Path of Exile 2 Guide: The Simulacrum
This guide provides a complete overview of the Simulacrum in Path of Exile 2, including what it is, how to access it, how its mechanics work, how to prepare your build, and how to approach it strategically for consistent success.
What Is the Simulacrum?
The Simulacrum is an instanced endgame encounter composed of multiple consecutive waves of enemies. Each wave increases in difficulty, monster density, and mechanical complexity. Enemies spawn in large numbers, often empowered by Delirium-style effects that boost their speed, damage, and durability. As the waves progress, elite monsters and bosses begin to appear, culminating in some of the most dangerous encounters available outside of pinnacle boss fights.
Unlike standard maps, the Simulacrum does not allow for pacing yourself across multiple zones. Once inside, you are committed to the run until you fail, complete all waves, or choose to exit early. This structure makes the Simulacrum a true stress test for your character, highlighting weaknesses that might never appear during normal mapping or boss farming.
How to Access the Simulacrum
Access to the Simulacrum is tied to Delirium-themed content. Players collect Simulacrum Splinters by engaging with Delirium encounters throughout the game. These splinters drop from Delirium monsters, encounters affected by Delirium fog, and other related endgame systems. Once enough splinters are gathered, they combine into a full Simulacrum item, which can then be used to open the encounter.
Because splinters are earned gradually, running the Simulacrum is usually the result of sustained Delirium farming rather than something players do repeatedly in quick succession early on. This gating reinforces the Simulacrum's role as a high-end challenge rather than routine content.
Structure and Flow of the Encounter
The Simulacrum consists of a fixed number of waves, each activated manually after the previous one ends. When a wave begins, monsters spawn rapidly from multiple directions, forcing players to respond immediately. The arena itself may change slightly between sections, but it is always compact enough to prevent excessive kiting or disengagement.
One of the defining characteristics of the Simulacrum is that rewards accumulate per wave. As enemies are defeated, loot is added to a reward pool associated with the current wave. Once the wave ends, these rewards drop onto the ground. However, starting the next wave removes any items left uncollected, meaning players must actively manage loot between waves. This mechanic forces fast decision-making and discourages excessive item filtering or hesitation.
As waves progress, additional modifiers are introduced. These can affect enemy behavior, player defenses, or the environment itself. Some modifiers are mild, while others can fundamentally disrupt certain build mechanics.
Why the Simulacrum Is So Difficult
The difficulty of the Simulacrum comes from several factors working together. First is sheer monster density. Enemies spawn in large numbers, often surrounding the player if positioning is poor. Second is scaling. Enemy health, damage, and speed increase sharply with each wave, making later waves exponentially more dangerous than early ones.
Third is mechanical pressure. Many builds in Path of Exile 2 rely on specific interactions such as corpse generation, ailment uptime, or conditional buffs. The Simulacrum frequently introduces modifiers that interfere with these systems, forcing players to adapt or fail. Finally, fatigue plays a role. A full Simulacrum run requires sustained focus, and mistakes become more costly the deeper you go.
Build Requirements for the Simulacrum
Not every build that clears maps efficiently can handle the Simulacrum. This content demands a specific set of characteristics.
Area-of-effect coverage is critical. Monsters approach from multiple directions, and single-target or narrow-cone skills struggle to keep pace. Builds that can damage large areas simultaneously, apply persistent effects, or chain between enemies perform far more reliably.
Sustained damage is more important than burst damage. While burst can delete early-wave enemies quickly, later waves demand consistent output over extended periods. Builds that rely on long cooldowns or temporary buffs may find themselves overwhelmed once those tools are unavailable.
Defensive layering is non-negotiable. Relying on a single defensive mechanic is rarely enough. Successful Simulacrum builds typically combine several layers such as a large life or energy shield pool, avoidance mechanics like evasion or block, damage mitigation, and recovery through leech or regeneration. Movement skills are also essential, allowing repositioning when surrounded or targeted by dangerous enemies.
Finally, builds must be resilient to disruption. If your damage completely collapses when corpses are unavailable, when enemies cannot be stunned, or when certain debuffs lose effectiveness, the Simulacrum will expose that weakness. Redundancy and flexibility are key.
Preparing Before Entering
Preparation begins long before activating the Simulacrum. Gear should be optimized not just for damage, but for survivability under sustained pressure. Flask setups deserve special attention, as flasks often provide crucial mitigation, recovery, or mobility during intense moments. Ensuring high uptime on defensive flasks can be the difference between surviving a wave and being instantly overwhelmed. You can buy Path of Exile 2 Currency to get them.
Inventory management is also important. Because loot must be collected between waves, having adequate space and a strict item filter saves valuable seconds. Knowing in advance which items you will always pick up helps prevent hesitation.
Mentally, players should approach the Simulacrum with realistic expectations. Failing a run is normal, especially while learning its pacing and modifier interactions. Each attempt provides information that can be used to refine gear, passives, or skill setups.
Strategies for Clearing Waves
During the early waves, the focus should be on establishing rhythm. These waves are comparatively forgiving and allow you to settle into your movement patterns and damage rotations. Avoid unnecessary risks early on, as losing resources too soon can compromise later waves.
As difficulty increases, positioning becomes critical. Staying mobile prevents being surrounded and reduces the likelihood of taking multiple hits simultaneously. Pulling enemies into controlled zones, rather than charging into the center of spawns, gives you more control over engagements.
Between waves, prioritize looting quickly and decisively. Do not overthink item evaluation during the run. Currency, high-value items, and upgrades should be picked up immediately. Everything else can be ignored.
When dangerous modifiers appear, adjust your playstyle accordingly. If enemies are faster or hit harder, slow down and play more defensively. If damage output is reduced, focus on survival rather than rushing clears. Knowing when to push and when to play cautiously is one of the most important skills in the Simulacrum.
Rewards and Long-Term Value
The Simulacrum is designed to be rewarding precisely because of its difficulty. Successful runs can yield valuable POE 2 Currency, powerful items, and Delirium-related rewards that are difficult to obtain elsewhere. However, the time investment required to farm splinters and complete runs means it is not always the most efficient currency strategy for every player.
For many, the Simulacrum's appeal lies in progression and mastery rather than raw profit. Completing deeper waves consistently is a mark of a well-constructed character and a skilled player. It serves as a benchmark for build quality in Path of Exile 2's endgame.
Final Thoughts
The Simulacrum represents the pinnacle of sustained combat challenges in Path of Exile 2. It is unforgiving, chaotic, and often overwhelming, but it is also one of the most satisfying pieces of content to master. Success requires thoughtful build design, careful preparation, and adaptability under pressure.
For players seeking to push their characters beyond standard mapping and boss encounters, the Simulacrum offers a clear answer to the question of readiness. If your build can survive its escalating waves, handle its modifiers, and emerge with rewards in hand, you can be confident that it is truly endgame-capable.