Best relics in Slay the Spire is a question about decisions rather than a shopping list. This ranking scores each relic on consistency, energy, scaling and deck shaping, so a tier shows how often a relic is the right pick.
How this tier list is ranked
Four criteria set every row. Consistency is how often a relic helps without setup. Energy is how much extra play it unlocks each turn. Scaling is how well it holds up in Act 3. Deck shaping is how far the relic bends the cards you draft.
A relic that pays off in one narrow build drops a tier. A relic that pays off in every fight climbs. Boss relics sit on the same scale, because each one changes every fight after you take it.
Rank reflects community consensus, not a promise. Your deck still decides whether a relic wins a run. Use the table to narrow the choice, then check the relic against the hand you are holding.
The relic ranking table
Scan the table first, then read the tier notes below for the reasoning behind each group.
| Tier | Relic | Why it ranks there |
|---|---|---|
| S | Snecko Eye | Draws a bigger hand each turn, and random costs reward expensive cards. |
| S | Runic Pyramid | Retains unplayed cards, so setup turns stop wasting the cards you hold. |
| S | Dead Branch | Turns every exhausted card into a new one, which fuels exhaust decks. |
| S | Ice Cream | Unspent energy carries over, so a quiet turn pays for a loud one. |
| S | Coffee Dripper | Extra energy every turn, at the price of rest sites you can plan around. |
| S | Mummified Hand | Playing a Power makes a card free, which speeds up a power-heavy deck. |
| A | Philosopher’s Stone | Extra energy, and every enemy starts the fight with Strength. |
| A | Sozu | Extra energy in exchange for the potion slots you give up. |
| A | Cursed Key | Extra energy, and opening a chest adds a curse to your deck. |
| A | Fusion Hammer | Extra energy, and no card upgrades at rest sites. |
| A | Gambling Chip | A free redraw of your opening hand in every fight. |
| A | Shuriken | Three attacks in a turn build Strength for the rest of the fight. |
| A | Kunai | Three attacks in a turn build Dexterity, so block scales with your turns. |
| A | Thread and Needle | Adds armor at the start of combat, before you play a card. |
| B | Anchor | Block on turn one, which softens an opening hit. |
| B | Blood Vial | Health at the start of every fight, which adds up over an act. |
| B | Bag of Marbles | Applies Vulnerable to the enemy group when a fight begins. |
| B | Vajra | A small Strength boost that every attack uses. |
| B | Data Disk | Focus for a Defect orb deck, which lifts each orb you channel. |
| B | Preserved Insect | Reduces elite health, which makes elite fights cheaper. |
| B | Meat on the Bone | Heals after a fight when your health is low. |
| C | Tiny House | Spreads small gifts across the run, so it rarely decides a fight. |
| C | Regal Pillow | Only helps when you reach a rest site with health to spare. |
| C | Darkstone Periapt | Pays out in health when you take a curse, which is a narrow plan. |
| C | Ceramic Fish | Adds gold when you gain a card, and gold alone wins nothing. |
| C | Wrist Blade | Lifts 0-cost attacks, so it needs a deck built on cheap damage. |
S-tier relics
These relics change how you build from the moment you pick one up. Snecko Eye and Runic Pyramid rewrite your hand, because both change which cards you can play and keep.
Dead Branch and Ice Cream let a quiet turn feed a loud one. Mummified Hand and Coffee Dripper buy tempo, one through free Power plays and one through energy.
A-tier relics
These relics are strong and come with a cost you must plan around. Philosopher’s Stone, Sozu, Cursed Key and Fusion Hammer each trade energy for a price. Take them when that price lands somewhere your run can spare.
Gambling Chip rescues a weak opening hand, and Shuriken with Kunai reward a turn full of attacks. Thread and Needle adds armor before your first card.
Best relics for beginners
A new player should favor relics that work without setup. Anchor, Blood Vial and Vajra help in every fight and ask nothing back. Bag of Marbles softens the first turn of a fight.
Skip relics that need a build you cannot see yet, such as Wrist Blade or a curse payoff. Learn the plain relics first, then chase the conditional ones.
Which relics to avoid
No relic is bad on its own. Some relics are bad in the deck you are holding. Tiny House spreads small gifts across a run, and the effect rarely decides a fight. Regal Pillow helps only when you reach a rest site with health to spare.
Darkstone Periapt and Ceramic Fish pay out in health or gold, and neither fixes a bad turn. Leave them on the shelf when a fight relic is on the table.
Related Slay the Spire guides
This tier list answers which relic deserves a slot. The relic index lists effects in plain language, and the early relic page covers what to grab in Act 1.
Next: Relic index and Early relic priorities.