Slay the Spire 2 throws a lot at you fast, and relics sit at the heart of every successful run. Pick the right one at the right moment and your deck transforms from a pile of mediocre cards into a machine that dismantles bosses. Pick the wrong one and you are carrying dead weight all the way to Act 3. This guide breaks down the best relics in Slay the Spire 2, explains how they interact with each character's strengths, and flags the traps that end promising runs before they get going.
What Makes a Relic S-Tier in Slay the Spire 2?
Before ranking individual relics, it helps to understand what separates elite picks from average ones. In Slay the Spire 2, the best relics do at least one of three things: they generate energy, they scale passively without requiring card plays, or they protect you from the new status effects that the sequel introduced.
The new Durability mechanic adds a wrinkle here. Several relics now break after a set number of uses per combat, meaning a relic that looks incredible on paper might only fire once or twice in a boss fight. Always factor Durability into your evaluation before grabbing something off the floor.
important
The Durability mechanic means some relics have limited uses per combat. Save high-Durability relics for critical turns like boss hyper-beam phases rather than burning them on hallway fights.
Relic selection after combat
Slay the Spire 2 Relics Tier List: Full Rankings
The table below reflects the current Early Access meta, prioritizing relics that perform consistently across bad drafts and multiple Act difficulties. Ratings account for solo runs at mid-to-high Ascension levels.
warning
Glass Cannon is one of the most dangerous trap relics in the game. With Pierce attacks ignoring block entirely, doubling incoming damage is almost always a run-ender. Avoid it unless you have a specific Intangible buffer strategy locked in.Which Starting Relic Is Best for Each Character?
Every character in Slay the Spire 2 begins with a unique relic that shapes their early game identity. Understanding what each starting relic does tells you exactly how to draft in Act 1.
Ironclad: Burning Blood
Burning Blood heals 6 HP at the end of every combat. On a character who starts with 80 HP, this passive sustain means you can absorb punishment from bad drafts and still arrive at boss fights healthy. Ironclad is the most forgiving character in Early Access precisely because this relic smooths out RNG variance. Pair it with Strength scaling cards and Exhaust synergies for the strongest Ironclad archetype.
Silent: Ring of the Snake
Ring of the Snake grants 2 extra cards drawn at the end of each combat (before the next fight begins). Silent starts with only 70 HP, the lowest of the returning characters, so the draw advantage needs to translate into faster kill speed. Shiv spam and Poison stacking both benefit from seeing more cards per turn. Prioritize deck thinning aggressively to make sure those extra draws hit your best cards.
Regent: Divine Right
Divine Right gives Regent 3 Stars at the start of every combat. The Regent's Star Energy does not reset between turns, which means accumulated Stars fuel explosive late-combat turns. This relic is what makes Regent's scaling feel oppressive once the deck comes together. The tradeoff is that sequencing mistakes are punished hard since mismanaging Stars stalls your entire damage output.
Necrobinder: Bound Phylactery
Bound Phylactery summons 1 unit at the start of each turn. The Necrobinder's entire identity revolves around graveyard loops and Soul resource management. Starting with a free summon every turn gives you early board presence while you assemble the Soul Cycle engine. The character starts with only 66 HP, the lowest in the roster, so that early presence matters for surviving Act 1.
Defect: Cracked Core
Cracked Core channels 1 Lightning Orb at the start of every combat. Defect's strength comes from Orb stacking and Focus scaling, and a free Lightning channel each fight gives you a head start on Evoke setups. The challenge is that Defect is the most draft-dependent character in Early Access. Without enough Focus or Orb slot upgrades, Lightning and Frost output falls off in later Acts.
Starting relics by character
How to Unlock All Characters (and Their Relics)
You do not need to grind for hours to access every character's starting relic. The unlock chain works like this:
- Ironclad is available from the start.
- Silent unlocks after participating in one Ironclad run.
- Regent unlocks after participating in one Silent run.
- Necrobinder unlocks after participating in one Regent run.
- Defect unlocks after participating in one Necrobinder run.
Participation counts even if you give up immediately. Start a run, open the menu, choose Give Up, and the next character unlocks. All five characters can be unlocked in under five minutes this way, giving you access to every starting relic for comparison.
tip
Unlock all five characters early so you can experiment with each starting relic and understand how they shape drafting priorities before committing to an Ascension climb.
What Are the Best Boss Relics to Pick?
Boss relics are the most impactful decision in any run. The right pick can define your archetype; the wrong one can lock you into an awkward build for the rest of the game.
Energy-generating boss relics that limit card plays per turn are the strongest option for Regent, who wants to play fewer, higher-cost cards anyway. For Ironclad and Silent, relics that reward playing many cards pair better with their natural card-heavy archetypes.
Removing a card from your deck at Neow's Blessing (the starting bonus) is generally the strongest early option for consistency. Swapping your boss relic is high-risk and high-reward, and is only worth considering once you understand how each boss relic interacts with your character's kit.
New Mechanics That Change How You Value Relics
Several mechanics introduced in Slay the Spire 2 directly affect relic valuation. Ignoring them is one of the most common reasons experienced players from the original game struggle in the sequel.
Corrosion
Corrosion reduces your maximum HP at the end of each turn and cannot be blocked. Relics that speed up combat (extra energy, free damage) become more valuable against enemies that apply Corrosion because the fight needs to end quickly. High-block relics lose value in these matchups.
Durability
As mentioned earlier, Durability limits how many times a relic or card activates per combat. A relic that fires once per fight is very different from one that fires every turn. Factor this into every boss relic decision.
Pierce
Pierce attacks bypass block entirely. Relics that apply Weak to enemies or grant Intangible buffers become significantly more valuable in Acts where Pierce-heavy enemies appear. Pure block-amplifying relics drop in priority.
Soulbound Cards
Soulbound cards cannot be removed at shops or events once picked up. This is not a relic mechanic directly, but relics that interact with your deck composition (like those that reward small deck sizes) become riskier if you have accidentally picked up Soulbound cards that add permanent bloat.
Which Relics Are Trap Picks?
Some relics look powerful but consistently underperform or actively hurt your run. Here are the ones to avoid unless you have a very specific plan.
- Greed's Purse: Grants gold on kill but costs 2 energy to play. The energy cost slows your deck down more than the gold payout is worth in most runs.
- Glass Cannon: Doubles all damage taken. With Pierce enemies in later Acts, this is almost always fatal.
- High-cost damage relics that require 3 energy to activate in Act 1 leave you completely exposed if the attack misses or the enemy survives.
tip
Early Access balance is still shifting. Relic values may change as Mega Crit pushes patches. Check patch notes after major updates to see if any previously weak relics have been buffed into viability.How Does the Ideal Deck Ratio Affect Relic Choices?
The current Slay the Spire 2 meta recommends roughly 40% block cards, 40% attack cards, and 20% utility or power cards in your deck by Act 3. Relics that push you away from this balance need to compensate with significant power elsewhere.
Aim for a deck size of 20 to 25 cards by the end of Act 3. Smaller decks draw win conditions more consistently. Relics that reward deck thinning (removing cards, exhausting cards) are therefore stronger than they appear on the surface. The Necrobinder's graveyard loop works best when the deck is under 10 cards, making any relic that facilitates removal extremely valuable for that character.
Synergy-focused decks statistically outperform raw damage builds. Early Access data from xmodhub.com indicates synergy-focused decks have a 40% higher win rate than raw damage builds, which is a strong argument for valuing relics that enable specific archetypes over generically powerful relics.
Final Thoughts on Building Around Relics
The golden rule in Slay the Spire 2 is to build around what the Spire gives you rather than forcing a predetermined plan. Your first boss relic is the anchor of your run. If it rewards energy but limits card plays, pivot toward high-cost, high-impact cards. If it rewards playing many cards, hunt for 0-cost attacks and card draw.
Relics are not just passive bonuses. In Slay the Spire 2, they are the scaffolding your entire deck strategy hangs on. Treat every relic decision as a deck-defining moment, and your Ascension climbs will become dramatically more consistent.