Neow is one of the Ancients in Slay the Spire 2. Neow appears at the start of every run, after the first run unlocks it, and offers a choice of three: one Curse-pool relic plus two from the Positive pool. The Positive pool changes based on which Curse you avoid.
The quick read: Act 1 placement, Neow, Mother of Resurrection (Exiled), 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 | Neow (Neow, Mother of Resurrection (Exiled)) |
| Appears in | Act 1 |
| Mechanic | One or more relic choices from separated pools |
The relic pools
Curse pool (one is always offered)
each 10% (single player)
| Relic | Effect | Offer rate |
|---|---|---|
| Cursed Pearl | Gain a Greed Curse and 333 Gold. | 10% |
| Dowsing Rod | Add a Dowsing quest card (becomes Abundance after 5 ? rooms). | 10% |
| Hefty Tablet | Choose 1 of 3 Rare cards; add an Injury Curse. | 10% |
| Large Capsule | Gain 2 random relics; add a Strike and a Defend. | 10% |
| Leafy Poultice | Transform a Strike and a Defend; lose 12 Max HP. | 10% |
| Neow’s Bones | Gain 2 random Neow relics; add a random Curse. | 10% |
| Neow’s Sacrifice | Gain Ambergris potion and a Guilty Curse. | 10% |
| Precarious Shears | Remove 2 cards; take 16 damage. | 10% |
| Silken Tress | Lose all Gold; Glam-enchant your first card reward. | 10% |
| Silver Crucible | First 3 card rewards Upgraded; first Treasure Chest empty. | 10% |
Positive pool (two shown; shifts with the Curse skipped)
dynamic
| Relic | Effect | Offer rate |
|---|---|---|
| Booming Conch | Elite combats: draw 2 extra, gain 1 Energy. | base |
| Fishing Rod | Every 3 normal fights, upgrade a random card. | base |
| Kaleidoscope | Gain 2 card rewards from other characters. | base |
| Lead Paperweight | Choose 1 of 2 Colorless cards. | base |
| Neow’s Torment | Add a Neow’s Fury card. | base |
| Scroll Boxes | Choose 1 of 2 card packs. | base |
| Golden Pearl | If Cursed Pearl skipped: gain 150 Gold. | conditional |
| Arcane Scroll | If Hefty Tablet skipped: gain a random Rare card. | conditional |
| New Leaf | If Leafy Poultice skipped: transform 1 card. | conditional |
| Precise Scissors | If Precarious Shears skipped: remove 1 card. | conditional |
| Phial Holster + Lost Coffer | If Neow’s Sacrifice skipped: potion slot + 2 potions, and a card reward + potion. | conditional |
| Lava Rock / Small Capsule | If Large Capsule skipped: Act 1 boss drops 2 relics, or gain 1 random relic. | conditional |
Which picks matter
The strongest openers are the unconditional Positive relics that thin or upgrade your deck (Scroll Boxes, Fishing Rod) and the conditional ones that appear when you skip a Curse you did not want. The skill is reading which Curse you can afford to take for the Positive relic it unlocks.
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 Neow 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.