Summary
- Focus on buffs and debuffs to maximize damage against bosses.
- Engage with the community for tips and tricks on how to build a powerful deck.
- Being adaptable and using strategy to balance attack and defense is key.
Slay the Spire will have players starting from scratch regularly, and some players may struggle to get their footing when faced with the same problems. Like any roguelike game, the difficulty is designed in such a way to keep players going at it for quite a while, learning the complexities of the mechanics before eventually being good enough to reach the top.
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There are plenty of advanced tactics that can bring success in Slay the Spire, but they're all meaningless without a fundamental understanding of how to approach the game. New players need these tips to learn how they should be approaching each run, and where their strategies can go from there.
Updated on April 8, 2025, by Mati Kent-Nye: Slay The Spire offers players a unique take on the deck-building genre, combining roguelike and roguelite elements to make an intensely challenging, albeit highly satisfying, gameplay loop of death, learning, and progression. While it is a punishing game, Slay The Spire doesn't particularly reward gaming veterans or bully beginners.
Whether readers are new or returning players, this article is sure to give them some great tips for improving their skills. With the release of Slay The Spire 2 later this year, there's no better time to get acquainted, or reacquainted, with the dangers that lurk in the depths of the spire. Such experience is sure to be valuable when it comes to facing off against Slay The Spire's formidable sequel. Two new entries have been added that emphasize experimentation and persistence.
15 All About Buffs And Debuffs
Extract The Most From Every Card
- Vital for defeating late-game enemies.
- Damage-amplifying buffs are particularly powerful.
- Offer a wide array of effects.
Numerically speaking, if players try to deal just raw damage, there is no way they'll be able to take down the massive health bars of bosses with pure damage. To maximize damage, gamers are going to want to look for buffs to give themselves and debuffs to afflict enemies with to amplify their damage output.
Although there are some great mods out there that can reduce boss health pools, the better solution for standard gameplay is to find poison-applying, armor-reducing, or damage-multiplying cards to help cut through enemy HP. Damage is fantastic, and no deck should neglect it, but it requires a pairing with buffs or debuffs to really shine.
14 Plug Into The Community
Learn Tips And Tricks From Veteran Players
- Helpful for advice on defeating the final boss.
- Endless lessons to be learned from veteran players.
- Learn about the best deck builds and most powerful items.
Some label Slay the Spire as one of the easiest roguelike games to beat. This is only somewhat true as getting to the unofficial ending can be done after one or two attempts to understand the mechanics. But gamers who want to get the true ending or climb the Ascension ladder will need more than that.
For those who want to be really skilled, get in touch with the community for deck ideas. There are extensive ideas for each class as well as deep analysis regarding card win rates. For players stuck on an elite fight or boss, they're not alone and the solution to their woes has most certainly been covered on various forums. The Reddit community is one of the most positive in all of gaming.
13 Go With The Flow
Adaptability Is Vital For Beating The Dungeon
- Having a flexible plan is vital when starting a new run.
- The dungeon is sure to throw many curveballs.
- There are multiple ways to beat the game with every character.
As much as players want to strategize for a specific kind of deck, sometimes the necessary cards just don't drop. Having a Plan A is fine until gamers refuse to go to Plan B or C, then the bosses go from challenging to near unbeatable. The spire is constantly throwing out new obstacles for players to overcome, from the cards it offers to the type of bosses and elites they must face.
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When getting unlucky, be adaptable. This game has a unique poison system that might be intriguing even if it's not a preferred tactic for players that favor the Silent. Each character has several paths to victory, so be sure to visualize each of them before deciding on one that is doable based on the cards and items given in each run.
12 Get To The Heart With Each Character
Leave Fully Leveling Characters For Final Boss Runs
- Final boss is unlocked by reaching the heart as the Ironclad, Silent, and Defect.
- Fully leveling up every character should be left until the final boss has been unlocked.
- Players must only complete a run with characters they don't like once.
To truly "beat" the game, players will need to first get to the heart of the spire with the Ironclad, Silent, and Defect first. Until that happens, players should focus on one character, leveling them up until reaching the heart. Then, after getting to the heart, move on to the next. There's no need to fully level each character as conquering the game's final boss is sure to take a number of failed runs to complete.
Players that have favourites must only reach the heart once with their non-preferred characters. If a player hates the Ironclad will have to unlock a few of the best cards for the class, get to the heart once, and then never have to repeat this process.
11 Play Favorites
There's No Shame In Sticking With A Single Character
- Sticking to a favorite character boosts a run's chance of success.
- Comfort and enjoyment is key with character selection.
- No reason to play disliked characters when final boss is unlocked.
There aren't any rewards, aside from online bragging, to play with every character regularly. After getting to the heart with the main three adventurers, players are free to beat the game however they'd like. Playing favorites has more advantages than simple comfort.
If players are loving the Watcher, then there isn't a reason to play another class after getting to the heart with the other classes. Get her best cards through leveling and don't look back. There's always the opportunity to try new characters should a player get bored of their current play style.
10 Prepare For The Final Boss
Prioritize Cards And Items That Counter The Final Boss
- Preparation is vital for defeating the final boss.
- Prioritize cards and items that are effective against the final boss.
- It's never too early to start preparing for this ultimate challenge.
The final boss is not like battling any other boss. While being generally "good" will work for most bosses and elite units, the final boss is truly something else. It takes a long time to get to the final boss; it'd be a shame to lose just because the player didn't know what to prepare for.
Learn everything there is to know about the Corrupt Heart. Build against the heart immediately, prioritizing cards that are good against it and passing on cards that don't help out as much for that particular fight. When choosing relics for the Watcher, give preference to ones that make a difference against the Corrupt Heart, even if other options seem more appealing.
9 Err On The Side Of Defense
Health Is Scarce And Should Be Carefully Protected
- Health is very limited and easily drained.
- Extra defense should be prioritized over dealing more damage.
- Defensive relics help boost survivability.
Mathematically, players need to plan on taking less than about 5 hit points (depending on the hero) per fight. That's not per round; that is for an entire battle area. So, if there is ever a situation where players have to choose between taking damage or taking out an enemy, go with damage avoidance.
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Gamers have a host of relics they can start with of varying strengths. If a good protective or healing relic shows up, strongly consider taking it. These small hits add up if players don't account for them early. The best relics for the Defect class often can help mitigate these frequent, small damage blows.
8 Experimentation Is Key
Build Powerful Decks
- A vital part of learning how to play the game.
- Helps players build strong decks.
- Important for players to find their play style.
Experimentation is a must for players looking to defeat the spire, especially if they're new to the game. Beginners should prioritize testing out as many items, decks, and card synergies as possible so they can learn the many mechanics this game has to offer. After all, it's only through experimentation that builds powerful enough to fell late game bosses can be discovered.
Experimentation is also vital for beginners to learn which characters, decks, and strategies work best for them. Sure, the community can guide them toward powerful builds, but if a player doesn't mesh well with that play style, they're unlikely to stand much hope of defeating the spire, let alone enjoying the game.
7 Find A Way To Exceed Three Energy
More Energy Means More Cards To Play Per Turn
- Energy is a vital component of a powerful build.
- Different classes have different ways to gain more energy.
- Energy management is an important skill to master.
No hero is strong enough to win the game with just three energy (aside from a massive fluke). Most players prioritize finding a way for each of the heroes to get extra energy somehow. This is not uniform between classes and even different classes will need to change tactics depending on the random cards they find.
The best starting bonuses often help out with energy management. Having more energy isn't just about playing expensive cards; it's also about playing multiple cheaper or free cards. Anything that gives more plays has a value beyond the face of the card.
6 Balance Attack And Defense
Vital For Defeating Bosses And Elites
- Important that players can defend and deal damage each turn.
- Too many attacking cards and the player will quickly die.
- Too many defensive cards and the player can't defeat stronger enemies.
Players are highly limited on how many cards they can play in a turn of Slay the Spire, so it's crucial that players have all their needs covered for that turn. Part of the game's mechanics is that the player knows what the enemy is going to do on their turn, and how much it will hurt.
However, this drive to keep themselves completely protected may cause players to be far too cautious and never deal substantial enough damage. Players will rarely have enough resources to do everything they want to, so it's important to make sure they compromise properly and cover themselves both offensively and defensively each turn.