PoE 2 Boss Guide: The Prisoner Strategy & Drops

The Prisoner is one of the bosses to defeat in the main quest of Act IV. He is a powerful undead who uses physical and frost attacks. The Prisoner will attack you with powerful punches at close range. When you create distance from him, he will charge at you or slam the ground, creating a row of mid-range ice spears to close the gap. He also uses ground slams that deal area damage, harming all enemies within the damage range.

Lore & Background

In the age of the Eternal Empire, dissenters were not just executed; they were broken in the Control Blocks beneath Highgate. The Prisoner was one such political dissident, subjected to thaumaturgical torture and endless isolation.

The corruption that revived the empire did not grant him freedom, but amplified his madness. It fused the iron shackles to his flesh, turning his instruments of imprisonment into weapons of slaughter. He is a forgotten ghost of the empire's tyranny, attacking anyone who enters his cell with mindless fury.

Core Mechanics

This prisoner will constantly try to get close to you because he primarily uses melee attacks. His attack speed is slow, with a brief recovery time after each swing, so paying attention to his attack path allows you to easily dodge, and there is an opportunity to counterattack after each swing. Be prepared to dodge, as even if his melee attacks miss you, he can still use a ground slam to deal area damage.

A new attack is triggered when the prisoner's health drops to 85%. This results in a longer wind-up time, making it easier to dodge.

Phase 1: （100%）

• 1. Chain Sweep (Spinning Attack)
  Description: The Prisoner roars and begins sweep you with weapons.
  Strategy: Roll backward to dodge an attack, then counterattack during the gaps between each horizontal sweep.
• 2. Ground Strike
  Description: Prisoners will punch the ground with both hands. However, if they get a spear, they will strike the ground with the spear. Punching the ground creates an area where players within it take damage.
  Strategy: Since the boss's startup animation is a bit long, please stay outside the melee range.

Phase 2: (85% HP)

• 1. Ice Fissure
  Description: Prisoners will gather ice energy from their chests and then slam the ground hard, creating an ice crack that deals damage to players.
  Strategy: Dodge or roll sideways to avoid this attack.
• 2. Frost Attack
  Description: Prisoner would wrap their hands with ice energy from their chests, then strike the ground three times fiercely, causing ice spikes to cover the ground.
  Strategy: Standing in areas not covered by ice spikes can avoid injury.

Recommended Builds

The fight is a pure melee duel. Builds that can dodge frequently or withstand heavy physical hits have an advantage.

• Monk - Celerity: As seen in official gameplay, high mobility and frequent dashes allow you to easily weave through his chain attacks and punish his recovery frames.
• Warrior - Sunder / Heavy Strike: The Warrior's high armor and stun resistance allow you to potentially tank some of the lighter chain hits while delivering massive blows.
• Key Stats: High Armour and Physical Damage Reduction are crucial. Movement Speed helps to reposition after dodging.

Loot Table

The Prisoner drops a key quest item needed to progress through the Control Blocks.