The five characters
Slay the Spire 2 launches with five characters. Each has its own card pool, so the deck you build changes completely between them.
| Character | Playstyle | Cards |
|---|---|---|
| Ironclad | Brute force and self-empowerment | 87 |
| Silent | Precision, poison, and patience | 89 |
| Defect | Channeling elemental power through Orbs | 88 |
| Necrobinder | Dark rituals and summoned allies | 88 |
| Regent | Royal authority and strategic mastery | 88 |
Card counts come from the current early access build and will move as the game grows.
The unlock chain
Only Ironclad is available on a fresh save. The other four sit behind a win each, in a fixed order.
| Slot | Character | Unlocked by |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ironclad | Available from the start |
| 2 | Silent | Win a run as Ironclad |
| 3 | Regent | Win a run as Silent |
| 4 | Necrobinder | Win a run as Regent |
| 5 | Defect | Win a run as Necrobinder |
So the chain is linear. You cannot skip ahead to Defect without clearing the four wins before it.
That makes your first Ironclad win the most valuable run you will play. It opens the rest of the roster.
The Epochs and Timeline guide explains the other half: the reward bundles behind each milestone, and why none of them apply until you claim them.
Picking a first character
You start with Ironclad whether you like it or not. He rewards simple, heavy attacks and self-buffs, which is the clearest way to learn the run structure.
Once Silent opens, she plays the opposite way. Her kit leans on poison and patience, so damage lands a turn later than you expect.
Regent and Necrobinder are the new faces. Regent trades in authority effects, and Necrobinder works through summons and dark rituals.
Where to go next
The Necrobinder guide and Regent guide cover the two new characters in depth.