PoE 2 The Third Edict: The Captain Hartlin

Path of Exile 2 continues the franchise's tradition of complex boss encounters that challenge players' strategy, timing, and understanding of mechanics. Among the memorable bosses in Act 4 is Captain Hartlin, a formidable opponent encountered during the Third Edict storyline. His combination of melee, ranged, and summon-based attacks makes him one of the more intricate boss fights in the game. This guide will provide a comprehensive look at Captain Hartlin, including his location, abilities, strategies for defeating him, and tips for maximizing rewards while minimizing risk, get more POE2 Currency and Items.

Location and Encounter Context

Captain Hartlin can be found in the Journey's End area on the Isle of Kedge Bay. This optional boss fight occurs on a ship-themed arena, which presents both a thematic and strategic challenge. To reach Hartlin, players must progress through Kedge Bay, navigating a variety of enemies and environmental hazards. The arena itself is moderately large, providing some room to maneuver but not so expansive that players can ignore positioning. Explosive barrels and hidden traps throughout the arena add to the danger, requiring constant awareness during the fight.

While optional, the encounter is designed to challenge mid-to-late Act 4 characters. Players are rewarded not just with loot but also with quest-related items that are crucial for progressing through the Third Edict storyline. The combination of Hartlin's mechanics, the arena hazards, and the optional minions he summons makes this fight an engaging test of skill.

Abilities and Attack Patterns

Understanding Captain Hartlin's abilities is essential for surviving the encounter. His attacks are a blend of melee strikes, ranged projectiles, and summoning mechanics, all of which require players to remain vigilant.

Melee Abilities

Anchor Slam: Hartlin raises his massive anchor and brings it down with devastating force. This attack creates a large area-of-effect impact, dealing significant physical damage and potentially knocking players back. Timing a dodge or sidestep is crucial to avoid getting hit.

Anchor Swipe: Hartlin swings his anchor horizontally in a wide arc. This attack is highly telegraphed, giving players the opportunity to position themselves safely behind or to the side of the boss. Failure to react can result in heavy damage and crowd control effects.

Anchor Sunder: This attack involves Hartlin slamming his anchor in a straight line, sending a shockwave forward. The linear nature of the attack makes it predictable, but players must maintain awareness of their positioning to avoid being hit.

Ranged and Area-of-Effect Abilities

Cannon Shot: Hartlin spins the ship's wheel and fires a single cannonball aimed at the player's location. The projectile has moderate tracking, so mobility skills or careful sidestepping can negate damage.

Cannon Barrage: This more dangerous ability spawns a circle of spectral cannons around the arena. The cannons fire rapidly, creating zones of high damage that players must avoid. Awareness of the cannon locations and movement patterns is key to survival.

Spirit Barrage: Triggered at certain health thresholds, Hartlin releases green energy mortars targeting the player's position. These projectiles leave lingering patches of damage, forcing players to continuously move and plan safe paths.

Spectral Anchor: Hartlin raises his anchor and summons a spectral version at the player's location, dealing heavy damage on impact. Timing and anticipation are essential to avoid being struck, as the attack can occur anywhere in the arena.

Summoning and Environmental Mechanics

Skeleton Summons: Hartlin occasionally summons skeletons to swarm the arena. These minions can disrupt movement and distract players from dodging main attacks, so they must be eliminated quickly.

Environmental Hazards: The ship-themed arena contains explosive barrels and traps. These hazards are independent of Hartlin's attacks but must be considered in strategy. Careful use of the environment can also turn these hazards to the player's advantage, damaging minions or Hartlin himself if timed properly.

Health Threshold Mechanics

Hartlin changes behavior at certain health thresholds. Around 80% health, he begins to use Spirit Barrage and summon skeletons more frequently, increasing the fight's difficulty. Recognizing these phases and adjusting strategy-balancing offense with defense-is vital for a successful encounter.

Strategy Guide

Positioning and Movement

Maintaining optimal positioning is critical. Many of Hartlin's attacks are directional or targeted, meaning careless placement can lead to multiple overlapping sources of damage. Players should:

Stay near the edges of the arena to reduce exposure to overlapping AoE attacks.

Keep moving in controlled patterns to avoid Spirit Barrage and Spectral Anchor attacks.

Monitor explosive barrels and other hazards, avoiding unnecessary damage while potentially leveraging these hazards against minions or Hartlin.

Managing Adds

Skeletons summoned by Hartlin can quickly become overwhelming. To manage them effectively:

Use area-of-effect abilities and crowd control to thin their numbers rapidly.

Avoid being cornered or trapped while engaging minions, as this reduces mobility and increases the risk of being hit by Hartlin's attacks.

Prioritize adds during phases where Hartlin is preparing high-damage abilities to prevent multi-directional threats.

Handling Hartlin's Core Abilities

Each of Hartlin's attacks requires a tailored approach:

Anchor Slam and Swipe: Step back or move laterally. Both are predictable with clear telegraphs.

Cannon Shot and Cannon Barrage: Keep moving and watch the cannon wheel. Prioritize dodging over dealing damage temporarily.

Spirit Barrage and Spectral Anchor: Use instant-movement or repositioning skills to navigate damage zones.

Health Threshold Changes: When Hartlin's health falls below certain points, anticipate increased minion summons and barrage attacks. Adapt your positioning and focus on survival before maximizing DPS.

Recommended Build Considerations

Characters facing Captain Hartlin benefit from mobility, AoE damage, and defensive layers. Builds emphasizing speed, instant dodge skills, and high area-of-effect damage excel in controlling skeleton summons and avoiding projectile attacks. Defensive skills, life regeneration, and shields also help mitigate unexpected damage from traps or mistimed dodges.

Rewards and Progression

Defeating Captain Hartlin provides multiple benefits:

Quest Items: Specific drops are essential for completing the Third Edict storyline and unlocking subsequent quests.

Loot: Players can receive rare weapons, armor, and unique items suitable for mid-to-late Act 4 play.

Experience and Currency: This fight is an efficient source of experience and in-game currency, rewarding strategic play and careful execution.

Completing the encounter also unlocks further challenges and lore elements tied to the Third Edict storyline, enriching the overall narrative experience.

Captain Hartlin represents one of the more intricate and rewarding boss encounters in Path of Exile 2. With a combination of melee, ranged, and summon-based attacks, players must stay mobile, maintain awareness of their surroundings, and manage minions effectively. Understanding Hartlin's attack patterns and health threshold mechanics is critical to success. While challenging, the fight is highly rewarding, offering loot, quest items, and a satisfying test of skill.

For both veteran players and newcomers to Act 4, the Captain Hartlin encounter emphasizes strategic positioning, timing, and adaptability. By mastering his mechanics, players can complete the Third Edict storyline efficiently and reap the rewards of one of Path of Exile 2's most engaging boss fights.