Introduction
This guide covers every enemy in Slay the Spire 2: normal monsters by biome, all 15 elites with their attack patterns, and all 12 bosses with strategies. Checking the enemy intent icon every turn is the single most important habit for surviving any fight.
| Biome | Act | Overview |
|---|---|---|
| Overgrowth | Act 1a | Dense jungle. Plant, insect, and slime enemies |
| Underdocks | Act 1b | Flooded harbor. Ghost, sea creature, and mechanical enemies |
| Hive | Act 2 | Insect nest. Large arthropod elites and scaling bosses |
| Glory | Act 3 | Final area. Highest-tier enemies in the game |
Enemy Interaction Basics
Read Intent Every Turn
Enemy intent tells you what is coming this turn. Never skip this check.
| Intent | Meaning | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Attack (red sword) | Will deal damage | Prioritize Block |
| Strong Attack (large sword) | 20+ damage incoming | Full Block; clear Vulnerable first |
| Buff (up arrow) | Enemy is strengthening itself | Kill fast or apply Weak |
| Debuff (down arrow) | Enemy will weaken you | Consider clearing before next turn |
| Block (shield) | Defensive turn; attacks bounce off | Prep for their next offensive turn |
Debuff and Buff Priority
- Enemies stacking Strength compound every turn — kill them before they spike
- Constricted deals Block-ignoring damage, forcing an offensive answer rather than a defensive one
- Vulnerable on enemies (your debuff applied to them) increases damage they receive by 50% — always worth applying on turn 1
Act 1a — Overgrowth: Normal Monsters
Jungle biome. Dominated by plants, insects, and slimes.
| Enemy | HP Range | Main Actions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cubex | 30–50 | Attack + debuff | Standard entry enemy. Mix Block and offense based on intent |
| Fogmog | 35–55 | Poison application attacks | Poison stacks up. Close it out quickly |
| Fuzzy | 25–40 | Multi-hit low damage | Each hit is small, but total per turn is moderate |
| Inklets | 20–35 | Weak multi-hit | Frail, often appears in groups |
| Mawler | 40–60 | High single-target damage | Hits hard. Have Block ready |
| Nibbit | 20–30 | Fast, low damage | Weak individually. Often appears as a pack |
| Shrinker | 30–50 | Debuff application | Applies Weak and similar effects. Kill before it stacks |
| Vine Shambler | 40–65 | Alternates attack and Block | Attacks are predictable. Push damage during its defensive turns |
| Slime Pack / Trio | 25–40 ×3 | Group attacks including AoE | Bring AoE. Focus one at a time if no AoE available |
| Raider Trio | 25–40 ×3 | Independent attacks | All three hit per turn — cumulative damage is severe |
Overgrowth tendencies: Multi-enemy encounters are common. AoE cards pay dividends. Poison enemies incentivize fast kills. Individual HP is lower here than later biomes — clean fights and move on.
Act 1b — Underdocks: Normal Monsters
Flooded harbor biome. Ghosts, sea creatures, and mechanical constructs.
| Enemy | HP Range | Main Actions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct | 30–50 | Attack + buff accumulation | Buff-stacking version of early enemies. Kill before it ramps |
| Wurm Crawler | 45–70 | High single-target damage | Hits harder than Overgrowth equivalents. Prepare Block |
| Beetle | 25–40 | Low-damage multi-hit | Weak solo; dangerous in groups |
Underdocks tendencies: More buff-stacking and debuff-applying enemies than Overgrowth. Ghosts and sea types often have HP regeneration or high Block phases. Fight efficiently to avoid letting them compound.
Act 1 Elites — Overgrowth (3 Elites)
Elite 1: Bygone Effigy
HP: ~300 | Difficulty: Highest in Act 1
The hardest Act 1 elite. Opens with 3 stacks of Artifact (blocks first 3 debuffs) and follows a strict 4-turn cycle.
| Turn | Action | Damage | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charge | 25 | Have Block ready |
| 2 | Flamethrower | Adds 4 Burn cards to deck | Burn cards deal 2/turn. Close fast |
| 3 | Windup | +5 Strength, 15 Block gained | Push offense hard during their buffer turn |
| 4 | Heavy Cleave | 35 | Peak damage. Maximum Block needed |
Strategy: Burn through the 3 Artifact stacks first before applying debuffs. Time your burst at Windup (turn 3) since they gain Block but don't attack. Burn cards accumulate fast — finish the fight before 3 cycles complete. Only fight above 60% HP.
Elite 2: Byrdonis
HP: ~130–160 | Difficulty: Medium
Bird-type elite with innate Territorial (stacking Strength each turn). Alternates on a 2-turn cycle.
| Turn | Action | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Odd | Peck | 3 hits × 3 damage = 9 total |
| Even | SWOOP | 16 damage single hit |
| Every turn | Territorial | Accumulates Strength — later cycles hit harder |
Strategy: Strength ramps every turn, so extended fights punish you. Drive offense early. Peck's multi-hit is amplified by Vulnerable on you — keep Vulnerable off your profile, especially going into Peck turns.
Elite 3: Phrog Parasite
HP: ~100–130 | Difficulty: Medium-Low
Frog-type with Poison and high mobility.
Key threats:
- Multi-stack Poison application
- Follows with burst attacks while Poison is ticking
- Passive Poison damage accumulates if fight drags out
Strategy: Aggression wins. Kill before Poison hits meaningful stacks. With Poison removal available, this fight is straightforward. Below 50% HP, skip the fight.
Act 1 Elites — Underdocks (3 Elites)
Elite 4: Phantasmal Gardener
HP: ~110–140 | Difficulty: Medium
Ghost-type that pollutes your deck with status cards.
Key threats:
- Adds Wounds and other junk into your deck mid-fight
- Each additional junk card reduces your hand quality
- Accumulates fast over multiple turns
Strategy: Kill within 3–4 turns before deck pollution becomes unmanageable. Exhaust-synergy builds are unfazed or even benefit — if your build can use junk as fuel, this elite is low priority to avoid.
Elite 5: Skulking Colony
HP: Multiple units combined | Difficulty: Medium-High
Swarm-type elite — multiple small enemies appearing as a single elite encounter.
Key threats:
- Each unit attacks independently every turn — cumulative per-turn damage is high
- Killed units may revive if others remain
- Without AoE, single-targeting one at a time is HP-intensive
Strategy: AoE is the correct answer here. Spread damage across all units and eliminate them close together to prevent revives. Prioritize any unit with a revival mechanic. Check your route — confirm a Rest Site is nearby before engaging.
Elite 6: Terror Eel
HP: ~150–180 | Difficulty: High
Large aquatic elite with Block-ignoring Constricted debuff.
Key threats:
- Applies Constricted — deals fixed damage at turn start that ignores all Block
- Physical attacks hit hard on top of passive Constricted damage
- No defensive answer exists; the only counter is going faster
Strategy: One of the most dangerous Act 1 elites. Constricted makes Block ineffective, so the only viable plan is aggressive offense. Only fight above 60% HP with confirmed damage output. If you have Constricted removal, this fight becomes manageable.
Act 2 Elites — Hive (3 Elites)
Elite 7: Decimillipede
HP: 42–48 per segment × 3 | Difficulty: Medium-High
Three-segment centipede. Segments operate independently and revive while others survive.
| Segment | Primary Actions |
|---|---|
| Head | Writhe (immobilizing attacks), Constrict (applies Constricted) |
| Mid | Bulk (self-buff), attacks |
| Tail | Attacks, Writhe |
Revive rule: Any killed segment revives at start of your next turn if at least one other segment is alive.
Strategy: Deal damage roughly equally across all three segments and eliminate them as close together as possible. AoE cards are ideal. Focus firing one segment at a time ensures the others keep reviving — avoid this pattern. Constrict from the head makes long fights increasingly punishing.
Elite 8: Entomancer
HP: ~200–250 | Difficulty: Medium-High
Insect summoner. Continuously spawns smaller insects while buffing from the back.
Key threats:
- Endless small insect summons that independently attack
- Entomancer itself stays behind and stacks buffs
- Cumulative damage from summoned insects plus boss attacks is severe
Strategy: Focus the Entomancer body directly. Summoned insects add up to meaningful damage, so occasionally clear them, but never lose focus on eliminating the summoner first. High HP means low-damage decks struggle — confirm damage output before engaging.
Elite 9: Infested Prism
HP: ~180–220 | Difficulty: Medium
Optical-type Act 2 elite. Multi-directional attacks and deck interference.
Key threats:
- Multi-directional split attacks (AoE ineffective)
- Potential card corruption / debuff addition to your deck
Strategy: Single-target high-damage builds are favored. Close the fight before deck corruption becomes impactful.
Act 3 Elites — Glory (3 Elites)
Elite 10: Knight Trio
HP: Flail Knight 101 / Spectral Knight 93 / Magi Knight 82 | Difficulty: Very High
Three knights, each with a distinct role. Fought simultaneously.
| Knight | Primary Actions | Threat |
|---|---|---|
| Flail Knight | Ram, double-hit Flail | Raw damage dealer |
| Spectral Knight | Hex debuff, Soul magic attacks | Debuffer |
| Magi Knight | Dampen debuff, 35-damage Magic Bomb | Delayed burst |
Strategy: Kill Magi Knight first — the 35-damage Magic Bomb is Act 3's highest-damage single hit. Spectral Knight's Hex compounds over time, so handle it second. Combined per-turn damage across all three is extremely high. Only engage above 40% HP with a finalized deck.
Act 1 Bosses — Overgrowth (3 Bosses)
Boss 1: Vantom
HP: ~250–280 | Pattern: Fixed 4-turn loop with increasing damage
| Turn | Action | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slither | Low |
| 2 | Coil | Medium |
| 3 | Strike | 25+ (peak damage turn) |
| 4 | Strengthen | Gains Strength — next cycle hits harder |
Strategy: Turn 3 is the dangerous turn — have maximum Block available. Vantom gains Strength on turn 4, so every loop hits harder than the last. Put out pressure between turns 1–2, and save Block cards for turn 3. Don't let the fight drag beyond 2–3 full cycles.
Boss 2: Ceremonial Beast
HP: ~280–320 | Pattern: HP threshold triggers stun window
Mechanics:
- Opens with Plow — attack power increases by 2 every turn
- Transitions to Ring (stunned, weakened) when HP drops to 150 or below
- Ringing phase allows safe burst damage
Strategy: Don't accidentally burst Ceremonial Beast below 150 HP in one hit when you're not ready for the transition. Chip damage down to ~155 HP, then unload your burst to cross the 150 threshold and lock in the stun window. Time your biggest cards for the Ringing phase. Ramps indefinitely if you take too long.
Boss 3: Kin Priest
HP: ~260–290 | Pattern: Buff accumulation + summon mechanic
Strategy: Strike during buff turns before the Kin Priest completes its setup. The called summons can be focused down or ignored depending on your deck's throughput.
Act 1 Bosses — Underdocks (3 Bosses)
Boss 4: Lagavulin Matriarch
HP: ~300–340 | Pattern: Dormant → Awakened with triggered activation
Mechanics:
- Begins dormant — heals each turn but does not attack
- Awakening is triggered by card usage (cumulative count)
- Once awakened, attacks hard immediately
Strategy: Build HP during the dormant phase — but not infinitely. Deal meaningful damage each turn while conserving Block for the awakening moment. Avoid flooding the field with cheap 0-cost plays if each card usage accelerates awakening. Know your card-use budget and plan accordingly.
Boss 5: Soul Fysh
HP: ~270–310 | Pattern: Beckon card pollution + attack cycle
Beckon mechanic:
- Adds Beckon cards to both deck and discard pile at fight start
- Beckon: costs 1 resource; if in hand at turn end → deals 6 unblockable damage to you
- Stays in your deck until the fight ends — cannot be removed mid-fight
Attack cycle:
- Turns 2–3: high-damage attacks (your offense window)
- Turns 4–5: Intangible (damage blocked/massively reduced)
Strategy: Never end a turn with Beckon in hand — always spend the 1 resource to play it. Focus offense on turns 2–3 during the vulnerability window; do not waste big attacks during Intangible turns. The Beckon management loop is the entire skill expression of this fight.
Boss 6: Waterfall Giant
HP: ~310–360 | Pattern: Brute force, straightforward attack cycle
Strategy: High HP straightforward boss. Read intents and push damage during open turns. Success depends on whether your scaling is complete rather than specific mechanics knowledge.
Act 2 Bosses — Hive (3 Bosses)
Boss 7: Kaiser Crab
HP: ~350–400 | Pattern: Armored fixed-cycle boss
Strategy: Plating and Block make this fight slower than Act 1 bosses. Penetrating damage (true damage, Vulnerable + burst) works. Relatively predictable once you map the cycle.
Boss 8: Knowledge Demon
HP: ~370–420 | Pattern: Debuff choice mechanic + self-healing + Strength scaling
Mechanic: Each turn (starting turn 1), choose between two debuffs:
- Disintegration: Take damage at turn end
- Mind Rot: Draw 1 fewer card per turn
Each debuff accepted grants the Knowledge Demon +Strength. It also self-heals, recovering HP each turn.
Strategy: Default to Mind Rot over Disintegration — losing a draw is less damaging than losing HP. The fight is entirely about aggression: the Demon heals and scales simultaneously, so every turn you fail to deal damage gives it more value. Passive and control-heavy decks cannot win this fight. Only bring raw damage.
Boss 9: The Insatiable
HP: ~400–460 | Pattern: Instant-kill countdown mechanic
Sandpit mechanic:
- Fight starts with a 4-turn countdown to instant death
- Frantic Escape cards are added to your deck at fight start — playing them extends the countdown
- Running out of countdown = immediate death, not just taking damage
Strategy: The core puzzle is resource allocation between extending the countdown and dealing damage. The correct rhythm is extending by exactly 1 turn when needed while maximizing damage output. Pure burst builds that can deal 100+ damage per turn minimize the need for extensions. Widely considered the hardest Act 2 boss.
Act 3 Bosses — Glory (3 Bosses)
Boss 10: Doormaker
HP: Door 155 + Doormaker 489 | Pattern: Phase cycling with permanent Strength accumulation
Phase structure:
- Defeat the Door (155 HP)
- Fight Doormaker (489 HP)
- Door revives — return to step 1
- Each cycle: Doormaker gains permanent Strength
Stun window: Doormaker enters a stunned state at certain points in the cycle — deal your heaviest damage during these windows.
Strategy: Never let the cycle drag. Strength accumulates permanently with each loop, meaning the longer the fight runs the faster you die. The stun window is your kill window — dump everything into it. 489 HP requires a fully scaled deck to close out before Strength becomes overwhelming.
Boss 11: The Queen
HP: Queen + Amalgam (combined ~599) | Pattern: Dual enemy + Binding debuff spam
Setup: The Queen and Amalgam fight simultaneously. Killing the Queen causes Amalgam to flee, but Amalgam hits harder than the Queen and cannot be ignored.
Binding debuff: The Queen applies Binding — restricts which cards or cost-tiers you can play, severely limiting your turn options.
Strategy: Establish control over Amalgam first — apply Weak or find Binding removal before focusing the Queen. Community-standard preparation is 2 Potions specifically for this fight. Build your deck with varied-cost cards so Binding doesn't fully shut down your turn. With a combined HP of 599, sustain and scaling matter more here than in any other fight.
Summary: Elite and Boss Decision Framework
Elite Entry Thresholds
| Act | Fight if HP above |
|---|---|
| Act 1 | 60% |
| Act 2 | 50% |
| Act 3 | 40% (and only with a completed deck) |
Pre-Boss Checklist
- Identify the boss — scroll to the top of the Act map immediately on entry
- HP check — aim for 50%+ HP entering the boss fight
- Debuff turn 1 — apply Vulnerable or Weak on the opening turn whenever possible
- Potion inventory — hold 1–2 potions specifically for the boss
- Relic check — confirm your current Relics synergize with the deck's strategy going into this fight
Based on Early Access data. Attack values and HP may change with updates.