The Ancients are the part of Slay the Spire 2 that most players underuse. They open an act, hand you relic choices from separated pools, and the relics are stronger than normal drops because they are gated by the act you are in. The catch is that each one works differently, and the offer rates decide what you can even pick.
The conclusion up front: knowing which Ancient appears in which act, and which relics are conditional on your deck, is the difference between a free power spike and a wasted choice. Here is the roster. Each name links to the full relic pool and drop rates.
The eight Ancients
| Ancient | Act | Mechanic |
|---|---|---|
| Neow | Act 1 (every run) | One Curse relic + two from a shifting Positive pool |
| Orobas | Act 2 | One relic from each of three pools |
| Pael | Act 2 | Three pools; several relics gated on your deck |
| Tezcatara | Act 2 | Three pools; fire and food theme |
| Darv | Act 2 and Act 3 | Returning boss relics + a character-specific ancient card |
| Nonupeipe | Act 3 | Three random relics from a ten-relic pool |
| Tanx | Act 3 | Three weapon relics from a ten-relic pool |
| Vakuu | Act 3 | Three pools; big upsides with real costs |
How the choice works
Most Ancients separate their relics into pools and offer one from each. The offer rate within a pool is usually flat — about 33.3% for a three-relic pool and 25% for a four-relic pool. The exceptions are the conditional relics: a relic that needs four Swift-enchantable cards, or one that needs a basic Strike, simply will not be offered unless your deck qualifies. Build toward those if you want them; do not expect them by accident.
What to prioritise
- Deck-thinning and energy relics beat one-fight payoffs. A relic that upgrades or removes cards helps every fight after.
- Watch the act. Picking a deck plan in Act 2 around an Ancient you might not see is a gamble; the Ancient pages list exactly which act each one is in.
- Read the rates. A 25% pool relic is rarer than a 33.3% one, so weight your choice toward what you will actually be offered.
The mistake players make
Treating the Ancient screen like a normal relic pick. It is not — the relics are stronger and the pools are narrower, so the right read is which pick scales the whole act, not which wins the next fight.
A quick checklist
- Open the run planning around Neow’s boon.
- In Act 2, expect Orobas, Pael, Tezcatara or Darv.
- In Act 3, expect Darv, Nonupeipe, Tanx or Vakuu.
- Favour thin, upgrade and energy relics.
- Open the individual Ancient page before you commit a pick.
For the characters these relics fuel, see all five characters. For what the relics do in combat, see the relic database. For the bosses that close each act, see the boss table.