With Slay the Spire 2 launching with a bang and already becoming the biggest release of 2026 so far, we wanted to share a bit of wisdom (?) to help new players on their ascent.
Even if you’re a seasoned Slay the Spire player, you may find some helpful thoughts as the sequel adds two new characters, with The Regent bringing star power to the party, and The Necrobinder joined by her giant skeletal handyman, Osty.
Don’t lose heart, death is but part of the journey
If you’re completely new to roguelike deckbuilders like this, then it’s worth stating early that you’re supposed to die repeatedly. Not only is it intended that you learn the subtleties of a game like this over time, but the roguelite aspect means that there’s a steady stream of unlocks, including the new characters detailed in this article. Over time, you’ll get better with deeper knowledge of the game’s systems and access to a growing selection of cards, relics, and potions.
Not only is there a roster of five solo characters and an ever-widening pool of relics and potions, but there are loads of cool story-related content bits that unlock as you play. However, you won’t get to all this good stuff – including new cards to bolster each of the five decks – without coming unstuck a few times.
The Ironclad is good for new players
The first two characters that you can take control of are two returning adventurers, The Ironclad and The Silent. These fan favourites offer the gentlest introduction to Slay the Spire’s mechanics, and you’ll be competitive pretty quickly if you pay attention to what you’re doing.
The Ironclad is the opening character and also the most basic. Go with him if you’re after more health points and a more straightforward economy to manage. Playing as The Ironclad also means that you can get to grips with all those relics at the top of the screen more easily.
All characters start with their own gameplay-making relic, and The Ironclad’s is called Burning Blood. This actually gives you some health back after each win – another reason it’s a good pick for newcomers.
The Ironclad starts with a handful of simple Block and Strike cards, and while there are some subtleties further into the deck, this is the bluntest, most brutal of the starting characters, with a focus on building Strength to deliver powerful one-time hits.
The Silent returns in style
The Silent, on the other hand, is a more stealthy option for those who like a bit of sneaky back-stabbing. She’s quick to unlock, but slow to reveal her true complexities, but bear with her, and I promise you’ll have fun.
Your basic tactics revolve around flinging low-cost blades/shivs at your enemies, but once you start building up the effectiveness of your poison attacks, this sneaky little green devil really comes into her own.
Just make sure you focus on defence as much as attack, because The Silent is a squishier character than The Ironclad. To prevail with her, you’ll need to stack your deck with poisonous cards and lots of blade attacks, and then overwhelm your enemies with waves of damage.
These two unlock first for a reason; not only are they going to be familiar for returning players, but they’re simple to get the hang of, even if you’re a newcomer.
The Regent brings floating swords and star power
There are two new characters that all players will have to learn from scratch, and the first of those to unlock in the game is The Regent.
This star-headed princling has an interesting economy built around both renewable energy and a finite supply of Stars for you to manage. You can use these Star cards during combat on top of your standard attacks, but timing is vital in my experience, and you should wait until they’ll make a real difference before playing them.
Many of these Star cards can be played without spending any normal energy, so when you need to turn up the damage to the max, The Regent can be truly devastating. Look out for cards like Stardust, which really bring the fury.
My advice is to diligently build your Star-based economy when picking new cards between rounds. Being able to generate the second currency opens up so many more options, and cards like Solar Strike will even let you deal damage at the same time as you charge those batteries. On the other hand, having too many cards dedicated to generating Stars might undermine your ability to deal regular damage, so don’t go too hard on the economy either.
Throughout your run, your damage output will be boosted by Sovereign Blade, a powerful retained attack that hangs around between turns. This floating sword is activated with a new mechanic called Forge. Once in play, you can then develop this attack into a devastating finisher using cards such as Seeking Edge and Falling Star.
The Necrobinder will hold you in its grip
My favourite of the new additions to the roster is The Necrobinder, who is accompanied in battle by her trusty bodyguard: Osty.
As you can see from the screenshot, Osty is a giant skeletal hand. During combat, you can strengthen its attacks while boosting its health, and it’ll even bite a proverbial bullet for you. Don’t worry, though, your starting relic, Bound Phylactery, resurrects your buddy should he fall in battle.
In fact, when building up its health, this converts into added damage with cards like Unleash and Rattle. You can even use cards like Bone Shards for added effect, but beware, you will lose Osty for the rest of that battle if you do.
What makes Osty even more interesting is the way it defends you during combat, as it will gladly take a hit for you, reducing incoming damage and keeping you in the game longer. That being so, my advice for newcomers is to invest in your bodyguard, because not only can it deal out lots of damage, but you’ll save yourself a lot of pain, too.
Staying alive longer will let you apply Doom on your opponents. This new status effect has the potential to overwhelm enemies after their actions have ended, killing them before your next turn starts. Handy!
The best for last, or is it just The Defect?
I love The Defect, but of all the characters, if you’re new to Slay the Spire, then he’s the one who will take you the longest to learn. However, this returning robot rules the roost with his orbital powers and electric personality.
The Defect can channel various special powers, most notably lightning powers, via orbs that float around him. You must combine your standard attacks with keeping your orbs in play and fully charged, so when the moment comes, you can zap the crap out of your enemies.
You’re able to open up new orb slots as you go, and this is when The Defect can become really powerful. By stacking up loads of elemental attacks (Dark, Frost, Glass, Lightning, and Plasma), you can keep dealing damage and even boost your block, therefore reducing incoming damage.
Couple this with The Defect’s zero-cost cards, and you can start to string together long sequences of attacks that whittle away an enemy’s health bar. If you like to stack ’em up and then knock ’em over, I think you’ll enjoy The Defect’s more nuanced bag o’ tricks.
That’s it for now, but as I play more, I’ll come back and add some advanced tricks to get the most out of the characters featured herein!
