The Path of Exile 2 Rust Runes of Power are special items you'll need to find to progress through the Red Vale, finding three Obelisks of Rust and defeating the enemies that guard them until you get to the Rust King that serves as the final boss.
It's not easy though, especially for characters who are so junior that they haven't even begun to unlock the various Path of Exile 2 Ascendencies yet. So with that in mind, we'll show you exactly where to go to find all the Obelisks and Rust Runes of Power in Path of Exile 2, and what you need to do accordingly.
All Rust Runes of Power Locations in the Path of Exile 2 Secrets in the Dark quest
The Rust Runes of Power in Path of Exile 2 and the locations of the Obelisks are marked on the map above, though keep in mind that POE2 has a habit of reversing the maps and shaking up layouts, so you might have to mirror what's above. Still, we've played it through a couple of times and it was a consistent layout on both occasions, so the locations of the Obelisks should be constant.
When you find a Rust Obelisk, interact with it to trigger a wave of enemies. Once you've beaten them all, you'll be able to claim the Rust Rune. The last Obelisk you interact with will summon a boss called the Rust King, who you'll need to beat as the grand finale to this quest.
How to beat the Rust King
The Rust King is a comparatively easy boss for the level of challenge you've experienced so far, at least compared to the challenge of the Path of Exile 2 Devourer boss before this. I'd say that the hordes of minions around you are more testing, though that might depend on which of the classes in Path of Exile 2 you're playing as (some are better for crowd control over targeted single foes).
Still, the Rust King is an enemy who'll struggle against fast players who focus on evasion. His melee attacks are highly telegraphed, and his ranged electrical attacks tend to sweep across the battlefield, giving you ample chance to dodge them. You should also focus on AOE attacks - the incoming undead minions are arguably more of a threat than the King himself, so burn the battlefield wherever possible to thin out the growing horde. The arena can be a little claustrophobic and restrictive, and this can work both for and against you - there's less space for you to dodge, but it's easier to bottleneck and control enemies accordingly.
Want some more help with POE2? If you want to start a new game, find out how to beat the first boss - the Path of Exile 2 Bloated Miller - here, or find out how to respec in Path of Exile 2 and gain full control over that giant skill tree once and for all!
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