Basic tips and tricks for beginners

Deckbuilder like Slay the Spire 2 they can be quite daunting for the inexperienced, but they are actually not as difficult as they may seem. With a little practice and a little patience, you can suddenly overcome the amount of cards, status effects, and unknown keywords the game throws at you. In this Slay the Spire 2 guide, we'll go over the best tips and tricks for beginners to successfully climb Akty and reach the top of that tower.

Related

The best iron cards in Slay the Spire 2

If you want to take on the Spire as a brutal warrior, then Ironclad is the ideal character to choose.

Slay the Spire 2: Character Selection

Slay the Spire 2 has a total of five characters to unlock, with three returning characters from the prequel and two brand new entries to the series. Each character has their own starting HP and Relic, as well as a unique deck of cards to add to your decks. As such, all five characters bring different play styles to the arena, and some can stick with you more than others.

It's important to experiment with each of the characters to find your fit. While all are perfectly viable to win, each character offers a radically different approach to fighting Spire's enemies.

Plan your route before anything else

IN Slay the Spire 2a map is your best friend. You can access the map at any time during the run by clicking on its icon in the upper right corner of the screeneven during dialogue with NPCs.

Image by GameRant; Source: Mega Crit

Before starting your run (and collecting your reward from Neow), you should consult your map and plan the best route to take. For example, if Neow offers you hundreds of gold to start with, it might be worth going the earlier trader route. Or, if you choose an option that lowers your maximum HP, it might be wise to choose a path with fewer elite encounters.

The safest routes are those with fewer elites and more Unknown rooms. However, if you avoid elite battles, you will lose more relics. A good path should provide a balanced mix of normal battles, unknown rooms, elite encounters, and plenty of rest stops to regain HP and upgrade cards.

Advocate first, ask questions later

In combat, it can be tempting to dish out as many attacks as possible and kill your opponents quickly. However, taking unnecessary damage is the easiest way to bring your run to an early end. After all, you can't win if you're dead.

Image by GameRant; Source: Mega Crit

If your enemies are going to attack you, it is always wise to do so stack on Block firstthen use Attacks with remaining energy. Sometimes this means you won't be able to attack for one turn – and that's okay. There is no spin limit Slay the Spire 2and you will never run out of cards to draw. Many enemies will spend their turns preparing a buff or shields for themselves instead of attacking you. When this happens, you have a chance to attack with everything you've got.

Every turn is situational. Sometimes it's better to block, while other times it's better to take a little damage. Consider what rooms are in front of you and where your next resting place is to see if you can afford to attack with 10 HP or 1 HP.

Remove your attacks and defenses

Each character starts running with five Strike cards and five Defense cardsalong with some unique cards for their decks. However, virtually every other card you add to your deck will be better than Strikes and Defends, either by providing more damage, lower cost, or better utility.

Take the Ironclad's Pommel Strike for example a card – 1 energy cost card that deals 9 damage and draws 1 card. For the same cost as Strike, you get three more damage and draw advantage. Or take Silent's Cloak and dagger card, 1 energy cost card that gains 6 blocks and adds 1 Shiv to your hand. For the same defense cost, you get an extra point of block and 4 damage attacks to play for free.

Why remove your starter cards?

So why would you ever want to remove attack and defense cards from your deck? Simply put, because more is not always better. Your goal is draw as many of your best cards as possiblebut you can only draw so many cards per round. Every time you draw a Strike card, it's a wasted opportunity to draw Pommel Strike, or Cloak and Dagger, or something even better.

Image by GameRant; Source: Mega Crit

Realistically, you'll rarely be able to remove all of your punches and defenses in a single run. However, if you've found a card that serves as a better replacement for any of these, it's always a good idea to remove them when possible.

Don't be afraid to change lanes

Slay the Spire 2 it has a lot of build variety in terms of the amount of relics and cards you can combine with each character. However, however you may want to stick with a pure Poison build with Silent, or a strict Block build with Ironclad, you should not shy away from the opportunity to pivot when the opportunity arises.

Image by GameRant; Source: Mega Crit

While the Rare cards offer some of the strongest plays you can make, the relics you find really help shape each tower pass. If you happen to get a build-defining Relic early, it's perfectly fine to lean heavily into it. Otherwise, it's fine to spice up your deck a bit until it really starts to come alive. It's better to have an extra trick or two up your sleeve than to realize you're stuck with a lineup that doesn't work in Act 2.

Remember that once you start a synergy build, you can always shave off unwanted cards later by paying to remove them.

Pick your battles

IN Slay the Spire 2you have the luxury of choosing the obstacles that stand in your way (mostly). While normal encounters with enemies cannot be avoided, there is usually always a way to avoid elite battles. Depending on your current circumstances, skipping the elite battle may be a much better option.

Elites upon defeat, they reward you with a card, a random potion, and a relic. However, they are some of the toughest enemies you will encounter while climbing the Spire, and many of them can easily end your escape. While a free relic may be tempting, keep in mind that you can also purchase all of the same rewards from the merchant. In fact, you'll have even more options to choose from.

Image by GameRant; Source: Mega Crit

The Dealer offers various goods for sale:

• 5 cards unique to your character

• 2 colorless cards

• 3 Relics

• 3 potions

• Card Removal Services

Provided you have the gold available, you can buy as many as you want instead of only getting one of each from an elite enemy. Fortunately, the merchant isn't interested in killing you, so you'll also save a lot of HP in the process.

If you're sitting on a pile of gold on the run, it's a much safer and smarter option to visit the merchant than to face an elite enemy.

When you're ready for bigger challenges, be sure to check out the new co-op multiplayer mode Slay the Spire 2.

Systems

Released

March 2026

Developers

Mega Crit

Publishers

Mega Crit

Engine

Godot

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