💎 Slay the Spire 2 Relic Tier List

Every relic in STS2 ranked and analyzed. S-tier relics can single-handedly win runs. C-tier relics are often skip-worthy. Updated for Patch 0.4.2.

S-Tier Relics (Run-Defining)

Relic	Type	Effect	Best On
Dead Branch	Rare	Add random card to hand when Exhausting	Ironclad (Corruption)
Snecko Eye	Boss	Draw +2, Confusion, +1 Energy	All characters
Mummified Hand	Uncommon	Powers make random card cost 0	Defect
Incense Burner	Rare	Intangible every 6 turns	All characters
Fossilized Helix	Rare	Prevent first damage each combat	All characters
Runic Pyramid	Boss	No longer discard hand, +1 Energy	Silent, Ironclad
Pocketwatch	Rare	Draw 3 when playing 3 or fewer cards	All characters
Tough Bandages	Uncommon	Gain Block when discarding	Silent

Relic	Type	Effect	Best On
Gambling Chip	Rare	Discard and redraw at combat start	All characters
Meat on the Bone	Rare	Heal 12 HP when dropping below 50%	All characters
Kunai	Uncommon	Dexterity on 3 attacks/turn	Silent (Shiv)
Shuriken	Uncommon	Strength on 3 attacks/turn	Silent, Ironclad
Data Disk	Common	Start with +1 Focus	Defect
Bag of Preparation	Common	Draw 2 additional cards turn 1	All characters
Anchor	Common	Start combat with 10 Block	All characters
Preserved Insect	Common	Elites have 25% less HP	All characters
Wrist Blade	Rare	0-cost attacks deal +4 damage	Silent
Inserter	Boss	Gain 1 orb slot every 2 turns	Defect

Relic	Type	Effect	Note
Orichalcum	Common	Gain 6 Block if no block at turn end	Good early, falls off late
Mercury Hourglass	Uncommon	Deal 3 damage to all enemies each turn	Solid passive damage
Pen Nib	Common	Every 10th attack deals double damage	Strong on Ironclad
Vajra	Common	Start with +1 Strength	Decent, not game-changing
Happy Flower	Common	Gain 1 Energy every 3 turns	Consistent energy engine
Blood Vial	Common	Heal 2 HP at start of each combat	Small sustain
Toxic Egg	Rare	Skills are always upgraded	Great if found early
Molten Egg	Rare	Attacks are always upgraded	Great if found early
Frozen Egg	Rare	Powers are always upgraded	Defect loves this
Sozu 🆕	Boss	+1 Energy, cannot obtain potions	Risk/reward tradeoff
Ectoplasm 🆕	Boss	+1 Energy, no gold from combat	Shop-heavy runs suffer

Relic	Type	Effect	Why Skip?
Dream Catcher	Common	Add card option when resting	Resting is already suboptimal
The Boot	Common	Unblocked attacks deal 5 min	Negligible impact
Tiny Chest	Common	10% more chest rooms	Too slow, no immediate value
Darkstone Periapt	Uncommon	+6 Max HP per curse	Curse synergy is unreliable
Cauldron	Shop	5 random potions	RNG-dependent, expensive

Boss relics are a pivotal choice after each Act. Here's how to evaluate them:

👁️

Take when: Your deck has many 2+ cost cards. The Confusion averages lower costs and +2 draw is insane.

Skip when: You rely on 0-cost cards (Shiv deck, Claw deck).

S-TIER

🔮

Take when: You know enemy patterns by heart and have strong passive Block generation.

Skip when: You're new to the game or your deck requires reactive blocking.

A-TIER (Experienced Players)

⚡

Take when: You play few but powerful cards per turn (Strength Ironclad, Poison Silent).

Skip when: Your deck plays many cards (Shiv Silent, Claw Defect, Necrobinder minions).

B-TIER (Situational)