Darv is one of the Ancients in Slay the Spire 2. Darv is unique: he is the only Ancient that can appear in both Act 2 and Act 3. Half the time he offers three relics from his pool; the other half he offers two pool relics plus the Dusty Tome, which grants a character-specific ancient card.
The quick read: Act 2 and Act 3 placement, The Hoarder, and a relic choice that rewards players who know which picks scale their deck. Below is every relic in each pool with the real offer rates.
Which act and what to expect
| Ancient | Darv (The Hoarder) |
| Appears in | Act 2 and Act 3 |
| Mechanic | One or more relic choices from separated pools |
The relic pools
Pool 1 (50% → three shown; else two + Dusty Tome)
each relic in pool
| Relic | Effect | Offer rate |
|---|---|---|
| Astrolabe | Transform 3 cards, then upgrade them. | pool |
| Black Star | Elites drop an extra relic. | pool |
| Calling Bell | Gain Curse of the Bell and 3 relics. | pool |
| Empty Cage | Remove 2 cards from your deck. | pool |
| Philosopher’s Stone | Colorless Energy each turn; all enemies gain 1 Strength each combat. | pool |
| Runic Pyramid | Keep your hand at end of turn. | pool |
| Snecko Eye | Draw 2 extra cards; start each combat Confused. | pool |
| Velvet Choker | Colorless Energy each turn; play at most 6 cards per turn. | pool |
| Pandora’s Box | Transform all Strikes and Defends. | pool |
| Ectoplasm | Act 2 only. No Gold; Colorless Energy each turn. | Act 2 only |
| Sozu | Act 2 only. No potions; Colorless Energy each turn. | Act 2 only |
Pool 2 (the fixed third slot, half the time)
fixed
| Relic | Effect | Offer rate |
|---|---|---|
| Dusty Tome | Gain an ancient card (Corruption / Wraith Form / The Sealed Throne / Forbidden Grimoire / Biased Cognition by character). | fixed slot |
Which picks matter
Runic Pyramid and Snecko Eye are the classic power relics; Dusty Tome is the unique payoff because it grants a character-defining ancient card. Ectoplasm and Sozu only appear in Act 2, so the pool is smaller and stronger there.
The mistake players make
Picking for the moment instead of the run. The strongest Ancient pick is usually the one that thins, upgrades, or fuels your deck for the whole act, not the relic that wins the next fight. Read the offer rates above — a 25% pool relic is rarer than a 33.3% one, so weight your choice toward what you will actually be offered.
A quick checklist
- Know which act Darv appears in before you plan around it.
- Favour deck-thinning and energy relics over one-fight payoffs.
- Watch the conditional relics — they only appear if your deck qualifies.
- Use the offer rates to judge how often a pick is even on the table.
For the other Ancients, see the Ancients overview. For what the relics do in combat, see the relic database. For the characters these relics fuel, see all five characters.