Reward Potential vs Risk: Is Test of Cunning Barya Worth It?

Howard Law

Eric554

Hunter
Jun 11, 2025
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The Test of Cunning Barya is a Sekhemas Coin used at the Relic Altar in Path of Exile 2’s Trial of the Sekhemas, specifically adding increased trap hazards and environmental challenges like pressure plates and quicksand pools. This significantly boosts the difficulty, requiring high mobility, precise timing, and survival skills from players.
The rewards for completing Trial runs with the Test of Cunning Barya active are notably higher than basic runs. Players earn greater quantities of valuable currency, unique item drops, and progression towards Ascendancy points. The coin enhances trial challenge floors, increasing loot quality and quantity in exchange for the elevated risk.
However, the trial’s trap-heavy nature under this coin increases likelihood of Honour loss (the trial’s health resource) due to environmental damage, making it easy to fail runs if unprepared. Fighting enemies while dodging traps and navigating hazardous terrain adds pressure and extends fight times, especially against bosses, increasing risk.
For players with strong builds emphasizing mobility, survivability, and crowd control, the added challenge is manageable, making the tradeoff favorable. The increased rewards can enable faster gear upgrades, currency acquisition, and Ascendancy progression, accelerating overall game advancement.
For players less optimized or unfamiliar with the trial, the coin’s traps pose significant challenge and frustration, potentially leading to wasted runs. Precision, build tuning, and trial knowledge become critical to converting risk into tangible reward.
The Test of Cunning Barya is worth using for experienced and well-prepared players who can handle its trap-heavy difficulty and seek enhanced rewards and progression. For others, caution and practice first are advised before attempting runs with this coin to minimize wasted resources and maximize benefits. This coin exemplifies the classic game design tradeoff of risk versus reward in Path of Exile 2’s endgame content.