Slay the Spire 2 Relics Guide – All Relics Explained and Best Picks

Relics are the backbone of every successful run in Slay the Spire 2. These passive items shape your deck, influence your strategy, and often determine whether you survive the climb beyond Act 2.

Slay the Spire 2

Release Date: March 05, 2026

Genres: Strategy, Indie, Card & Board Game

More Info

The Early Access version already includes more than 250 relics, divided across multiple rarity tiers. Learning which relics to prioritize — and when to take risks to obtain them — is one of the most important skills in the game.

This guide explains how relics work in Slay the Spire 2 and highlights some of the best relics currently available.

TL;DR — Slay the Spire 2 Relics

Relics provide passive bonuses that shape your entire run.
Over 250 relics exist in Early Access.
They come in six rarity tiers: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Ancient, Shop, and Event.
Elite fights and treasure chests are the most reliable ways to obtain relics.
Energy generation, card draw, and scaling relics are usually the strongest picks.

How Relics Work in Slay the Spire 2

Relics provide permanent passive bonuses that apply throughout a run. They cannot be removed once obtained, which means each relic choice has long-term consequences for your build.

You can obtain relics in several ways:

Defeating elite enemies
Opening treasure chests
Buying them from the Merchant
Triggering specific map events

While some relics are tied to specific characters, most can be used across all builds.

Relic Rarity Tiers

Relic Tier	Description
Common	Frequent drops that provide consistent early-game value.
Uncommon	More specialized relics that often support specific builds.
Rare	Powerful relics that can define entire runs.
Ancient	High-impact relics that often change core mechanics but include trade-offs.
Shop	Relics that can only be purchased from the Merchant.
Event	Relics obtained from random events, often with drawbacks.

New Mechanics Affecting Relics

Slay the Spire 2 introduces several new mechanics that significantly influence relic value.

Durability – limits how many times certain relic effects trigger per combat.
Corrosion – reduces max HP each turn and cannot be blocked.
Pierce – ignores Block, making defensive relics less reliable.

The sequel also introduces the Soulbound mechanic. Cards with this effect cannot be removed from the deck once acquired, which can complicate strategies that rely on small deck sizes.

Best Early-Game Relics

In Act 1, relics that provide immediate and consistent value are usually the strongest choices.

Relic	Effect
Anchor	Start each combat with 10 Block.
Bag of Preparation	Draw 2 extra cards at the start of combat.
Vajra	Start combat with 1 Strength.
Lantern	Start each combat with 1 extra Energy.
Orichalcum	Gain 6 Block if you end a turn without Block.

Best Rare Relics

Rare relics tend to dramatically change the flow of a run and can enable extremely powerful builds.

Relic	Effect
Ice Cream	Energy carries over between turns.
Mummified Hand	Playing a Power card makes a random card free.
Shuriken	Gain 1 Strength after playing 3 Attacks in one turn.
Kunai	Gain 1 Dexterity after playing 3 Attacks.
Lizard Tail	Revive once with 50% HP when defeated.

Slay the Spire 2 Tips for Using Relics

Prioritize relics that grant Energy or card draw.
Plan your path around elite encounters since they always drop relics.
Avoid bloating your deck with unnecessary cards.
Spend gold wisely — shop relics can be extremely powerful.

Slay the Spire 2 Early Access Release Date, Launch Times, Countdown, and New Features

The Spire is stirring once more, and Mega Crit has officially confirmed that Slay the Spire 2 will launch into Steam Early Access soon!

Slay the Spire 2 Early Access – First Impressions

After nearly seven years since the original defined the roguelike deckbuilder genre, Mega Crit dropped Slay the Spire 2 into Steam Early Access on March 5, 2026 – and it already feels like an event.

Slay the Spire 2 Launch Crashes Steam as Early Access Draws 185K Players

Slay the Spire 2 launched in Early Access and immediately triggered massive demand, briefly causing store page crashes and purchase issues.

Final Thoughts

Relics sit at the heart of every successful run in Slay the Spire 2. Understanding their rarity tiers, interactions, and timing is crucial if you want to reach the top of the Spire.

The most effective strategy is to adapt your build to the relics you obtain rather than forcing a predetermined deck archetype.