Slay the Spire – Silent Guide
How to win every bit the Silent (non ascension, non combo).
Silent Guide Slay the Spire
This guide is for people who desire to win too take maintain fun alongside the Silent. It’s non intended to address the challenges of Ascension mode.
The leaderboards demo that people take maintain ameliorate win streaks alongside the Ironclad. I’m non certain what makes the Ironclad hence tardily or consistent; personally I struggle alongside him. However he does take maintain to a greater extent than wellness too tin regenerate betwixt fights. The Silent has less leeway to larn striking hard or to larn striking often. Though yous tin compensate alongside healing items – Bird-Faced Urn may live the best relic for the Silent, especially since yous volition normally desire lots of powers.
Energy too Cards
Sometimes yous volition take maintain cards to spare but no unloose energy to form them. This is truthful at the start of the game when yous describe 5 cards, most costing 1 energy, too solely take maintain three unloose energy per turn. Other times, yous volition take maintain unloose energy to spare but no cards to cast.
You can’t live certain how much unloose energy yous volition live getting later on inward the game. It depends on what boss relics yous get, but at that topographic point are also other relics too cards that volition brand yous to a greater extent than unloose energy efficient similar Mummified Hand too Madness.
Sometimes the boss relics that increment unloose energy take maintain a big drawback, too. Philosopher’s Stone tin live unsafe to accept after the human activeness 1 boss because of the Byrd enemy inward human activeness 2 that attacks 5 times (unless yous take maintain “thorns” impairment similar Caltrops or Bronze Scales which counters this enemy). Ectoplasm is also normally non worth it if offered inward human activeness 1, imo.
So it is best non to accept cards similar Slice too Flying Knee early. They may permit yous play to a greater extent than cards at first, but later on inward the game they don’t exercise plenty damage. Then if yous halt upwards alongside besides much unloose energy too non plenty to exercise alongside it, you’d take maintain to endeavor too larn cards that describe to a greater extent than cards to tip the residuum dorsum the other way.
On the contrary of this, it agency that it doesn’t affair if your deck has some useless cards similar curses or the Strike cards yous started with, since yous are naturally going to ignore some cards inward your paw when yous run out of energy. But I would notwithstanding take away curses that genuinely wound yous similar Pain, Normality, Regret, Doubt (except inward posion decks) too sometimes Decay.
Endless Agony is an interesting carte du jour though. I volition sometimes accept it if I take maintain something that increases my strength, or something that cares most me playing lots of cards inward ane turn. If yous demand to decrease the average terms of cards inward your deck, yous tin discard it to permit it replicate. If yous demand to increase, yous tin only form it too it volition exhaust itself.
The Big Deck
The green wisdom inward carte du jour games is that having every bit pocket-size a deck every bit possible is best since it gives yous a ameliorate take a opportunity of drawing your strongest cards. (This is also of import for combo decks similar the Nightmare + Catalyst deck that some players role to win inward Ascension, but I’m non talking most those here). But I normally take maintain or hence 35 cards inward my deck at the halt of a winning run. Why is this?
One argue is that at that topographic point are powers too cards that exhaust themselves that won’t live inward your deck on your mo fourth dimension through. There are also cards similar Escape Plan that e'er describe a card, hence they don’t genuinely count towards your deck size. This agency my truthful deck size is to a greater extent than similar xx (which is notwithstanding big past times some players’ standards). However, the deck size the get-go fourth dimension through does affair – some aggressive enemies tin kill yous earlier yous describe your whole deck once, too yous don’t desire your best powers to all demo upwards on plough 6.
Some benefits of having a big deck –
– You are less affected past times curses too most statuses (except Dazed).
– You don’t take maintain to pass gilt on removing your starting Strike cards from your deck, pregnant yous tin salve your gilt for relics too powerful cards.
– You tin role Eternal Feather (boss relic) to gain life at military camp sites fifty-fifty if yous don’t rest.
– It’s to a greater extent than fun to take carte du jour rewards than to skip them. However, yous notwithstanding demand some discipline, you’re non going to accept a carte du jour at every vantage screen.
The Need for Speed
The Silent must residuum aggression alongside defence. You demand to live aware of how many of your cards exercise each chore every bit good every bit how much unloose energy yous volition demand to pass on each. Trying to kill an enemy alongside Strikes wouldn’t exit yous alongside much unloose energy for defending.
Some enemies move stronger every bit the struggle goes on. They mightiness gain strength, or shuffle statuses into your deck which gradually makes yous weaker, or they mightiness pass the get-go distich of turns applying buffs too debuffs earlier they start to attack. This is why fifty-fifty a highly defensive deck must live able to kill the enemies without taking besides many turns to exercise it. (The Ironclad’s Barricade-Entrench create tin gain defense forcefulness faster than enemies gain strength, but at that topographic point are notwithstanding ways for that deck to lose).
Another argue why yous demand to live fast is that every plough longer is some other take a opportunity to larn a bad turn, where yous describe an atypical paw alongside no defences inward it too halt upwards getting striking hard.
Getting some damaging cards inward your deck tin live peculiarly of import inward human activeness 1 where yous mightiness human face upwards the cerise demon elite who gains strength when yous defend, or the sleeping rhythm out elite which reduces your strength too dexterity every 3rd turn.
In fights alongside multiple enemies, yous tin cut the incoming impairment past times killing ane enemy. This is where a highly aggressive deck shines. However, those variety of decks are weak against enemies alongside high wellness which it can’t complete off fast, especially bosses. It’s ameliorate to take maintain a defensive engine that is capable of dealing alongside multiple living enemies.
Since the enemies oftentimes accept a few turns to laid up, yous tin too, past times playing powers inward the early turns. Sometimes yous volition take maintain to take betwixt taking some early impairment or playing a power. It depends on how probable yous are to accept to a greater extent than impairment later on on inward the struggle if yous don’t play it.
The Silent rarely relies on flashy cards, rather on incremental increment of the ability of her ‘normal’ cards past times using relics too powers. Your powers are normally your best cards to upgrade (except the ones that only gain ‘Innate’ are less worthwhile), because alongside a big deck size yous won’t live drawing your other cards that often, piece the power’s upgrade benefits yous every turn.
There are 2 expert aggressive engines, poisonous substance too physical (shivs). It’s non the halt of the footing if yous can’t determine betwixt them early on. Taking a speculative Accuracy ability earlier yous take maintain whatever shivs is normally prophylactic – remember, if yous play it, it won’t larn shuffled dorsum into your deck that fight. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Noxious Fumes volition bargain decent impairment fifty-fifty if yous halt upwards inward a shivs deck! Also, Caltrops is expert inward whatever deck.
Poison Engine
Poison decreases past times 1 per turn, but inward a poisonous substance deck, yous should live applying to a greater extent than poisonous substance to enemies faster than they lose it. This agency that yous volition live dealing increasing amounts of impairment over time, too fifty-fifty an enemy alongside twice every bit much wellness volition solely accept 40% longer to kill.
Noxious Fumes is the telephone substitution carte du jour for non-combo poisonous substance decks every bit it guarantees that poisonous substance volition e'er increase, too it’s expert inward fights alongside multiple enemies because it hits them all. Upgrade it, too larn to a greater extent than copies of it if yous can, since yous volition live to a greater extent than probable to describe it sooner too yous volition kill enemies sooner – but know that fifty-fifty ane Fumes tin bargain hundreds of impairment if yous give it time.
Deadly Poison too Poisoned Stab tin live ok early to assist yous kill smaller enemies inward the get-go distich of acts, shaving a few turns off the fourth dimension to kill which volition salve yous health, too yous volition notwithstanding form them occasionally inward human activeness 3. Bouncing Flask tin live expert besides since it tin poisonous substance a unmarried enemy quickly. But yous don’t desire to a greater extent than than most 5 of these repeatable-use poisonous substance cards inward your deck inward full because it dilutes your focus on defence.
You don’t demand Bane since it only does physical impairment too yous don’t desire Envenom since yous won’t live using many attacks. Catalyst tin live good, it tin salve yous a few turns if yous describe it at the correct fourth dimension but it isn’t essential. And I’ve never used Corpse Explosion. Once the poisonous substance engine gets going, all the enemies volition live dead pretty soon, hence I don’t detect it worthwhile to include these cards that tin wearisome me downwards if I describe them besides early. In the same vein, fifty-fifty The Specimen (boss relic) is non that of import if you’re mainly relying on Noxious Fumes rather than unmarried target poisonous substance cards.
Physical (Shiv) Engine
The telephone substitution to the shiv engine is having a way to brand shivs exercise to a greater extent than damage. Otherwise, non solely is it inefficient, but yous volition also struggle against some enemies that punish yous for casting lots of cards similar the Time Eater or Spiker.
There aren’t many ways to gain strength every bit the Silent – mainly the relics Shuriken, Du-Vu Doll, too Vajra, too the neutral carte du jour J.A.X. Another way to brand your cards exercise to a greater extent than impairment is to take maintain something that “sees” them beingness form similar Thousand Cuts, Envenom, or Panache. Either of these approaches volition operate alongside whatever of your cards, non only your Shivs, but the easiest way to take maintain lots of cards to form is past times using ones that brand Shivs (or Endless Agony). Another useful carte du jour is Terror, which increases all impairment to ane enemy past times 50%, though it is countered past times the ‘Artifact’ buff.
The 3rd approach is to role Accuracy, which solely improves your Shivs. You tin combine whatever or all of these ways of increasing impairment inward the same deck. You tin exercise a shivs create fifty-fifty if yous solely take maintain ane (upgraded) Accuracy, but it’s non quite every bit much of a guarantee of winning every bit Noxious Fumes is inward the poisonous substance deck. You volition e'er demand to live on the sentinel for to a greater extent than copies of Accuracy (or cards mentioned inward the previous paragraph) too to a greater extent than shivmaking cards.
The best shivmaking carte du jour is Infinite Blades. Cloak too Dagger is also expert because it defends piece giving yous a Shiv. Repeatable-use shivmakers similar Blade Flurry are okay inward moderation, peculiarly if at that topographic point are few alternatives, but yous don’t desire besides many every bit it gives yous less unloose energy to pass on defence. Steel Storm is non essential, for the same reason, though it tin live fun to role when yous take maintain lots of cards inward hand.
Defence ‘Engine’
Your defense forcefulness engine is inward add-on to whatever you’re using to kill the enemy. In other words, a deck could either have:
– Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 poisonous substance engine too a defense forcefulness engine, or
– Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 shiv engine too a defense forcefulness engine.
The defense forcefulness engine needs to live able to protect yous regularly against the attacks that come upwards in, protect yous occasionally against the big attacks that come upwards in, too exercise all of this alongside the express cards too unloose energy yous take maintain each turn. There are several ways to exercise this, too tin live used inward combination alongside each other.
1. Increase the amount of defense forcefulness each carte du jour gives you. Footwork is ane of the best Silent cards, too should live upgraded. The smoothen rock too Kunai relics are expert too. After Image is rigid fifty-fifty if your deck doesn’t play lots of cards per turn, it’s similar the Silent’s version of Metallicize.
2. Save defense forcefulness across turns. Blur is really rigid if yous tin larn a lot of them, or if yous tin brand copies of Blur alongside Nightmare and/or Burst. This is rigid because some enemies don’t laid on every turn, but also because yous don’t describe the same number of defense forcefulness cards every turn, too yous desire to salve your expert turns for bad times. Calipers (relic) industrial plant good combined alongside Blur to salve some of the defense forcefulness from the turns when yous don’t take maintain a Blur. It tin also operate on its own, but it’s harder. Dodge too Roll is mainly expert if yous take maintain something that increases dexterity, since the dexterity bonus applies twice. Otherwise, it’s notwithstanding useful but yous don’t desire besides many copies.
3. Save cards across turns. Main way to exercise this is alongside Well-Laid Plans – upgrading it lets yous continue 2 defense forcefulness cards inward paw until yous demand to role them – or alongside Runic Pyramid (boss relic).
4. Save unloose energy across turns alongside Doppelganger or Ice Cream. You notwithstanding demand to live lucky plenty to describe the cards that volition permit yous defend on the turns when the big attacks come upwards inward though.
5. Card describe inward full general gives yous to a greater extent than chances of drawing defense forcefulness when yous demand it – Backflip too Calculated Gamble are the original expert cards here. If yous take maintain Tough Bandages, Gamble itself becomes a powerful defense forcefulness card. Predator (the laid on that draws 2 to a greater extent than cards side past times side turn) tin live good. But non all carte du jour drawing cards are good. Related to this, Dash tin sometimes live expert because it’s similar drawing 2 Defends inward ane carte du jour (and counts every bit an laid on for the cerise demon too the hex enemy that punish yous for playing skills rather than attacks).
6. Weaken the enemy. Paper Krane is a really powerful relic – weakening becomes stronger every bit the enemy’s attacks larn stronger, hence it’s mainly useful inward the 3rd act. Weakening automatically stacks, hence yous don’t take maintain to worry most drawing cards inward the correct order. Upgrading Neutralize too Sucker Punch to brand the weakening terminal ane plough longer tin live expert if it agency that yous tin continue the enemy permanently weakened. Malaise is expert too.
Things to Avoid
The cards that give yous a exercise goodness when discarded (Reflex, Tactician, Underhanded Strike) aren’t really strong, too neither is Eviscerate. As I mentioned before, it’s hard to create a deck or hence paw too unloose energy manipulation. Acrobatics isn’t that expert because it costs unloose energy to use. It tin assist a deck that needs the effect, but it’s ameliorate to create a deck that doesn’t demand that number inward the get-go place. Prepared is okay too I sometimes volition role ane inward my deck, but it puts yous downwards past times ane carte du jour inward hand. Tools of the Trade is a decent carte du jour since it makes your deck to a greater extent than consistent, but it’s rare hence yous wouldn’t desire to rely on getting it, too yous mightiness overstep it past times for a to a greater extent than powerful card.
Similarly alongside cards similar Expertise too Outmaneuver, they won’t e'er operate how yous want. Maybe they operate good inward a unlike variety of deck (a pocket-size one), I don’t know. My sense is that the plough yous take maintain lots of unloose energy yous take maintain goose egg to cast, too the plough yous describe lots of cards yous don’t take maintain the unloose energy to form them.
You desire to avoid most cards that only laid on the enemy. There are 2 kinds of these. One variety is only non rigid plenty to justify the terms of drawing it or its unloose energy terms – Unload, Riddle alongside Holes, Flying Knee, Dagger Spray, All-Out Attack, Quick Slash, Slice. I mightiness accept some of these if I’m inward the get-go human activeness alongside no other choices too I genuinely demand to larn some ability to move until I larn a ameliorate deck – normally a Quick Slash because it’s available early too doesn’t lose every bit much ability later on on. I mightiness accept a pocket-size number of these kinds of cards if they synergise good alongside my deck, similar Dagger Spray inward a deck alongside +strength.
Diediedie is normally worth taking because it’s strong, too Backstab is gratuitous too exhausts itself (and yous take maintain to a greater extent than cards on your get-go plough anyway). Glass Knife is rigid since yous don’t expression to move through your deck that many times. But yous wouldn’t desire many of these sort out of cards.
The other variety are situational laid on cards. The expert thing most your poisonous substance or shiv engine is that they are consistent – they volition e'er accept roughly the same number of turns to kill the same sized enemy. There is non plenty exercise goodness to relying on a big plough alongside an inconsistent carte du jour similar Choke or Finisher (though yous mightiness role ane re-create to complement a shiv deck that’s already good). Flechettes is non really powerful. I solely role Skewer if I take maintain Ice Cream. I don’t expression to take maintain the correct weather condition to form Masterful Stab or Grand Finale.
