Path of Exile (PoE) offers players a challenging and intricate gameplay experience, where every decision and action can significantly impact the outcome. One of the most exciting and difficult aspects of PoE is the series of quests that players undertake as they progress through the game. Among these quests is the "Ruler of Highgate" quest, which is part of the larger storyline in Act 4. This article will guide you through completing the "Ruler of Highgate" quest in Path of Exile, breaking down each step of the process, highlighting key strategies, and offering useful tips along the way.

 

What is the "Ruler of Highgate" Quest?

The "Ruler of Highgate" quest is a pivotal part of the Act 4 storyline in PoE. This quest involves defeating the powerful boss, Kitava, who has taken control of the city of Highgate. Highgate was once a prosperous place, but it has fallen into chaos under the rule of this ancient and corrupted deity.

 

Completing this quest is crucial as it advances your progress in the game, unlocking the next phase of the story and rewarding you with significant experience points, gear, Path of exile currency, and crafting materials. However, it's also one of the more difficult quests in Act 4, requiring careful preparation, knowledge of the fight mechanics, and strategic planning.

 

Prerequisites for Starting the "Ruler of Highgate" Quest

Before you can embark on the "Ruler of Highgate" quest, you will need to have completed several key steps in the game's progression:

 

Complete Act 3: You need to have finished all of Act 3, including defeating the final boss, Dominus, before you can enter Act 4 and begin the "Ruler of Highgate" quest.

 

Access the Highgate Area: Once you've completed Act 3, you'll be transported to Highgate, which serves as the starting point for Act 4. The city is in disarray, with Kitava's minions wreaking havoc everywhere.

 

Speak with the NPCs: Upon entering Highgate, you will be introduced to various important NPCs who will provide you with key information, as well as items that will help in your quest.

 

Prepare Your Gear and Skills: The "Ruler of Highgate" quest involves battling through multiple stages and enemies, including the powerful Kitava. Make sure your character is equipped with appropriate gear, such as high resistances, life leech, and damage mitigation skills. It's also important to level up your skills and check your passive skill tree to ensure you are prepared for the fight ahead.

 

Key Steps to Completing the Ruler of Highgate

 

1. Travel to the Highgate and Speak to Bestel

Upon arriving in Highgate, your first task is to speak with Bestel, the quest-giving NPC. Bestel will inform you that the only way to stop Kitava's reign over the city is to venture into his lair, located within the depths of the corrupted Highgate. Bestel will provide you with the necessary directions and guidance to progress through the quest.

 

2. Defeat the Harbinger of Corruption

The next phase involves fighting the Harbinger of Corruption, a powerful enemy found in the The Highgate area. The Harbinger is one of Kitava's lieutenants and acts as a mini-boss before the final battle with Kitava. This fight can be tough, as the Harbinger has strong elemental attacks and can summon minions to overwhelm you.

 

Tips for defeating the Harbinger:

Focus on dodging the Harbinger's projectiles and avoid standing in the areas affected by his poison or fire attacks.

 

Clear out any minions quickly, as they can distract you from the main fight.

 

Keep an eye on the Harbinger's debuff mechanics, as they will lower your damage resistance if left unchecked.

 

After defeating the Harbinger, you will be one step closer to facing Kitava himself.

 

3. Prepare for the Kitava Fight

The most challenging aspect of this quest is, without a doubt, the final confrontation with Kitava. Kitava is a massive and dangerous deity, with multiple phases in the fight that test every aspect of your character's skill set. He will attack you with a variety of powerful elemental and chaos-based attacks, so it is essential that you take the time to properly prepare.

 

Recommended Preparations for the Kitava Fight:

Gear: Make sure your resistances are as high as possible, particularly against chaos damage and elemental damage (fire, cold, and lightning). Consider using Chaos Resistance flasks and gear with high Life.

 

Skill Selection: High mobility skills are key for avoiding Kitava's powerful attacks. If you have access to Movement Speed buffs or skills like Leap Slam or Whirling Blades, these can help you avoid Kitava's devastating attacks.

 

Flasks: Bring along Instant Recovery flasks and Chaos Resistance flasks, as Kitava's attacks can deplete your life quickly and you'll need to stay topped up throughout the fight. You can also buy POE currency to craft it.

 

4. Entering the Kitava Arena

To enter Kitava's lair, you'll need to make your way through the corrupted Highgate area. This zone is filled with enemies who serve as the minions of Kitava. These enemies vary in type, but most will have elemental or chaos-based attacks, so ensure that your resistances are in top form.

 

Once you've cleared through the enemies and reached the end of the area, you will encounter Kitava in the final arena. Kitava is a multi-phase fight, and it's important to be mindful of the changes in his attack patterns as the fight progresses.

 

5. The Kitava Fight - Phase 1

Kitava begins the fight by summoning smaller minions, which will focus on attacking you directly. These minions can be dangerous in numbers, so it's crucial to use area-of-effect (AoE) abilities to quickly clear them out. Kitava himself will cast large, slow-moving elemental projectiles that you need to dodge. During this phase, focus on staying mobile and eliminating the minions while keeping your distance from Kitava.

 

Key Mechanics:

Kitava's attacks are powerful but relatively slow. You can avoid most of his projectiles if you stay mobile.

 

The minions that Kitava summons can overwhelm you quickly, so clear them as soon as possible.

 

Use Flasks of Staunching if Kitava's attacks cause you to become cursed or debuffed.

 

6. The Kitava Fight - Phase 2

Once Kitava reaches a certain health threshold, he will enter a new phase of the fight. He will start summoning even larger waves of minions and intensify his own attacks. This is the most dangerous phase, as Kitava will use massive AoE chaos-based attacks that deal devastating damage.

 

Tips for Phase 2:

Keep moving at all times to avoid Kitava's powerful AoE attacks.

 

Watch out for the chaos-based ground effects that will periodically appear on the arena floor.

 

Focus on dodging the fire and poison attacks while managing your positioning carefully.

 

7. Final Phase and Victory

Kitava's final phase is a desperate attempt to take you down with his most powerful abilities. He will begin using a variety of chaos attacks in rapid succession, and the arena will become increasingly dangerous. You'll need to rely on your speed, positioning, and flask usage to survive this phase.

 

Keep whittling down Kitava's health, and be patient, as this phase can take some time. Once you finally defeat Kitava, you will complete the quest and be rewarded with valuable items and access to the next part of the game.

 

Conclusion

The "Ruler of Highgate" quest is one of the most important and challenging quests in Path of Exile. It not only tests your combat skills but also requires strategic planning and preparation to defeat one of the most powerful bosses in the game, Kitava. By following the steps outlined in this guide and ensuring that your gear, skills, and flask usage are optimized for the fight, you'll be well on your way to successfully completing this quest and progressing through Act 4.