Slay the Spire: I love this game. Will probably play it forever. (2025)

Tayter Swift posted:

Body Slam’s upgrade transforms it from “eh” to “build a deck around it”

SKULL.GIF posted:

Finnish Flasher posted:

True grit one of the best upgrades. Also most cards that dont exhaust when upgraded like limit break, calculated gamble, hologram.

Zephro posted:

In general I think there's a temptation to see "Exhaust" as a strict downside to a card. But it isn't always. A card that does something and then removes itself from your deck makes the rest of your deck more streamlined. It basically gives you an effect that the merchant charges 50 gold+ for.

Yoshi Wins posted:

[...]
I think it actually is Storm, and it'll kill a slaver or a Gremlin Leader minion a turn earlier at some point in act 2. And I do feel like you need to farm elities hard. The current deck is quite good at frontloaded damage tests (e.g. almost every act 2 fight before the boss fight) but terrible at the late game. Need to convert the current strength of the deck into late game value by aggressively pursuing value right now.

journal posted:

I took Storm of Steel, the relics were Snecko Eye, Idol of Retromation (-1 to the highest cost card in hand), and Runic Pyramid. I considered Snecko but my deck synergized so heavily with the Runic Pyramid that I couldn't possibly pass on it. It's effective card draw *and* planning for future turns all in one relic, while I have Pen Nib, Phantasmal Killer, and Finisher? C'mon.

First 2 cards drafted in Act 2 were an Expertise (not exactly necessary with Runic Pyramid, but with my hand-dumping I'm gambling on a high-roll situation where I can refill my entire hand after dumping it) and a Footwork (hoping for Backflips). Transmogrifier Shrine turned a Strike into a Reflex First elite is Book of Stabbing, PK->SoS lets me kill it while taking 11 damage total. Letter Opener is nice, but the Act 2 chest gives me the Pocket Sentry which is great for artifact stripping and weakening. Bad draw costs me 14 health against Gremlin Leader, but PK-SoS-Terror lets me kill it quickly regardless. Preserved Insect means I am pathing for every single elite I possibly can after this point.

2nd Reflex gives me some really ridiculous Storm of Steel hands. Like this end-of-Turn-1 hand vs the 2nd Book of Stabbing: Backstab, Reflex, Finisher, Storm of Steel, Reflex, Strike, with a Phantasmal Killer about to pop on the next turn. I did 120+ damage trivially and could've gone for 200+. BoS gives me the Oddly Smooth Stone and a Cloak & Dagger+ which really hels to curve out my blocking while still giving me Shuriken/Finisher fuel. Avocado & Rat gives me Acrobatics, and I toke a Strike before the Champ. Champion eats 300 damage on Turn 3 -- I've not yet managed to draw a Finisher from Reflex after Storm of Steel but I haven't needed to.

Yoshi Wins posted:

I would take the Nightmare for Footwork, and maybe draft some other good Nightmare targets that help defensive scaling. The clock is ticking pretty oppressively on building a late game block plan.

journal posted:

Act 3 pathing necessitate that I take at least one elite before the burning elite: hallway, hallway, BRANCH between hallway/unknown, unknown, BRANCH between shop/fcampfire/elite/hallway or hallway/elite/campfire/hallway or hallway/elite/unknown/campfire, CHEST, BRANCH between campfire and shop, BURNING ELITE, then unknown/hallway/hallway/campfire, WOKE BLOKE, D&D.

1. Orb Walker. Goes down on turn 2, 0 damage taken. Choke/Backstab/Quick Slash, I skip, I don't need more damage.
   
2. Darklings. Cleared on turn 4, 0 damage taken. Fear Potion - skip. Dagger Throw/Flying Knee/Blur+, I take the Blur+.
   
3. BRANCH, I opt for the hallway since I'm still hunting block solutions. gently caress it's Orb Guardian + Repulsor + Spiker. I'm able to take down the Spiker by applying early damage and then using the Letter Opener to finish it off while I chip down the Guardian. Turn 5 kill, 0 damage taken. Outmaneuver/Unload/Bane. Skip.
   
4. Mind Bloom. With a shop coming up the next round I strongly considered I Am Rich, but I would have to fight my way through a normal elite and a hallway before the second shop. I Am Awake was also considered but I think I might need to lean on the post-Act 3 healing. I play it safe and take I Am War -- maybe it'll give me a block or discard relic. Hexaghost gets annihilated on turn 6 (Nightmare-Finisher is fun), 0 damage taken. Wing Boots. Quick Slash/Prepared/Calculated Gamble+. I go for the CG+, it'll let me search for Piercing Wail much quicker. This is the first draft so far I'm not totally confident on.
   
5. BRANCH, I go shopping. 314 gold. Relics: Anchor (165), Ceramic Fish (160), Cauldron (171). Potions: Duplication 85), Energy (57), Forge (53). Removal 125. Blur is offered for 79 gold. I also consider Noxious Fumes for artifact stripping. I end up spending 204 gold on the Blur and removing my final Strike, leaving 110 gold for the next shop.
   
6. I brainfart and forget I can use the Wing Boot to squeeze out an extra elite, end up going to the campfire. Footwork is upgraded.
   
7. Giant Head. Goes down hard on Turn 3, 0 damage taken. That CG+ is doing wonders with my Reflexes, and the 3rd Blur is letting me keep block rolling through all my turns. Feeling increasingly confident about the Heart. The Bagpipes. Essence of Steel - skip, I'm still hanging onto my regen and fire potion in case I get a nasty Reptomancer. Masterful Stab+/Reflex/Dodge & Roll+. I take the DnR+ even though my deck is getting a bit large (this is my 29th card), it synergizes very well with the Footwork+ and my three Blurs.
   
8. I'm feeling real loving saucy and use a Wing Boot charge to go for another elite over a hallway and campfire. Nemesis, which explodes on turn 3 with 0 damage taken. Bottled Tornado - I bottle my Footwork+ which mostly removes any Nightmare shenanigans with it, but lets me get massive rolling Blurs right off the bat. This should help reliability with Spear & Shield and the Heart. Prepared/Footwork/Distraction -- easy Footwork pick, and keeps the Nightmare dream alive. Deck now at 30 cards and feeling fairly complete.
   
9. Chest. Lantern vs Sapphire Key. Decisions, decisions.
   
10. This is a really tough Wing Boot choice. I can greed another elite here but I'm less confident of my ability to blow up a Reptomancer than Giant Head/Nemesis, and the next floor is a required burning elite. Normal Reptomancer is much easier to deal with though, than a burning Reptomancer. I'm still packing my two potions so I decide the reward is worth the risk. It is indeed Reptomancer. It takes me until turn 8 and required using my Fire Potion, but I kill it with 0 damage. Attack Potion. Backflip+/Skewer/Phantasmal Killer. I take the flipperino.
    
11. Burning Elite time. Nemesis with 8 Metallicize God Runic Pyramid makes these fights so loving easy. Maw Bank. Terror, Phantasmal Killer, stab stab stab. Turn 3 kill, 0 damage. TINGSHA, Emerald Key, Weak Potion. I briefly consider dumping my Regen Potion for the Weak Potion. Setup+/Calculated Gamble/Noxious Fume. I consider taking the CG and leaving it unupgraded for extra Tingsha damage. I have five draw cards (Reflex x2, Backflip+, Acrobatics, Expertise+) and it might mean a bit of free damage against Bloke's minions. Doing this is pretty neutral against D&D, and slightly negative vs Tim. I end up deciding not to get cute since I'm already spoiled for damage - skip.
    
12. Golden Shrine. I don't exactly need 275 gold right now and there's no more shops before the boss. Pray for 50 gold.
    
13. Final Wing Boot decision. I opt for another event over a hallway, and get a hallway fight regardless: Maw, which dies on turn 6 with 0 damage taken. By this point I'm rolling enough Blur to carry over 50+ block per turn for multiple turns at a time. Calculated Gamble+/Riddle with Holes/Dodge & Roll. I ....... skip.
    
14. Final hallway: Spire Growth. I pre-emptively pop my Regen Potion here as I have a hunch this fight gives me another potion, and I might as well be topped off for the boss. God having 3 Blurs is so insane. Turn 7 kill, 0 damage taken, 73/73 health. Skill Potion, natch. Cloak & Dagger+/Finisher/Footwork. I take the Footwork: 32 cards, and I'm starting to worry a tiny bit about clearing my hand of block cards -- maybe I should've taken one of these Gambles.
    
15. Campfire, Red Key.
    
16. Bloke. I Nightmare my Blur+ and have 70+ block every turn for the rest of the fight, ending on 200+ block. Still takes me awhile to kill him (11th turn), and I take 9 damage in the process.
    
17. D&D. Nightmare my Footwork+, +17 Dexterity. 15 damage taken, killed on uhhh the 15th turn? Once I get rolling, having this many Blurs is basically Barricade Silent style.
    

Act 4 posted:

Final campfire. Nightmare gets upgraded to give myself a little bit more wiggle room on my setup turn.
Final shop. 453 gold, thanks Maw Bank. Bag of Marbles (161) for artifact strip, Attack Potion (56) to fill an empty slot (other two were Steel and Poison), I remove a Defend (150) to make a bit more room for my Blurs. I have 86 gold left over and consider the Leg Sweep for Weak or the Reflex for more draw, but ultimately decide against both. The power was Well-Laid Plan which is superfluous with my Pyramid.
Shield & Spear. Bag of Marbles immediately pays off and combined with my Pocket Sentry empties them of all their artifact charges. Turn 2 was rough and I had to pop one attack potion to get an extra energy, still took 16 damage. Oh god the Ignites don't go away. Nightmared Blur and Storm of Steel gives me enough breathing room to destroy the Shield, and I win on turn 4. Bloody Vial. Energy Potion. Cloak & Dagger/Heel Hook+/Dagger Spray: skip.
Heart. VERY dicey turn 2, took 37 damage, can't find enough Blurs. Turn 3 is 8 damage, and I'm sitting at 9 HP. Turn 4 has me dancing around with 4x Footwork. I stabilize on Turn 5 with 15 carryover block, do 100 damage on Turn 6 with 6 carryover block... Turn 7 is 3 Beat of Death but I now have 47 block and two Blur charges and I hit the damage cap. Turn 8 I hit the damage cap again with 31 carry block. FINISHER~~~

Nothingtoseehere posted:

Yoshi Wins posted: