All Characters Overview

Ironclad is available from the start and is the best character for learning the game due to high HP and straightforward mechanics.

Silent unlocks after completing or dying in a run as Ironclad; she introduces Poison, Shiv, and the powerful Sly discard mechanics.

Regent unlocks after playing as Silent; he introduces the dual Star and Energy resource system, which rewards careful resource management.

Necrobinder unlocks after playing as Regent; she introduces the Osty summon, Doom instant-kill mechanic, and Soul cycling engine.

Defect unlocks last after playing as Necrobinder; he introduces Orb channeling, Focus scaling, and five orb types (Lightning, Frost, Dark, Glass, Plasma).

Each character teaches different mechanics; mastering one helps with others, but expect a learning curve when switching.

The unlock order is fixed—you cannot skip characters; play through each to access the full roster.

Defect is intentionally last because Orb mechanics are the most complex; learn the basics on Ironclad and Silent first.

Ironclad has 80 HP, the highest starting HP in the game, which makes him the most forgiving character for new players.

Burning Blood heals 6 HP after every combat, providing consistent sustain that mitigates chip damage and self-damage from Bloodletting.

Strength scaling is the bread-and-butter build: stack Strength through Inflame and Demon Form, then deal massive damage with Heavy Blade.

Bloodletting at common has made Ironclad a Watcher-style infinite character; pair with Pommel Strike, Stoke, or Burning Pact for loops.

Block and Body Slam can convert Block into lethal damage, but Feel No Pain and Power Through are weaker in STS2.

Exhaust synergy with Burning Pact, Stoke, Second Wind, and Fiend Fire thins the deck and enables infinite combos.

Act 1 is the danger zone; once through it, Ironclad goes infinite extremely consistently with the right card picks.

Key cards include Offering, Bloodletting, Stoke, Pommel Strike, Burning Pact, and Dark Embrace.

Silent has 70 HP and Ring of the Snake, which draws 2 extra cards on Turn 1—extremely powerful for finding combo pieces.

Poison builds use Noxious Fumes, Corrosive Wave, and Catalyst for passive scaling damage that bypasses block and defensive modes.

Shiv builds use Blade Dance and Cloak and Dagger; Accuracy boosts each Shiv, but Blade Dance exhausting in STS2 hurts this archetype.

Sly discard is the dominant strategy: when you discard a Sly card, it plays for free instead of going to discard.

The discard package (Acrobatics, Prepared, Reflex, Tactician) enables infinite-style play; Pinpoint deals 17 minus 1 per skill in hand.

Grand Finale deals massive damage when your draw pile is empty; requires a small, tight deck with heavy draw and discard.

Silent is considered the strongest character at high level due to Sly discard and Poison scaling.

Leg Sweep and Piercing Wail are among the best block cards; they fully block multi-hit and AoE attacks.

Defect has 75 HP and Cracked Core, which channels 1 Lightning Orb at combat start for immediate passive damage.

Five Orb types exist: Lightning (damage), Frost (block), Dark (stored damage), Glass (AoE), Plasma (energy); each has passive and evoke effects.

Focus scaling from Defragment and Hot Fix multiplies ALL orb effects; one Defragment is often enough to outscale bosses.

Frost plus Focus is Defect's strongest defensive tool; Glacier, Coolheaded, and Chill generate passive block every turn.

Claw has fallen to D tier in STS2; Frost and Lightning builds are more reliable than zero-cost attack loops.

Echo Form doubles your best play each turn; prioritize it for Defragment, Glacier, or key attacks.

Hot Fix provides 2 temporary Focus for 0 energy and is common—loop it in your second deck cycle for scaling.

Capacitor and Modded add orb slots; with Focus, more slots mean multiplicative scaling for damage and block.

Regent has 75 HP and Divine Right, which grants 1 Star at the start of each turn; Stars persist between turns.

Dual resource system: Energy resets each turn, while Stars carry over until spent—manage both to avoid dead hands.

Glow is the best common; it generates Stars and enables loops with Gamma Blast, Comet, and Particle Wall.

Cloak of Stars blocks when you spend Stars (like Mental Fortress); Particle Wall gives 9 block for 2 Stars.

Bombardment is a one-card solve for many fights—play it, block, and it deals 18–24 damage every turn.

Forge and Sovereign Blade are weaker than star strategies; focus on Glow, Convergence, and star payoffs.

AoE is critical in STS2; Regent faces many multi-enemy fights—Bombardment, Seven Stars, and Reflect handle them.

Convergence retains your hand and gives next-turn energy and Stars; it enables small-deck infinites.

Necrobinder has 66 HP, the lowest in the game; Bound Phylactery summons Osty at 1 HP at combat start.

Osty absorbs ALL incoming attacks, effectively doubling your survivability; she is unaffected by debuffs on you.

Defend and Bodyguard until Unleash is the Act 1 core loop; without it, Necrobinder struggles to survive.

Doom instantly kills enemies when Doom equals or exceeds their HP at end of turn; bypasses all defenses.

Soul builds are strongest at high ascension; Capture Spirit, Grave Warden, and Haunt enable cycling and damage.

Borrowed Time is 0 cost and doesn't exhaust; it is the core infinite enabler—take it always.

Dirge pumps 4x summons and Souls when upgraded; add Retain via Snap for insane setup turns.

Three interlocking systems (Osty, Doom, Souls) create the highest skill ceiling; master one before combining.