Bosses

The Executioner Boss Guide: Slam Tells, Adds and Ogham Village Route

An Act 1 main boss in Ogham Village whose slow physical slams, straight-line red attack and summoned mercenaries punish standing in front of him.

Path of Exile 2 Early Access 0.5.4Updated 2026-08-11
The Executioner raising his weapon during the Act 1 boss fight
On this page
  1. Three rules that win the fight
  2. Location, access and objective
  3. Pre-fight checklist
  4. Fight flow
  5. Attack reference
  6. Damage Profile
  7. Positioning and damage windows
  8. Build-specific adjustments
  9. Troubleshooting
  10. Quest reward and next step
  11. What Players Commonly Struggle With
  12. Related preparation
  13. Frequently asked questions
  14. Video Guide with Timestamps
  15. Sources and verification
  16. Media Gallery
  17. Revision history

Quick Preparation

Location
Executioner's Block, Ogham Village
Campaign / Endgame
Act 1
Recommended Level
13+
Primary Damage Types
Physical · Fire
Editorial Difficulty
Medium
1

QUICK ANSWER

Three rules that win the fight

Leave the frontal line first; attack during the long axe recovery.

Circle at medium range, clear ranged mercenaries before the arena becomes crowded, and do not retreat along the red execution line.

Prepare

Bring physical mitigation, life, movement speed and enough fire resistance for the arena pressure.

React

Move sideways on a committed overhead or red-line tell, then use one complete damage rotation.

Recover

If adds and ground effects overlap, reset to clean ground instead of forcing damage.

2

ACCESS & CONTEXT

Location, access and objective

Campaign stageAct 1 — Ogham Village

Reached during The Trail of Corruption.

Fight profilePhysical melee with adds and fire pressure

Frontal weapon attacks are the main immediate threat.

Failure costCampaign checkpoint retry

Re-enter after adjusting gear or skill links; no endgame invitation is consumed.

Quest objectiveDefeat The Executioner and free Leitis

Complete the post-fight interaction rather than leaving after loot.

  1. Reach Ogham Village

    Travel through Ogham Village during The Trail of Corruption.

  2. Enter the arena

    Keep the centre available for lateral movement rather than starting against the wall.

  3. Finish the objective

    After victory, free Leitis and confirm the quest update.

3

BEFORE THE FIGHT

Pre-fight checklist

0 / 5 checked
DoneCheckWhy it mattersQuick fix
Physical mitigation and life

Most direct weapon hits are physical and can remove a large portion of a campaign health pool.

Most direct weapon hits are physical and can remove a large portion of a campaign health pool.Upgrade body armour, add life on flexible rares, and do not trade survival for a small damage roll.
Fire resistance

Burning ground and fire pressure can overlap with the boss and his mercenaries.

Burning ground and fire pressure can overlap with the boss and his mercenaries.Use a temporary fire-resistance ring or charm if the arena effects are the repeated cause of death.
Movement speed

Sideways movement is the clean answer to the long frontal line and overhead attacks.

Sideways movement is the clean answer to the long frontal line and overhead attacks.Use movement-speed boots and leave space between the character and the arena edge.
Add control

Ranged mercenaries can make a safe boss opening dangerous.

Ranged mercenaries can make a safe boss opening dangerous.Keep an area skill or fast clear link ready; kill ranged adds before resuming the boss rotation.
Sustainable single target

The fight punishes long stationary casts and attacks.

The fight punishes long stationary casts and attacks.Use a shorter repeatable rotation and remove supports whose cost cannot be sustained.
4

PHASE BREAKDOWN

Fight flow

Phase 1 · Opening exchange

Trigger: The Executioner enters with the arena clear.

Objectives
  • Learn the overhead and sweeping axe timings.
  • Fight at medium range with a free lateral path.
  • Use the recovery after a committed slam.

Do not back straight away from long frontal attacks; move to the side or cross behind after the target locks.

opening
The Executioner raising his weapon during the Act 1 boss fight
Atmospheric identification art; does not convey mechanics.
5

ATTACK REFERENCE

Attack reference

AttackTelegraphResponseCommon mistakesDanger
Overhead axe slamOpening exchange · Mercenary pressure · Low-health finishRaises the axe with a visible pause before bringing it down in front.Move to the side or pass behind after the aim commits, then use the recovery window.Rolling early and allowing the boss to re-aim.High
Straight-line execution strikeOpening exchange · Low-health finishThe boss and attack line show a strong red commitment directly ahead.Leave the frontal lane laterally; do not retreat along the line.Continuing a long cast because the line appears narrow.High
Wide axe sweepOpening exchange · Mercenary pressure · Low-health finishThe weapon pulls to one side before a broad horizontal swing.Create distance or roll through to the rear after the swing direction is clear.Standing at the boss's hip without enough movement space.High
Summoned mercenariesMercenary pressure · Low-health finishAdditional attackers enter and ranged projectiles begin crossing the arena.Kill ranged adds first while circling so the boss remains in view.Chasing a distant add and losing sight of the boss wind-up.Med
Fire and burning ground pressureMercenary pressure · Low-health finishFire effects remain on or cross part of the arena floor.Relocate before beginning the next damage rotation; use clean ground as the priority.Rolling out of the axe into persistent fire and staying there.High
6

DAMAGE PROFILE

Damage Profile

Physical

Mitigation
  • High life, armour or evasion and side-rear positioning.
  • Do not stand inside the frontal weapon line.

The overhead slam, red-line strike and wide sweep are all physical.

Fire

Mitigation
  • Fire resistance helps when ground effects and mercenaries overlap.
  • Step off burning ground before committing to a cast.

Burning ground and mercenary fire are the secondary pressure.

7

ARENA READING

Positioning and damage windows

Medium range makes the overhead and red-line tells easier to read without forcing the boss to spend the fight walking. Keep circling around open floor rather than backing into the arena wall.

Melee characters should cross to the rear after the attack locks, use one short combo, and leave before the next sweep. Ranged characters still need to move; distance alone does not solve the straight-line strike or add projectiles.

  • Clean ground is more valuable than maximum uptime.
  • Keep the boss on-screen while clearing mercenaries.
  • One safe rotation after a slam is the repeatable damage window.
8

BUILD-SPECIFIC STRATEGY

Build-specific adjustments

Slow attacks and long casts should begin only after the axe lands. Minion or companion builds must keep the player moving while the summon attacks; do not stand behind the companion in the frontal lane.

If the fight lasts too long, first check weapon damage, main-skill level, compatible supports and resource sustain. More buttons are not automatically more single-target damage.

  • Melee: cross behind after lock-in.
  • Ranged: strafe instead of backpedalling.
  • Minions: preserve player visibility and recovery.
  • Grenades or delayed skills: place them where the boss will finish the animation.
9

PROBLEMS & DIRECT ANSWERS

Troubleshooting

The red attack keeps killing me

Direct answer: The reliable answer is sideways movement after target lock.

  1. Stop retreating along the attack line.
  2. Wait for the aim commitment, then move laterally.
  3. Keep the arena edge behind the boss rather than behind the character.
Adds overwhelm the arena

Direct answer: Remove ranged pressure first, then resume boss damage.

  1. Use a compact area skill on ranged mercenaries.
  2. Keep circling so the boss remains visible.
  3. Do not chase harmless melee adds across the arena.
I run out of flask or mana

Direct answer: Sustainable damage wins this fight more reliably than one expensive burst.

  1. Shorten the damage rotation.
  2. Remove an inefficient high-cost support.
  3. Use safe recovery windows instead of attacking continuously.
Melee has no opening

Direct answer: The slam recovery is the primary melee window.

  1. Bait the overhead slam at medium range.
  2. Cross behind after the weapon commits.
  3. Use one short combo and leave before the sweep.
10

REWARDS & PROGRESSION

Quest reward and next step

Defeat The Executioner and free Leitis

Level 5 Uncut Skill Gem

Complete the rescue interaction to progress The Trail of Corruption and receive the quest reward recorded by the current quest reference.

Boss kill

Campaign boss loot

Evaluate life, resistances, movement speed and useful weapon upgrades before continuing Act 1.

11

COMMUNITY EVIDENCE

What Players Commonly Struggle With

T
reddit executioner redlinesummary

The red line attack keeps killing me

Players retreat along the attack line and get caught by the full strike.
Editorial analysis

The line is a committed frontal attack; lateral movement after lock is the fix, not backing away.

Our answer

Leave the frontal lane sideways once the red aim commits; never walk back along the line.

See straight-line strike →
M
reddit executioner addssummary

Mercenaries overwhelm the arena

Ranged adds stack damage while the boss keeps swinging.
Editorial analysis

Ranged pressure blocks movement and hides the axe tell.

Our answer

Kill ranged mercenaries first while circling so the boss stays visible.

See summoned mercenaries →
M
reddit executioner meleesummary

Melee cannot find an opening

Players trade hits during the sweep instead of using recovery.
Editorial analysis

The slam recovery is the only safe melee window.

Our answer

Bait the overhead, cross behind after lock, use one short combo, then leave.

See melee opening →
13

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is fire resistance mandatory?

The main weapon threat is physical, but fire resistance helps when ground effects and mercenaries overlap; use it if fire is the repeated cause of death.

Should I kill every add?

Kill ranged or movement-blocking mercenaries first. Do not lose boss visibility chasing a low-threat add.

Where is the safest place to stand?

At medium range with room to move sideways and without the arena wall directly behind you.

What is the best damage window?

The long recovery after an overhead or committed line attack.

What should I do after the kill?

Free Leitis, collect the quest reward, and confirm The Trail of Corruption updated.

14

VIDEO & TIMESTAMPS

Video Guide with Timestamps

easynow

The Executioner — easy fight guide (current patch)

Current-patch Executioner walkthrough with Ogham Village route and slam tells.

Open source
15

SOURCES & VERIFICATION

Sources and verification

Encounter references

Database attack records cross-checked against a current location and strategy guide.

17

CHANGELOG

Revision history

    • Rebuilt the boss page with access, preparation, fight flow, telegraph-by-telegraph responses, build adjustments, recovery advice, and quest completion checks.

Information is compiled from public web sources and in-game observations; some visuals are original editorial diagrams. External information and images remain the property of their authors or platforms; contact us for removal requests.