You might feel pretty confident after the first few bosses in Path of Exile 2, but the moment you step into the Hunting Grounds, that comfort fades fast. The Crowbell is the first fight that really snaps you awake, and it happens sooner than most players expect. He’s aggressive in a way the earlier bosses just aren’t, and you don’t get much time to stabilise once he spots you. You’ll usually see him perched on a busted stone pillar in the west‑southwest part of the map, and before you even think about walking toward him, make sure your flasks are full and your gear’s sorted with the help of PoE 2 Currency to keep things smooth.

Early Movement Pressure

The first thing that throws people off is how quickly he closes gaps. There’s no slow wind-up. He jumps at you, pounds the ground, and swipes the moment you’re in range. If your build’s slow or you’ve been neglecting a dash skill, you’ll feel that mistake instantly. The opening area gives you decent room to breathe, which helps you settle into his rhythm, but you can’t relax just because he whiffs a couple of slams. His leap works almost like he’s reading your inputs, so you end up reacting earlier than you want, and that can snowball into mistakes.

The Hallway Problem

Once he smashes the gate and pushes you into the second arena, the tone shifts. The corridor is tight, and you don’t get the usual space to run circles around him. Players often panic here because backing up in a straight line gets you hit every time. The trick is to move diagonally and keep mid-range. Not too close, not too far. The moment you create a straight line between you and him, he covers it instantly. It feels rough at first, but once you stop fighting the layout and start working with the small angles the space gives you, the fight becomes more manageable.

The Bell Phase

At around half health, he tears the bell off the structure and starts swinging it like it weighs nothing. This part looks wild, especially with the thorn vines popping up to block your path, but the upside is that his attacks slow down. The swings are huge but readable. You just need patience. Let him commit to a wide sweep, step out of range, and then slip in a couple of hits while he’s recovering. Players often get greedy because they finally feel like they have breathing room again, but that bell hurts more than anything he uses earlier.

Rewards Worth the Trouble

Beating him feels great, and he drops solid rewards, but the big one is the Book of Specialization that grants +2 Weapon Set Passive Skill Points. It’s a huge bonus if you’re running weapon swap setups, and the extra gold and armour pieces don’t hurt either. If you stay mobile, keep calm in the hallway, and avoid overcommitting during the bell phase, the fight becomes much more manageable, especially once you’ve upgraded your setup using places where you can buy PoE 2 Items to round out your build.

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