All 5 Classes · Patch 0.98.1 · April 2026

Slay the Spire 2
Card Tier List

Every S-through-C card ranked for all five STS2 classes — with explanations for each top pick. Ratings based on standalone power, build synergy ceiling, and Ascension 10+ consistency for Patch 0.98.1.

Updated April 17, 2026 Patch 0.98.1 5 Classes · 504 Cards

How We Rate Cards

Standalone Power

How much does the card do on its own, without relying on specific synergies? A card that's strong in any deck scores higher than one that's only good in one build. S-tier cards are almost always auto-includes.

Synergy Ceiling

How high does this card enable a build to go? Some cards look weak in isolation but unlock the most powerful win conditions in the game. Cards like Doom Ritual are S-tier because they define the strongest archetype in STS2.

Ascension Consistency

Does the card perform at Ascension 10+, or does it fall off against elites and bosses? Ratings weight high-Ascension performance. Cards that are great on lower difficulties but unreliable at A15+ are capped at B-tier.

A note on upgrades: All card ratings assume the card is upgraded where relevant. Upgrade priority is covered in each character's build guide. Colorless cards, cross-class relics, and co-op-specific synergies are noted inline where they significantly affect a card's rating.

Necrobinder Card Tier List

S-Tier Class · Patch 0.98.1

The Necrobinder has the highest damage ceiling in STS2. Doom Stacking and Osty Tank are both S-tier archetypes, with Soul Cycling as a strong A-tier support path. The best Necrobinder cards enable kill-threshold executions and self-sustain through bone armor.

💀
Necrobinder
New Character · STS2 Exclusive · Doom + Ossification mechanics
S-Tier
S
Soul Harvest
Generates Soul tokens that fuel the Necrobinder's entire engine. Every token adds to your draw, damage, and cycling potential. The most efficient energy-to-output card in the kit — almost never a dead pick.
Doom Ritual
The core enabler of the Doom Stack win condition. Stacks Doom on an enemy each turn, setting up kill-threshold executions. In a dedicated Doom deck, this card effectively wins fights by itself given enough time.
Ossify
Converts incoming damage into Ossification stacks, which function as renewable block. The foundation of the Osty Tank archetype — a well-timed Ossify makes the Necrobinder nearly unkillable in sustained fights.
The Undying
Revive mechanic that triggers once per combat when HP reaches 0. Effectively gives the Necrobinder an extra health bar. At Ascension 15, one mistake can end a run — The Undying turns near-death into a second chance.
A
Death Coil Spirit Drain Bone Armor Grave Touch Specter's Call Soul Tether
B
Soul Step Osseous Strike Haunt Wail Bone Spike Ethereal Cloak
C
Specter's Grasp Hollow Bone Grave Dust Marrow Drain
Full Necrobinder Build Guide →

Ironclad Card Tier List

S-Tier Class · Patch 0.98.1

The Ironclad is the most consistent character in STS2 and the best class for beginners. Strength scaling remains the dominant win condition, and his reworked Exhaust synergies make the Exhaust Cycle archetype stronger than it was in STS1.

⚔️
Ironclad
Returning Character · Strength + Exhaust mechanics · Best for beginners
S-Tier
S
Demon Form
Grants +2 Strength at the start of every turn. In a long fight, this compounds exponentially — by turn 4 you're hitting for 8+ extra damage on every attack. The single best scaling card in the Ironclad's kit and a top-5 card in the game.
Limit Break
Doubles your current Strength, then Exhausts. Combined with Demon Form, Limit Break can set Strength values that one-shot elites. Exhaust also triggers Ironclad's passive relic for extra healing.
Reaper
Deals damage to ALL enemies and heals HP equal to the total damage dealt. The only attack in the game with built-in lifesteal. In multi-enemy encounters, Reaper can fully recover from dangerous low-HP situations in a single play.
Heavy Blade
Deals 14 damage plus 3× Strength bonus. In a Strength Ramp build with 15+ Strength, this hits for 50+ damage. Best single-target nuke in the Ironclad's kit when Strength is high.
A
Barricade Whirlwind Feed Exhaust Burst Corruption Body Slam Combust
B
Pommel Strike Flex Iron Wave Shrug It Off Sever Soul Sentinel Inflame
C
Headbutt Clash Twin Strike Bloodletting Havoc
Full Ironclad Build Guide →

Regent Card Tier List

A-Tier Class · Patch 0.98.1

The Regent uses a dual energy system — standard energy and Stars. Cards that generate or spend Stars efficiently separate A-tier from B-tier in this kit. The Regent has a steep learning curve but his best cards have the highest theoretical ceiling of any class in the game.

👑
Regent
New Character · Dual Energy (Stars + Standard) · High skill ceiling
A-Tier
S
Sovereign Blade
Deals damage scaled by current Star count. In a built-out Star Engine, this hits for 60–80+ damage — making it the strongest single-target finisher in the game. The Regent's entire mid-game strategy revolves around having this card in hand at the right moment.
Star Forge
Converts standard energy into Stars at a favourable rate. Bridges the gap between the two energy systems and dramatically accelerates Star Engine ramp. Without Star Forge, many Regent builds stall in Act 2.
Crown's Mandate
Passive that generates a Star every turn until exhausted. Provides reliable Star income without needing to spend cards, freeing up hand space for damage and block. Near-mandatory in high-Ascension Regent runs.
A
Royal Edict Noble Banner Dual Authority Regal Decree Minion's Vow Constellation
B
Guard Order Star Pulse Edict of Will Levy Herald's Call Banner Shield
C
Minor Star Squire's Strike Royal Parry Fealty
Full Regent Build Guide →

Defect Card Tier List

A-Tier Class · Patch 0.98.1

The Defect's Orb system has been reworked with a new Orb type in STS2. Focus scaling remains the dominant stat — every point of Focus makes Lightning and Dark Orbs significantly stronger. Cards that generate Focus or enable Orb cycling are the highest priority.

🤖
Defect
Returning Character · Orb system reworked · New Orb type added
A-Tier
S
Echo Form
The first card played each turn is played twice. In a Lightning deck, this doubles every Orb evocation. In a Frost build, it doubles block gain. No other card in the Defect's kit multiplies output as efficiently — a late-game game-changer in any archetype.
All for One
Draws every 0-cost card in your discard pile directly into your hand. In a Defect deck built around cheap spells and Orbs, this can instantly refill your hand for free. Near-essential for any combo or cycling build.
Creative AI
Adds a random Power card to your hand each turn. Powers are the highest-value cards in the Defect's kit — this effectively adds a free powerful card every single turn for the rest of the combat. Highest long-game value of any Defect card.
Electrodynamics
Makes all Lightning Orbs hit ALL enemies when they Passive. In multi-enemy encounters this effectively triples Lightning damage output. Almost mandatory in any Lightning build trying to clear Act 3 and beyond.
A
Defragment Glacier Amplify Blizzard Consume Seek Loop
B
Cold Snap Compile Driver Claw Ball Lightning Capacitor Darkness
C
Zap Stack Dualcast Rebound
Full Defect Build Guide →

Silent Card Tier List

B-Tier Class · Patch 0.98.1

The Silent requires the most commitment to a single archetype early in a run. Cards that don't fit your chosen path — Poison or Shiv/Sly — are usually skip. Her S-tier cards are among the most powerful in the game in the right build, but finding the build takes skill.

🗡️
The Silent
Returning Character · Poison + Sly mechanics · Expertise rewarded
B-Tier
S
Catalyst
Doubles (upgraded: triples) the enemy's current Poison stacks. A single Catalyst on an enemy with 20 Poison stacks becomes 40 Poison — effectively a massive free damage nuke. The core finisher of every Poison build and the reason the archetype is viable at high Ascension.
Noxious Fumes
Power that applies 2 Poison to ALL enemies at the start of each turn — permanently. Stacks each turn without spending cards, enabling passive Poison accumulation that Catalyst can then multiply. Noxious Fumes is why Poison builds scale as hard as Strength builds in the late game.
Nightmare
Creates 3 copies of any card in your hand. Tripling a Catalyst or another Nightmare creates cascading turns that can deal hundreds of damage from a single Poison setup. The highest-ceiling combo card in the Silent's kit.
Corpse Explosion
Kills a Poisoned enemy and deals damage to all other enemies equal to their max HP percentage. Wipes entire enemy groups when Poison is applied — a board-clear in a class that normally lacks AOE. Almost auto-include in any Poison build.
A
Infinite Blades Malaise Doppelganger Finisher After Image Adrenaline
B
Deadly Poison Backflip Blade Dance Expertise Bouncing Flask Caltrops
C
Prepared Acrobatics Cloak and Dagger Footwork
Full Silent Build Guide →

FAQ

What are the best cards in Slay the Spire 2?

The best overall cards in STS2 for Patch 0.98.1 are Demon Form (Ironclad), Soul Harvest (Necrobinder), Doom Ritual (Necrobinder), Catalyst (Silent), and Echo Form (Defect). These cards either define a build archetype or are strong enough to include in almost any deck variation of their class.

What is the single best card in STS2?

Demon Form (Ironclad) is widely considered the strongest individual card in STS2 — +2 Strength every turn compounds exponentially and doesn't require specific synergies to be broken. Doom Ritual (Necrobinder) is a close second in builds that can consistently set up the kill threshold. Both are safe S-tier auto-picks whenever offered.

How often does the card tier list change?

Card ratings shift with every STS2 patch during Early Access. We update within 48 hours of balance changes. The Patch 0.98.1 meta has been stable for approximately three weeks as of April 2026. Check the update badge at the top of this page for the current version.

Are these card ratings for Ascension 0 or high Ascension?

Ratings weight Ascension 10+ performance. A card like Clash (Ironclad) can feel powerful on lower difficulties but is too restrictive at A10+ — those cards are capped at B/C regardless of their low-Ascension feel. If you're playing below A10, B-tier and even some C-tier cards will perform noticeably better than these rankings suggest.

Should I take S-tier cards every time they're offered?

Usually yes — S-tier cards have enough standalone power to be worth picking in most deck states. The exception is cards that are only S-tier in specific archetypes (like Doom Ritual, which requires a Doom Stack setup). If your run isn't committed to that archetype, Doom Ritual is an A-tier pick at best. The character build guides cover which S-tier cards are archetype-dependent vs. universal.

What's the best card for beginners?

Demon Form (Ironclad) is the most beginner-friendly S-tier card — it doesn't require combo setup, triggers automatically each turn, and is intuitive to evaluate. If you're new to STS2, start with the Ironclad build guide. His Strength Ramp archetype is built around Demon Form and Limit Break — the simplest S-tier win condition in the game.

Related Guides

STS2 Character Tier List

All 5 characters and 14+ build archetypes ranked for Patch 0.98.1. Includes character overviews, archetype tier board, and meta tips for beginners and veteran players.

View Tier List →

Necrobinder Build Guide

The #1 character in STS2. Doom Stacking, Osty Tank, and Soul Cycling — three archetypes with full card picks, relic priorities, and step-by-step strategy for Patch 0.98.1.

Read Guide →

Ironclad Build Guide

Best starting class in STS2. Strength Ramp, Exhaust Cycle, and Block/Body Slam builds explained in full — card picks, relic priorities, and Act-by-Act strategy.

Read Guide →

All Build Guides

Deep-dive build guides for every STS2 class. Covers Necrobinder, Ironclad, Regent, Defect, and Silent — card picks, relic synergies, and strategy for all archetypes.

Browse Guides →