Dowsing Rod relic icon

V109 Patch Read

Slay the Spire 2 V109 Patch Notes

The July 16 beta patch adds two Neow reward chains, rewrites four build-around cards, retunes late-game enemy openers, and pulls several multiplayer cards back from their launch numbers.

This page keeps the long change list tied to decisions you can make in a run: what the new Neow picks put in your deck, which card evaluations changed, and which Act 3 opening turns need fresh block math.

Patch dateJuly 16, 2026ReleaseV109 betaNew Neow relics2Card changes20Enemy openers2 retuned

Run Impact

Read these changes before the full list

Opening rewards gained real long-term costs

Dowsing Rod asks you to carry a quest card through five more ? rooms. Neow's Sacrifice gives immediate recovery and an extra-turn potion, but Guilty occupies deck space until its condition clears.

Several familiar cards need a fresh read

Well-Laid Plans, Expertise, Pillar of Creation, and Eidolon no longer perform their old jobs. Treat them as new cards during draft decisions instead of applying an old tier-list verdict.

Act 3 front-load shifted in both directions

Aeonglass opens more gently with a 22 / 26 Ebb. Torch Head Amalgam now opens harder with a 26 / 32 Strong Tackle, so the safe first-turn block target moved with the fight.

New Neow Rewards

Two opening picks, two very different clocks

One pays after map commitment. The other pays immediately and leaves a deck cost behind.

Dowsing Rod relic icon

Dowsing Rod → Dowsing → Abundance

  1. Dowsing Rod adds Dowsing to your deck when picked up.
  2. After you enter five more ? rooms, Dowsing transforms into Abundance.
  3. Abundance chooses one of three Powers for your hand. That Power is free for the turn; upgrading Abundance upgrades the offered Powers.
Compare the Neow opening
Neow's Sacrifice relic icon

Neow's Sacrifice → Ambergris + Guilty

  1. Neow's Sacrifice gives one Ambergris and adds Guilty to your deck.
  2. Ambergris heals 50% of Max HP. When used in combat, it grants an extra turn after the current turn.
  3. The potion is an immediate rescue button; Guilty is the deck-building price attached to it.
Open the potion database

Card Reworks

Four cards changed jobs

Well-Laid Plans

Before: Retained up to 1(2) cards at end of turn.

V109: At end of turn, you no longer discard your hand. It is now Rare, costs 1(0), and is available in multiplayer.

Expertise

Before: Drew until your hand held 6(7) cards.

V109: Draw 2(3) cards; those cards gain Retain for the turn.

Pillar of Creation

Before: Every created card granted 3 Block.

V109: The first card created each turn grants 5(7) Block.

Eidolon

Before: Exhausted your hand and rewarded a nine-card exhaust with Intangible.

V109: Plays every Ethereal card in your Exhaust Pile, then Exhausts. The upgrade lowers its cost from 2 to 1.

Card Balance

Ironclad and Silent

  • Demon Form now grants 3(4) Strength each turn, and Primal Force creates Giant Rocks that deal 20(24).
  • Expect a Fight no longer prevents later Energy gain during the turn.
  • Taunt moves to Common and grants 6(8) Block. Bloodletting and Cruelty move to Uncommon; Dominate moves to Rare.
  • Outbreak rises to 4(5) damage whenever Poison is applied, while Accelerant moves to Uncommon.

Card Balance

Regent, Necrobinder, and Defect

  • Collision Course drops to 10(14) damage.
  • Hyperbeam rises to 30(38), and Sunder rises to 26(34).
  • Trash to Treasure now upgrades by dropping from 1 Energy to 0 instead of gaining Innate.

Card Balance

Multiplayer cards

  • Midnight falls from 99(120) damage to 60(72).
  • The Ball now gains 10(15) damage when passed instead of 15(25).
  • Blade Symphony costs 2(1), and its upgrade no longer adds another Shiv.

Relics and Events

Ancient relic numbers moved with the card pass

  • Diamond Diadem now starts combat with 20 Block and preserves that Block at the start of your next turn.
  • Sand Castle moves from Orobas Pool 1 to Pool 2.
  • Meat Cleaver grants 5 Max HP after Cooking, Toy Box gives 5 Wax Relics, and Fiddle draws 3 extra cards at turn start.
  • Sere Talon now costs 9 Max HP; Distinguished Cape now adds two random Curses alongside three Apparitions.
  • History Course repeats only your last Attack, not Skills.
Open the relic database

Enemy Openers

Update the first-turn block target

Aeonglass enemy portrait

Aeonglass

Ebb drops from 26 / 32 damage to 22 / 26. Its HP remains 512 on the base band and 535 on the tougher band.

Open Bestiary
Torch Head Amalgam enemy portrait

Torch Head Amalgam

The fight now starts with Strong Tackle for 26 / 32 damage instead of the old 18 / 22 opener.

Open Bestiary

System Notes

Seeds, co-op targeting, and art

  • Seeds are now 12 characters long and use a larger internal value.
  • Nearly any potion can now target another player in multiplayer.
  • Map ink circles are synchronized across all players.
  • The patch also adds new portraits for The Ball and Plot and new Epoch art for Annihilation, To Kill, and Futility.

FAQ

Common V109 questions

What is the biggest V109 change for a new run?

The two new Neow relics create the most immediate decision. Dowsing Rod pays later after five more ? rooms; Neow's Sacrifice pays now with Ambergris but adds Guilty to the deck.

How much does Ambergris heal?

Ambergris heals 50% of Max HP. If used during combat, it also gives you an extra turn after the current turn.

Did Doom execution math change in V109?

No Doom card values changed in this patch. The relevant combat change is enemy pressure: Aeonglass Ebb is lower, while Torch Head Amalgam has a stronger first turn.

Which card reworks should I relearn first?

Start with Well-Laid Plans, Expertise, Pillar of Creation, and Eidolon. Each now has a different job, not just a different number.