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Slay the Spire 2 Guide
Builds, Cards, Relics, Routes, Bosses
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Home / Relics & Builds

◈ Relics & Builds

Master the power of relics and forge your perfect archetype

S/A-tier relic rankings · core combos of 7 archetypes · all 18 relics explained · synergy tips between builds and relics

Relic Tier ListRanked by power
S · take on sight
Ectoplasm
Ectoplasm S
Ancient
+1 energy each turn, but you can no longer gain gold. A run-defining Ancient relic.
Black Star
Black Star S
Ancient
Elites drop an additional relic. The earlier you take it, the harder it snowballs.
Brimstone
Brimstone S
Shop
Each turn you gain +2 Strength and all enemies +1. A Strength Ironclad's dream.
Lantern
Lantern S
Common
Gain 1 additional energy on the first turn of each combat — a plain but premium energy source.
Strawberry
Strawberry S
Common
On pickup, raise your Max HP by 7 — simple and effective; the community loves Max HP.
Festive Popper
Festive Popper S
Common
At the start of each combat deal 9 damage to ALL enemies — a new StS2 face that speeds through early fights; community S-tier.
Gremlin Horn
Gremlin Horn S
Uncommon
Whenever an enemy dies, gain 1 energy and draw 1 card — the perpetual engine of multi-enemy fights; consensus S-tier.
Mercury Hourglass
Mercury Hourglass S
Uncommon
At the start of your turn deal 3 damage to ALL enemies — free damage all run long.
Pantograph
Pantograph S
Uncommon
At the start of boss combats, heal 25 HP — massively raises your margin for error against bosses.
Pen Nib
Pen Nib S
Uncommon
Every 10th Attack you play deals double damage — nuclear with multi-hit or heavy hitters.
Red Mask
Red Mask S
Uncommon
At the start of each combat apply 1 Weak to ALL enemies — team-wide damage reduction.
Pear
Pear S
Uncommon
Raise your Max HP by 10 — the upgraded Strawberry.
Ice Cream
Ice Cream S
Rare
Energy is now conserved between turns — consensus S-tier, the highest-ceiling energy relic.
Unceasing Top
Unceasing Top S
Rare
Whenever your hand is empty during your turn, draw 1 card — a draw engine for fast-cycling decks.
Gambling Chip
Gambling Chip S
Rare
At the start of each combat, discard any number of cards and draw that many — transforms your opening turn.
Rainbow Ring
Rainbow Ring S
Rare
The first time each turn you play an Attack, a Skill and a Power, gain 1 Strength and 1 Dexterity — play all three colors for +2/+2 a turn.
Razor Tooth
Razor Tooth S
Rare
Whenever you play an Attack or Skill, upgrade it for the rest of this combat — a new StS2 mechanic that snowballs as you play.
Yummy Cookie
Yummy Cookie S
Ancient
Upgrade 4 cards on pickup — a 40.9% win rate and 69.9% pick rate in Ancient trios.
Arcane Scroll
Arcane Scroll S
Ancient
Gain a random rare card — the runaway #1 of the community Ancient Elo ladder; take on sight.
A · strong picks for most decks
Astrolabe
Astrolabe A
Ancient
Transform 3 cards and upgrade them on pickup — instant deck-quality spike.
Brilliant Scarf
Brilliant Scarf A
Ancient
The 5th card you play each turn is free — a hidden engine for big-hand decks.
Anchor
Anchor A
Common
Start each combat with 10 Block. Plain but always online.
Bag of Preparation
Bag of Preparation A
Common
Draw 2 extra cards on turn one — huge consistency boost.
Bag of Marbles
Bag of Marbles A
Uncommon
Apply 1 Vulnerable to all enemies at combat start — free team-wide damage.
Snecko Skull
Snecko Skull A
Common (Silent)
Whenever you apply Poison, apply 1 additional stack — mandatory for Poison Silent.
Paper Phrog
Paper Phrog A
Uncommon (Ironclad)
Enemies with Vulnerable take +75% attack damage instead of +50% — build-defining for Vulnerable Ironclad.
Snecko Eye
Snecko Eye A
Ancient
Draw 2 extra cards at turn start but begin each combat Confused — the highest win rate on the community Ancient Elo ladder (93.8%) yet picked only 13.1% of the time; criminally underrated.
Sai
Sai A
Ancient
Gain 7 Block at the start of each turn — a 92.3% win rate, among the highest on the Ancient ladder.
Build ArchetypesView more ›

The 7 dominant archetypes this patch: core combos, learning curve and how each engine works.

Exhaust Block
Exhaust Block S The Ironclad
Exhaust · Block · Cycle
Difficulty ★★★★★

Widely considered Ironclad's strongest high-Ascension deck: Corruption makes skills free-but-Exhaust, Dark Embrace draws off Exhaust, Feel No Pain blocks off Exhaust, Barricade keeps Block forever, and Body Slam converts it to damage.

Core Combo
Corruption + Dark Embrace + Barricade + Body Slam
Strength Scaling
Strength Scaling S The Ironclad
Strength · Vulnerable · Burst
Difficulty ★★★★★

Demon Form + Limit Break (double Strength, no cap) remains the most consistent climb. New card Hellraiser auto-plays every Strike you draw for free — a semi-automatic Strike engine.

Core Combo
Demon Form + Limit Break + Vulnerable package
Sly Discard
Sly Discard S The Silent
Discard · Combo · Ceiling
Difficulty ★★★★★

The highest damage ceiling in StS2: Sly cards play themselves when discarded, so Prepared/Acrobatics-style engines resolve 5+ cards a turn. S+ ceiling, but needs specific pieces.

Core Combo
Sly cards + Prepared/Acrobatics + Adrenaline
Poison Stacking
Poison Stacking A The Silent
Poison · DoT · Steady
Difficulty ★★★★★

Classic Poison remains reliable: stack it up, then double/triple with Catalyst. Slow against high-HP bosses but extremely consistent, and great in co-op.

Core Combo
Deadly Poison + Catalyst + Wraith Form
Doom Execute
Doom Execute S The Necrobinder
Doom · Execute · Co-op
Difficulty ★★★★★

Doom executes by percentage of max HP, ignoring co-op HP scaling — the only S+ co-op character. End of Days wipes boards. Balance Soul generation vs. spending or you stall in boss fights.

Core Combo
Blight Strike + End of Days + Soul engine
Claw Zero-Cost
Claw Zero-Cost A The Defect
0-cost · Aggro · Cycle
Difficulty ★★★★★

Claw + Scrape + All for One + FTL + Beam Cell forms a 0-cost damage cycle — the fastest kills in the game. Dark-orb control is the polar opposite for long fights.

Core Combo
Claw + All for One + FTL
Star Burst
Star Burst A The Regent
Stars · Burst · AoE
Difficulty ★★★★★

Alignment converts Stars into energy; Seven Stars spends 7 for 49 AoE. Never mix with Forge — your Star income per shuffle dictates how many Star-spenders the deck supports.

Core Combo
Alignment + Seven Stars + Astral Pulse
All Relics42 relics
Ectoplasm
Ectoplasm S
Ancient
+1 energy each turn, but you can no longer gain gold. A run-defining Ancient relic.
Black Star
Black Star S
Ancient
Elites drop an additional relic. The earlier you take it, the harder it snowballs.
Brimstone
Brimstone S
Shop
Each turn you gain +2 Strength and all enemies +1. A Strength Ironclad's dream.
Astrolabe
Astrolabe A
Ancient
Transform 3 cards and upgrade them on pickup — instant deck-quality spike.
Brilliant Scarf
Brilliant Scarf A
Ancient
The 5th card you play each turn is free — a hidden engine for big-hand decks.
Anchor
Anchor A
Common
Start each combat with 10 Block. Plain but always online.
Bag of Preparation
Bag of Preparation A
Common
Draw 2 extra cards on turn one — huge consistency boost.
Bag of Marbles
Bag of Marbles A
Uncommon
Apply 1 Vulnerable to all enemies at combat start — free team-wide damage.
Eternal Feather
Eternal Feather
Uncommon
For every 5 cards in your deck, heal 3 HP at rest sites.
Charon's Ashes
Charon's Ashes
Rare
Whenever you Exhaust a card, deal 3 damage to ALL enemies — the Exhaust deck multiplier.
Beating Remnant
Beating Remnant
Rare
You can lose at most 20 HP per turn — anti-one-shot insurance at high Ascension.
Emotion Chip
Emotion Chip
Rare (Defect)
If you lost HP last turn, trigger all orb passives at turn start.
Calling Bell
Calling Bell
Ancient
Gain a unique Affliction and 3 relics — a high-risk, high-reward gamble.
Akabeko
Akabeko
Uncommon
Gain 8 Vigor at combat start — a harder-hitting opening turn.
Centennial Puzzle
Centennial Puzzle
Common
The first time you lose HP each combat, draw 3 cards.
Diamond Diadem
Diamond Diadem
Ancient
If you play 2 or fewer cards in a turn, you take half damage from enemies.
Fiddle
Fiddle
Ancient
Draw 2 extra at turn start, but you cannot draw any more that turn.
Alchemical Coffer
Alchemical Coffer
Shop
Fill all 4 potion slots instantly — a one-stop armory before a boss.
Lantern
Lantern S
Common
Gain 1 additional energy on the first turn of each combat — a plain but premium energy source.
Strawberry
Strawberry S
Common
On pickup, raise your Max HP by 7 — simple and effective; the community loves Max HP.
Festive Popper
Festive Popper S
Common
At the start of each combat deal 9 damage to ALL enemies — a new StS2 face that speeds through early fights; community S-tier.
Gorget
Gorget
Common
Start each combat with 4 Plating (decays by 1 each turn) — strong into multi-hit enemies.
Gremlin Horn
Gremlin Horn S
Uncommon
Whenever an enemy dies, gain 1 energy and draw 1 card — the perpetual engine of multi-enemy fights; consensus S-tier.
Mercury Hourglass
Mercury Hourglass S
Uncommon
At the start of your turn deal 3 damage to ALL enemies — free damage all run long.
Pantograph
Pantograph S
Uncommon
At the start of boss combats, heal 25 HP — massively raises your margin for error against bosses.
Pen Nib
Pen Nib S
Uncommon
Every 10th Attack you play deals double damage — nuclear with multi-hit or heavy hitters.
Red Mask
Red Mask S
Uncommon
At the start of each combat apply 1 Weak to ALL enemies — team-wide damage reduction.
Pear
Pear S
Uncommon
Raise your Max HP by 10 — the upgraded Strawberry.
Bellows
Bellows
Uncommon
The first hand you draw each combat is upgraded — a new StS2 relic, basically a free Armaments every fight.
Ice Cream
Ice Cream S
Rare
Energy is now conserved between turns — consensus S-tier, the highest-ceiling energy relic.
Unceasing Top
Unceasing Top S
Rare
Whenever your hand is empty during your turn, draw 1 card — a draw engine for fast-cycling decks.
Gambling Chip
Gambling Chip S
Rare
At the start of each combat, discard any number of cards and draw that many — transforms your opening turn.
Rainbow Ring
Rainbow Ring S
Rare
The first time each turn you play an Attack, a Skill and a Power, gain 1 Strength and 1 Dexterity — play all three colors for +2/+2 a turn.
Razor Tooth
Razor Tooth S
Rare
Whenever you play an Attack or Skill, upgrade it for the rest of this combat — a new StS2 mechanic that snowballs as you play.
Lizard Tail
Lizard Tail
Rare
When you would die, revive at 50% Max HP instead (once per run) — an extra life is never bad.
Snecko Skull
Snecko Skull A
Common (Silent)
Whenever you apply Poison, apply 1 additional stack — mandatory for Poison Silent.
Paper Phrog
Paper Phrog A
Uncommon (Ironclad)
Enemies with Vulnerable take +75% attack damage instead of +50% — build-defining for Vulnerable Ironclad.
Membership Card
Membership Card
Shop
Everything at the shop costs 50% less — the core of shop builds; the earlier you buy it, the more it pays.
Snecko Eye
Snecko Eye A
Ancient
Draw 2 extra cards at turn start but begin each combat Confused — the highest win rate on the community Ancient Elo ladder (93.8%) yet picked only 13.1% of the time; criminally underrated.
Sai
Sai A
Ancient
Gain 7 Block at the start of each turn — a 92.3% win rate, among the highest on the Ancient ladder.
Yummy Cookie
Yummy Cookie S
Ancient
Upgrade 4 cards on pickup — a 40.9% win rate and 69.9% pick rate in Ancient trios.
Arcane Scroll
Arcane Scroll S
Ancient
Gain a random rare card — the runaway #1 of the community Ancient Elo ladder; take on sight.
Potion Library

Every potion in the current build, with the best moment to drink each one.

Block Potion
Gain 12 Block.
When to UseRight before a heavy telegraphed hit.
Fire Potion
Deal 20 damage to an enemy.
When to UseAs a finisher once an enemy is inside lethal range.
Strength Potion
Gain 2 Strength for the rest of this combat.
When to UseOn turn one in multi-hit decks — every hit benefits.
Swift Potion
Draw 3 cards.
When to UseWhen digging for a key card mid-fight.
Energy Potion
Gain 2 energy.
When to UseTo kick off a burst turn.
Weak Potion
Apply 3 Weak to an enemy.
When to UseAt the start of boss fights, before their big attacks.
Vulnerable Potion
Apply 3 Vulnerable to an enemy.
When to UseAt the start of boss fights, right before your heavy hitters.
Duplicator
The next card you play this turn is played twice.
When to UseSave it for your finisher or a core Power.
Gambler's Brew
Discard any number of cards, then draw that many.
When to UseThe savior of bricked opening hands.
Blessing of the Forge
Upgrade all cards in your hand for the rest of this combat.
When to UseOn turn one for maximum value over the fight.
Heart of Iron
Gain 7 Plating.
When to UseAgainst multi-hit enemies, where Plating blocks every hit.
Fairy in a Bottle
When you would die, survive and heal 30% of your Max HP instead.
When to UseNever drink it — hold it as insurance against elites and bosses.
Ghost in a Jar
Gain 1 Intangible (Silent).
When to UseTo tank a single turn of massive incoming damage.
Snecko Oil
Draw 7 cards and randomize the costs of the cards in your hand.
When to UseBurst turns in big decks that can weather the cost chaos.
Liquid Memories
Return a card from your discard pile to your hand; it costs 0 this turn.
When to UseTo recycle a key Power or finisher.
Build–Relic Synergy Tips
Exhaust Block must-take: Charon's Ashes — 3 AoE damage per exhausted card. With Corruption cycling 5+ cards a turn it becomes a free damage multiplier. See Exhaust Block.
Star Burst prioritizes energy relics like Ectoplasm (+1 energy/turn): Stars only pay for Star-spenders, so the extra energy funds Alignment and card draw. See Star Burst and The Regent.
Claw Zero-Cost never lacks energy but fears Afflictions: debuffs stick to your cards permanently, and a thin Claw deck can ill afford a single polluted card. Avoid Affliction-priced blessings. See Claw Zero-Cost.
Doom Execute stands alone in co-op: Doom executes by percentage of max HP, ignoring co-op HP scaling (×1.75/2.5/3.25) — the only S+ answer. Pair with Beating Remnant (max 20 HP lost per turn) to stall safely to threshold. See Doom Execute and The Necrobinder.