Slay the Spire 2 Card Tier List
Complete card rankings for all 5 characters in Slay the Spire 2. Based on high-ascension play data, community consensus, and top player analysis. Click any character section to view their full card tier list with detailed analysis.
Ironclad Card Tier List
A-TIERIronclad is the most polarizing character in Slay the Spire 2. The dominant strategy is forcing infinite every run — once you understand how to go infinite, runs become very consistent. Act 1 is the hardest part; if you survive it, you usually win. The character is in a unique balance state with one dominant playstyle centered around exhaust loops. Bloodletting at Common rarity makes infinite combos extremely accessible, and Stoke is considered by far the best card in the entire class.
Lose 3 HP.Gain.
Exhaust 1 card.Draw 2 cards.
Gain Energy for each Attack in your Hand.You cannot gain additional Energy this turn.
If you Exhausted a card this turn, gain.Exhaust.
Lose 6 HP.Gain.Draw 3 cards.Exhaust.
Deal 6 damage.Draw cards until you draw a non-Attack card.
Deal 9 damage.Draw 1 card.
Exhaust all non-Attack cards in your Hand. Gain 5 Block for each card Exhausted.
Deal 5 damage.If you lost HP, hits 2 times.
Exhaust your Hand.Add 1 random Upgraded card per card Exhausted.
Whenever you apply Vulnerable, draw 1 card.
Whenever a card is Exhausted,draw 1 card.
Deal 12 damage to ALL enemies.Costs 1 less for each Attack played this turn.
Can only be played if you have 3 or more cards in your Exhaust Pile.Deal 17 damage to ALL enemies.
Draw 3 cards.You cannot draw additional cards this turn.
Lose 1 HP.Exhaust 1 card.Gain 1 Strength.
Deal 10 damage.If Fatal, raise your Max HP by 3.Exhaust.
Gain 7 Block.Apply 1 Vulnerable.
Deal 4 damage twice.Exhaust a random Attack in your Hand and add its damage to this card.
Deal 6 damage.Add a copy of this card into your Discard Pile.
Block is not removed at the start of your turn.
Deal 32 damage.
Lose 1 HP.Deal 9 damage to ALL enemies.
Gain 5 Block.You receive 50% less damage from Vulnerable enemies this turn.
Vulnerable enemies take an additional 25% damage.
At the start of your turn, gain 2 Strength.
Deal 8 damage.If the enemy is Vulnerable, hits twice.
Gain 8 Block.Gain another 8 Block if you have Exhausted a card this turn.
Whenever a card is Exhausted, gain 3 Block.
Exhaust your Hand.Deal 7 damage for each card Exhausted.Exhaust.
Gain 12 Block.Whenever you are attacked this turn, deal 4 damage back.
Deal 9 damage.Put a card from your Discard Pile on top of your Draw Pile.
Whenever you draw a card containing “Strike”, it is played against a random enemy.
Lose 2 HP.Deal 15 damage.
At the start of your turn, lose 1 HP.Whenever you lose HP on your turn, deal 6 damage to ALL enemies.
Gain 2 Strength.
Gain 30 Block.Exhaust.
Gain 5 Block.Deal 5 damage.
Whenever you play an Attack this turn, gain 3 Block.
Deal 9 damage.Increase this card's damage by 5 this combat.
At the end of your turn, 1 random Attack in your Hand is played against a random enemy.
Gain 8 Block.Draw 1 card.
Gain 7 Block.Exhaust 1 card at random.
Deal 4 damage and apply 1 Vulnerable to ALL enemies.
Deal 13 damage.Apply 1 Weak.Apply 1 Vulnerable.
At the start of your turn, put a random Attack from your Discard Pile into your Hand and Upgrade it.
Gain 5 Block.Upgrade a card in your Hand.
Deal 6 damage.Deals 3 additional damage for each card in your Exhaust Pile.
Lose 2 HP.Gain 16 Block.
Play the top X cards of your Draw Pile.
Deal 18 damage.Exhaust the top card of your Draw Pile.
Deal 8 damage to ALL enemies.Deals 2 additional damage for each other Attack you've played this turn.
Draw 2 cards.At the start of your turn, Exhaust the top card of your Draw Pile.
Deal 7 damage.Whenever you gain Block this turn, deal 5 damage to the enemy.
Whenever you gain Block, deal 5 damage to a random enemy.
Deal 15 damage.Enemy loses 10 Strength this turn.
Deal 10 damage.Double the enemy's Vulnerable.Exhaust.
Deal 6 damage.Deals 2 additional damage for ALL your cards containing “Strike”.
Transform all Attacks in your Hand into Giant Rock.
Gain at the start of each turn.
Whenever you lose HP on your turn, gain 1 Strength.
Deal 7 damage.Gain 2 Strength this turn.
Gain 4 Plating.
Deal damage equal to your Block.
Apply 1 Vulnerable.Gain 1 Strength for each Vulnerable on the enemy.Exhaust.
Deal 5 damage twice.Gain 3 Strength.The enemy gains 1 Strength.
Play the top card of your Draw Pile and Exhaust it.
This turn, your next Attack is played an extra time.
Deal 5 damage.Hits an additional time for each time you lost HP this combat.
Deal 3 damage to a random enemy 3 times.
Add a copy of the third Attack you play each turn into your Hand.
Ironclad Strategy Notes
- 1Act 1 focus: Pick minimal cards to survive; prioritize damage, Bloodletting, Pommel Strike. Early game is the most dangerous phase — if you get through Act 1, you usually win.
- 2Infinite plans: Bloodletting + Pommel Strike loops; Expect to Fight / Forgotten Ritual for energy; Burning Pact, Second Wind, Stoke for exhaust/draw. Two Spites + Bloodletting = infinite.
- 3Stoke is the best card: Exhaust your hand, draw equal cards. Fiend Fire + Dark Embrace effect on one card, no synergy required.
- 4Vicious + Taunt = draw engine: Whenever you apply Vulnerable, draw cards. Thunderclap applies Vulnerable to all enemies, drawing per enemy hit.
- 5Avoid: Block-heavy builds; Barricade/Body Slam combo is much weaker than Spire 1; cards that brick infinite loops.
- 6Hard fights: Act 1 elites, Worm boss (status spam), Hunterkiller (decks you down). AoE is more important than in Spire 1.
- 7Strength scaling is largely unnecessary when going infinite — cards like Inflame and Demon Form lose value compared to Spire 1.
Silent Card Tier List
S-TIERPossibly the strongest character in Slay the Spire 2. The discard package is dominant — Acrobatics, Prepared, Calculated Gamble, Reflex, and Tactician enable infinite-style play. Shivs and poison are weaker than in Spire 1; Blade Dance now exhausts, which hurts shiv synergies significantly. Small decks with discard combos win consistently. The Sly keyword (discarded Sly cards play themselves for their cost) is the key mechanic that pushes Silent over the top.
Draw 3 cards.Discard 1 card.
Gain.Draw 2 cards.Exhaust.
Discard your Hand,then draw that many cards.Exhaust.
Deal 10 damage.If Fatal, gain an additional card reward.Exhaust.
Deal 15 damage.Costs 1 less for each Skill played this turn.
Draw 1 card. Discard 1 card.
Sly.Draw 2 cards.
At the start of your turn, draw 1 card and discard 1 card.
Sly.Gain 7 Block.
Innate.Deal 11 damage.Exhaust.
Whenever you draw a card this turn, apply 2 Poison to ALL enemies.
Remove all Artifact and Block from the enemy.Apply 2 Vulnerable.Exhaust.
Gain 2 Dexterity.
Apply 2 Weak.Gain 11 Block.
Enemy loses X Strength. Apply X Weak.Exhaust.
At the start of your turn, apply 2 Poison to ALL enemies.
ALL enemies lose 6 Strength this turn.Exhaust.
Sly.Gain.
Deal 5 damage for each Skill in your Hand.
Sly.Deal 6 damage to ALL enemies.
Sly.Deal 3 damage to a random enemy 4 times.
When you play a Skill, it gains Sly.
Sly.Gain 1 Dexterity.Gain 4 Thorns.
Shivs deal 4 additional damage.
Add 3 Shivs into your Hand.Exhaust.
Apply 3 Poison to a random enemy 3 times.
Gain 6 Block.Add 1 Shiv into your Hand.
Deal 4 damage to ALL enemies twice.
Deal 9 damage.Draw 1 card.Discard 1 card.
Gain 10 Block.Deal 10 damage.
Draw cards until you have 6 in your Hand.
Deal 6 damage to ALL enemies.If the last card you played this turn was a Skill, apply 1 Weak to ALL enemies.
Can only be played if there are no cards in your Draw Pile. Deal 60 damage to ALL enemies.
At the start of your turn, add 1 Shiv into your Hand.
Deal 7 damage.Add 1 Shiv into your Hand.
Shivs gain Retain.The first Shiv you play each turn deals 9 additional damage.
Deal 12 damage.The next Skill you play costs 0.
Whenever you play a card, deal 4 damage to a random enemy.
Deal 6 damage.
Deal 8 damage.Whenever you play a card this turn, the enemy loses 2 HP.
Deal 8 damage.Apply 1 Weak.
Add 3 Shivs into your Hand.Reduce this card's cost by 1.
Poison is triggered 1 additional time.
Gain 5 Block.Draw 2 cards.
You cannot draw additional cards this turn. ALL cards in your Hand are free to play this turn.
This turn, your next Skill is played an extra time.
Deal 6 damage for each Attack already played this turn.
Discard 2 cards.Add 2 Shivs into your Hand.
Play every Shiv in your Exhaust Pile on the enemy.
Gain Block equal to Poison on ALL enemies.Exhaust.
Deal 1 damage.Deals 1 additional damage for each card drawn this combat.
Choose a card.Next turn, add 3 copies of that card into your Hand.Exhaust.
Double your Block gain this turn.
Discard your Hand.Next turn, Attacks deal double damage.
Deal 8 damage X times.
Discard your Hand.Add 1 Shiv into your Hand for each card discarded.
Silent Strategy Notes
- 1Core package: Acrobatics + Prepared + Tactician/Reflex; Pinpoint as main damage payoff. This discard engine is the strongest strategy in the game.
- 2Sly keyword: Discarded Sly cards are played for their cost (counts as card play). This makes discard both draw AND output simultaneously.
- 3Pinpoint is the premier damage card: 3 energy, 17 damage, cost reduced by 1 per skill played. Loops beautifully with Acrobatics — play skills to discount, then slam for massive damage.
- 4Precise Cut: 0 energy deal 13, -2 damage per other card in hand. Works with Prepared, Acrobatics, and Survivor. With an empty hand it deals full damage for free.
- 5Avoid: Overpicking cards — bloating your deck hurts combos significantly. Shiv and poison archetypes are much weaker than Spire 1.
- 6Snakebite is the worst card in the game: 2 energy Deadly Poison that retains. Never pick it under any circumstances.
- 7Removes and transforms are common in Spire 2 — lean into small deck infinite strategies. The Hunt gives extra card rewards on kill to find discard pieces faster.
Defect Card Tier List
S-TIERMore balanced and better-designed than in Spire 1. Frost + temporary focus is the strongest plan; with no Act 4 pressure, setup is much easier. Defect wants small decks, draw consistency, and orb scaling. Temp focus from Hot Fix, Focus Strike, and Synchronize loops in your second deck cycle for massive value. Considered the second or third strongest character overall. Orb slots + focus are multiplicative — more slots means exponentially more passive damage and block.
Innate.Gain 10 Block.Exhaust.
Gain 2 Orb Slots.
Channel 1 Frost for each enemy.Exhaust.
Channel 1 Frost.Draw 1 card.
Channel 1 Dark.Trigger the passive ability of all Dark Orbs.
Gain 1 Focus.
Gain 1 Block.Permanently increase this card's Block by 3.Exhaust.
Gain 6 Block.Channel 2 Frost.
Gain 2 Focus this turn.Exhaust.
Gain 1 Orb Slot.Draw 1 card. Increase this card's cost by 1.
Gain 2 Focus this turn for each unique Orb you have.Exhaust.
Ethereal. The first card you play each turn is played an extra time.
Gain 4.Exhaust.
Deal 5 damage for each Channeled Orb.
Prevent the next time you would lose HP.
Gain 7 Block.Next turn, gain.
Deal 6 damage.Channel 1 Frost.
Deal 5 damage.If you have played fewer than 3 cards this turn, draw 1 card.
Gain 5 Block.Channel 1 Glass.
At the end of your turn, if you have Frost, deal 6 damage to ALL enemies.
Gain 3 Block.Put a card from your Discard Pile into your Hand.Exhaust.
Deal 19 damage.Channel 3 Frost.
At the start of your turn, trigger the passive ability of your rightmost Orb.
At the start of your turn, draw 1 additional card.
Deal 10 damage.Apply 2 Weak.Channel 1 Dark.
Evoke your rightmost Orb 4 times.
Deal 11 damage to ALL enemies.Evoke all of your Orbs.
Deal 24 damage.If this kills an enemy, gain.
Deal 18 damage.Add a 0 copy of this card into your Discard Pile.
Deal 7 damage.Channel 1 Lightning.
Lose 1 Orb Slot.Gain 2 Strength.Gain 2 Dexterity.
Gain 6 Block.Transform all Status cards in your Hand into Fuel.
Deal 7 damage.Draw 1 card for each unique Orb you have.
At the start of your turn, add a random Power into your Hand.
Gain 13 Block.Add 2 Wounds into your Discard Pile.
Deal 26 damage to ALL enemies.Lose 3 Focus.
The first time you draw a Status card each turn, draw 2 cards.
Gain 9 Block.
Gain 4 Block.At the start of the next 2 turns, Channel 1 Lightning.
Deal 24 damage.Channel 3 Plasma.
Deal 10 damage.Reduce this card's cost to 0.
Shuffle ALL your cards into your Draw Pile.Draw 4 cards.Exhaust.
Deal 13 damage.Draw 1 card.When a Status card is created, reduce this card's cost to 0 until played.
The next Power you play is played an additional time.Exhaust.
Whenever you play a Power, gain.
Deal 6 damage to ALL enemies.Draw 1 card.
Deal 10 damage.Put ALL 0 cards from your Discard Pile into your Hand.
Gain 4 Focus.At the start of your turn, lose 1 Focus.
Channel 1 random Orb.
Channel 2 Dark.At the end of your turn, Evoke your leftmost Orb.
Exhaust ALL your Status cards.Deal 8 damage to a random enemy for each card Exhausted.
Channel 1 Plasma.
Evoke your rightmost Orb X times.
Draw 2 cards.Add a Burn into your Discard Pile.
Channel 1 Lightning.Channel 1 Frost.Channel 1 Dark.Exhaust.
Deal 9 damage twice.Channel 2 Glass.
Exhaust a card.Next turn, gain.
Deal 7 damage.Draw 4 cards.Discard all cards drawn this way that do not cost 0.
Whenever you create a Status, deal 5 damage to ALL enemies.
At the start of your turn, Channel 1 Glass.
Whenever you play a Power, Channel 1 Lightning.
Deal 3 damage.Increase the damage of ALL Claw cards by 2 this combat.
The first time you play a0 Attack each turn,return it to your Hand.
Deal 4 damage 3 times.Add a Slimed into your Discard Pile.
Deal 7 damage to a random enemy twice.
Defect Strategy Notes
- 1Frost-first: Best block engine in the game. Evoke frost orbs for burst block when needed. Each frost orb blocks for focus value passively — with 4-5 focus and 4 slots, you passively block 16-20 per turn.
- 2Temp focus: Hot Fix (0-cost +2 focus, Common!), Focus Strike, and Synchronize provide massive temporary focus. Loop them in your second deck cycle for value that exceeds permanent focus.
- 3Orb slots: Capacitor and Modded synergize multiplicatively with focus. More slots = more passive damage/block. One Capacitor can be worth more than a Defragment.
- 4Echo Form remains the best card: First card each turn plays twice. Double your powers, double your frost, double everything.
- 5Glass orbs: New orb type providing AoE damage. They tick down if not evoked, giving consistent spread damage. Good option for multi-enemy encounters.
- 6Avoid: Zero-cost spam (All for One) unless very committed — the 'zero-cost paradox' means you need 0-cost cards before playing All for One. Status package (Fight Through, Turbo) is harder to enter in Spire 2.
- 7Dark orbs solve single-target damage: Loop, Quadcast, and Darkness provide massive boss kill potential. Don't need infinite when orbs outscale everything.
Regent Card Tier List
A-TIERRegent uses a unique dual-resource system of Energy and Stars. Stars carry over between turns while Energy doesn't, making star management the key skill. The strongest approach is star-based loops — accumulate stars with Glow and Hidden Cache, then spend them on powerful payoffs like Gamma Blast, Comet, and Reflect. Forge and blade archetypes are weaker. With many rares and fewer floors, building around common/uncommon packages is essential. AoE is extremely important for Regent.
Draw 1 card.Gain.Gain.Forge 5.Exhaust.
Gain 1 Star.Draw 1 card.Draw 1 card next turn.
Transform any number of cards in your Hand into Minion Sacrifice.Exhaust.
Gain 9 Block.Return this card to your Hand.
Ethereal.End your turn.The first 2 cards you play each turn are free to play.
Next turn,gain and.Retain your Hand this turn.
Deal 14 damage to ALL enemies.
Choose a card in your Hand to Transform into Minion Strike.
Deal 18 damage.At the start of your turn, plays from the Exhaust Pile.Exhaust.
Deal 33 damage.Apply 3 Weak.Apply 3 Vulnerable.
Next turn, put 2 cards from your Draw Pile into your Hand.
Deal 13 damage.Apply 2 Weak.Apply 2 Vulnerable.
At the start of your turn, gain.
Gain 11 Block.Next turn, gain 4 Block.
Deal 12 damage.Next turn, draw 2 cards.
Deal 30 damage.If this kills an enemy, gain.
Gain 17 Block.Blocked attack damage is reflected to your attacker this turn.
Deal 8 damage.Gain.Put this card on top of your Draw Pile.
Gain 9.Exhaust.
Whenever you spend or gain, deal 3 damage to ALL enemies.
Gain 13 Block.Forge 10.
Choose 2 cards in your Draw Pile to Transform intoMinion Strikes.
Gain 7 Block.
Deal 7 damage to ALL enemies. All enemies lose 1 Strength this turn.
Ethereal.Deal 9 damage to ALL enemies. ALL enemies lose 9 Strength this turn.
Gain 8 Block.Gain.
Draw 3 cards.Put 1 card from your Hand on top of your Draw Pile.
Deal 20 damage.Choose a Colorless card in your Hand. Add a copy of that card into your Hand.
Gain.Next turn, gain.
Every 4 you spend,gain.
Deal 3 damage to ALL enemies for each gained this turn.
Deal 9 damage.Gain.
Deal 5 damage.Forge 5.Forges an additional 5 for every other time you've hit the enemy this turn.
Add 3 random Colorless cards into your Hand.Exhaust.
Deal 21 damage to ALL enemies.Fill your Hand with Debris.
Deal 6 damage.Deals 2 additional damage for ALL your cards that have a cost.
Deal 15 damage.Next turn, gain.
Deal 4 damage for each Skill already played this turn.
Deal 6 damage.Every 3 Skills you play in a turn, put this into your Hand.
Whenever you attack an enemy, it loses 1 Strength this turn.
Gain 8 Plating.
If you play 5 or more cards in a turn, draw 1 card at the start of your next turn.
Draw 6 cards.
At the start of your turn, add 1 random Colorless card into your Hand.
Forge 12.
Forge 8.Put Sovereign Blade into your Hand from anywhere.
At the start of your turn, draw 1 card and Exhaust 1 card from your Hand.
Regent Strategy Notes
- 1Stars package: Glow + payoff cards (Gamma Blast, Comet, Particle Wall, Reflect) form the core engine. Stars carry over between turns — bank them for big payoff turns.
- 2Glow is the best common: 1 energy for 1 star (2 upgraded) + Alignment trigger (draw 2 + energy at 2 stars). Loop with star payoffs for consistent value.
- 3Block: Particle Wall (0 energy, 2 stars, 9 block, returns to hand) is premium reusable block. Cloak of Stars converts star spending into block. Reflect turns block into damage.
- 4Convergence is the main infinite enabler: Retain your hand + gain energy/star next turn. Pyramid-like effect that controls what you lock in. Essential for star loop consistency.
- 5Void Form = Regent's Echo Form: First two cards each turn cost 0 energy and 0 stars. Cheats 7+ stars per turn. Broken with Particle Wall, Gamma Blast, and Cloak of Stars.
- 6Avoid: Forge-heavy builds (too slow), Crescent Spear (star cost reduction is a trap), overly rare-dependent plans (rare pool is too diluted).
- 7AoE is critical: Bombardment (18/24 recurring damage), Reflect (damage = block dealt), Crusher, and star-based AoE solve multi-enemy encounters.
Necrobinder Card Tier List
B-TIERNecrobinder has three main archetypes: Soul builds (strongest), Doom builds (viable alternative), and Ethereal builds (high ceiling, hard to execute). The core Act 1 loop is Defend → Summon → Unleash. Necrobinder has the worst Act 1 among all characters but a very high ceiling once online. Borrowed Time, Neurosurge, Devour Life, Dirge, and Severance are among the absolute top cards. Soul cycling is the primary win condition — Haunt deals unblockable damage per soul played.
Apply 6 Doom to yourself.Gain.
Enemy loses 2 HP.Add 2 Souls into your Draw Pile.
Whenever you play a Soul, Summon 1.
[etain.]Put 3 cards from your Discard Pile into your Hand.Exhaust.
Summon 3 X times.Add X Souls into your Draw Pile.Exhaust.
Apply 29 Doom to ALL enemies.Kill enemies with at least as much Doom as HP.
Lose 2 Strength.Gain at the start of each turn.
Whenever you play a Soul, a random enemy loses 6 HP.
Next turn, Summon 2 and gain.
Ethereal.The first Attack each turn deals 50% additional damage.
Deal 7 damage.Apply any debuffs on the enemy to ALL other enemies.
Gain.Draw 2 cards.At the start of your turn, apply 3 Doom to yourself.
Deal 5 damage for each Ethereal card played this combat.
Deal 13 damage.Add a Soul into your Draw Pile, Hand, and Discard Pile.
Deal 9 damage.Deals 2 additional damage for each Soul in your Exhaust Pile.
Add Replay to a card in your Hand.It costs an extra.Exhaust.
Osty deals 6 damage.Deals additional damage equal to Osty's current HP.
Deal 10 damage.The next Ethereal card you play costs 0.
Deal 33 damage to ALL enemies.Costs less for each Ethereal card played this combat.
Summon 5.
If Osty is alive, he deals 9 damage to ALL enemies and you gain 9 Block.Osty dies.
At the start of your turn, add 1 random card into your Hand. It gains Ethereal.
At the start of your turn, apply 6 Doom to a random enemy.
Deal 8 damage.Deals 3 additional damage for each card drawn during your turn.
Apply 21 Doom and 1 Weak to ALL enemies.
Deal 10 damage.Vulnerable and Weak are twice as effective against the enemy for the next 3 turns.
Ethereal.Deal 13 damage.
Ethereal.Gain 6 Block.Apply 1 Weak.
Gain 11 Block.Next turn,gain.
Deal 10 damage.Upgrade 2 random cards in your Discard Pile.
Retain.Deal 11 damage X times.
At the end of combat, you may remove a card from your Deck.Eternal.
ALL players add 3 Souls into their Draw Pile.Exhaust.
Deal 10 damage.Double the damage ALL Hang cards deal to this enemy.
Ethereal.Enemy loses 8 Strength this turn.
Whenever you play a card this turn, apply 3 Doom to the enemy.
Whenever you draw an Ethereal card, draw 1 card.
Ethereal.Draw 3 cards.
Osty deals 10 damage.Deals additional damage equal to Osty's Max HP.
Apply 2 Weak.Apply 2 Vulnerable.Exhaust.
Summon 20.Exhaust.
Whenever you apply a debuff to an enemy, they take 9 damage.
Osty deals 7 damage.Add Retain to a card in your Hand.
Deal 13 damage.Permanently increase this card's damage by 3.Exhaust.
Deal damage equal to the enemy's Doom.Exhaust.
Gain 7 Block.Add a copy of this card into your Discard Pile.
Summon 6.Exhaust.
Deal 4 damage.Put a card from your Discard Pile into your Hand.Exhaust.
Gain 8 Block.Add a Soul into your Draw Pile.
ALL players Summon 6.Exhaust.
Gain 13 Block.Reduce this card's cost by whenever ANYONE dies.
Summon 5.Whenever Osty loses HP,ALL enemies lose that much HP as well.
Apply 10 Doom, plus an additional 5 Doom for every 10 Doom already on this enemy.
Osty deals 7 damage.Hits an additional time for each other time he has attacked this turn.
Deal 9 damage.Add a Soul into your Draw Pile.
Apply 13 Doom.Draw 1 card.
Whenever you apply Doom, gain 2 Block.
Retain.Summon 3.Osty heals 5 HP.
Gain.Exhaust.
Deal 8 damage.Apply Doom equal to damage dealt.
Whenever you play a card that costs or more, gain 4 Block.
Osty deals 3 damage.If this is the first time this card has been played this turn, draw 1 card.
Osty deals 12 damage.This card costs 0 if Osty has attacked this turn.
Osty deals 11 damageand applies 2 Vulnerableto ALL enemies.
Gain 5 Block.Apply 7 Doom to ALL enemies.
At the start of your turn, add 1 Sweeping Gaze into your Hand.
Deal 52 damage.
Exhaust your Hand.If 9 cards were Exhausted this way, gain 1 Intangible.
Osty deals 6 damage.
Summon 4.Gain 7 Block.
Retain.Deal 27 damage.
Osty deals 4 damage.Whenever you play a card that costs or more, return this to your Hand from the Discard Pile.
Osty deals 25 damage.Deals 5 additional damage for ALL your other Osty Attacks.
Deal 6 damage.
Necrobinder Strategy Notes
- 1Act 1 loop: Defend → Summon → Unleash. Bodyguard helps survive early. Without Unleash the character struggles — must use it every time it's available.
- 2Soul build (strongest): Devour Life (+1 summon per soul), Capture Spirit (3 souls to hand), Haunt (6 unblockable damage per soul), Severance (damage + soul generation). Cycling souls is the win condition.
- 3Doom build (alternative): Countdown (6 doom per turn), Death's Door (18 block at 12+ doom), Deathbringer (21 doom all), Sleight of Flesh enables doom activation. Strong but harder to assemble.
- 4Ethereal build (high ceiling): Veilpiercer (next ethereal costs 0), Sculpting Strike (make cards ethereal), Pagestorm (draw per ethereal). Pull From Below scales with ethereal cards played.
- 5Dirge is the best Necrobinder card: Creates 4x summons/souls when upgraded. Put retain on it for insane value. Take it in every build.
- 6Avoid: Osty/AI-focused builds (don't scale at high ascension); Poke and Squeeze as primary damage sources (too slow).
- 7Transfigure (add Replay to a card) is broken on Dirge, Severance, and Capture Spirit — essentially doubles their output.
Cross-Character Strategy Insights
Infinite & Combo Focus
Ironclad, Silent, and Regent are all pushed toward small-deck infinite or near-infinite play. Deck thinning through removes and transforms is more accessible than in Spire 1.
Act 1 Pressure
Early game is the main risk across all characters. Damage and block solves matter most in Act 1. Prioritize cards that help you survive before building toward your endgame plan.
AoE Importance
AoE is more important than in Spire 1. Many elites and hallway fights demand AoE solutions. Cards like Stomp (Ironclad), Chill (Defect), and End of Days (Necrobinder) are premium picks.
Temp Focus (Defect)
Temporary focus from Hot Fix, Focus Strike, and Synchronize is stronger than permanent focus in many situations. Loop these cards in your second deck cycle for massive value.
Rare Dilution
More rares per class means you can't rely on seeing a specific rare. Build around strong commons and uncommons first, treat rares as bonuses.
Removes & Transforms
Card removal and transformation events are more common in Spire 2. This makes small deck and targeted infinite combos easier to build toward.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are card tiers determined?
Card tiers are based on analysis from top-ranked Slay the Spire 2 players, high-ascension play data, and community consensus. S-tier cards are consistently strong picks that improve almost any deck, while lower tiers become increasingly situational.
Should I always pick S-tier cards?
S-tier cards are generally safe picks, but context matters. A B-tier card that perfectly fits your current build can be better than an S-tier card that doesn't synergize. Use tier lists as guidelines, not rigid rules.
Do card tiers change between ascension levels?
Yes, higher ascension levels tend to favor more consistent, defensive cards. These rankings are primarily based on high-ascension play where consistency and survival are paramount.
Which character has the best cards overall?
Silent and Defect are considered to have the strongest card pools overall. Silent's discard engine is extremely powerful, while Defect's frost + focus package provides incredible consistency. However, all characters can win at high ascension with the right card selections.
Character Tier List
Overall character and build rankings
All Cards
Browse every card in Slay the Spire 2
Build Guides
Top builds for all characters