Path Of Exile 2: Ekbab and Iktab boss guide

Path of Exile 2 ^[1] has a wide variety of bosses players can test their skills against. While the game is currently in early access, that doesn’t mean players can’t find themselves some challenges. For example, Ekbab and Iktab are two bosses who come against you at the same time, ensuring you have to be decisive and smart with your plays.

Here, we’re about to go through everything players need to know about Ekbab and Iktab in Path of Exile 2. This includes where players can find these bosses in The Bone Pits in Act 2 and some good strategies that will help defeat them. We’ll also go through both bosses’ attack patterns to ensure you know what to expect.

Without any more delays, here’s the definitive Ekbab and Iktab boss guide in Path of Exile 2. While these bosses aren’t too hard, having the right builds and weapons can make all the difference. If you find yourself short of any orb or other currency, we highly recommend you check out Eloking’s Path of Exile 2 marketplace.

Where to find Ekbab and Iktab in PoE 2?

Ekbab and Iktab are located in The Bone Pits in Act 2 during the A Theft of Ivory quest. The quest starts in the Mastodon Badlands and leads players to The Bone Pits, which they must traverse until they reach the Blackrib pit, where the bosses are. 

The Bone Pits have numerous undead mobs and hazards, so players must prepare beforehand with potions and defensive items.

How to defeat Ekbab and Iktab in PoE 2

Both bosses fight together, so players must be careful. Defeating one of them strengthens the other by buffing the effectiveness of their attacks. Players must damage both bosses equally and defeat them close in time to minimize risks. If the player needs to prioritize an enemy, they should go for Iktab because of its more dangerous attacks.

Having mobility-focused skills and equipment helps in this fight. Players should ensure they have elemental resistance, especially for lightning, because it can mitigate Iktab’s abilities. Crowd-control abilities like Chill and Freeze can slow the bosses’ attacks to make fights manageable. Having defensive flasks and life leech helps players stay alive against their attacks.

Ekbab's attacks and mechanics

• Ground Slam - Ekbab slams the ground in front to create a wave of damage. Players must move away when it raises its front hooves.
• Tusk Swipe - It swipes to the left to deal damage. Gamers must stay near its right side to minimize damage.
• Charge - A rushing attack that deals damage in a straight line. Staying at range helps avoid it.

Players can avoid most of Ekbab’s attacks by sidestepping. The boss's challenge lies in dodging its attacks while also avoiding Iktab’s projectiles. Ekbab gains a smaller version of Iktab’s Ghost Nova when Ekbab is empowered by Iktab’s death, allowing it to fire projectiles and spawn ghost orbs that explode on contact. Users can bait these orbs by staying close before dodging or running until they expire.

Kebab’s size and mobility can make tracking Iktab’s attacks hard, so players must always be aware of both bosses. The key is to position in a way that keeps players safe from Ekbab’s charge path while being careful of ranged attacks.

Iktab’s attacks and mechanics

• Lightning Wand - Shoots small lightning projectiles that explode on impact. Players must create distance or time their dodges.
• Sigil Meteor - Summons orange sigils followed by a meteor drop. Avoid standing in these sigils.
• Lightning Strikes - Randomly hits small areas with lightning. These areas are marked with light blue indicators.
• Ghost Nova - Creates a rotating nova in the arena that shoots projectiles. The best strategy to avoid this is by moving to the edge and following the nova’s movement.
• Bone Tendrils - Summons five AoE circles that explode after a short delay. Iktab only uses it when Ekbab dies, and players can avoid it by constantly moving.

Iktab’s empowered state makes the fight a lot harder. Sigit Meteor spawns waves of sigils, Ghost Nova rotates faster and shoots more projectiles, and Lightning Strike becomes denser. The Bone Tendrils attack is another move players must learn, so they should try to get Iktab first to avoid dealing with its empowered state.

A good strategy to deal with Iktab is to keep moving while tracking sigil placements. Meteors can catch players off-guard, so they must be aware. Bringing potions that remove shock and having stun recovery mods on equipment can mitigate Iktab’s burst potential. Players should invest in movement skills like Dash or Flame Dash to quickly reposition.

Recommended strategy for Ekbab and Iktab

Players should try to take down Iktab first because it's a bigger problem and ensure that Ekbab has manageable health. Equipping lightning resistance items reduces the impact of Iktab’s attacks, while managing movement, staying aware of both bosses’ patterns, and avoiding AoEs help players defeat them.

Those with ranged characters can kite the boss while focusing on Iktab and ensure Ekbab doesn’t get close. If the player can summon minions, they should spread them out to mitigate AoE damage from Ghost Nova and Sigil Meteor.

FAQs

What are the rewards for defeating Ekbab and Iktab in PoE 2?

Players can claim the Mastodon Tusk and continue gathering the remaining pieces of the Horn of Vastiri after defeating both bosses. It’s a major milestone in Act 2 and gives players access to more rewards and quest progression. 

References

1. [1] "Official PoE 2 website". pathofexile2.com. Retrieved February 17, 2025