff.
Sentinel TrapsObjects that inflict one of the following effects on an area (depending on the trap subtype):
- Drain flask charges;
- Spawn circles that inflict unavoidable Physical damage whenever a movement skill is used;
- Create an aura that increases damage taken by 50%;
- Cause bleeding;
- Cast Fire Nova;
- Cast Ice Nova;
- Cast Shock Nova;
- Cast Temporal Chain.
These effects can be temporarily disabled by dealing damage to the traps.

While potentially deadly, their threat can be mitigated by paying attention, preparing physical protection, and moving quickly in response to their activation. You may even be able to use them against most monsters you encounter. Practice or coaching can help you master the tricks needed to negate this menace.

Although less threatening than the endgame bosses, Izaro nevertheless poses a formidable and complex challenge. He is mostly a physical damage dealer who may be armed with a two-handed mace, dual swords, or a shield and sword. However, he is assisted by the Goddess of Justice, who cannot be targeted and casts spells independently, bombarding characters with fiery projectiles, teleporting them around, and summoning skeletons.

Furthermore, he may be assisted by additional boss fight mechanics. He will receive one of them each in the first and second fight and will continue to benefit from them and their lingering effects like bonuses in later fights in that run unless they are deliberately disabled. Letting him continue to use them will make the final confrontation more challenging, but it will also let you earn additional Treasure Keys. The mechanics are chosen randomly from this pool:

MechanicEffectHow to RemoveExtra Key Challenge
Charge DisruptorsIzaro will receive charges that increase his damage, speed, and defense.Activate Disruptors to dispel charges.Let Izaro have a maximum of ten charges.
ConduitsStatues that give Izaro bonus damage and resistance of the corresponding element.Temporarily deactivate Conduits to remove effects.Leave all Conduits active at the end of the phase.
Elemental EssencesElemental golems join the fight and attempt to merge with Izaro. On success, they confer bonuses to him.Kill the golems.Let all golems either bond with Izaro or remain alive by the end of the phase.
GargoylesGargoyles enter the fight and confer bonuses to Izaro.Kill the gargoyles. It is nearly impossible until they activate.Leave all gargoyles alive.
IdolsImmortal idols will gradually regenerate Life to a cap, then carry out elemental area attacks.Damage the idols so they can’t activate until the fight is over.Let each idol activate at least once.
LieutenantsElemental mini-bosses enter the fight one by one.Kill the lieutenants.Leave all lieutenants alive.
Summoning PortalsPortals spawn skeletal mages of corresponding elements.Destroy the portals.Leave all portals intact.
FontsFonts spawn one by one, inflicting curses on the player characters.Destroy the fonds.Leave all fonts intact.

Aside from determining which level of challenge your build can endure, defeating the emperor requires strong physical defenses and rapid repositioning to avoid his and the Goddess’ area of effect attacks (as well as traps on all higher difficulty versions). His threat level depends heavily on the difficulty and varies from day to day, so it can make sense to wait until the reset if you are having a hard time.

The Labyrinth is somewhat divisive among the player base. While some see it as an unfortunate necessity, others enjoy the varied challenges and the unique rewards it has to offer. As well as unlocking the subclass, it offers many opportunities for gearing and plenty of experience well into the beginning of the endgame. Whether you want to farm it repeatedly or just wish to get through it quickly before taking on higher-level content like the Awakened Atlas, it is definitely important to plan ahead for how you will deal with this progression milestone.

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