Slay the Spire is a roguelike deck-builder that mixes luck, skill, and deck design to win. Games are fast-paced and can be played at your leisure. The game is highly addictive and should definitely be given a play. Enjoy the trailer and some vids of streamers playing it!
We've got a very robust community of Slayers here that would love to help out new players. It's customary to take a screenshot of your wins and post them in the thread. You can discuss the run or just show off your achievement.
... Shit, now I have to stream more. (Also many thanks there Dover! The shoutout is super appreciated).
But yes! Come watch me die screaming to the spire. It's okay, I'm a zombie and therefore a professional at dying.
More seriously, I try and do educational explain the fuck out of what I'm doing and why runs. Health permitting, which is why I haven't been around much recently ... But I'll be back, soon!
Some basic tips to get this thread started:
Card draw and energy are your two main resources. Figuring out how to make your deck good at these things and good at leveraging these things is a core part of getting better at the game.
Fight elites a ton. You'll die! But you'll get to figuring out when you can beat them and how, and elites are the singles biggest value you can get out of a floor in the game.
Don't be afraid to trade hp to get stronger especially in act 1. You fully heal after each boss (less if you're high the ascension's), so it's technically optimal to beat a boss on 1hp, having lost the rest of it throughout the act getting stronger
Finally: don't get trapped by thinking I can only take shiv cards, or only take exhaust cards. The brilliance of this game is that every card can be amazing. Every card can be awful. Context matters!
Finally: don't get trapped by thinking I can only take shiv cards, or only take exhaust cards. The brilliance of this game is that every card can be amazing. Every card can be awful. Context matters!
I know this isn't what you meant here, but I'm trying hard to think of a single instance where normality isn't a terrible card and I got nothing. The curses that deal damage can very rarely be useful with ironclad rupture/self forming clay. The exhausting curses can likewise generate block and stuff with ironclad.
It's just always bad, isn't it? I guess there's duvu doll, but even if I'm taking curses on purpose, I'm still avoiding normality unless I can remove it at a shop on the next turn
Finally: don't get trapped by thinking I can only take shiv cards, or only take exhaust cards. The brilliance of this game is that every card can be amazing. Every card can be awful. Context matters!
I know this isn't what you meant here, but I'm trying hard to think of a single instance where normality isn't a terrible card and I got nothing. The curses that deal damage can very rarely be useful with ironclad rupture/self forming clay. The exhausting curses can likewise generate block and stuff with ironclad.
It's just always bad, isn't it? I guess there's duvu doll, but even if I'm taking curses on purpose, I'm still avoiding normality unless I can remove it at a shop on the next turn
I assume Zombie Penguin's main point was normal cards that you can add to your deck can all be amazing, not curses or status cards or whatever.
Finally: don't get trapped by thinking I can only take shiv cards, or only take exhaust cards. The brilliance of this game is that every card can be amazing. Every card can be awful. Context matters!
I know this isn't what you meant here, but I'm trying hard to think of a single instance where normality isn't a terrible card and I got nothing. The curses that deal damage can very rarely be useful with ironclad rupture/self forming clay. The exhausting curses can likewise generate block and stuff with ironclad.
It's just always bad, isn't it? I guess there's duvu doll, but even if I'm taking curses on purpose, I'm still avoiding normality unless I can remove it at a shop on the next turn
I assume Zombie Penguin's main point was normal cards that you can add to your deck can all be amazing, not curses or status cards or whatever.
Which is why I started by saying 'i know this isn't what you meant, but...' and then trying to think or any situation where having a normality would be beneficial. Like I said, most other curses can sporadically be good, at least. But I don't think normality can do anything good? Was just curious if there was another instance or interaction for normality I wasn't able to think of
Yeah, I don't think you'd ever want the effect of Normality. It's just if the benefit of a curse counteracts the effect of Normality, which is easier if you had Pocket Watch or something.
Yeah, I don't think you'd ever want the effect of Normality. It's just if the benefit of a curse counteracts the effect of Normality, which is easier if you had Pocket Watch or something.
With some ability to discard (Tools of the Trade being useful here and not much otherwise) you can take a Normality and not suffer too much for it
But yeah it's up there with Pain and Regret as the worst curses
Finally: don't get trapped by thinking I can only take shiv cards, or only take exhaust cards. The brilliance of this game is that every card can be amazing. Every card can be awful. Context matters!
I know this isn't what you meant here, but I'm trying hard to think of a single instance where normality isn't a terrible card and I got nothing. The curses that deal damage can very rarely be useful with ironclad rupture/self forming clay. The exhausting curses can likewise generate block and stuff with ironclad.
It's just always bad, isn't it? I guess there's duvu doll, but even if I'm taking curses on purpose, I'm still avoiding normality unless I can remove it at a shop on the next turn
I assume Zombie Penguin's main point was normal cards that you can add to your deck can all be amazing, not curses or status cards or whatever.
Which is why I started by saying 'i know this isn't what you meant, but...' and then trying to think or any situation where having a normality would be beneficial. Like I said, most other curses can sporadically be good, at least. But I don't think normality can do anything good? Was just curious if there was another instance or interaction for normality I wasn't able to think of
Yeah, i can't think of any interaction that makes normality suddenly good. I think pain and necronomicurse are the only ones with notable upsides, and those are both on ironclad any way.
pyromaniac221this just might bean interestin YTRegistered Userregular
This game is pretty fun! Made it up to the 36th floor on my first run (just a bit past the second floor boss), had a pretty decent deck going with the power that let me carry block over between turns, a bunch of free block/draw cards, a good amount of AoE, and about a hundred HP from feed. Got greedy in a question mark tile where two sentries were guarding a rare relic and I went for it, only to be eaten alive.
This game is pretty fun! Made it up to the 36th floor on my first run (just a bit past the second floor boss), had a pretty decent deck going with the power that let me carry block over between turns, a bunch of free block/draw cards, a good amount of AoE, and about a hundred HP from feed. Got greedy in a question mark tile where two sentries were guarding a rare relic and I went for it, only to be eaten alive.
That sounds like a really solid Ironclad deck, all to be undone by your greed :P. That event is really hard imo, you need a fast deck and AoE often.
Well, since @MNC Dover put me on the spot (Thanks again!) i'm live for a bit!
Link to my stream's in the op, so come get some hopefully quality spire tutorializing with me. I'll stick a vod up when i'm done
Edit: Stream over. Whoo, i forgot how tiring i found these to do.
Here's the VOD. Defect run that dies on floor 50 to awoken one, alas. It was a crappy deck - i made some very poor decisions, but i'm happy that i strung a shitty deck that deep into the game. Main issues here is it lacked any great way to scale (both offensively and defensively), and also had no AoE. an Electrodynamics and a second echo form, or even just a Biased Cog would have done it wonders. So would have a fourth energy, but well, choices were made.
ArcticLancerBest served chilled.Registered Userregular
Remember that the game was technically only released earlier this year. It was early access for a long while and saw fairly regular updates, and the Defect was added during that window. The game is definitely going to see more content added eventually, and there's always a chance for another character, but it definitely seems quite thoroughly designed around the trio right now. Which is to say it's not the first thing I would expect to see.
(Intro-screen "I brought you back..." w/ whale replaced with Switch and character replaced w/ MJ's avatar.jpg)
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GoodKingJayIIIThey wanna get mygold on the ceilingRegistered Userregular
I remain terrible at this game but I did hit A14 with the Defect. It was basically a dark orb build but instead of just sitting on one orb and blowing everything with dual cast I had a ton of different orb generators and defenses so I wouldn’t necessarily deliver one massive bomb but over the course of a fight I’d be doing ~30-40 damage per turn, apply 4 stacks of immunity, and generate tons of block.
I don’t think Donu and Deca actually did any damage to me, and over the course of the fight took maybe one of my immune stacks.
ArcticLancerBest served chilled.Registered Userregular
The secret is that basically all of us are terrible at this game.
And the second secret is that you're definitely less terrible than you think you are.
Got to the Act 3 boss, and was within a turn or so of killing it I think. Thought I’d beat him handily, but the jerk had a whole other phase hiding back there.
Is there any way to see what your previous runs’ builds were?
Got to the Act 3 boss, and was within a turn or so of killing it I think. Thought I’d beat him handily, but the jerk had a whole other phase hiding back there.
Is there any way to see what your previous runs’ builds were?
Yes. I never remember the place in the menu. Statistics, then Run History or something like that?
The secret is that basically all of us are terrible at this game.
And the second secret is that you're definitely less terrible than you think you are.
We’re sharing a save file, with the understanding that we can pick up the other’s run and finish it, etc. So it’s cool, he’s just unlocking more stuff for “us.”
Turns out upgrades are real good! (And despite that fusion hammer is one of the better energy relics. I leave this puzzle for the thread to figure out because learning is fun)
The only energy relic I was offered was Choker from Champ; already had Dead Branch which kind of means don't take that. Instead I got godly card transformations; I took Nightmare from A1 boss and then was gifted two copies of Wraith Form from the Pandora's Box on top of I think seven other rare cards, a Concentrate, a Riddle With Holes, and some other uncommon I can't remember for the life of me. The Astrolabe trade gave me a Wraith Form+. I had a strong win condition but I just needed a way to play Well Laid Plans and Nightmare+Wraith Form early since I couldn't block but fortunately the first two floors gave Backflips so I was pretty much set from there.
Some fights took forever because I couldn't Dead Branch into cards that would actually end the fight but I could also stare down Giant Head by just playing a copy of Wraith Form every turn and wait until it died to clicking random cards while I was intangible.
I haven't played with Dead Branch in what feels like months and I missed it.
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ArcticLancerBest served chilled.Registered Userregular
Kill it fast. It's extra-vulnerable to card spam. That's really about it.
But how kill it fast if don’t play a lotta cards?
Incredibly strong mitigation or absurdly damaging combos?
Unfortunately, there's not much of a "trick" to it outside of understanding Giant Head is a threat and what can be helpful in your deck to beating it (for example, decks that want to take a while to set up are likely going to get eaten alive by it, so they have to carefully weigh how much they want to chance Act 3 elite fights, while decks that are very front-loaded in damage or have a high volume of card play [things like Blade Dance in Silent] will have a naturally better matchup). Occasionally you can play a deck in a slightly obtuse manner to win out in fights you're otherwise poorly matched for, but that's not a common thing (as a beginner anyway - arguably embracing that at least SOMEWHAT is how people can beat higher ascensions), and almost never the case for Giant Head in particular. :P
Giant head is a damage scaling check. He sits there and gives you a few turns to ramp then starts beating on you in earnest.
The most straight forward way to beat him is powers.
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Tiger BurningDig if you will, the pictureRegistered User, SolidSaints Tuberegular
Picked this up on ps4 after not playing it on PC for about a year. My 3 wins so far we're all snecko eye runs. Now I remember the rush of the snecko eye, and the crash of the run after when you have to play without.
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But yes! Come watch me die screaming to the spire. It's okay, I'm a zombie and therefore a professional at dying.
More seriously, I try and do educational explain the fuck out of what I'm doing and why runs. Health permitting, which is why I haven't been around much recently ... But I'll be back, soon!
Some basic tips to get this thread started:
Card draw and energy are your two main resources. Figuring out how to make your deck good at these things and good at leveraging these things is a core part of getting better at the game.
Fight elites a ton. You'll die! But you'll get to figuring out when you can beat them and how, and elites are the singles biggest value you can get out of a floor in the game.
Don't be afraid to trade hp to get stronger especially in act 1. You fully heal after each boss (less if you're high the ascension's), so it's technically optimal to beat a boss on 1hp, having lost the rest of it throughout the act getting stronger
Finally: don't get trapped by thinking I can only take shiv cards, or only take exhaust cards. The brilliance of this game is that every card can be amazing. Every card can be awful. Context matters!
Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/id/TheZombiePenguin
Stream: https://www.twitch.tv/thezombiepenguin/
Switch: 0293 6817 9891
I know this isn't what you meant here, but I'm trying hard to think of a single instance where normality isn't a terrible card and I got nothing. The curses that deal damage can very rarely be useful with ironclad rupture/self forming clay. The exhausting curses can likewise generate block and stuff with ironclad.
It's just always bad, isn't it? I guess there's duvu doll, but even if I'm taking curses on purpose, I'm still avoiding normality unless I can remove it at a shop on the next turn
First run I *almost* beat the second boss. This game is neat.
Twitch: akThera
Steam: Thera
Nice job on your first run! I can't remember if I even made it to the first boss on my first time :P
I assume Zombie Penguin's main point was normal cards that you can add to your deck can all be amazing, not curses or status cards or whatever.
3DS Friend Code: 3110-5393-4113
Steam profile
I am an ancient Magic player. Terms like “card advantage” and “synergy” are deep in my blood.
Twitch: akThera
Steam: Thera
Which is why I started by saying 'i know this isn't what you meant, but...' and then trying to think or any situation where having a normality would be beneficial. Like I said, most other curses can sporadically be good, at least. But I don't think normality can do anything good? Was just curious if there was another instance or interaction for normality I wasn't able to think of
3DS Friend Code: 3110-5393-4113
Steam profile
With some ability to discard (Tools of the Trade being useful here and not much otherwise) you can take a Normality and not suffer too much for it
But yeah it's up there with Pain and Regret as the worst curses
Yeah, i can't think of any interaction that makes normality suddenly good. I think pain and necronomicurse are the only ones with notable upsides, and those are both on ironclad any way.
Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/id/TheZombiePenguin
Stream: https://www.twitch.tv/thezombiepenguin/
Switch: 0293 6817 9891
That sounds like a really solid Ironclad deck, all to be undone by your greed :P. That event is really hard imo, you need a fast deck and AoE often.
3DS Friend Code: 3110-5393-4113
Steam profile
Link to my stream's in the op, so come get some hopefully quality spire tutorializing with me. I'll stick a vod up when i'm done
Edit: Stream over. Whoo, i forgot how tiring i found these to do.
Here's the VOD. Defect run that dies on floor 50 to awoken one, alas. It was a crappy deck - i made some very poor decisions, but i'm happy that i strung a shitty deck that deep into the game. Main issues here is it lacked any great way to scale (both offensively and defensively), and also had no AoE. an Electrodynamics and a second echo form, or even just a Biased Cog would have done it wonders. So would have a fourth energy, but well, choices were made.
Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/id/TheZombiePenguin
Stream: https://www.twitch.tv/thezombiepenguin/
Switch: 0293 6817 9891
Damn it, I thought it was out.
Can we expect new cards or characters, ever?
Twitch: akThera
Steam: Thera
Perhaps I can interest you in my meager selection of pins?
I believe they've said that specifically, yeah, or at least so I've heard.
3DS Friend Code: 3110-5393-4113
Steam profile
(Intro-screen "I brought you back..." w/ whale replaced with Switch and character replaced w/ MJ's avatar.jpg)
I don’t think Donu and Deca actually did any damage to me, and over the course of the fight took maybe one of my immune stacks.
And the second secret is that you're definitely less terrible than you think you are.
Perhaps I can interest you in my meager selection of pins?
Is there any way to see what your previous runs’ builds were?
Twitch: akThera
Steam: Thera
Yes. I never remember the place in the menu. Statistics, then Run History or something like that?
3DS Friend Code: 3110-5393-4113
Steam profile
I’m not sure about that. My winrate is atrocious.
My husband is playing this now, but doesn’t wanna buy it on PC.
This better come out on iOS soon, because I want my Switch back.
Twitch: akThera
Steam: Thera
You should give us his Steam ID and let us take care of it.
Legends of Runeterra: MNCdover #moc
Switch ID: MNC Dover SW-1154-3107-1051
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Twitch Page
We’re sharing a save file, with the understanding that we can pick up the other’s run and finish it, etc. So it’s cool, he’s just unlocking more stuff for “us.”
Twitch: akThera
Steam: Thera
Twitch: akThera
Steam: Thera
Turns out upgrades are real good! (And despite that fusion hammer is one of the better energy relics. I leave this puzzle for the thread to figure out because learning is fun)
Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/id/TheZombiePenguin
Stream: https://www.twitch.tv/thezombiepenguin/
Switch: 0293 6817 9891
Realized all my wins are from fighting Donu and Deca in Act 3 :rotate:
Twitch: akThera
Steam: Thera
Kill it fast. It's extra-vulnerable to card spam. That's really about it.
But how kill it fast if don’t play a lotta cards?
Twitch: akThera
Steam: Thera
Some fights took forever because I couldn't Dead Branch into cards that would actually end the fight but I could also stare down Giant Head by just playing a copy of Wraith Form every turn and wait until it died to clicking random cards while I was intangible.
I haven't played with Dead Branch in what feels like months and I missed it.
Unfortunately, there's not much of a "trick" to it outside of understanding Giant Head is a threat and what can be helpful in your deck to beating it (for example, decks that want to take a while to set up are likely going to get eaten alive by it, so they have to carefully weigh how much they want to chance Act 3 elite fights, while decks that are very front-loaded in damage or have a high volume of card play [things like Blade Dance in Silent] will have a naturally better matchup). Occasionally you can play a deck in a slightly obtuse manner to win out in fights you're otherwise poorly matched for, but that's not a common thing (as a beginner anyway - arguably embracing that at least SOMEWHAT is how people can beat higher ascensions), and almost never the case for Giant Head in particular. :P
Perhaps I can interest you in my meager selection of pins?
The most straight forward way to beat him is powers.
Give me back my eye.
But I'm pretty sure the worst deck against the giant head is defect powers
It is really really really helpful to have attack damage for giant head, not just orbs and powers
All for One defect can be really good against it even though most of your attacks only deal, like, 5 base damage or less