Slay the Spire 2 Boss Guide

All 16 bosses in Slay the Spire 2 — exact HP values, move patterns, and strategies. Data sourced from EA v1.0.

Act 1 — Overgrowth & Underdocks

Ceremonial Beast

Ceremonial Beast

Act 1 — Overgrowth•HP: 252(Asc 8+: 262)

Move Pattern

  1. 1.Stamp
  2. 2.Plow
  3. 3.→ loops Plow

Moves

Buff
Stamp: Gains Plow 150 (160 on Asc 9+)
Attack
Plow: 18 dmg (20 Asc 9+), gains Strength 2 each use
Debuff
Beast Cry: Applies Ringing 1 to player
Attack
Stomp: 15 dmg (17 Asc 9+)

Strategy

  • ▸Turn 1 is a free setup turn — Stamp is a buff, not an attack
  • ▸After Stamp, Plow loops forever and gains Strength each time — kill it fast
  • ▸Burst damage is ideal; the longer the fight, the harder Plow hits
  • ▸Ringing from Beast Cry is annoying but manageable — prioritize damage over cleansing

Best Counters

High burst damageVulnerable applicationWeak to reduce Plow damage
Vantom

Vantom

Act 1 — Overgrowth•HP: 173(Asc 8+: 183)
⚠ Starts with Slippery 9 — debuffs have reduced effectiveness

Move Pattern

  1. 1.Ink Blot
  2. 2.Inky Lance
  3. 3.Dismember
  4. 4.Prepare
  5. 5.→ loops

Moves

Attack
Ink Blot: 7 dmg (8 Asc 8+)
Multi Attack
Inky Lance: 6×2 dmg (7×2 Asc 8+)
Attack
Dismember: 27 dmg (30 Asc 8+), adds 3 Wound cards to your discard pile
Buff
Prepare: Gains Strength 2

Strategy

  • ▸Slippery reduces debuff stacks — Weak and Vulnerable are less effective here
  • ▸Dismember is the dangerous move — 27 damage plus 3 Wounds clogging your deck
  • ▸Kill before Prepare loops too many times; Strength stacks up
  • ▸Exhaust effects help clear the Wound cards from Dismember

Best Counters

Direct damage (not debuff-reliant)Exhaust effects for WoundsConsistent block for Dismember turns
The Kin

The Kin

DUO: Kin Priest + Kin Follower
Act 1 — Overgrowth•HP: 190 + 58–59(Asc 8+: 199 + 62–63)
⚠ Duo fight. Kin Follower has Minion 1 — dies when Kin Priest dies

Move Pattern

  1. 1.Kin Priest: Orb of Frailty → Orb of Weakness → Soul Beam → Dark Ritual → loop

Moves

Attack
Orb of Frailty: 8 dmg (9 Asc 8+), applies Frail 1
Attack
Orb of Weakness: 8 dmg (9 Asc 8+), applies Weak 1
Multi Attack
Soul Beam: 3×3 dmg
Buff
Dark Ritual: Gains Strength 2 (3 Asc 8+)
Attack
Quick Slash (Follower): 5 dmg
Multi Attack
Boomerang (Follower): 2×2 dmg

Strategy

  • ▸Focus the Kin Priest — Follower has Minion and dies automatically when Priest dies
  • ▸Frail + Weak stack up fast; your block and damage both suffer if you let it loop
  • ▸Dark Ritual Strength stacking makes later turns dangerous — don't let it cycle too many times
  • ▸AoE can chip the Follower while you focus the Priest

Best Counters

Single-target burst on PriestArtifact to block debuffsAoE to manage both enemies
Lagavulin Matriarch

Lagavulin Matriarch

Act 1 — Underdocks•HP: 222(Asc 8+: 233)
⚠ Starts Asleep 3 and with Plating 12. Two-phase fight — behavior changes at half HP

Move Pattern

  1. 1.Sleeps until attacked
  2. 2.Phase 2 at 50% HP: Slash / Disembowel / Soul Siphon

Moves

Special
Sleep: Does nothing while Asleep stacks remain
Attack
Slash: 19 dmg (21 Asc 8+)
Attack
Slash2: 12 dmg (14 Asc 8+)
Multi Attack
Disembowel: 9×2 dmg (10×2 Asc 8+)
Debuff
Soul Siphon: Applies Strength −2 and Dexterity −2 to player, gains Strength 2

Strategy

  • ▸Use the sleep turns to set up powers and draw your best cards
  • ▸Plating 12 absorbs the first 12 damage each turn — multi-hit attacks are more efficient
  • ▸Soul Siphon is the most dangerous move: it drains your stats while buffing itself
  • ▸Try to burst through Phase 2 quickly before Soul Siphon stacks cripple you

Best Counters

Multi-hit attacks to pierce PlatingStrength/Dexterity buffs to offset Soul SiphonSetup powers during sleep phase
Soul Fysh

Soul Fysh

Act 1 — Underdocks•HP: 211(Asc 8+: 221)
⚠ Can become Intangible — all damage reduced to 1 for 2 turns

Move Pattern

  1. 1.Beckon
  2. 2.De-Gas
  3. 3.Gaze
  4. 4.Fade
  5. 5.Scream
  6. 6.→ loops

Moves

Attack
De-Gas: 16 dmg (17 Asc 9+)
Attack
Gaze: 7 dmg (8 Asc 9+), applies status
Buff
Fade: Gains Intangible 2 — all damage reduced to 1
Attack
Scream: 11 dmg (12 Asc 9+), applies Vulnerable 3

Strategy

  • ▸Fade gives Intangible 2 — don't waste burst damage on those turns, save it
  • ▸Scream + Vulnerable 3 is a dangerous combo; block heavily on Scream turns
  • ▸Time your big damage turns for when Intangible is not active
  • ▸Consistent chip damage is fine during Intangible turns

Best Counters

Patience — save burst for non-Intangible turnsHigh block for Scream + Vulnerable turnsArtifact to block Vulnerable
Waterfall Giant

Waterfall Giant

Act 1 — Underdocks•HP: 250(Asc 8+: 260)
⚠ Builds Steam Eruption stacks each turn. Stuns itself with 'About to Blow' at high stacks

Move Pattern

  1. 1.Pressurize
  2. 2.Stomp
  3. 3.Ram
  4. 4.Siphon
  5. 5.Pressure Gun
  6. 6.Pressure Up
  7. 7.→ loops to Stomp

Moves

Buff
Pressurize: Gains Steam Eruption 15 (20 Asc 9+)
Attack
Stomp: 15 dmg (16 Asc 9+), applies Weak 1, gains Steam Eruption 3
Attack
Ram: 10 dmg (11 Asc 9+), gains Steam Eruption 3
Heal
Siphon: Heals, gains Steam Eruption 3
Attack
Pressure Gun: 13 dmg (14 Asc 9+), gains Steam Eruption 3
Attack
Pressure Up: 13 dmg (14 Asc 9+), gains Steam Eruption 3

Strategy

  • ▸Steam Eruption stacks build every turn — the self-stun window is a free damage opportunity
  • ▸Siphon heals — prioritize damage to offset healing
  • ▸Stomp applies Weak, reducing your attack damage; block or cleanse it
  • ▸Consistent damage beats burst here — the fight is a war of attrition

Best Counters

Consistent damage outputWeak cleanse or ArtifactHigh block generation

Act 2 — Hive

Kaiser Crab

Kaiser Crab

DUO: Crusher + Rocket
Act 2 — Hive•HP: 199 + 189(Asc 8+: 209 + 199)
⚠ Duo fight. Both have Back Attack 1 and Crab Rage 1

Move Pattern

  1. 1.Crusher: Thrash → Enlarging Strike → Bug Sting → Adapt → Guarded Strike → loop
  2. 2.Rocket: Targeting Reticle → Precision Beam → Charge Up → Laser → Recharge → loop

Moves

Attack
Thrash (Crusher): 12 dmg (14 Asc 8+)
Multi Attack
Bug Sting (Crusher): 6×2 dmg (7×2 Asc 8+), applies Weak 2 and Frail 2
Buff
Adapt (Crusher): Gains Strength 2
Attack
Targeting Reticle (Rocket): 3 dmg (4 Asc 9+) — telegraphs Laser
Attack
Precision Beam (Rocket): 18 dmg (20 Asc 9+)
Attack
Laser (Rocket): 31 dmg (35 Asc 9+) — very dangerous
Buff
Charge Up (Rocket): Gains Strength 2

Strategy

  • ▸Targeting Reticle telegraphs Laser next turn — block heavily when you see it
  • ▸Laser hits for 31–35 damage; this is the most dangerous move in the fight
  • ▸Bug Sting applies Weak + Frail — your damage and block both drop
  • ▸Kill Rocket first to eliminate the Laser threat, then clean up Crusher

Best Counters

Focus Rocket firstHeavy block on Laser turnsArtifact to block Bug Sting debuffs
Knowledge Demon

Knowledge Demon

Act 2 — Hive•HP: 379(Asc 8+: 399)
⚠ HP scales with player count in co-op

Move Pattern

  1. 1.Curse of Knowledge
  2. 2.Slap
  3. 3.Knowledge Overwhelming
  4. 4.Ponder
  5. 5.→ loops

Moves

Debuff
Curse of Knowledge: Applies a stacking curse debuff
Attack
Slap: 17 dmg (18 Asc 8+)
Multi Attack
Knowledge Overwhelming: 8×3 dmg (9×3 Asc 8+)
Heal
Ponder: 11 dmg (13 Asc 8+), gains Strength 2 (3 Asc 8+), heals 30 HP

Strategy

  • ▸Ponder heals 30 HP and gains Strength — this is the move you need to race against
  • ▸Knowledge Overwhelming (8×3) deals 24 total damage — block is essential
  • ▸Curse of Knowledge stacks up; Artifact or cleanse effects help
  • ▸High sustained damage to prevent Ponder from undoing your work

Best Counters

High sustained damageArtifact to block CursePoison or scaling damage to outpace healing
The Insatiable

The Insatiable

Act 2 — Hive•HP: 321(Asc 8+: 341)

Move Pattern

  1. 1.Liquify Ground
  2. 2.Thrash 1
  3. 3.Lunging Bite
  4. 4.Salivate
  5. 5.Thrash 2
  6. 6.→ loops to Thrash 1

Moves

Buff
Liquify Ground: Gains Sandpit 4
Multi Attack
Thrash 1 / Thrash 2: 8×2 dmg (9×2 Asc 8+)
Attack
Lunging Bite: 28 dmg (31 Asc 8+) — hardest hit in the pattern
Buff
Salivate: Gains Strength 2 (3 Asc 8+)

Strategy

  • ▸Lunging Bite at 28–31 damage is the spike to block for — it comes every 5 turns
  • ▸Salivate Strength stacking makes Thrash increasingly dangerous over time
  • ▸Sandpit from Liquify Ground may slow your card plays — check the mechanic
  • ▸Consistent damage to kill before Strength stacks get out of hand

Best Counters

Consistent block for Lunging BiteWeak to reduce Thrash damageScaling damage to race Strength stacks

Act 3 — Glory

Doormaker + Door

Doormaker + Door

DUO: Doormaker + Door
Act 3 — Glory•HP: 489 + 155(Asc 8+: 512 + 165)
⚠ Door has Door Revival 1 — can revive after death. Doormaker can also revive

Move Pattern

  1. 1.Doormaker: What Is It → Beam → Get Back In → loops Get Back In
  2. 2.Door: Dramatic Open / Enforce / Door Slam

Moves

Status
What Is It (Doormaker): Stuns
Attack
Beam (Doormaker): 31 dmg (34 Asc 8+)
Attack
Get Back In (Doormaker): 40 dmg (45 Asc 8+), gains Strength 5 — loops
Attack
Dramatic Open (Door): 25 dmg (28 Asc 9+)
Attack
Enforce (Door): 20 dmg, gains Strength 3 (4 Asc 9+)
Multi Attack
Door Slam (Door): 15×2 dmg

Strategy

  • ▸Get Back In loops at 40–45 damage AND gains Strength 5 each time — this fight escalates fast
  • ▸Kill the Door first to prevent revival from complicating the fight
  • ▸Doormaker's Beam + Get Back In combo is brutal — you need strong block generation
  • ▸Burst damage on Door, then pivot all resources to Doormaker

Best Counters

Kill Door firstVery high block generationBurst damage to end before Strength stacks spiral
Queen + Torch Head Amalgam

Queen + Torch Head Amalgam

DUO: Queen + Torch Head Amalgam
Act 3 — Glory•HP: 400 + 199(Asc 8+: 419 + 211)
⚠ Torch Head Amalgam has Minion 1 — dies when Queen dies

Move Pattern

  1. 1.Queen: Puppet Strings → Your Mine → Burn Bright for Me → Off with Your Head → Execution → Enrage → loop
  2. 2.Amalgam: Tackle 1 → Tackle 2 → Beam → Tackle 3 → Tackle 4 → loop to Beam

Moves

Debuff
Puppet Strings (Queen): Applies Chains of Binding 3
Debuff
Your Mine (Queen): Applies Frail 99, Weak 99, Vulnerable 99 — effectively permanent
Multi Attack
Off with Your Head (Queen): 3×5 dmg (4×5 Asc 8+)
Attack
Execution (Queen): 15 dmg (18 Asc 8+)
Buff
Enrage (Queen): Gains Strength
Multi Attack
Beam (Amalgam): 8×3 dmg
Attack
Tackle (Amalgam): 14–18 dmg (15–19 Asc 8+)

Strategy

  • ▸Your Mine applies Frail/Weak/Vulnerable 99 — essentially permanent debuffs. This is the most dangerous move in Act 3
  • ▸Artifact is critical here to block Your Mine; without it, your damage and block collapse
  • ▸Focus the Queen — Amalgam has Minion and dies with her
  • ▸Off with Your Head (3×5 = 15 total) plus Vulnerable from Your Mine = massive damage spikes

Best Counters

Artifact (blocks Your Mine)High burst on QueenStrong block for multi-hit turns
Test Subject

Test Subject

Act 3 — Glory•HP: 100 / 200 / 300(Asc 8+: 111 / 212 / 313)
⚠ HP scales with co-op player count (1/2/3 players). Has Adaptable 1 and Enrage 2. Can revive and become Intangible

Move Pattern

  1. 1.Bite → Skull Bash → loop
  2. 2.Gains new moves after reviving

Moves

Attack
Bite: 20 dmg (22 Asc 8+)
Attack
Skull Bash: 14 dmg (16 Asc 8+), applies Vulnerable 1
Attack
Pounce: 30 dmg (32 Asc 8+)
Attack
Big Pounce: 45 dmg — post-revive move
Multi Attack
Lacerate: 10×3 dmg (11×3 Asc 8+)
Buff
Burning Growl: Gains Strength 2 (3 Asc 8+)
Special
Respawn: Revives, gains Painful Stabs 1 and Nemesis 1

Strategy

  • ▸Enrage 2 means it gains Strength when you play Attack cards — consider Skill-heavy turns
  • ▸After reviving, it gains Nemesis and Painful Stabs — the second phase is significantly harder
  • ▸Big Pounce at 45 damage post-revive can one-shot low-HP players
  • ▸In co-op, HP triples — coordinate burst damage to kill it before the revive if possible

Best Counters

Skill-heavy decks to avoid EnrageBurst damage to prevent reviveArtifact or Intangible for Big Pounce turns

General Boss Tips

  • ▸Check the map before the fight: You can see which boss is coming — prepare your deck accordingly at the last rest site
  • ▸Upgrade key cards at campfires: Upgraded cards make a significant difference in boss fights
  • ▸Save potions for bosses: Don't waste damage or block potions on normal fights
  • ▸Know the move pattern: Most bosses follow a fixed loop — plan your block and burst turns around it
  • ▸Duo bosses: kill the Minion last: Enemies with Minion 1 die automatically when the main enemy dies — focus the main target

Related guides

Elites GuideActs GuideAll ClassesAll Cards