Slay the Spire
Slay the Spire

Relic Tier List/Recommendations

Rank Slay the Spire relics to build the strongest deck. Learn which relics offer the best passive bonuses for your chosen character and ascend.

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Relic Tier List/Recommendations

Relics are the backbone of any successful run in Slay the Spire, providing passive bonuses that can dramatically alter your strategy and power level. Unlike cards, relics are permanent additions to your character for the duration of the run, making their acquisition and synergy crucial. This section will guide you through understanding and prioritizing relics, offering specific recommendations to maximize your chances of reaching the Heart.

Understanding Relic Rarity and Acquisition

Relics come in several rarities, influencing their power and how often you'll encounter them:

  • Common: Frequently found, often providing small but consistent benefits.
  • Uncommon: More impactful than Common relics, appearing less often.
  • Rare: Significant power boosts, rarer to find.
  • Boss: Dropped after defeating a boss. These are often run-defining and come with a downside.
  • Shop: Can be purchased from merchants. Their price scales with their rarity.
  • Event: Obtained through specific event choices, sometimes with unique conditions.
  • Starter: The relic your character begins with.

You'll primarily acquire relics from:

  • Elite Enemies: Guaranteed to drop an Uncommon or Rare relic upon defeat. Prioritize elites if your deck is strong enough to handle them.
  • Bosses: Offer a choice of three Boss relics after each act. This is a critical decision point.
  • Chests: Found in various rooms, containing a random relic.
  • Shops: Always have at least one relic for sale.
  • Events: Many events offer relics as a reward or consequence.

General Relic Prioritization Strategies

When evaluating relics, consider the following:

  1. Immediate Impact: Does the relic solve a current weakness in your deck (e.g., energy, draw, defense)?
  2. Scaling Potential: Does it improve over time or synergize with cards you plan to add?
  3. Character Synergy: How well does it work with your chosen character's unique mechanics (e.g., Ironclad's Strength, Silent's Shivs, Defect's Orbs, Watcher's Stances)?
  4. Run Stage: Early-game relics that provide energy or consistent damage are often more valuable than late-game scaling.
  5. Opportunity Cost: Especially for Boss relics, what are you giving up (e.g., starting energy for a powerful effect)?

Recommended Relics by Category

Energy Relics (Boss Relics)

These are often the most impactful choices from bosses, providing an additional energy point per turn. This allows for more powerful plays and larger turns, especially in the early game.

  • S Tier:
    • Astrolabe: While not an energy relic itself, it's a powerful card transformation tool. If you have a few weak cards, this can significantly improve your deck quality.
    • Coffee Dripper: Gain 1 Energy, but you can no longer Rest at campfires. This is a strong choice if your deck has good healing options or if you're confident in your ability to avoid damage. The extra energy is often worth the trade-off.
    • Cursed Key: Gain 1 Energy, but opening a chest adds a Curse of the Bell to your deck. Manageable if you plan your path to avoid too many chests or have ways to remove curses.
    • Philosopher's Stone: Gain 1 Energy, but all enemies gain 2 Strength. This is a high-risk, high-reward relic. Excellent if you have strong defensive scaling or ways to mitigate enemy damage (e.g., Weak, Frail).
    • Snecko Eye: Gain 2 Energy, but all cards in your hand cost 0-3 energy (random). Also draw 2 additional cards. This relic completely changes how you play. It's fantastic for decks with many high-cost cards and less effective for low-cost, precise decks. It requires a significant shift in strategy but can be incredibly powerful.
    • Velvet Choker: Gain 1 Energy, but you cannot play more than 6 cards per turn. This is a common choice for Ironclad and Defect, who often play fewer, more impactful cards. Silent and Watcher, who can play many cheap cards, might find this more restrictive.
Draw Relics

Ensuring you have enough cards to play each turn is vital. Draw relics help cycle your deck and find key cards.

  • A Tier:
    • Bag of Preparation (Uncommon): At the start of combat, draw 2 additional cards. Excellent for consistency and finding your crucial early-game plays.
    • Lantern (Common): At the start of each combat, gain 1 Energy. While primarily an energy relic, it indirectly helps with draw by allowing you to play more cards, thus cycling your deck faster.
    • Ring of the Serpent (Silent Starter): At the start of each combat, draw 2 additional cards. This is why Silent often feels so fluid.
    • Smiling Mask (Shop): Cards in shops cost 10% less. While not direct draw, it allows you to buy more cards, which can improve your deck's overall quality and draw potential.
Defensive Relics

Mitigating damage is key to survival, especially in longer fights and against powerful elites/bosses.

  • B Tier:
    • Anchor (Uncommon): At the start of each combat, gain 10 Block. A solid, consistent defensive boost.
    • Captain's Wheel (Uncommon): At the start of each combat, gain 18 Block. A stronger version of Anchor, very welcome.
    • Tungsten Rod (Rare): Whenever you would lose HP, lose 1 less. This relic is deceptively powerful, especially against multi-hit attacks or consistent small damage.
Offensive Relics

Increasing your damage output speeds up fights and reduces the damage you take.

  • B Tier:
    • Bottled Flame (Uncommon): Choose an Attack card. It starts in your opening hand. Excellent for ensuring you draw a key attack early.
    • Bottled Lightning (Uncommon): Choose a Skill card. It starts in your opening hand. Similar to Bottled Flame, but for skills.
    • Bottled Tornado (Uncommon): Choose a Power card. It starts in your opening hand. Crucial for getting your important Power cards into play quickly.
    • Shuriken (Uncommon): Every time you play 3 Attack cards in a single turn, gain 1 Strength. Synergizes incredibly well with multi-attack decks, especially Silent's Shivs.
    • Kunai (Uncommon): Every time you play 3 Attack cards in a single turn, gain 1 Dexterity. Similar to Shuriken, but for defense.
Healing/Sustainability Relics

Keeping your HP high is crucial for long-term survival, especially when facing multiple elites or tough boss fights.

  • A Tier:
    • Bloody Idol (Event): Whenever you gain Gold, heal 5 HP. This can be an incredible source of passive healing, especially if you visit many shops or have gold-generating cards.
    • Burning Blood (Ironclad Starter): At the end of combat, heal 6 HP. This is why Ironclad can take more risks early on.
    • Meal Ticket (Shop): Whenever you enter a Shop, heal 15 HP. Very strong if you plan on visiting many shops.
    • Regal Pillow (Common): Heal 15 additional HP when you Rest. Makes Resting much more effective.
Miscellaneous Utility Relics

These relics offer various benefits that can be incredibly powerful depending on your situation.

  • S Tier:
    • Pandora's Box (Boss): Transform all Strikes and Defends into random cards. This is a high-risk, high-reward relic. If your starting cards are holding you back, this can completely revitalize your deck.
    • Sacred Bark (Rare): Double the effect of all Potions. This makes potions incredibly potent, turning even minor healing potions into significant boosts.
    • Tiny House (Boss): Gain 50 Gold, heal 5 HP, draw 1 card, obtain 1 Potion, and upgrade 1 random card. A solid all-around boost if the other boss relics aren't appealing.

Remember, the "best" relic is always situational. Evaluate your current deck, your character, and the challenges ahead before making your choice. Good luck, Slayers!