Vakuu is one of the Ancients in Slay the Spire 2. Vakuu appears at the start of Act 3 and offers one relic from each of three pools. His relics swing hard — big rewards paired with real costs — so the read is about which downsides your deck can absorb.
The quick read: Act 3 placement, The First Demon, 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 | Vakuu (The First Demon) |
| Appears in | Act 3 |
| Mechanic | One or more relic choices from separated pools |
The relic pools
Pool 1
each 33.3%
| Relic | Effect | Offer rate |
|---|---|---|
| Blood-Soaked Rose | Add an Enthralled; gain Colorless Energy each turn. | 33.3% |
| Fiddle | Draw 2 extra cards each turn, but never draw during your turn. | 33.3% |
| Whispering Earring | Gain Colorless Energy each turn; Vakuu plays your first turn for you. | 33.3% |
Pool 2
each 33.3%
| Relic | Effect | Offer rate |
|---|---|---|
| Distinguished Cape | Add 2 random Curses and 3 Apparitions. | 33.3% |
| Preserved Fog | Remove 3 cards; add a Folly. | 33.3% |
| Sere Talon | Lose 9 Max HP; add 3 Wishes. | 33.3% |
Pool 3
each 25%
| Relic | Effect | Offer rate |
|---|---|---|
| Choices Paradox | Each combat, add 1 of 5 random cards to hand with Retain. | 25% |
| Jeweled Mask | Each combat, a random Power from your draw pile is free. | 25% |
| Lord’s Parasol | At a Merchant, take everything he sells. | 25% |
| Music Box | Ethereal-copy the first Attack you play each turn. | 25% |
Which picks matter
Pool 3 is where Vakuu pays off: Jeweled Mask (free Power) and Lord’s Parasol (clear the Merchant) are the chase picks. Pool 2 is the cost side — Preserved Fog is the cleanest because it removes cards rather than adds Curses.
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 Vakuu 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.