Run anchors
Cards that can define a clean plan or solve a job with very little help.
Card Rankings
Slay the Spire 2 Card Tier List
A practical starting board for the five character pools. Filter by character or rarity, then open any card to check its cost, rules text, and upgrade before you commit to the pick.
76reviewed cards
5character pools
3useful tiers
V0.109review window
How to read the board
Start with deck needs, then use the tier
S-tier cards are the easiest anchors, not automatic clicks. An A-tier block card can be the right reward when your deck cannot survive, and a B-tier package piece can be excellent once its engine is already online. The board assumes single-player runs and rates the base card together with its normal upgrade path.
Strong support
Reliable picks once the deck has the right lane, curve, or defensive floor.
Package pieces
Useful cards with a narrower job. Take them for a reason, not just because they match a theme.
Board controls
Choose a character
76 reviewed cards shown for all five characters, all rarities.
Run anchors
Cards that can define a clean plan or solve a job with very little help.
Ironclad · Uncommon
Burning Pact
Exhaust 1 card.
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Ironclad · Rare
Conflagration
Deal 2 damage to ALL enemies 4 times.
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Ironclad · Rare
Dark Embrace
Whenever a card is Exhausted, draw 1 card.
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Ironclad · Rare
Dominate
Apply 1 Vulnerable.
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Ironclad · Uncommon
Feel No Pain
Whenever a card is Exhausted, gain 3 Block.
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Ironclad · Rare
Fiend Fire
Exhaust your Hand.
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Silent · Uncommon
Acrobatics
Draw 3 cards.
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Silent · Rare
Afterimage
Whenever you play a card, gain 1 Block.
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Silent · Uncommon
Bouncing Flask
Apply 3 Poison to a random enemy 3 times.
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Silent · Uncommon
Calculated Gamble
Discard your Hand, then draw that many cards.
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Silent · Rare
Tracking
Weak enemies take 50% more damage from Attacks.
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Defect · Uncommon
Capacitor
Gain 2 Orb Slots.
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Defect · Common
Coolheaded
Channel 1 Frost.
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Defect · Rare
Defragment
Gain 1 Focus.
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Defect · Rare
Echo Form
The first card you play each turn is played an extra time.
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Defect · Uncommon
Glacier
Gain 6 Block.
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Necrobinder · Basic
Bodyguard
Summon 5.
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Necrobinder · Uncommon
Borrowed Time
Gain 4 Energy.
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Necrobinder · Uncommon
Countdown
At the start of your turn, apply 6 Doom to a random enemy.
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Necrobinder · Rare
Demesne
At the start of your turn, gain 1 Energy and draw 1 additional card.
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Necrobinder · Rare
Devour Life
Whenever you play a Soul, Summon 1.
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Necrobinder · Rare
End of Days
Apply 29 Doom to ALL enemies.
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Regent · Uncommon
Alignment
Gain 2 Energy.
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Regent · Rare
Big Bang
Draw 1 card.
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Regent · Uncommon
Black Hole
Whenever you spend or gain 1 Star, deal 3 damage to ALL enemies.
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Regent · Uncommon
Child of the Stars
Whenever you spend 1 Star, gain 2 Block for each 1 Star spent.
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Regent · Rare
Genesis
At the start of your turn, gain 2 Stars.
Open card details →Strong support
Reliable picks once the deck has the right lane, curve, or defensive floor.
Ironclad · Basic
Bash
Deal 8 damage.
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Ironclad · Uncommon
Cruelty
Vulnerable enemies take an additional 25% damage.
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Ironclad · Rare
Demon Form
At the start of your turn, gain 3 Strength.
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Ironclad · Uncommon
Dismantle
Deal 8 damage.
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Ironclad · Uncommon
Drum of Battle
Draw 2 cards.
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Ironclad · Uncommon
Inflame
Gain 2 Strength.
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Silent · Uncommon
Accuracy
Shivs deal 4 additional damage.
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Silent · Common
Blade Dance
Add 3 Shivs into your Hand.
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Silent · Common
Dagger Throw
Deal 9 damage.
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Silent · Rare
Envenom
Whenever an Attack deals unblocked damage, apply 1 Poison.
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Silent · Basic
Neutralize
Deal 3 damage.
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Silent · Uncommon
Noxious Fumes
At the start of your turn, apply 2 Poison to ALL enemies.
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Silent · Uncommon
Outbreak
Whenever you apply Poison, deal 4 damage to ALL enemies.
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Defect · Rare
Buffer
Prevent the next time you would lose HP.
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Defect · Uncommon
Double Energy
Double your Energy.
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Defect · Common
Hologram
Gain 3 Block.
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Defect · Uncommon
Loop
At the start of your turn, trigger the passive ability of your rightmost Orb.
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Defect · Common
Momentum Strike
Deal 11 damage.
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Defect · Rare
Shatter
Deal 7 damage to ALL enemies.
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Necrobinder · Common
Afterlife
Summon 6.
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Necrobinder · Uncommon
Cleanse
Summon 3.
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Necrobinder · Uncommon
Deathbringer
Apply 21 Doom and 1 Weak to ALL enemies.
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Necrobinder · Uncommon
Dredge
Put 3 cards from your Discard Pile into your Hand.
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Necrobinder · Uncommon
Haunt
Whenever you play a Soul, a random enemy loses 7 HP.
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Necrobinder · Common
Reave
Deal 10 damage.
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Necrobinder · Rare
Soul Storm
Deal 9 damage.
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Regent · Uncommon
Conqueror
Forge 3.
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Regent · Uncommon
Furnace
At the start of your turn, Forge 5.
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Regent · Common
Gather Light
Gain 8 Block.
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Regent · Common
Hidden Cache
Gain 1 Star.
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Regent · Basic
Venerate
Gain 2 Stars.
Open card details →Package pieces
Useful cards with a narrower job. Take them for a reason, not just because they match a theme.
Ironclad · Uncommon
Colossus
Gain 4 Block.
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Ironclad · Uncommon
Fight Me!
Deal 5 damage twice.
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Silent · Common
Deadly Poison
Apply 5 Poison.
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Silent · Uncommon
Expertise
Draw 2 cards.
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Silent · Rare
Fan of Knives
Shivs now hit ALL enemies.
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Silent · Uncommon
Infinite Blades
At the start of your turn, add 1 Shiv into your Hand.
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Defect · Uncommon
Chill
Channel 1 Frost for each enemy.
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Defect · Basic
Dualcast
Evoke your rightmost Orb twice.
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Defect · Uncommon
Fusion
Channel 1 Plasma.
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Defect · Rare
Multi-Cast
Evoke your rightmost Orb X times.
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Defect · Basic
Zap
Channel 1 Lightning.
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Necrobinder · Common
Blight Strike
Deal 8 damage.
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Necrobinder · Uncommon
Calcify
Osty's attacks deal 4 additional damage.
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Necrobinder · Uncommon
Dirge
Summon 3 X times.
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Regent · Uncommon
Devastate
Deal 35 damage.
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Regent · Uncommon
Parry
Sovereign Blade now gains 10 Block.
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Regent · Common
Refine Blade
Forge 9.
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Regent · Rare
Sword Sage
Sovereign Blade gains Replay 1.
Open card details →Coverage rule
Why the board is smaller than the card database
This page only ranks cards with a settled job in the current character guides. It leaves uncertain cards off the board instead of forcing them into a low tier. For complete rules, removed entries, co-op pools, and upgrade comparisons, use the full card database.
Quick answers
Tier list questions
Does S tier mean I should always take the card?
No. S tier means the card has a broad job or can anchor a proven plan. Curve, block, draw, relics, and the next elite still decide whether the pick belongs in this deck.
Why are starter cards not automatically placed at the bottom?
A starter can still be central to a character plan. Bash and Venerate are judged by the windows they open, not by the fact that they begin in the deck.
Where are Colorless and multiplayer cards?
This board stays on the five single-player character pools. Colorless and co-op rewards have different access rules, so mixing them into the same baseline would make the comparison worse.