The turn in five steps
A Slay the Spire combat turn follows a fixed order. Learn it once and most “unfair” deaths stop feeling unfair.
- You draw a fresh hand of five cards at the start of your turn.
- You gain your energy for the turn. The default is 3 energy.
- You play cards, paying their energy cost, until you end the turn.
- Remaining cards in hand are discarded.
- Block resets to zero, then the enemy acts.
The reset is the part new players miss. Your block from last turn is gone the moment your next turn begins.
Energy is the real currency
Every card costs energy. You cannot play a hand that costs more than you hold, no matter how strong the cards are.
Most turns you will play two or three cards. A turn where you dump your whole hand is rare. Plan which cards earn their energy.
Draw and discard
You draw five cards each turn. Cards left in hand are discarded, not kept. That makes card draw a way to see more of your deck.
Because you redraw each turn, a single dead card in hand is a small loss. Ten dead cards is a deck that cannot find its plan.
Why the order matters
The enemy acts after your turn ends. If you end the turn with no block, the enemy hits your raw health.
Block placed early in your turn still protects you. It only vanishes when your next turn starts, so it covers the enemy’s incoming hit.
Next: Block and timing.