Slay the Spire 2 — Ancients Guide

Ancients replace the Boss Relic system from STS1. At the start of each act, a named Ancient NPC offers you 3 blessings with meaningful tradeoffs. Choosing wisely can define your entire run.

How the Ancients System Works

In STS1, defeating a boss gave you a choice of 3 random Boss Relics. STS2 replaces this with a more narrative system: named Ancient NPCs that each have a thematic identity and offer blessings tied to that theme.

Neow appears at the start of every run and provides your initial boost. Additional Ancients appear at the entrance to Act 2 and Act 3, drawn from separate pools — so which Ancient you meet is random each run.

Unlike STS1 boss relics (permanent power), many Ancient blessings are temporary or come with restrictions — the power ceiling is lower but more predictable.

Tezcatara — Act 2 Ancient

Tezcatara ("It Which Feeds The Fire") is one of the confirmed Act 2 Ancients. Its theme: burns bright but extinguishes quickly — all blessings front-load power with diminishing returns or long-term costs.

Golden Path

Tier S

Transforms Act 2's branching map into a single linear route packed with Elites, Shops, and Events. Guarantees high-value encounters but removes the ability to dodge bad matchups.

Pros

+Guaranteed Elite relics — accelerates power curve
+Guaranteed Shops — buy key cards or relics
+Predictable route — plan your run precisely

Cons

−Cannot avoid dangerous Elite matchups
−Forced fights if your deck has specific weaknesses
−Less flexibility for struggling runs

Best for: Ironclad, Defect, Regent

Avoid: Necrobinder (risky before Doom is set up)

Toy Box (Wax Relics)

Tier A

Grants 4 Wax Relics immediately. Each Wax Relic functions normally but the leftmost one melts (disappears) after every 3 combat encounters. Strategic ordering is critical.

Pros

+Immediate power spike — 4 relics at once
+Best stabilizer when your run is struggling
+Can include powerful relics like Dead Branch, Calipers

Cons

−Most relics disappear by late Act 2 or early Act 3
−Poor for final boss preparation
−Requires careful ordering (weakest first, strongest last)

Best for: All classes when relic-starved, Silent (Tough Bandages, Hovering Kite), Defect (Calipers, Inserter)

Avoid: Runs already scaling well — diminishing returns

Heap of Coals

Tier B

Enchants all Strikes in your deck, reducing their cost but permanently locking them into your deck for the entire run. Cannot be removed at card removal events.

Pros

+Significant Strike damage boost
+Reduced energy cost on Strikes
+Strong for Strike-synergy builds

Cons

−Permanently locks Strikes — cannot remove them
−Pollutes deck for non-Strike builds
−Niche pick — only good for specific archetypes

Best for: Ironclad (Perfected Strike, Heavy Blade synergy), Exhaust builds with Toasty Mittens combo

Avoid: Silent, Defect, Regent, Necrobinder

Yummy Cookie

Tier A

Upgrades 4 cards in your deck immediately. A strong mid-run optimization tool when your deck is already solid and needs refinement rather than raw power.

Pros

+Immediate card quality improvement
+No downside or tradeoff
+Excellent for decks with key unupgraded cards

Cons

−Less impactful if deck is already well-upgraded
−Weaker than Golden Path for power scaling

Best for: Silent (Catalyst, key Sly cards), Defect (Defragment, Claw), Regent (Forge cards)

Avoid: Runs with already-upgraded key cards

Toasty Mittens

Tier B

Exhausts the top card of your draw pile and grants Strength. Situational — best for Exhaust-synergy builds.

Pros

+Free Strength gain
+Thins deck via Exhaust
+Synergizes with Exhaust-trigger cards

Cons

−Random card exhausted — can remove key cards
−Low impact for non-Exhaust builds

Best for: Ironclad Exhaust engine (Corruption + Dark Embrace), Necrobinder Soul Cycle builds

Avoid: Decks without Exhaust synergy

Best Blessings by Class

⚔️

Ironclad

Best Pick: Golden Path

Self-healing via Burning Blood makes forced Elites survivable. Guaranteed Elite relics accelerate Strength scaling.

Second Choice: Heap of Coals

Best fit for Strike synergy — Perfected Strike and Heavy Blade benefit directly. Locking Strikes is less punishing.

Avoid: None — all blessings have some value for Ironclad

🗡️

Silent

Best Pick: Yummy Cookie

Upgrading Catalyst or key Sly/discard cards mid-run is extremely high value. Doubles Poison output instantly.

Second Choice: Toy Box

Tough Bandages and Hovering Kite are excellent Wax Relic pulls for discard builds.

Avoid: Heap of Coals — Silent rarely wants Strikes; locking them in pollutes the deck

🤖

Defect

Best Pick: Golden Path

Guaranteed Shops let you buy Defragment or key Powers. Elite relics accelerate Orb/Focus scaling.

Second Choice: Yummy Cookie

Upgrading Defragment or Claw cards is high value. Defect benefits greatly from card quality.

Avoid: Heap of Coals — Defect doesn't use Strikes meaningfully

👑

Regent

Best Pick: Golden Path

Stars mechanic benefits from guaranteed Elite encounters to accumulate Stars and Forge charges.

Second Choice: Yummy Cookie

Upgrading Forge cards or Hidden Cache is high value for Stars scaling.

Avoid: Heap of Coals — Regent's identity is Stars/Forge, not Strikes

💀

Necrobinder

Best Pick: Toy Box

Dead Branch (generates cards on Exhaust) is an excellent Wax Relic pull. Immediate power spike helps Doom setup.

Second Choice: Toasty Mittens

Exhaust synergy directly feeds Soul Cycle and Haunt triggers. Strong for Exhaust-focused builds.

Avoid: Golden Path — risky before Doom stacks are established; forced Elites can be dangerous

General Strategy Tips

▸If your run is healthy and scaling well, Golden Path is almost always the right call — guaranteed Elites and Shops accelerate your power curve.

▸If your run is struggling or relic-starved, Toy Box (Wax Relics) provides the best immediate stabilization.

▸Heap of Coals is a build-commitment choice — only take it if your deck already wants Strikes. Never take it speculatively.

▸Order your Wax Relics carefully: put the relic you value least in the leftmost slot — it melts first.

▸In co-op, Golden Path affects the shared map. Discuss with your team before choosing — it's a team decision.

▸The Act 3 Ancient pool is separate from Act 2. Your Act 2 blessing choice should account for what Act 3 might offer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Ancients in Slay the Spire 2?

Ancients are powerful NPCs that replace the Boss Relic system from STS1. Instead of choosing from 3 random boss relics after defeating a boss, you encounter a named Ancient at the entrance to each act. Each Ancient offers 3 unique blessings with meaningful tradeoffs.

When do Ancients appear?

Neow appears at the start of every run (Act 1). Additional Ancients appear at the beginning of Act 2 and Act 3, each drawn from their own separate pool. Which Ancient you meet is random per run.

Who is Tezcatara?

Tezcatara ("It Which Feeds The Fire") is one of the Act 2 Ancients. Its theme is front-loaded power with diminishing returns — all blessings give immediate strength but come with long-term costs or limitations.

Are Wax Relics worth taking?

Situationally yes. Wax Relics (Toy Box blessing) give you 4 relics immediately, which is a massive power spike. However, they melt over time — the leftmost relic disappears every 3 combats. Best taken when your run is struggling or relic-starved. Order them carefully: weakest pick first, strongest last.

What is the Golden Path blessing?

Golden Path transforms Act 2's branching map into a single linear route packed with Elites, Shops, and Events. You gain guaranteed high-value encounters but lose the ability to dodge dangerous matchups. Strong for healthy runs that can handle forced Elites.

Do Ancients work differently in co-op?

In co-op, each player makes their own Ancient blessing choice. However, the Golden Path blessing affects the shared map — meaning it's a team decision that impacts everyone's route. Coordinate with your team before choosing.

Early Access Note

Slay the Spire 2 launched into Early Access on March 5, 2026. The full list of all Ancients (especially Act 3) is still being documented by the community. This guide will be updated as more information becomes available.