Slay the Spire 2 is a deckbuilding roguelike, where you build a deck of cards, fight your way through a map of enemies, and start over each time a run ends. Every run begins with one of its characters, and each one comes with a set of cards and a particular way of winning. Some win through raw force, some through quick tricks, and some through a machine or companion that works alongside them. Knowing how each one plays makes it much easier to choose your first run.
Characters
Characters
Ironclad
Builds Strength and turns Exhaust into combat value.
- Starting HP
- 80
- Starting Gold
- 99
- Starting Relic
- Burning Blood
- Starting Relic Effect
- At the end of combat, heal 6 HP.
- Starting Deck
- Strike × 5; Defend × 4; Bash
- Core Mechanic
- Builds Strength to boost Attacks and turns Exhaust or HP costs into combat value.
- How to Unlock
- Available from the start.
Silent
Uses Poison, Shivs, and discard triggers to keep pressure on enemies.
- Starting HP
- 70
- Starting Gold
- 99
- Starting Relic
- Ring of the Snake
- Starting Relic Effect
- At the start of each combat, draw 2 additional cards.
- Starting Deck
- Strike × 5; Defend × 5; Neutralize; Survivor
- Core Mechanic
- Uses Poison, Shivs, and discard-triggered Sly cards to deal damage.
- How to Unlock
- End your first run; winning is not required.
Defect
Channels Orbs for steady effects and stronger bursts when they are Evoked.
- Starting HP
- 75
- Starting Gold
- 99
- Starting Relic
- Cracked Core
- Starting Relic Effect
- At the start of each combat, Channel 1 Lightning.
- Starting Deck
- Strike × 4; Defend × 4; Zap; Dualcast
- Core Mechanic
- Channels Orbs for recurring effects and stronger Evokes; Focus strengthens most Orb values.
- How to Unlock
- End a run as the Necrobinder; winning is not required.
Regent
Stores Stars for card costs and grows the Sovereign Blade with Forge.
- Starting HP
- 75
- Starting Gold
- 99
- Starting Relic
- Divine Right
- Starting Relic Effect
- At the start of each combat, gain 3 Stars.
- Starting Deck
- Strike × 4; Defend × 4; Falling Star; Venerate
- Core Mechanic
- Banks Stars for card costs and Forges the Sovereign Blade to build its damage.
- How to Unlock
- End a run as the Silent; winning is not required.
Necrobinder
Uses Osty to attack and absorb hits while building Doom.
- Starting HP
- 66
- Starting Gold
- 99
- Starting Relic
- Bound Phylactery
- Starting Relic Effect
- At the start of your turn, Summon 1.
- Starting Deck
- Strike × 4; Defend × 4; Bodyguard; Unleash
- Core Mechanic
- Summons Osty to attack and absorb unblocked Attacks while alive; Doom can kill enemies at turn end.
- How to Unlock
- End a run as the Regent; winning is not required.
What Makes Each Character Different
Two of the characters win by pressing the attack. The Ironclad builds Strength so every hit lands harder, turns Exhaust and HP costs into power, and heals after fights. The Silent relies on speed and small, cheap attacks, with Poison slowly wearing enemies down and the Sly keyword letting you play some cards by discarding them.
The Defect and the Regent both build something that keeps paying off through the fight. The Defect fills slots with orbs that act on their own every turn, and raising Focus boosts all of them at once. The Regent uses Stars, a second resource that sits beside Energy and powers many strong cards, and forges a large weapon called the Sovereign Blade that grows with each Forge card you play.
The Necrobinder fights with Osty, a summoned skeletal hand that can absorb hits and attack for you. Its Doom mechanic builds up on enemies, and once Doom reaches an enemy's current health, that enemy is defeated. Any of them can win a run, so the right pick comes down to whether you like quick and tricky, steady and sturdy, or building something big over time.
How to Unlock Every Character
Only the Ironclad is open at the start. The rest unlock in a fixed order, and each one opens after you play a run with the character before it: Silent after Ironclad, then Regent after Silent, Necrobinder after Regent, and Defect after Necrobinder. You can't skip ahead.
You don't need to win. Any run played with the character counts, whether you win or lose. Each step in the order also brings a new style, so you learn a little more about the game with every unlock.
Best Character to Start With
The Ironclad is the best starting point for most new players. Its starting relic, Burning Blood, heals after each fight, so early mistakes are less likely to end a run. It also has fewer decisions to make each turn, which gives you room to learn how a deck and a map fit together.
Once you've finished a few runs with the Ironclad, the Silent is a good second character, since that style rewards planning two or three turns ahead. Picking up the other three in unlock order keeps each new style within reach.
Which Characters Are the Strongest
Opinions on the strongest character are split. The Silent and Regent come up most often as top picks, and the Regent is known for a high ceiling, which means a well-planned run can deal huge damage. The Ironclad is rated near the top by some and lower by others, while the Necrobinder asks more of its player and the Defect starts slowly.
The lists disagree because they weigh different things, such as how steady a character is compared with how high its best results can go. For that reason, choosing by playstyle is a safer bet than choosing by tier.
FAQ
Is the Watcher playable in Slay the Spire 2?
No. The Watcher, a character from the first game, isn't one of Slay the Spire 2's playable characters.
Are the characters the same as in the first game?
Three of them are. The Ironclad, Silent and Defect return with reworked cards and balance changes, so cards you remember may play differently. The Regent and Necrobinder are new, so they have no equivalent in the first game.
Which characters work well together in co-op?
Ironclad and Silent is a strong pair for two players, since the Ironclad gives a newer partner a steady plan and the Silent adds pressure. With three or more players, Defect is a useful addition for its orb engine.