Slay the Spire 2 Beginner's Guide

Introduction

Slay the Spire 2 is a deck-building roguelike. You clear three Acts while picking from randomly offered cards and Relics, and every run plays out differently, so reading the situation well is the core skill.

Core Systems

Energy and Card Cost

You get 3 Energy at the start of each turn (Relics and cards can raise or lower this)
Cards have a cost and consume Energy when played
X-cost cards consume all remaining Energy

Block and Damage

Block resets at the end of your turn (with a few exceptions)
Look at the enemy's intent to decide whether to attack or defend
Damage formula: (base damage + Strength) times Vulnerable multiplier, minus Block

Deck Basics

Your starter deck is full of Weak cards, so removing filler is important
A thinner deck means you draw your key cards more often
Skipping a card is a real choice. Grabbing everything just bloats your deck

How to Think About Card Picks

Early (Act 1)

Fill the holes in your deck: add Attacks if you lack damage, Skills if you lack defense
Cheap, immediate-impact cards are the strongest picks
AoE is essential for multi-enemy fights

Mid (Act 2)

Commit to a concept: narrow your build down to one direction
Power cards pay off in longer fights
Aggressively remove cards that no longer fit

Late (Act 3)

Deck compression is the top priority. Raise your key-card turnover rate
Shape the deck with the final boss in mind
Hunt for cards that fill the specific piece your build is missing

Deck-Building Tips

Common Mistakes

Taking too many cards and bloating the deck
All offense with no defense, or all defense with no offense
Pulling your build in several directions at once and ending up with nothing complete
Avoiding Elites so much that you fall behind on Relics

How to Improve

Read intents carefully: if the enemy is telegraphing a big hit, prioritize Block
Don't hoard Potions: spend them on Act 1 Elites
Plan ahead on the map: look at Elites, Rest Sites, and Shops before choosing a route
Use card removal: clean starter cards at Rest Sites and Shops

Why Relics Matter

Relics are permanent, whole-run effects
They drop from Elites, so fight Elites whenever you can handle them
Shop Relics are expensive but usually very strong
Boss Relics are powerful, but some come with real downsides

Character Overviews

Ironclad

High HP with built-in healing. Stack Strength and swing hard. The simplest kit and the one I recommend for beginners.

Silent

Built around Poison and Shivs. Lots of small actions, more technical to play.

Defect

A caster who manipulates Orbs (Lightning, Frost, Dark, Plasma). Very strong once you understand how Orbs flow.

Necrobinder

A newer character built around minions and sacrificing them for strong effects. A very distinct feel.

Regent

Switches between multiple forms, each with its own game plan. Advanced, because you're essentially juggling different strategies.

How I'd Practice

Start on Ironclad to learn the fundamentals
Target a clear on the lowest difficulty and get used to the flow
Review your losses: figure out where it went wrong and what was missing
Step the difficulty up gradually

This article will be updated as STS2 receives patches.