What is the best relic in Slay the Spire 2?

There is no single best relic. Energy, card draw, and Strength or Dexterity relics are the highest priority because they help every deck. The relic tier list below ranks by function, not by a fixed letter.

Are rarer relics always better?

Not always. Rarity tracks how often a relic appears, not its power. Some Common relics that grant energy or block at combat start outrank many Boss relics for early picks.

How should I read the priority tiers?

P1 means pick it in almost any run. P2 is strong defensive or scaling value. P3 is situational economy or sustain. P4 only matters for a specific archetype.

Should I skip a relic for deck space?

Relics do not take deck space, so you almost always take one when offered. The real choice is which shop relic to buy when you cannot afford all of them — use the priority tiers above.

Where do relic effects come from?

Every effect on this page is pulled from the official STS2 data API (spire-codex.com) on 17 October 2026. Numbers may shift as the game leaves early access.

Slay the Spire 2 Relic Tier List & Evaluation Guide

Relic choice decides more runs in Slay the Spire 2 than almost any other purchase. This guide does not hand you a fixed S-to-D letter chart, because relic value depends on your deck. Instead it ranks all 296 relics by what they do, with priority rules you can apply on the fly.

How the priority tiers work

The tier is derived from the relic’s effect, not from opinion. The rules:

P1 — pick early. Grants energy, card draw, or Strength / Dexterity. These help every deck.
P2 — strong. Block, Thorns, Plating, or compounding “every turn / each combat” value.
P3 — situational. Gold, shops, healing, Max HP, or debuff auras. Good, not urgent.
P4 — niche. Tied to a specific card type or archetype (Strike, Sly, Doom, Summon).

Rarity is a separate axis. A Common relic that grants energy at combat start can outrank a Boss relic that only helps one archetype. Read the function first, the rarity second.

Relic tier list by function

Each table lists the relics in that function with their rarity, priority, and effect. Every name links to its full relic page.

Energy — 29 relics

Pick early. Universal, repeatable value that improves almost every deck.

Relic	Rarity	Priority	Effect
Art of War	Rare Relic	P1	If you do not play any Attacks during your turn, gain an additional 1 Energy next turn.
Blessed Antler	Ancient Relic	P1	Gain 1 Energy at the start of each turn. At the start of each combat, shuffle 3 Dazed into your Draw Pile.
Blood-Soaked Rose	Ancient Relic	P1	Upon pickup, add 1 Enthralled to your Deck. Gain 1 Energy at the start of each turn.
Booming Conch	Ancient Relic	P1	At the start of Elite combats, draw 2 additional cards and gain 1 Energy.
Bread	Shop Relic	P1	At the start of your first turn, lose 2 Energy. At the start of all other turns, gain 1 Energy.
Candelabra	Uncommon Relic	P1	At the start of your 2nd turn, gain 2 Energy.
Chandelier	Rare Relic	P1	At the start of your 3rd turn, gain 3 Energy.
Ectoplasm	Ancient Relic	P1	You can no longer gain Gold. Gain 1 Energy at the start of each turn.
Gremlin Horn	Uncommon Relic	P1	Whenever an enemy dies, gain 1 Energy and draw 1 card.
Happy Flower	Common Relic	P1	Every 3 turns, gain 1 Energy.
Happy Flower???	Event Relic	P1	Every 5 turns, gain 1 Energy.
Ice Cream	Rare Relic	P1	Energy is now conserved between turns.
Intimidating Helmet	Rare Relic	P1	Whenever you play a card that costs 2 Energy or more, gain 4 Block.
Ivory Tile	Rare Relic	P1	Whenever you play a card that costs 3 Energy or more, gain 1 Energy.
Lantern	Common Relic	P1	Start each combat with an additional 1 Energy.
Nunchaku	Uncommon Relic	P1	Every time you play 10 Attacks, gain 1 Energy.
Pael’s Flesh	Ancient Relic	P1	Gain an additional 1 Energy at the start of your 3rd turn, and every turn after that.
Pael’s Tears	Ancient Relic	P1	If you end your turn with unspent 1 Energy, gain an additional 2 Energy next turn.
Philosopher’s Stone	Ancient Relic	P1	Gain 1 Energy at the start of each turn. ALL enemies start combat with 1 Strength.
Prismatic Gem	Ancient Relic	P1	Gain 1 Energy at the start of each turn. Card rewards now contain cards from other colors.
Pumpkin Candle	Ancient Relic	P1	Gain 1 Energy at the start of each turn. Extinguishes after 5 combats. Can be Kindled at Rest Sites.
Seal of Gold	Ancient Relic	P1	At the start of your turn, spend 5 Gold to gain 1 Energy.
Sozu	Ancient Relic	P1	Gain 1 Energy at the start of each turn. You can no longer obtain potions.
Spiked Gauntlets	Ancient Relic	P1	Gain 1 Energy at the start of each turn. Powers cost 1 more 1 Energy.
Velvet Choker	Ancient Relic	P1	Gain 1 Energy at the start of each turn. You cannot play more than 6 cards per turn.
Venerable Tea Set	Common Relic	P1	Whenever you enter a Rest Site, start the next combat with an additional 2 Energy.
Venerable Tea Set???	Event Relic	P1	Whenever you enter a Rest Site, start the next combat with an additional 1 Energy.
Very Hot Cocoa	Ancient Relic	P1	Start each combat with an additional 4 Energy.
Whispering Earring	Ancient Relic	P1	Gain 1 Energy at the start of each turn. Vakuu plays your first turn for you.

Card Draw — 25 relics

Pick early. Universal, repeatable value that improves almost every deck.

Relic	Rarity	Priority	Effect
Bag of Preparation	Common Relic	P1	At the start of each combat, draw 2 additional cards.
Bellows	Rare Relic	P1	The first Hand you draw each combat is Upgraded.
Big Mushroom	Event Relic	P1	Upon pickup, raise your Max HP by 20. At the start of each combat, draw 2 fewer cards.
Biiig Hug	Ancient Relic	P1	Upon pickup, remove 4 cards from your Deck. Whenever you shuffle your Draw Pile, add a Soot into your Draw Pile.
Centennial Puzzle	Common Relic	P1	The first time you lose HP each combat, draw 3 cards.
Fiddle	Ancient Relic	P1	At the start of each turn, draw 2 additional cards. You may not draw cards during your turn.
Funerary Mask	Uncommon Relic	P1	At the start of each combat, add 3 Souls into your Draw Pile.
Gambling Chip	Rare Relic	P1	At the start of each combat, discard any number of cards then draw that many.
Game Piece	Rare Relic	P1	Whenever you play a Power, draw 1 card.
Iron Club	Ancient Relic	P1	Every 4 cards you play, draw 1 card.
Jeweled Mask	Ancient Relic	P1	At the start of each combat, put a random Power from your Draw Pile into your Hand. It’s free to play this combat.
Joss Paper	Uncommon Relic	P1	Every 5 times you Exhaust a card, draw 1 card.
Pael’s Blood	Ancient Relic	P1	At the start of your turn, draw 1 additional card.
Pendulum	Common Relic	P1	Every 3 turns, draw 1 card.
Pocketwatch	Rare Relic	P1	Whenever you play 3 or fewer cards during your turn, draw 3 additional cards at the start of your next turn.
Pollinous Core	Event Relic	P1	Every 4 turns, draw 2 additional cards.
Power Cell	Rare Relic	P1	At the start of each combat, add 2 zero-cost cards from your Draw Pile into your Hand.
Ring of the Drake	Starter Relic	P1	At the start of your first 3 turns, draw 2 additional cards.
Ring of the Snake	Starter Relic	P1	At the start of each combat, draw 2 additional cards.
Snecko Eye	Ancient Relic	P1	At the start of your turn, draw 2 additional cards. Start each combat Confused.
Stone Cracker	Uncommon Relic	P1	At the start of each combat, Upgrade 2 random cards in your Draw Pile for the rest of combat.
Tea of Discourtesy	Event Relic	P1	At the start of the next combat, shuffle 2 Dazed into your Draw Pile.
The Abacus	Shop Relic	P1	Whenever you shuffle your Draw Pile, gain 6 Block.
Toasty Mittens	Ancient Relic	P1	At the start of your turn, Exhaust the top card of your Draw Pile and gain 1 Strength.
Unceasing Top	Rare Relic	P1	Whenever you have no cards in Hand during your turn, draw a card.

Strength & Dexterity — 17 relics

Pick early. Universal, repeatable value that improves almost every deck.

Relic	Rarity	Priority	Effect
Belt Buckle	Shop Relic	P1	While you have no potions, you have 2 additional Dexterity.
Brimstone	Shop Relic	P1	At the start of your turn, gain 2 Strength and ALL enemies gain 1 Strength.
Ember Tea	Event Relic	P1	At the start of the next 5 combats, gain 2 Strength.
Girya	Rare Relic	P1	You can now gain Strength at Rest Sites. (3 times max)
Helical Dart	Rare Relic	P1	Whenever you play a Shiv, gain 1 Dexterity this turn.
Kunai	Rare Relic	P1	Every time you play 3 Attacks in a single turn, gain 1 Dexterity.
Mini Regent	Rare Relic	P1	The first time you spend 1 Stars each turn, gain 1 Strength.
Oddly Smooth Stone	Common Relic	P1	Start each combat with 1 Dexterity.
Rainbow Ring	Rare Relic	P1	The first time you play an Attack, Skill, and Power each turn, gain 1 Strength and 1 Dexterity.
Red Skull	Common Relic	P1	While your HP is at or below 50%, you have 3 additional Strength.
Reptile Trinket	Uncommon Relic	P1	Whenever you use a potion, gain 3 Strength this turn.
Ruined Helmet	Rare Relic	P1	The first time you gain Strength each combat, double the amount gained.
Shuriken	Rare Relic	P1	Every time you play 3 Attacks in a single turn, gain 1 Strength.
Sling of Courage	Shop Relic	P1	Start each Elite combat with 2 Strength.
Sparkling Rouge	Uncommon Relic	P1	At the start of your 3rd turn, gain 1 Strength and 1 Dexterity.
Sword of Jade	Event Relic	P1	Start each combat with 3 Strength.
Vajra	Common Relic	P1	Start each combat with 1 Strength.

Block & Defense — 27 relics

Strong. Defensive, offensive, or deck-improving value that pays off across a run.

Relic	Rarity	Priority	Effect
Anchor	Common Relic	P2	Start each combat with 10 Block.
Anchor???	Event Relic	P2	Start each combat with 4 Block.
Bone Flute	Common Relic	P2	Whenever Osty attacks, gain 2 Block.
Bronze Scales	Common Relic	P2	Start each combat with 3 Thorns.
Captain’s Wheel	Rare Relic	P2	At the start of your 3rd turn, gain 18 Block.
Cloak Clasp	Rare Relic	P2	At the end of your turn, gain 1 Block for each card in your Hand.
Daughter of the Wind	Event Relic	P2	Whenever you play an Attack, gain 1 Block.
Fresnel Lens	Event Relic	P2	Whenever you add a card that gains Block to your Deck, Enchant it with Nimble 2.
Galactic Dust	Uncommon Relic	P2	For every 10 1 Stars spent, gain 10 Block.
Gorget	Common Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, gain 4 Plating.
Hand Drill	Event Relic	P2	Whenever you break an enemy’s Block, apply 2 Vulnerable.
Horn Cleat	Uncommon Relic	P2	At the start of your 2nd turn, gain 14 Block.
Orichalcum	Uncommon Relic	P2	If you end your turn without Block, gain 6 Block.
Orichalcum???	Event Relic	P2	If you end your turn without Block, gain 3 Block.
Ornamental Fan	Uncommon Relic	P2	Every time you play 3 Attacks in a single turn, gain 4 Block.
Pael’s Legion	Ancient Relic	P2	Doubles Block gained from a card, then goes to sleep for 2 turns.
Parrying Shield	Uncommon Relic	P2	If you end a turn with at least 10 Block, deal 6 damage to a random enemy.
Permafrost	Uncommon Relic	P2	The first time you play a Power each combat, gain 7 Block.
Regalite	Uncommon Relic	P2	Whenever you create a card, gain 2 Block.
Ripple Basin	Uncommon Relic	P2	If you did not play any Attacks during your turn, gain 4 Block.
Sai	Ancient Relic	P2	At the start of your turn, gain 7 Block.
Self-Forming Clay	Uncommon Relic	P2	Whenever you lose HP in combat, gain 3 Block next turn.
Sturdy Clamp	Rare Relic	P2	Up to 10 Block persists across turns.
Tough Bandages	Rare Relic	P2	Whenever you discard a card during your turn, gain 3 Block.
Tuning Fork	Uncommon Relic	P2	Every time you play 10 Skills, gain 7 Block.
Vambrace	Uncommon Relic	P2	The first time you gain Block from a card each combat, double the amount gained.
Vitruvian Minion	Shop Relic	P2	Cards containing “Minion” deal double damage and gain double Block.

Recurring Scaling — 41 relics

Strong. Defensive, offensive, or deck-improving value that pays off across a run.

Relic	Rarity	Priority	Effect
Akabeko	Uncommon Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, gain 8 Vigor.
Bag of Marbles	Common Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, apply 1 Vulnerable to ALL enemies.
Big Hat	Rare Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, add 2 random Ethereal cards into your Hand.
Blood Vial	Common Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, heal 2 HP.
Blood Vial???	Event Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, heal 1 HP.
Book of Five Rings	Common Relic	P2	Every 5 cards you add to your Deck, heal 20 HP.
Bookmark	Rare Relic	P2	At the end of each turn, lower the cost of a random Retained card by 1 until played.
Brilliant Scarf	Ancient Relic	P2	The 5th card you play from your hand each turn is free.
Burning Sticks	Shop Relic	P2	The first time each combat you Exhaust a Skill, add a copy of it into your Hand.
Choices Paradox	Ancient Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, add 1 of 5 random cards into your Hand. Add Retain to the chosen card.
Cracked Core	Starter Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, Channel 1 Lightning.
Data Disk	Common Relic	P2	Start each combat with 1 Focus.
Delicate Frond	Ancient Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, fill all empty potion slots with random potions.
Divine Destiny	Starter Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, gain 6 Stars.
Divine Right	Starter Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, gain 3 Stars.
Eternal Feather	Uncommon Relic	P2	For every 5 cards in your Deck, heal 3 HP whenever you enter a Rest Site.
Fencing Manual	Common Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, Forge 10.
Festive Popper	Common Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, deal 9 damage to ALL enemies.
Fishing Rod	Ancient Relic	P2	Every 3 normal combats, Upgrade a random card in your Deck.
Infused Core	Starter Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, Channel 3 Lightning. Lightning deals 1 additional damage.
Metronome	Rare Relic	P2	The first time you Channel 7 Orbs each combat, deal 30 damage to ALL enemies.
Music Box	Ancient Relic	P2	Create an Ethereal copy of the first Attack you play each turn.
Ninja Scroll	Shop Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, add 3 Shivs into your Hand.
Orange Dough	Rare Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, add 2 random Colorless cards into your Hand.
Pael’s Eye	Ancient Relic	P2	The first time each combat you end your turn without playing cards, Exhaust your Hand, and take an extra turn.
Pael’s Tooth	Ancient Relic	P2	Upon pickup, remove 5 cards from your Deck. After each combat, randomly add 1 back Upgraded.
Pael’s Wing	Ancient Relic	P2	You may sacrifice card rewards to Pael. Every 2 sacrifices, obtain a Relic.
Petrified Toad	Uncommon Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, procure a Potion-Shaped Rock.
Phylactery Unbound	Starter Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, Summon 5. At the start of your turn, Summon 2.
Radiant Pearl	Ancient Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, add 1 Luminesce into your Hand.
Red Mask	Common Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, apply 1 Weak to ALL enemies.
Royal Poison	Event Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, lose 4 HP.
Runic Capacitor	Shop Relic	P2	Start each combat with 3 additional Orb Slots.
Snecko Eye???	Event Relic	P2	Start each combat Confused.
Symbiotic Virus	Uncommon Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, Channel 1 Dark.
Throwing Axe	Ancient Relic	P2	The first card you play each combat is played an extra time.
Toolbox	Shop Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, choose 1 of 3 random Colorless cards and add the chosen card into your Hand.
Toy Box	Ancient Relic	P2	Upon pickup, obtain 4 Wax Relics. Every 3 combats, your left-most Wax Relic will melt away.
Twisted Funnel	Uncommon Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, apply 4 Poison to ALL enemies.
Unsettling Lamp	Rare Relic	P2	Each combat, the first time you play a card that Debuffs an enemy, double its effect.
Vexing Puzzlebox	Rare Relic	P2	At the start of each combat, add a random card into your Hand. It’s free to play this turn.

Damage & AoE — 22 relics

Strong. Defensive, offensive, or deck-improving value that pays off across a run.

Relic	Rarity	Priority	Effect
Charon’s Ashes	Rare Relic	P2	Whenever you Exhaust a card, deal 3 damage to ALL enemies.
Diamond Diadem	Ancient Relic	P2	Whenever you play 2 or fewer cards in a turn, take half damage from enemies.
Forgotten Soul	Event Relic	P2	Whenever you Exhaust a card, deal 1 damage to a random enemy.
Kusarigama	Uncommon Relic	P2	Every time you play 3 Attacks in a single turn, deal 6 damage to a random enemy.
Lava Lamp	Shop Relic	P2	At the end of combat, Upgrade all card rewards if you took no damage.
Letter Opener	Uncommon Relic	P2	Every time you play 3 Skills in a single turn, deal 5 damage to ALL enemies.
Lost Wisp	Event Relic	P2	Whenever you play a Power, deal 8 damage to ALL enemies.
Mercury Hourglass	Uncommon Relic	P2	At the start of your turn, deal 3 damage to ALL enemies.
Miniature Cannon	Uncommon Relic	P2	Upgraded Attacks deal 3 additional damage.
Mr. Struggles	Event Relic	P2	At the start of your turn, deal damage equal to the turn number to ALL enemies.
Mystic Lighter	Shop Relic	P2	Enchanted Attacks deal 9 additional damage.
Paper Krane	Rare Relic	P2	Enemies with Weak deal 40% less damage to you rather than 25%.
Paper Phrog	Uncommon Relic	P2	Enemies with Vulnerable take 75% more damage rather than 50%.
Pen Nib	Uncommon Relic	P2	Every 10th Attack you play deals double damage.
Screaming Flagon	Shop Relic	P2	If you end your turn with no cards in your Hand, deal 20 damage to ALL enemies.
Snecko Skull	Common Relic	P2	Whenever you apply Poison, apply an additional 1 Poison.
Stone Calendar	Rare Relic	P2	At the end of turn 7, deal 52 damage to ALL enemies.
Strike Dummy	Common Relic	P2	Cards containing “Strike” deal 3 additional damage.
Strike Dummy???	Event Relic	P2	Cards containing “Strike” deal 1 additional damage.
The Boot	Event Relic	P2	Whenever you would deal 4 or less unblocked attack damage, increase it to 5.
Tingsha	Uncommon Relic	P2	Whenever you discard a card during your turn, deal 3 damage to a random enemy for each card discarded.
Undying Sigil	Shop Relic	P2	Enemies with at least as much Doom as HP deal 50% less damage.

Potions & Consumables — 4 relics

Situational. Economy, sustain, utility, or matchup value; good but not urgent.

Relic	Rarity	Priority	Effect
Alchemical Coffer	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, gain 4 potion slots filled with random potions.
Lost Coffer	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, gain 1 card reward and procure 1 random potion.
Phial Holster	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, gain 1 potion slot and procure 2 random potions.
Potion Belt	Common Relic	P3	Upon pickup, gain 2 potion slots.

Upgrade / Transform / Enchant — 31 relics

Strong. Defensive, offensive, or deck-improving value that pays off across a run.

Relic	Rarity	Priority	Effect
Archaic Tooth	Ancient Relic	P2	Upon pickup, Transform a starter card into an ancient version.
Astrolabe	Ancient Relic	P2	Upon pickup, Transform 3 cards, then Upgrade them.
Beautiful Bracelet	Ancient Relic	P2	Upon pickup, choose 3 cards in your Deck. Enchant them with Swift 3.
Bone Tea	Event Relic	P2	At the start of the next combat, Upgrade your starting hand.
Claws	Ancient Relic	P2	Upon pickup, Transform up to 6 cards into Maul.
Electric Shrymp	Ancient Relic	P2	Upon pickup, Enchant a Skill with Imbued.
Fragrant Mushroom	Event Relic	P2	Upon pickup, lose 15 HP and Upgrade 2 random cards.
Frozen Egg	Rare Relic	P2	Whenever you add a Power into your Deck, Upgrade it.
Glitter	Ancient Relic	P2	Enchant all card rewards with Glam.
Gnarled Hammer	Shop Relic	P2	Upon pickup, Enchant up to 3 Attacks with Sharp 3.
Kifuda	Shop Relic	P2	Upon pickup, Enchant up to 3 cards with Adroit.
Leafy Poultice	Ancient Relic	P2	Upon pickup, Transform 1 of your Strikes and 1 of your Defends and lose 12 Max HP.
Molten Egg	Rare Relic	P2	Whenever you add an Attack card to your Deck, Upgrade it.
Neow’s Talisman	Ancient Relic	P2	Upon pickup, Upgrade 1 of your Strikes and 1 of your Defends.
New Leaf	Ancient Relic	P2	Upon pickup, Transform 1 card.
Nutritious Soup	Ancient Relic	P2	Upon pickup, Enchant all Strikes in your Deck with Tezcatara’s Ember.
Pael’s Claw	Ancient Relic	P2	Upon pickup, Enchant all Defends with Goopy.
Pael’s Growth	Ancient Relic	P2	Upon pickup, Enchant a card with Clone.
Pandora’s Box	Ancient Relic	P2	Transform ALL Strikes and Defends.
Pomander	Ancient Relic	P2	Upon pickup, Upgrade a card.
Punch Dagger	Shop Relic	P2	Upon pickup, Enchant an Attack with Momentum 5.
Razor Tooth	Rare Relic	P2	Every time you play an Attack or Skill, Upgrade it for the remainder of combat.
Royal Stamp	Shop Relic	P2	Upon pickup, choose an Attack or Skill in your Deck to Enchant with Royally Approved.
Sand Castle	Ancient Relic	P2	Upon pickup, Upgrade 6 random cards.
Silken Tress	Ancient Relic	P2	Upon pickup, lose all Gold. Enchant all cards in the first card reward with Glam.
Toxic Egg	Rare Relic	P2	Whenever you add a Skill into your Deck, Upgrade it.
Tri-Boomerang	Ancient Relic	P2	Choose 3 Attacks in your Deck. Enchant them with Instinct.
War Hammer	Ancient Relic	P2	Whenever you kill an Elite, Upgrade 4 random cards.
War Paint	Common Relic	P2	Upon pickup, Upgrade 2 random Skills.
Whetstone	Common Relic	P2	Upon pickup, Upgrade 2 random Attacks.
Yummy Cookie	Ancient Relic	P2	Upon pickup, Upgrade 4 cards.

Orbs (Defect) — 1 relics

Strong. Defensive, offensive, or deck-improving value that pays off across a run.

Relic	Rarity	Priority	Effect
Gold-Plated Cables	Uncommon Relic	P2	Your rightmost Orb triggers its passive an additional time.

Map & Rest Site — 8 relics

Situational. Economy, sustain, utility, or matchup value; good but not urgent.

Relic	Rarity	Priority	Effect
Dream Catcher	Event Relic	P3	Whenever you Rest, you may add a card to your Deck.
Golden Compass	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, replace the Act 2 Map with a single special path.
Meat Cleaver	Ancient Relic	P3	You may Cook at Rest Sites.
Miniature Tent	Shop Relic	P3	You may choose any number of options at Rest Sites.
Regal Pillow	Common Relic	P3	Whenever you Rest, heal an additional 15 HP.
Shovel	Rare Relic	P3	You can now dig at Rest Sites to obtain a random Relic.
Stone Humidifier	Ancient Relic	P3	Whenever you Rest at a Rest Site, raise your Max HP by 5.
Tiny Mailbox	Uncommon Relic	P3	Whenever you Rest, procure 2 random potions.

Gold & Shops — 13 relics

Situational. Economy, sustain, utility, or matchup value; good but not urgent.

Relic	Rarity	Priority	Effect
Amethyst Aubergine	Common Relic	P3	Enemies drop 15 additional Gold.
Bowler Hat	Uncommon Relic	P3	Gain 25% additional Gold.
Cursed Pearl	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, receive Greed. Gain 333 Gold.
Dragon Fruit	Shop Relic	P3	Whenever you gain Gold, raise your Max HP by 1.
Golden Pearl	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, gain 150 Gold.
Lord’s Parasol	Ancient Relic	P3	When you encounter the Merchant, immediately obtain EVERYTHING he sells.
Lucky Fysh	Uncommon Relic	P3	Whenever you add a card to your Deck, gain 15 Gold.
Maw Bank	Event Relic	P3	Whenever you climb a floor, gain 12 Gold. No longer works when you spend any Gold at the shop.
Meal Ticket	Common Relic	P3	Whenever you enter a shop room, heal 15 HP.
Membership Card	Shop Relic	P3	50% discount on all products!
Old Coin	Rare Relic	P3	Upon pickup, gain 300 Gold.
Signet Ring	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, gain 999 Gold.
The Courier	Rare Relic	P3	The merchant no longer runs out of cards, relics, or potions and his prices are reduced by 20%.

Heal & Max HP — 19 relics

Situational. Economy, sustain, utility, or matchup value; good but not urgent.

Relic	Rarity	Priority	Effect
Black Blood	Starter Relic	P3	At the end of combat, heal 12 HP.
Book Repair Knife	Uncommon Relic	P3	Whenever a non-Minion enemy dies to Doom, heal 3 HP.
Burning Blood	Starter Relic	P3	At the end of combat, heal 6 HP.
Darkstone Periapt	Event Relic	P3	Whenever you obtain a Curse, raise your Max HP by 6.
Demon Tongue	Rare Relic	P3	The first time you lose HP on your turn, heal HP equal to the amount lost.
Distinguished Cape	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, lose 9 Max HP. Add 3 Apparitions to your Deck.
Lee’s Waffle	Shop Relic	P3	Upon pickup, raise your Max HP by 7 and heal all of your HP.
Lee’s Waffle???	Event Relic	P3	Upon pickup, heal 10% of your HP.
Lizard Tail	Rare Relic	P3	When your HP would be reduced to 0, heal to 50% of your Max HP instead (works once).
Looming Fruit	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, raise your Max HP by 31.
Mango	Rare Relic	P3	Upon pickup, raise your Max HP by 14.
Mango???	Event Relic	P3	Upon pickup, raise your Max HP by 3.
Meat on the Bone	Rare Relic	P3	If your HP is at or below 50% at the end of combat, heal 12 HP.
Nutritious Oyster	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, raise your Max HP by 11.
Pantograph	Uncommon Relic	P3	At the start of each Boss combat, heal 25 HP.
Pear	Uncommon Relic	P3	Upon pickup, raise your Max HP by 10.
Planisphere	Uncommon Relic	P3	Whenever you enter a ? room, heal 5 HP.
Strawberry	Common Relic	P3	Upon pickup, raise your Max HP by 7.
The Chosen Cheese	Event Relic	P3	At the end of combat, gain 1 Max HP.

Archetype / Card-type — 4 relics

Niche. Depends on a specific archetype or card type to shine.

Relic	Rarity	Priority	Effect
Bound Phylactery	Starter Relic	P4	At the start of your turn, Summon 1.
Calling Bell	Ancient Relic	P4	Upon pickup, obtain a unique Curse and 3 Relics.
Large Capsule	Ancient Relic	P4	Upon pickup, obtain 2 random Relics. Add an additional Strike and Defend to your Deck.
Neow’s Bones	Ancient Relic	P4	Upon pickup, gain 2 random Neow Relics. Add 1 random Curse to your Deck.

Other / Utility — 55 relics

Situational. Economy, sustain, utility, or matchup value; good but not urgent.

Relic	Rarity	Priority	Effect
Arcane Scroll	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, obtain a random Rare Card to add to your Deck.
Beating Remnant	Rare Relic	P3	You cannot lose more than 20 HP in a single turn.
Bing Bong	Event Relic	P3	Whenever you add a card to your Deck, add one additional copy.
Black Star	Ancient Relic	P3	Elites drop an additional Relic when defeated.
Byrdpip	Event Relic	P3	Upon pickup, gain the card Byrd Swoop. A Byrdpip will accompany you in battles.
Cauldron	Shop Relic	P3	Upon pickup, brews 5 random potions.
Chemical X	Shop Relic	P3	The effects of your cost X cards are increased by 2.
Circlet	Relic	P3	It’s a circlet.
Crossbow	Ancient Relic	P3	At the start of your turn, add a random Attack into your Hand. It’s free to play this turn.
Dingy Rug	Shop Relic	P3	Card rewards can now contain Colorless cards.
Dolly’s Mirror	Shop Relic	P3	Upon pickup, obtain an additional copy of a card in your Deck.
Driftwood	Ancient Relic	P3	You may reroll each card reward once.
Dusty Tome	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, obtain an Ancient Card.
Emotion Chip	Rare Relic	P3	If you lost HP during the previous turn, trigger the passive ability of all Orbs at the start of your turn.
Empty Cage	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, remove 2 cards from your Deck.
Fur Coat	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, mark 7 random combats. Enemies in those rooms have 1 HP.
Ghost Seed	Shop Relic	P3	Strikes and Defends gain Ethereal.
Glass Eye	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, obtain 2 Common cards, 2 Uncommon cards, and 1 Rare card.
Hefty Tablet	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, choose 1 of 3 Rare cards to add to your Deck, and add 1 Injury to your Deck.
History Course	Event Relic	P3	At the start of your turn, play a copy of your last played Attack or Skill.
Jewelry Box	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, add 1 Apotheosis to your Deck.
Juzu Bracelet	Common Relic	P3	Regular enemy combats are no longer encountered in ? rooms.
Kaleidoscope	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, obtain 2 card rewards from other characters.
Lasting Candy	Uncommon Relic	P3	Every other combat, your card rewards gain an additional Power.
Lava Rock	Ancient Relic	P3	The Act 1 Boss drops 2 Relics.
Lead Paperweight	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, choose 1 of 2 Colorless cards to add to your Deck.
Lunar Pastry	Rare Relic	P3	At the end of your turn, gain 1 Stars.
Massive Scroll	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, choose 1 of 3 Multiplayer Cards to add to your Deck.
Mummified Hand	Rare Relic	P3	Whenever you play a Power, a random card in your Hand is free to play that turn.
Neow’s Torment	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, add 1 Neow’s Fury to your Deck.
Orrery	Shop Relic	P3	Upon pickup, gain 5 card rewards.
Pael’s Horn	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, add 2 Relax to your Deck.
Prayer Wheel	Rare Relic	P3	Normal enemies drop an additional card reward.
Precarious Shears	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, remove 2 cards from your Deck and lose 16 HP.
Precise Scissors	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, remove 1 card from your Deck.
Preserved Fog	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, remove 3 cards from your Deck. Add Folly to your Deck.
Ringing Triangle	Shop Relic	P3	Retain your Hand on the first turn of combat.
Runic Pyramid	Ancient Relic	P3	At the end of your turn, you no longer discard your Hand.
Scroll Boxes	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, choose 1 of 2 packs of cards to add to your Deck.
Sea Glass	Ancient Relic	P3	See 15 cards from another character. Choose any number of them to add to your Deck.
Sere Talon	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, add 2 random Curses and 3 Wishes to your Deck.
Silver Crucible	Ancient Relic	P3	The first 3 card rewards you see are Upgraded. The first Treasure Chest you open is empty.
Small Capsule	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, obtain a random Relic.
Storybook	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, add 1 Brightest Flame to your Deck.
Sword of Stone	Event Relic	P3	Transforms into a powerful Relic after defeating 5 Elites.
Tanx’s Whistle	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, add 1 Whistle to your Deck.
The Merchant’s Rug???	Event Relic	P3	Poor imitation. Does nothing.
Touch of Orobas	Ancient Relic	P3	Upon pickup, replace your starter Relic with an Ancient version.
Tungsten Rod	Rare Relic	P3	Whenever you would lose HP, lose 1 less.
White Beast Statue	Rare Relic	P3	Potions always appear in combat rewards.
White Star	Rare Relic	P3	Elites drop an additional Rare card reward.
Wing Charm	Shop Relic	P3	A random card in each card reward is Enchanted with Swift 1.
Winged Boots	Ancient Relic	P3	You may ignore paths when choosing the next rooms to travel to 3 times.
Wongo Customer Appreciation Badge	Event Relic	P3	Does nothing.
Wongo’s Mystery Ticket	Event Relic	P3	Receive 3 random Relics after 5 combats.

Best relics by character

Some relics are locked to one character by their pool. If you are learning a character, start with the relics listed under its name. The pools below only show characters that have at least one locked relic in the current build.

Ironclad — 9 locked relic(s)

Relic	Priority	Effect
Red Skull	P1	While your HP is at or below 50%, you have 3 additional Strength.
Ruined Helmet	P1	The first time you gain Strength each combat, double the amount gained.
Brimstone	P1	At the start of your turn, gain 2 Strength and ALL enemies gain 1 Strength.
Paper Phrog	P2	Enemies with Vulnerable take 75% more damage rather than 50%.
Self-Forming Clay	P2	Whenever you lose HP in combat, gain 3 Block next turn.
Charon’s Ashes	P2	Whenever you Exhaust a card, deal 3 damage to ALL enemies.
Black Blood	P3	At the end of combat, heal 12 HP.
Burning Blood	P3	At the end of combat, heal 6 HP.
Demon Tongue	P3	The first time you lose HP on your turn, heal HP equal to the amount lost.

Necrobinder — 9 locked relic(s)

Relic	Priority	Effect
Funerary Mask	P1	At the start of each combat, add 3 Souls into your Draw Pile.
Ivory Tile	P1	Whenever you play a card that costs 3 Energy or more, gain 1 Energy.
Phylactery Unbound	P2	At the start of each combat, Summon 5. At the start of your turn, Summon 2.
Bone Flute	P2	Whenever Osty attacks, gain 2 Block.
Big Hat	P2	At the start of each combat, add 2 random Ethereal cards into your Hand.
Bookmark	P2	At the end of each turn, lower the cost of a random Retained card by 1 until played.
Undying Sigil	P2	Enemies with at least as much Doom as HP deal 50% less damage.
Book Repair Knife	P3	Whenever a non-Minion enemy dies to Doom, heal 3 HP.
Bound Phylactery	P4	At the start of your turn, Summon 1.

Defect — 9 locked relic(s)

Relic	Priority	Effect
Power Cell	P1	At the start of each combat, add 2 zero-cost cards from your Draw Pile into your Hand.
Cracked Core	P2	At the start of each combat, Channel 1 Lightning.
Infused Core	P2	At the start of each combat, Channel 3 Lightning. Lightning deals 1 additional damage.
Data Disk	P2	Start each combat with 1 Focus.
Gold-Plated Cables	P2	Your rightmost Orb triggers its passive an additional time.
Symbiotic Virus	P2	At the start of each combat, Channel 1 Dark.
Metronome	P2	The first time you Channel 7 Orbs each combat, deal 30 damage to ALL enemies.
Runic Capacitor	P2	Start each combat with 3 additional Orb Slots.
Emotion Chip	P3	If you lost HP during the previous turn, trigger the passive ability of all Orbs at the start of your turn.

Regent — 9 locked relic(s)

Relic	Priority	Effect
Mini Regent	P1	The first time you spend 1 Stars each turn, gain 1 Strength.
Divine Destiny	P2	At the start of each combat, gain 6 Stars.
Divine Right	P2	At the start of each combat, gain 3 Stars.
Fencing Manual	P2	At the start of each combat, Forge 10.
Galactic Dust	P2	For every 10 1 Stars spent, gain 10 Block.
Regalite	P2	Whenever you create a card, gain 2 Block.
Orange Dough	P2	At the start of each combat, add 2 random Colorless cards into your Hand.
Vitruvian Minion	P2	Cards containing “Minion” deal double damage and gain double Block.
Lunar Pastry	P3	At the end of your turn, gain 1 Stars.

Silent — 9 locked relic(s)

Relic	Priority	Effect
Ring of the Drake	P1	At the start of your first 3 turns, draw 2 additional cards.
Ring of the Snake	P1	At the start of each combat, draw 2 additional cards.
Helical Dart	P1	Whenever you play a Shiv, gain 1 Dexterity this turn.
Snecko Skull	P2	Whenever you apply Poison, apply an additional 1 Poison.
Tingsha	P2	Whenever you discard a card during your turn, deal 3 damage to a random enemy for each card discarded.
Twisted Funnel	P2	At the start of each combat, apply 4 Poison to ALL enemies.
Paper Krane	P2	Enemies with Weak deal 40% less damage to you rather than 25%.
Tough Bandages	P2	Whenever you discard a card during your turn, gain 3 Block.
Ninja Scroll	P2	At the start of each combat, add 3 Shivs into your Hand.

Slay the Spire 2 Relic Tier List & Evaluation Guide

How the priority tiers work

Relic tier list by function

Energy — 29 relics

Card Draw — 25 relics

Strength & Dexterity — 17 relics

Block & Defense — 27 relics

Recurring Scaling — 41 relics

Damage & AoE — 22 relics

Potions & Consumables — 4 relics

Upgrade / Transform / Enchant — 31 relics

Orbs (Defect) — 1 relics

Map & Rest Site — 8 relics

Gold & Shops — 13 relics

Heal & Max HP — 19 relics

Archetype / Card-type — 4 relics

Other / Utility — 55 relics

Best relics by character

Ironclad — 9 locked relic(s)

Necrobinder — 9 locked relic(s)

Defect — 9 locked relic(s)

Regent — 9 locked relic(s)

Silent — 9 locked relic(s)

Frequently asked questions

What is the best relic in Slay the Spire 2?

Are rarer relics always better?

How should I read the priority tiers?

Should I skip a relic for deck space?

Where do relic effects come from?

More Slay the Spire 2 guides

Sources