✦THE ASCENDER'S ARCHIVE✦

Every climb begins with a better choice.

A field guide for Slay the Spire 2: compare every card, study proven archetypes and carry a plan into the next room.

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The Necrobinder character selection screen

Neow greets an ascender before a new run

Four ascenders battle the Terror Eel in Slay the Spire 2 co-op — ◆Official gameplay gallery01 / 03

570Cards 25Builds 5Characters 316Tier ratings

OFFICIAL VIDEO · MEGA CRIT

Watch the Spire awaken

See the new ascenders, enemies and evolved Spire in the official Early Access trailer.

Watch on YouTube

Choose your ascender

Five distinct toolkits. Learn the strengths, risks and core routes before committing to a run.

70 HPS TIER

Silent

“A huntress from outside the Spire. Ready to stab and poison anything in her way.”

Poison StackingShiv GenerationCard Draw

6 Builds90 Cards

75 HPS TIER

Defect

“An automaton eternally modifying itself to survive. Deploys Orb technology when it must fight.”

Orb ChannelingFocus ScalingLightning Damage

5 Builds90 Cards

80 HPA TIER

Ironclad

“The last soldier of the Ironclads. Crushes foes with sword and flame against his will.”

Strength ScalingSelf-HealingExhaust Synergy

6 Builds88 Cards

75 HPA TIER

Regent

“Heir to the Throne of Stars. Wields cosmic powers but his minions do the work.”

Star ResourceForge MechanicEnergy Generation

4 Builds88 Cards

66 HPB TIER

Necrobinder

“A Spireborn lich who seeks revenge. Calls upon her trusty left hand, Osty, in combat.”

Osty SummonDoom MechanicSoul Generation

4 Builds88 Cards

Builds worth learning

Start with the engine, then adapt to what the Spire gives you.

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IroncladS TIER

Ironclad Strength Build

The classic Strength scaling build. Stack Strength through Inflame and Demon Form, then unleash devastating Heavy Blade attacks. One of the most consistent and beginner-friendly archetypes in Slay the Spire 2.

Silent Poison Build

Stack Poison on enemies and watch them melt. Noxious Fumes provides passive scaling while you focus on survival. Catalyst doubles or triples Poison stacks for explosive burst damage. The most reliable Silent archetype.

Silent Sly Build

A fast-cycling deck that exploits the Silent's unique Sly keyword to play powerful cards for free when discarded. By rapidly cycling through a thin deck with discard effects, Sly cards trigger automatically, generating massive value without spending Energy. One of the most powerful and skill-intensive Silent archetypes.