Speedrun the Cunning Trial: Best Gear & Pathing Tips

To speedrun the Test of Cunning Barya in Path of Exile 2 efficiently, focus on maximizing mobility, clear speed, and optimized pathing through the trial’s traps and enemies. Here are the best gear and pathing tips based on current speedrun strategies and trial mechanics:

Best Gear for Speedrunning Test of Cunning Barya
- Movement Speed: Prioritize gear and flasks that boost movement speed significantly. Items like Queen of the Forest (if available) or gear with high evasion and movement speed bonuses help you dodge traps and reposition quickly.
- Damage Output: Since the trial includes enemies and a final boss, equip gear that enables fast clear speed. Builds focusing on skills like Whirling Slash or ranged spells with high area damage (e.g., Freezing Pulse or Arc) allow rapid enemy kills without sacrificing mobility.
- Survivability: While speed is key, don’t neglect evasion, dodge, and life to survive unavoidable hits. Flasks with instant recovery and defensive buffs are essential.
- Utility Flasks: Use flasks that grant immunity to ailments or curses, as the trial applies afflictions that can slow or weaken you.

Optimal Pathing Tips
- Plan Your Route: Study the trap patterns and enemy placements beforehand. The trial is designed with complex traps like fire jets and spike walls that require precise timing. Avoid rushing blindly; instead, move deliberately through safe windows.
- Use Teleportation or Dash Skills: Skills like Flame Dash or Whirling Slash let you bypass dangerous zones quickly and reposition during boss fights.
- Skip Non-Essential Fights: Focus on clearing only the enemies necessary to progress; avoid unnecessary combat to save time.
- Checkpoint Teleports: Utilize teleportation to checkpoints to reset positioning quickly if you die or need to retry sections.
- Boss Strategy: For Ashar the Sand Mother, maintain high mobility and use burst damage phases to shorten the fight. Avoid standing in telegraphed AoEs and use crowd control where possible.

Additional Speedrun Tips
- Skill Gem Upgrades: Early in your run, prioritize acquiring key skill gems and uncut gems that boost damage and mobility.
- Shop and Gamble Smartly: Check vendors for movement-enhancing gear or skill gems that can speed up your run.
- Practice Runs: Familiarize yourself with trap timings and boss mechanics through repeated attempts to reduce mistakes and optimize your path.

By combining high mobility gear, precise pathing, and efficient combat, you can significantly reduce your time in the Test of Cunning Barya. Focus on movement speed and clear speed over survivability, but maintain enough defenses to avoid costly deaths. This approach aligns with top speedrun strategies and will help you breeze through this challenging trial.