Slay the Spire
Slay the Spire

Shop Inventory and Pricing

Optimize your Slay the Spire runs by understanding the Merchant's inventory and pricing. Learn how to best spend your gold on crucial cards and relics.

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Shop Inventory and Pricing

The Merchant, often affectionately called the "Shopkeeper," is a crucial resource for any aspiring Spire-slayer. Understanding his inventory and pricing strategy is key to optimizing your gold and building a winning deck. Shops appear randomly throughout each Act, typically offering a similar array of items with prices scaling slightly as you progress through the Acts.

General Shop Layout

Each shop will present you with a selection of items, generally categorized as follows:

  • Cards: 5-6 cards, typically a mix of common, uncommon, and rare. There's usually at least one Rare card available.
  • Potions: 2-3 random Potions.
  • Relics: 1-2 Relics. These can be common, uncommon, rare, or even boss relics (though boss relics are exceedingly rare in shops).
  • Card Removal Service: An option to remove one card from your deck.

Pricing Breakdown and Strategy

While prices can fluctuate slightly, here's a general guide to what you can expect and how to approach purchases:

Cards
  • Common Cards: Typically cost between 50-75 gold.
    • Strategy: Only purchase if it's a critical early game upgrade (e.g., a second Strike for Ironclad, a Shiv for Silent) or fills a glaring weakness in your deck. Avoid buying common cards in later Acts unless they offer unique synergy.
  • Uncommon Cards: Usually priced between 75-150 gold.
    • Strategy: These are often strong additions. Consider purchasing if they synergize well with your current deck or provide much-needed utility (e.g., Shrug It Off, Prepared, Ball Lightning).
  • Rare Cards: The most expensive cards, ranging from 150-300+ gold.
    • Strategy: Rare cards can be game-changers. Prioritize powerful rares that fit your archetype (e.g., Bludgeon, Wraith Form, Biased Cognition). Be cautious if it's an expensive rare that doesn't immediately improve your deck, as gold might be better spent elsewhere.
  • Upgraded Cards: Occasionally, a card will appear already upgraded. These will have a slightly higher price tag, but the value is often worth it, especially for key cards.
Potions
  • Pricing: Potions generally cost 25-50 gold.
    • Strategy: Potions are excellent for immediate combat advantage. Always consider buying a Block Potion, Strength Potion, or Energy Potion if you have an upcoming elite or boss fight and are low on health or need a power spike. Gambler's Brew can be invaluable for fixing bad draws. Avoid buying less impactful potions unless you have excess gold.
Relics
  • Common Relics: 100-150 gold.
    • Strategy: Good value if they provide consistent benefits (e.g., Tiny Chest, Smiling Mask).
  • Uncommon Relics: 150-250 gold.
    • Strategy: Often strong and worth the investment. Look for relics that synergize with your character or deck strategy (e.g., Paper Krane, Orichalcum).
  • Rare Relics: 250-400+ gold.
    • Strategy: These are often run-defining. If you see a powerful rare relic like Bottled Flame, Snecko Eye (if you can adapt), or Dead Branch, prioritize it if you have the gold.
Card Removal Service
  • Pricing:
    • First Removal: 50-75 gold.
    • Subsequent Removals: Price increases with each removal in the same shop and across different shops in the same run.
  • Strategy: Card removal is one of the most powerful services the shop offers. Removing Strikes and Defends thins your deck, increasing the consistency of drawing your better cards. Prioritize removing the weakest cards in your deck, especially early on. The cost increase makes it less efficient to remove multiple cards in a single shop visit unless absolutely necessary.

General Shop Etiquette and Tips

  • Prioritize Card Removal: Often, the first card removal is the best value in the shop, especially in Act 1.
  • Gold Management: Don't spend all your gold immediately. Consider what upcoming fights you have and if a specific potion or relic would be more impactful. Sometimes saving gold for a more impactful shop later is better.
  • Discounts: Certain relics, like Membership Card, can provide significant discounts, making shops much more appealing. Smiling Mask reduces the cost of card removals.
  • Sacrifice for Gold: If you're desperate for gold for a key purchase, consider taking a path with more combat encounters or event nodes that offer gold rewards.
  • Shop Location: Try to plan your path to hit shops when you have a decent amount of gold. Visiting a shop with no gold is a wasted opportunity.