Expert tips for acclaimed card game/roguelike Slay the Spire, out on PS4 next week

Hi! I am Anthony Giovannetti, one of the two developers behind Slay the Spire, a fusion of card games and roguelikes. Today I am excited to introduce you to the deadly world of Slay the Spire and challenge you to see if you have what it takes to ascend to the top. Slay the Spire releases on 21st May and is now available for pre-order.

 

In Slay the Spire, you will climb a living spire filled with bizarre creatures, discover relics of immense power, and craft a unique deck from hundreds of different cards each journey up the Spire. Today we’re going to walk you through a few different builds to help you get started on your journey up the Spire!

Dynamic deck building

Every run of Slay the Spire procedurally generates a new Spire for you to climb. After every battle you will make a critical decision, choosing a new card to add to your deck. Like the rest of the Spire, these card choices will be different every run. Instead of developing a stale best strategy and never changing, Slay the Spire forces the player to adapt and experiment with new decks and cards.

Three unique characters

Slay the Spire has three different characters with completely unique card pools and ways to play, but today, we’ll be focusing on just one, the Ironclad. The Ironclad

The Ironclad is the sole remaining warrior of his tribe, capable of drawing fiendish power from his demonic benefactors. Through increasing his own strength during combat or making short work of his foes with an arsenal of powerful attacks, the Ironclad boasts the ability to challenge any enemy. Wielding an impressive array of strong defensive options, the Ironclad also has the ability to shield himself from the mightiest attacks.

While there are many ways to build the Ironclad, we’ll be specifically highlighting a more defensive-based build that was created from one of our all-star community members, Quincunx.

Though to get you thinking, here are some other nice combos to think about on your way up the Spire with the Ironclad.

Infinite combos

Want to just trap your opponent in a never-ending combo of destruction? Then keep an eye out for free cards like Flash of Steel or cards that generate card draw like Dropkick.

Going aggressive

Like to hit things in the face really hard? Then try getting aggro. Look for cards that can combo into dishing out high amounts of damage.

Barricade

You shall not pass. Sometimes inching out a victory is the best way to go. Become undefeatable by looking for these drops.

Turtling up

The deck we’re going to discuss now relies on heavy defensive options, ensuring that our Ironclad hero can never take lethal damage. By guaranteeing you don’t take damage each turn we can squeak out damage and eventually grind our way to the top of the Spire. We also will bake in some simple win-condition opportunities to finish each fight consistently.

Keep that deck list small

We want our decks to be consistent. Too many options can lead to poor card draws and we want to make sure that when we draw a card, we are drawing an answer to our problems. Maintaining a decklist smaller than 20 cards is ideal and can help guarantee we’re drawing solutions.

Save those potions

Dexterity potions allow you to gain more block when you cast block-related spells. These are especially useful doing boss battles where lethal damage can accumulate quickly and can be used in a pinch.

Upgrade your cards

These are the cards you’re going to want to upgrade first to ensure we are maximising our defensive and offensive capabilities.

Great picks

Here’s a few cards to keep an eye out for to add to your build while your journey up the Spire!

Now, that’s just the Ironclad, we also have a few other characters each with their own unique quirks and build opportunities. Here’s a few teases to get the mind wandering.

The Silent

A deadly huntress that eradicates her enemies with skill and precision. She makes use of poisons to deal continuous damage, or to weaken enemies’ attacks to be ineffective. The Silent is also capable of playing out a rapid-fire number of cards in a turn, effectively swamping the monsters she encounters in a deluge of blades.

The Defect

A combat automaton that has become self-aware, it now seeks to destroy what it used to protect. The defect makes use of powerful elemental orbs, evoking their powers to annihilate the denizens of the Spire. The Defect also makes the most use of a strong collection of powers — cards with an affect that lasts the whole combat – to combine into an unbeatable force.

Each of these three characters have a host of different strategies and unique play styles to explore. When playing Slay the Spire, remember to explore and try and discover all the various synergies that are possible.