Slay the Spire Guides — Turns, Builds and Run Strategy

Where the numbers come from. Everything here is either a rule the game states, or a conclusion you can draw from it. Where a page needs an exact figure, we mark it and check it against the game's own data before we call it fact. We do not pass guesses off as testing.

Start here

If you lose runs you felt you should win, the cause is rarely bad luck. It is usually one of three things: a misread turn, cards you hold too long, or an elite fought too early. Read the turn page and the deck-thinning page first.

All Slay the Spire guides

Tier list Best Cards in Slay the Spire — tier list

Cards ranked by consistency, energy, scaling and synergy, with the best picks for each class.

Tier list Best relics in Slay the Spire — tier list

Relics ranked by energy, consistency and deck shaping, with the picks to take early and the ones to skip.

Tier list Best potions in Slay the Spire — tier list

Potions ranked by panic value, boss value and tempo, and how reliably you can hold one until it matters.

Tier list Best characters in Slay the Spire — tier list

The four characters ranked by how forgiving they are, how strong they get at higher Ascension, and their builds.

Tier list Hardest bosses in Slay the Spire — tier list

Act bosses ordered from most punishing to mildest, with what each fight punishes and how to prepare.

Core mechanics How a turn works

Energy, the five-card draw, playing cards, and the end-of-turn reset, in the order the game runs them.

Getting started Which character to start

Ironclad is the usual first pick because its kit is direct. The others reward tighter play later.

Deckbuilding Why deck thinning wins

A smaller deck draws its good cards more often. Thinning turns a messy pile into a plan.

Core mechanics Block and timing

Block soaks the next hit but vanishes each turn. Where you place it decides whether it saves you.

Relics Early relic priorities

Some relics fix energy or drawing; others pay off only if your deck bends toward them.

Deckbuilding Card removal strategy

Shops and rest sites let you cut cards. Know what to remove and when before you waste the trip.

Combat Elite encounter prep

Elites hit harder than normal fights but pay out relics. Fight them only when your deck is ready.

Bosses Act boss strategies

Each act ends with a boss that breaks a normal plan. Learn the gimmick before the door.

Status Status effects guide

Strength, Dexterity, Vulnerable, Weak and Poison decide fights. Learn what each one does.

Deckbuilding Powers versus cards

Powers stick for the whole fight; normal cards spend and leave. Knowing which to pick shapes your deck.

Map Map node decisions

The map offers combat, elite, rest, shop and mystery nodes. The right path beats clearing every fight.

Difficulty What changes in Ascension

Ascension stacks modifiers that make runs harder. Each level tightens a different part of the game.

Getting started The Ironclad starter deck

Ten cards, 80 health and 3 energy. The starting pile is plain, and that is the point.

Mistakes Common mistakes that kill runs

Most lost runs die to the same few habits. None of them feel wrong while you are doing them.

Survival Act three survival

Act three stacks the hardest fights before the final boss. Tighten your deck and your health first.

Tools

Reference Relic index

Notable relics with plain-language effects, sorted for quick scanning during a run.

What this hub does not cover yet

Two things are missing on purpose: per-act enemy move lists and exact relic numbers. Both need figures we cannot yet stand behind, so we publish them only after a data pass.

Found something wrong? Tell us. Corrections are the fastest way this hub improves.