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Slay the Spire / Original game
Cards and Relics Compared by Situation
The same card changes value with your deck, enemy, Ascension, and key goals. Compare original-game prerequisites and trade-offs rather than fixing an unsupported strongest-in-2026 ranking.
Scope: Original game, PC Steam App 646570; includes the V2.2 balance changes. The official announcement with a confirmed version number is V2.3.4 (2022-12-20). Checked: 2026-10-02. Ports, mods, II, and the board game are separate.
4 checks before a ranking
- Name the missing role against the current enemy: attack, defense, draw, or long-fight scaling.
- Read the verified effect. Check cost, target, number of plays, Exhaust, and functions lost later.
- Compare whether the current deck meets its requirements. Do not prioritize Catalyst at 0 Poison, Corruption without enough Skills, or Capacitor without orbs on name alone.
- Include the next boss and key plans. Time Eater's 12 cards, the Awakened One's Power response, and the Heart's Beat of Death alter the cost of the same sequence.
Compare cards by the problem you need to solve
| Missing role | Example options | Prerequisites | Weakness if unsupported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reduce multiple enemies | Whirlwind, Immolate, Dagger Spray, Electrodynamics | Secure the needed energy or orbs | Hitting all enemies matters less against a lone boss. |
| Poison scaling | Deadly Poison or Noxious Fumes → Catalyst | Apply Poison first. Catalyst+ triples it. | No Poison, or Artifact blocking it, prevents use of the multiplier. |
| Block and draw through Exhaust | Feel No Pain + Dark Embrace + Corruption | Play Powers first and have enough Skills | Skills run out in a long fight. The setup turn also needs defense. |
| Scale orb defense | Glacier or Coolheaded + Defragment | Have both Frost generation and Focus | End-of-turn-only Block cannot defend Beat of Death while playing cards against the Heart. |
| Defend through stance synergies | Mental Fortress or Talk to the Hand + exit cards | Create stance changes or attacks on the target | Talk to the Hand is an enemy debuff and can be blocked by Artifact. |
| Find needed cards | Seek, Hologram, Well-Laid Plans | Check the targeted pile and energy payment | Cannot Seek a card outside the draw pile or recover one absent from discard. |
Boss-relic prerequisites and trade-offs
| Option | What you gain | What to check first |
|---|---|---|
| Snecko Eye | 2 extra draws on top of the normal 5; Confused | Consider both high-cost cards becoming cheap and low-cost cards becoming expensive. |
| Astrolabe | Transform and upgrade 3 cards | Check whether you have unwanted cards to transform. Rebuild roles around the results because you cannot choose them. |
| Coffee Dripper | +1 energy each turn | Rest is forbidden. Check current HP and other healing. |
| Fusion Hammer | +1 energy each turn | Smith is forbidden. Have you completed needed cost-reduction and quantity upgrades? |
| Sozu | +1 energy each turn | Potion replacement stops. Check current count and types to keep until the endpoint. |
| Runic Pyramid | Do not discard your hand at end of turn | Prevent unwanted cards clogging the hand. Also check combinations that trap Snecko Eye's randomized-cost cards. |
| Velvet Choker | +1 energy each turn | How the 6-card limit affects Shivs, zero-cost cards, and loops. |
| Black Star | +1 relic from elite rewards | Can you defeat elites on future routes? Your hand is not stronger immediately after taking it. |
No explanations match. Try a short card name or role.
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