Slay the Spire 2 Relic Tier List
Every relic in Slay the Spire 2 ranked from S to C tier. Relics are one of the most impactful parts of any run — knowing which ones to prioritize can be the difference between a win and a loss. Rankings reflect general power across all classes; some relics may rank higher or lower depending on your specific build.
Run-defining relics — take these every time
Transform 3 cards and upgrade them on pickup. Instantly fixes a weak deck.
Gain a free Rare card on pickup. Immediate power spike.
Draw 2 extra cards at combat start. Consistency every single fight.
Apply 1 Vulnerable to ALL enemies at combat start. Free damage amplifier.
Your first hand each combat is fully Upgraded. Massive early-turn power.
Whenever an enemy dies, gain 1 Energy and draw 1 card. Snowballs in multi-enemy fights.
Every 10th Attack deals double damage. Reliable burst damage in any attack build.
Start each combat with 10 Block. Free defense every fight — no downside.
Start each combat with 1 extra Energy. Universally strong.
After each Rest Site, start next combat with 2 extra Energy. Huge tempo swing.
Excellent relics that strengthen most builds
4 potion slots filled on pickup. Potions win fights — exceptional value.
Transform a starter card into an ancient version. Removes a weak card and upgrades it.
Gain 8 Vigor at combat start. Massive first-turn damage boost.
Gain extra Energy on turns you don't attack. Enables powerful Skill/Power turns.
Gain 2 Energy at the start of your 2nd turn. Reliable mid-combat energy.
First time you lose HP each combat, draw 3 cards. Consistent card draw.
Deal 9 damage to ALL enemies at combat start. Free AoE every fight.
Gain 14 Block at the start of your 2nd turn. Reliable passive defense.
Deal 3 damage to ALL enemies at the start of your turn. Passive chip damage every turn.
Upgraded Attacks deal 3 additional damage. Scales well with upgrades.
Heal 25 HP at the start of each Boss combat. Huge safety net.
Raise Max HP by 10 on pickup. More HP = more room for aggressive play.
Apply 1 Weak to ALL enemies at combat start. Free damage reduction every fight.
Raise Max HP by 7 on pickup. Simple and effective.
Upgrade 2 random Skills on pickup. Free upgrades.
Upgrade 2 random Attacks on pickup. Free upgrades.
Solid relics with clear value in the right build
Enemies drop 10 extra Gold. Compounds over a full run.
Heal 2 HP at combat start. Minor but consistent sustain.
Every 5 cards added to deck, heal 15 HP. Good in card-heavy runs.
Start with 3 Thorns. Punishes enemies that attack frequently.
Start with 4 Plating. Passive block that stacks with other sources.
Every 3 turns, gain 1 Energy. Slow but free energy over long fights.
No regular enemy combats in ? rooms. Guarantees events over fights.
Every 3 Attacks in a turn, deal 6 damage to a random enemy. Good in attack-heavy decks.
Every 3 Skills in a turn, deal 5 damage to ALL enemies. Good in skill-heavy decks.
Gain 15 Gold whenever you add a card to your deck. Solid gold generation.
Heal 15 HP when entering a shop. Reliable healing if you visit shops often.
Every 10 Attacks, gain 1 Energy. Slow payoff but free energy.
Start with 1 Dexterity. Small but consistent defense boost.
Gain 6 Block if you end turn without Block. Safety net for aggressive turns.
Every 3 Attacks in a turn, gain 4 Block. Offense and defense together.
End turn with 10+ Block, deal 6 damage to a random enemy. Rewards defensive play.
Draw a card whenever you shuffle your Draw Pile. Consistent draw in thin decks.
First Power played each combat gives 6 Block. Good in Power-heavy builds.
Heal 4 HP when entering ? rooms. Passive sustain.
Gain 2 potion slots on pickup. More potions = more options.
Heal 15 extra HP when Resting. Makes rest sites much more valuable.
Gain 3 Strength when using a potion. Strong with potion-heavy builds.
Gain 4 Block if you didn't play Attacks this turn. Rewards Skill/Power turns.
Gain 1 Strength and 1 Dexterity at start of 3rd turn. Free stats in longer fights.
Upgrade 3 random cards at Boss combat start. Free upgrades for boss fights.
Cards with 'Strike' deal 3 extra damage. Strong in starter-card builds.
Get a random potion when Resting. Consistent potion generation.
Start with 1 Strength. Small but consistent damage boost.
Heal 6 HP at rest sites instead of resting. Frees up rest actions for upgrades.
Gain 1 Energy permanently. One of the best event relics in the game.
Situational — value depends heavily on build or timing
Gain 20% extra Gold. Only good if you have lots of gold to spend.
Heal 3 HP per 5 cards at rest sites. Requires a bloated deck to matter.
Every 5 Exhausts, draw 1 card. Only relevant in Exhaust builds.
Get a Potion-Shaped Rock each combat. The rock is weak — this relic is weak.
Draw 2 extra cards every 4 turns. Slow payoff — only strong in very long fights.
3 extra Strength below 50% HP. High risk — requires low HP to activate.
Apply 1 extra Poison whenever you apply Poison. Only good in dedicated Poison builds.
How to Evaluate Relics
Passive vs Active
Passive relics (Anchor, Bag of Marbles, Lantern) provide value every fight with zero effort. Active relics require specific conditions — evaluate whether your deck can reliably trigger them.
Early vs Late Value
Relics like Amethyst Aubergine compound over time — better in Act 1. Relics like Pantograph provide immediate value at boss fights. Consider where you are in the run.
Build Synergy
Art of War is S-tier in a Skill/Power deck but useless in an Attack-heavy build. Always evaluate relics in the context of your current deck.
Ancient Relics
Ancient relics (Astrolabe, Arcane Scroll, Archaic Tooth, Alchemical Coffer) trigger their effect immediately on pickup. Their value is front-loaded — almost always worth taking.
FAQ
What is the best relic in Slay the Spire 2?
Astrolabe and Bag of Preparation are among the strongest. Astrolabe transforms and upgrades 3 cards on pickup for an instant power spike. Bag of Preparation gives +2 cards every combat — consistency that compounds across the entire run.
Are boss relics always worth taking?
Boss relics come with tradeoffs. Evaluate the downside carefully — some boss relics cripple certain builds. Never take a boss relic that directly counters your strategy.
How do Ancient relics work?
Ancient relics trigger their effect immediately when picked up, then provide no further passive benefit. They're essentially powerful one-time events disguised as relics.
Should I always take a relic over gold?
Generally yes — relics provide run-long value that gold can't match. The exception is if you're about to visit a shop and need gold for a specific card or potion.
Related guides