Feedback on The Shackled Horror Boss Balance – Scaling Issues for Minion-Based Archetypes

Hi GGG Team,

I am writing to provide feedback regarding the "Shackled Horror" boss encounter in Path of Exile 2, specifically concerning its interaction with minion-based builds.

After several attempts, it has become clear that the issue with this fight is not related to player survival, a lack of understanding of the mechanics (ballistas, avoiding the red aura), or raw DPS output. Instead, the problem lies in the boss's healing scaling relative to the number of targets present in the arena.

The Core Observations:

Archetype Disparity: A solo character (such as a Warrior or a non-minion Sorceress) can complete this fight with modest DPS because the boss only leeches life from a single target.
Exponential Healing: For a Witch or any build utilizing multiple minions (skeletons, zombies, etc.), the boss’s healing becomes exponential. If the aura hits 10+ minions, the boss recovers health significantly faster than any player at that level can realistically damage it.
A Mathematical Impasse: Even when correctly utilizing the ballista windows, the sheer amount of health the boss regenerates from a minion army makes the fight mathematically impossible. The encounter stops being a test of skill and becomes a "soft lock" where the boss's HP simply cannot trend downward.

The Design Issue:
This encounter currently functions as a "Build-Disabling" mechanic rather than a traditional DPS or skill check. To succeed, players are often forced to dismiss their minions and stop using the very skills they have invested in, which feels counter-intuitive to the game's core philosophy of build specialization. The difficulty doesn't stem from the player's execution, but from a mechanical interaction that turns the player's own tools against them in an scales-per-target manner.

Suggestions for Improvement:

Cap the Healing: Consider capping the boss’s health regeneration per tick, regardless of how many targets are inside the aura.
Minion Leech Penalty: Drastically reduce the effectiveness of the boss's life-leech when hitting minions compared to hitting players.

The goal is not to make the fight easy, but to ensure that choosing a minion archetype does not become an insurmountable mathematical handicap compared to solo-target builds.

Thank you for your time and for all the incredible work you are doing on Path of Exile 2.