Le Défectueux Card Tier List
More 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.
Core Engine & Scaling
13 cards
S-tier cards form Defect's frost/focus engine. The strategy is simple: channel frost orbs, gain focus (temporary or permanent), and let passive orb damage and block outscale every encounter. Orb slot cards multiply the value of every focus point.
Gagnez 10 d'Armure.
0-cost innate 10 block, exhaust. Don't trade HP for setup — slam this in Act 1 for free safety every fight. Enables safe setup on turn 1 when you need to play powers or channel orbs.
Gagnez 2 Emplacements d'Orbe.
+2 orb slots. S tier because it's multiplicative with focus. More orb slots = exponentially more value from every focus point. One Capacitor with Hot Fix is often stronger than Defragment alone.
Canalisez 1 Orbe glaciaire pour chaque ennemi.
0-cost channel 1 frost per enemy, exhaust. Upgrade removes exhaust. In multi-enemy fights = block a million HP. AoE block generation at Common rarity is absurd value.
Canalisez 1 Orbe glaciaire. Piochez 1 carte.
1 energy channel frost + draw 1 (draw 2 upgraded). The core frost card for consistency. Frost + draw in one card means it never falls off. Less punished than in Spire 1 for playing early.
Canalisez 1 Orbe ténébreux. Déclenchez la capacité passive de tous vos Orbes ténébreux.
1 energy channel 1 dark orb, trigger all dark orb passives. Insane single-target scaling for boss fights. Upgrade triggers passives twice. Solves endgame damage entirely with dark orb stacking.
Gagnez 1 de Focalisation.
+1 focus (+2 upgraded). Made Rare in Spire 2, making it harder to find. But one Defragment is enough to outscale most encounters. The king of permanent focus — only permanent source besides potions.
Gagnez 1 d'Armure. Augmentez l'Armure conférée par cette carte de 3 de façon permanente.
Gain block that permanently increases by 3 every fight. By late game it reads 'cannot take damage.' Combos incredibly with Echo Form to double the permanent scaling. S tier for long-run consistency.
Gagnez 6 d'Armure. Canalisez 2 Orbes glaciaires.
2 energy for 6 block + channel 2 frost. Nerfed by 1 block from Spire 1 — nobody cares. Still the premium defensive card. Two frost orbs provide ongoing block every turn.
Gagnez 2 de Focalisation ce tour.
0-cost +2 focus (3 upgraded). The best temp focus card at Common rarity — absurdly strong tempo play. Loop in your second deck cycle with draw consistency. Don't need draw order since orbs are already deployed.
Gagnez 1 Emplacement d'Orbe. Piochez 1 carte. Augmentez le coût de cette carte de 1.
0-cost +1 orb slot, draw 1, +1 cost to self. Free orb slot that replaces itself in hand. No downside first play. S tier — always take it when offered.
Gagnez 2 de Focalisation jusqu'à la fin du tour pour chaque Orbe unique que vous avez.
1 energy gain 2 temp focus per unique orb type, exhaust (upgrade: doesn't exhaust). Can hit 4-8 focus in diverse orb builds. With frost + dark + lightning + glass = 8 focus per play. Makes orbs block everything.
La première carte vous jouez chaque tour est jouée une fois supplémentaire.
3 energy: first card each turn is played twice. Still THE best card in the class. Double powers for permanent scaling. Double frost for double block. Double everything. Carries scaling fights entirely.
Gagnez [energy:4].
Rare: 0 energy gain 4 energy, exhaust. Massive burst acceleration for setup turns. Play powers and frost in a single turn. Premium energy that costs nothing but a card slot.
Strong Performers
15 cards
A-tier cards provide excellent value through damage, defense, or utility. They complement the frost/focus engine with additional scaling options, energy generation, or AoE solutions. Many are strong early game picks that remain relevant throughout the run.
Infligez 5 dégâts pour chaque Orbe Canalisé.
1 energy deal 5 damage per orb channeled (buffed from 4). Scales well with orb slot builds. As fights get longer and temp focus fills your orb bar, Barrage becomes a boss killer.
Intercepte la prochaine perte de PV.
2 energy prevent next HP loss. Less critical without Heart's 67 damage turn, but still blocks Act 1 statue (27 damage). Excellent survivability power.
Gagnez 7 d'Armure. Au prochain tour, gagnez [energy:1].
7 block, gain 1 energy next turn. Premium block at Common rarity. Stops hallway chip damage. The delayed energy helps setup turns. Never falls off.
Infligez 6 dégâts. Canalisez 1 Orbe glaciaire.
1 energy deal 6 damage + channel 1 frost. Deal 6 now, block 2 for the rest of the fight. Solid dual-purpose Common that's always worth playing.
Infligez 5 dégâts. Si vous avez joué moins de 3 cartes ce tour, piochez 1 carte.
0 energy deal 5 damage, draw 1 if fewer than 3 cards played. Solid tempo card. Don't double it with Echo Form — double something better. Good for early turns.
Gagnez 5 d'Armure. Canalisez 1 Orbe vitreux.
1 energy gain 5 block + channel 1 glass orb. Glass is a new orb type for AoE damage. Evoked glass deals massive AoE. Decent scaling option for multi-enemy encounters.
À la fin de votre tour, si vous avez un Orbe glaciaire, infligez 6 dégâts à TOUS les ennemis.
1 energy: end of turn, if you have a frost orb, deal 6 to all enemies. Condition is always met in frost builds. 6 AoE from turn 1 with zero effort.
Gagnez 3 d'Armure. Placez une carte de votre Défausse à votre Main.
3 block + retrieve a card from discard pile. Pull Boot Sequence, powers, Turbo, or Go for the Eyes. Flexible utility that adapts to any situation.
Infligez 19 dégâts. Canalisez 3 Orbes glaciaires.
3 energy deal 19 damage + channel 3 frost. Early game slam for big damage. Three frost orbs provide ongoing block. Solid for both offense and defense.
Au début de votre tour, déclenchez la capacité passive de votre Orbe le plus à droite.
Start of turn trigger rightmost orb passive. Temp focus isn't active at start of turn, so output is slightly lower. One Loop is enough. Top of A tier for dark orb combos.
Au début de votre tour, piochez 1 carte supplémentaire.
1 energy draw +1 card per turn. Line up Hot Fix and other temp focus cards more consistently. Draw engine power that smooths every turn.
Infligez 10 dégâts. Appliquez Affaibli (2). Canalisez 1 Orbe ténébreux.
2 energy deal 10, apply 2 Weak + channel 1 dark orb. Weakness is good for damage prevention. Dark orb kills bosses. Multi-purpose card.
Activez votre Orbe le plus à droite 4 fois.
Ancient: trigger rightmost orb passive 4 times. Insane with dark orbs for burst damage. Block 20+ with frost orbs. One of the strongest Ancient boons.
Infligez 11 dégâts à TOUS les ennemis. Activez tous vos Orbes.
1 energy deal 11 to all, evoke all orbs. Evoke frost for burst block + glass for AoE damage. Depends on focus level but incredibly powerful with setup.
Infligez 24 dégâts. Si ceci tue un ennemi, gagnez [energy:3].
Deal 24 damage, gain 3 energy if enemy dies. Pseudo-AoE through kill + energy refund. Kill one enemy and use the refunded energy on the next. Great Act 1 pickup.
Viable Support
18 cards
B-tier cards have clear niches or serve as Act 1 bridges. They aren't core to the frost/focus strategy but can provide value in specific situations or deck configurations.
Infligez 18 dégâts. Ajoutez une copie de cette carte coûtant 0 [energy:1] à votre Défausse.
2 energy deal 18 damage, add a 0-cost copy to discard. Slow boss scaling but big early numbers. The 0-cost copy provides ongoing value.
Infligez 7 dégâts. Canalisez 1 Orbe kéraunique.
1 energy deal 7 + channel 1 lightning. Worse than Spire 1 since there's less rush damage needed. Hallways don't kill as hard. Low A or B.
Perdez 1 Emplacement d'Orbe. Gagnez 2 de Force. Gagnez 2 de Dextérité.
2 energy: -1 orb slot, +2 strength, +2 dexterity. Reprogram rework. Losing an orb slot is negligible or sometimes positive. Early game stat boost.
Gagnez 6 d'Armure. Transformez toutes les cartes Statut de votre Main en Combustible.
1 energy 6 block, transform a status card into Fuel (energy/draw). Status cards exist in the game. Top of B for status management.
Infligez 7 dégâts. Piochez 1 carte pour chaque Orbe unique.
1 energy deal 7, draw 1 per unique orb type. With glass orbs now available, drawing 3-4 is more realistic.
Au début de votre tour, ajoutez un Pouvoir aléatoire à votre Main.
3 energy: add a random power each turn. Boss scaling that solo-solves long fights. More time to setup in Spire 2 makes this more viable. Top of A in some metas.
Gagnez 13 d'Armure. Ajoutez 2 Plaies à votre Défausse.
1 energy 13 block + add 2 Wounds to discard. Power Through from Ironclad. Status package enabler. Care about redrawing Wounds later.
Infligez 26 dégâts à TOUS les ennemis. Perdez 3 de Focalisation.
Deal 26 to all, lose 3 focus. Better in Spire 2 since more fights are killed by it outright. Skip if you can — it breaks boss fights if your focus can't recover.
La première fois de chaque tour que vous piochez une carte Statut, piochez 2 cartes.
1 energy: first status drawn this turn, draw 2 extra. Works with Fight Through and Turbo. Status generation enabler.
Gagnez 9 d'Armure.
1 energy 9 block. Big number for a simple card. Full block in hallway fights. Top B for pure defense.
Gagnez 4 d'Armure. Au début de vos 2 prochains tours, Canalisez 1 Orbe kéraunique.
1 energy 4 block + channel 1 lightning. Slow block with passive damage. Lightning for chip damage over time.
Infligez 24 dégâts. Canalisez 3 Orbes plasmatiques.
5 energy deal 24 + channel 3 plasma. Unplayable for a long time, but when you can play it, the plasma orbs generate massive energy. Less necessary than Spire 1. Top B.
Infligez 10 dégâts. Réduisez le coût de cette carte à 0 [energy:1].
1 energy deal 10, reduce cost to 0. Loopable 0-cost damage card after first play. Decent for builds that need repeatable damage.
Mélangez TOUTES vos cartes dans votre Pioche. Piochez 4 cartes.
0 energy shuffle discard into draw, draw 4, exhaust. Don't play if you want Echo Form — it pushes it further away. Can reset a bad hand. Bottom B.
Infligez 13 dégâts. Piochez 1 carte. Lorsqu'une carte Statut est créée, réduisez le coût de cette carte à 0 [energy:1] jusqu'à la fin du tour.
2 energy deal 13 + draw 1. Costs 0 when a status is created. With Turbo combo for free damage + draw. Can contribute to infinite loops.
Le prochain Pouvoir que vous jouez est joué une fois supplémentaire.
Next power you play is played twice, exhaust. Situational but insanely powerful with Echo Form, Defragment, or Creative AI.
Lorsque vous jouez un Pouvoir, gagnez [energy:1].
When you play a power, gain 1 energy. Cheats energy for power-heavy turns. No Heat Sinks equivalent but still valuable. Top B.
Infligez 6 dégâts à TOUS les ennemis. Piochez 1 carte.
1 energy deal 6 to all + draw 1. Weak AoE in Spire 1 but AoE is more needed now. Damage + draw is always welcome.
Situational Picks
15 cards
C-tier cards are generally skippable. They belong to weaker archetypes (zero-cost spam, status package) or have conditions too clunky to reliably trigger. Only take these in desperation or very specific builds.
Infligez 10 dégâts. Placez TOUTES les cartes coûtant 0 [energy:1] de votre Défausse dans votre Main.
2 energy: retrieve all 0-cost cards from discard. The 'zero-cost paradox' — you need 0-cost cards in your discard BEFORE playing this. Draw order dependent and requires heavy deck building commitment.
Gagnez 4 de Focalisation. Au début de votre tour, perdez 1 de Focalisation.
Ancient: +4 focus, -1 focus per turn. Temp focus is already plentiful from Hot Fix and Synchronize. No Artifact to negate the downside. Trade boss relic if this is offered.
Canalisez 1 Orbe aléatoire.
1 energy channel 1 random orb. Random is bad — you want specific orbs. Could channel 2 orbs instead for the same energy.
Canalisez 2 Orbes ténébreux. À la fin de votre tour, Activez votre Orbe le plus à droite.
2 energy channel 2 dark, evoke leftmost orb. Eats your existing orbs. Weird anti-synergy with orb-stacking strategies.
Épuisez TOUTES votre cartes Statut. Infligez 8 dégâts à un ennemi aléatoire pour chaque carte Épuisée.
Exhaust all status cards, deal 8 per exhausted. Need a bridge card for status generation. Turbo alone isn't enough. Too many setup pieces needed.
Canalisez 1 Orbe plasmatique.
1 energy channel 1 plasma. Recursion is gone and Recycle is nerfed. Less potential for infinite energy loops.
Activez votre Orbe le plus à droite X fois.
X energy: evoke rightmost orb X times. Less mega dark orb potential. ChemX helps but the card is situational.
Piochez 2 cartes. Ajoutez une Brûlure à votre Défausse.
0 energy draw 2, add Burn to discard. Burns brick future turns. Need Hot Fix consistency to offset the downside.
Canalisez 1 Orbe kéraunique. Canalisez 1 Orbe glaciaire. Canalisez 1 Orbe ténébreux.
2 energy channel 1 lightning + 1 frost + 1 dark, exhaust. Jack of all trades, master of none. Triggers Synchronize well but expensive.
Infligez 9 dégâts 2 fois. Canalisez 2 Orbes vitreux.
3 energy deal 9x2 + channel 2 glass. Clunky cost for mediocre output. Bottom of C.
Épuisez une carte. Au prochain tour, gagnez [energy:2].
1 energy exhaust, gain +2 energy next turn. Worse than Recycle. Delayed energy is often too slow when you need it now.
Infligez 7 dégâts. Piochez 4 cartes. Défaussez toutes les cartes piochées ainsi qui ne coûtent pas 0 [energy:1].
Deal 7 + draw 4, discard non-zero-cost cards. Can discard Defragment or Echo Form. The zero-cost paradox strikes again.
Lorsque vous créez un Statut, infligez 5 dégâts à TOUS les ennemis.
When you create a status card, deal 5 to all. How do you reliably generate status cards in your deck? Too conditional.
Au début de votre tour, Canalisez 1 Orbe vitreux.
1 energy: start of turn channel 1 glass orb. Delayed AoE that builds over time. Top of C for glass orb builds.
Lorsque vous jouez un Pouvoir, Canalisez 1 Orbe kéraunique.
When you play a power, channel 1 lightning. No Heat Sinks equivalent for card draw. Lightning alone isn't enough scaling.
Generally Avoid
4 cards
D-tier cards provide negligible value or actively harm your deck. Skip these unless you have literally no other option.
Infligez 3 dégâts. Augmentez les dégâts de TOUTES les cartes Griffure de 2 jusqu'à la fin du combat.
Deal 3 damage, +2 to all Claws played. The eternal meme card. Desperation pick only — the damage scaling is too slow and requires too many copies to function.
La première fois de chaque tour que vous jouez une Attaque coûtant 0 [energy:1], celle-ci retourne dans votre Main.
2 energy: first 0-cost attack played returns to hand. Echo Form except bad — only works with 0-cost attacks. Too narrow to build around.
Infligez 4 dégâts 3 fois. Ajoutez Englué à votre Défausse.
Deal 4 damage 3x, add Slime to draw pile. Status bridge card with embarrassingly low damage numbers. D tier.
Infligez 7 dégâts à un ennemi aléatoire 2 fois.
Deal 7 damage 2x to random enemies. Inconsistent with random targeting. When you need AoE, you need it to hit everything reliably.
Le Défectueux Card 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.
Le Défectueux Guide
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