Want to level up your game?
Check out these tried and tested strats that can conquer even the highest ascensions.
The archetypes below are specific strategies that benefit heavily from certain synergies or interactions. In some cases these decks use game breaking infinite combos, or allow you to deal absurd amounts of damage you couldn't achieve without fully commiting to a certain tactic. We've listed the most powerful ones for each character here.
Note that there are many ways to play Slay the Spire, and although these archetypes are powerful, by no means are they the only way to play and win. Sometimes you'll use a mixture of several of these combined together, or you may discover a new strategy altogether.
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ironclad archetypes
Strength
Rack up absurd amounts of strength and demolish foes with gigantic attacks.
Perfected Strike
Fill your deck with Strikes and let your Perfected Strikes decimate enemies.
Rampage
Repeatedly play Rampage until it builds up devastating amounts of damage.
Dropkick Infinite
Thin your deck down to trigger an infinite double Dropkick combo.
Searing Blow
Upgrade Searing Blow repeatedly until it one-shots foes.
Block
Build up enormous amounts of block and use it to break your enemies.
Corruption
Make your skills free to rapidly cycle through your deck and dispatch foes.
Dead Branch
Dead Branch
rare
Whenever you Exhaust a card, add a random card to your hand.
S+
S
B-
S
Pull dozens of free cards out of thin air with a Dead Branch and Corruption combo.
Status
Abuse high-value status-generating cards then benefit from drawing them.
Health Sacrifice
Sacrifice your health in exchange for power.
silent archetypes
Shiv
Wrist Blade
boss
Attacks that cost 0 deal 4 additional damage.
C
Shuriken
uncommon
Every time you play 3 Attacks in a single turn, gain 1 Strength.
A-
S
B
A
Kunai
uncommon
Every time you play 3 Attacks in a single turn, gain 1 Dexterity.
C+
S-
C+
B-
Death by a thousand cuts.
Poison
The Specimen
rare
Whenever an enemy dies, transfer any Poison it has to a random enemy.
A-
Snecko Skull
common
Whenever you apply Poison, apply an additional 1 Poison.
S+
Maintain your block while ramping up lethal amounts of Poison.
Envenom Poison
Cut your foes to shreds while racking up Poison.
Grand Finale
Runic Pyramid
boss
At the end of your turn, you no longer discard your hand.
A-
B
B-
B-
Manipulate your card draw to unleash huge multitarget damage.
Discard
Tough Bandages
uncommon
Whenever you discard a card during your turn, gain 3 Block.
C
Tingsha
rare
Whenever you discard a card during your turn, deal 3 damage to a random enemy for each card discarded.
C+
Trigger powerful effects by discarding your cards.
Infinite Discard
Generate infinite energy using a looping discard combo.
defect archetypes
Lightning
Use Lightning orbs to passively strike down enemies.
Frost
Calipers
rare
At the start of your turn, lose 15 Block rather than all of your Block.
D
C+
B-
C-
Turtle up with 100 block per turn.
Dark
Use Dark orbs to one-shot foes.
All For One
Draft a bunch of 0 cost cards and pull them over and over again.
Claw
The Claw is the law.
Snecko Eye
Snecko Eye
boss
Draw 2 additional cards each turn. Start each combat Confused.
A
A-
A-
A-
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Plasma & Focus Down
Use your orb slots for energy, and lose Focus in exchange for power.
Double Energy X Cost
Ice Cream
rare
Energy is now conserved between turns.
B-
B+
A-
B+
Pour enormous amounts of energy into an X cost card to win.
4 Card Infinite
Generate infinite energy with a 4 card combo.
Powers
Mummified Hand
uncommon
Whenever you play a Power, a random card in your hand costs 0 for the turn.
B-
B-
A-
B-
Bird-Faced Urn
rare
Whenever you play a Power, heal 2 HP.
B-
B+
A-
B+
Become all-powerful by constantly playing powers.
watcher archetypes
Stance Dance
Violet Lotus
boss
Whenever you exit Calm, gain an additional [energy].
A
Switch between stances to punish foes with Wrath and protect yourself with Calm.
Infinite Stance Dance
Peace Pipe
rare
You can now remove cards from your deck at Rest Sites.
C
C+
C+
C+
Generate infinite energy by jumping in and out of Calm.
Establishment Infinite Stance Dance
Peace Pipe
rare
You can now remove cards from your deck at Rest Sites.
C
C+
C+
C+
Generate infinite energy by jumping in and out of Calm using your starting cards.
Ragnarok
Save up for a huge Ragnarok turn which wipes out your foes.
Divinity
Damaru
common
At the start of your turn, gain 1 Mantra.
C
Build up enough Mantra to enter Divinity and end fights outright.
Retain
Use Establishment to make your Retain cards free to unleash huge value turns.
Scry
Never draw a bad card again.
Pressure Points
Mark enemies with Pressure Points and watch them crumble.
Master Reality
Dead Branch
rare
Whenever you Exhaust a card, add a random card to your hand.
S+
S
B-
S
Generate powerful cards mid-combat to answer any encounter.
Alpha
Play Alpha, Beta and Omega, then turtle up while shredding foes every turn.
Expunger
Chemical X
shop
The effects of your cost X cards are increased by 2.
B+
B+
B+
C
Smiling Mask
uncommon
The merchant's card removal service now always costs 50 Gold.
C-
C+
C-
C-
Peace Pipe
rare
You can now remove cards from your deck at Rest Sites.
C
C+
C+
C+
Conjure an enormous blade and hack foes to bits, one at a time.