Which Slay the Spire 2 Character Should You Choose?
Characters in Slay the Spire 2 can be unlocked by simply completing runs using specific characters. Players will eventually unlock the entire roster without doing anything special, but with five different heroes to choose from, picking the right one can be a little daunting at first. Below is a quick tip on how to unlock all Slay the Spire 2 characters fast, as well as brief summaries on what each of them can do.
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How to Unlock All Slay the Spire 2 Characters
The best way to unlock every Slay the Spire 2 character is to start a run and get yourself killed as soon as possible. While the in-game tooltip says that you need to complete a run with a character to unlock whoever’s next in line, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to win that specific run. Pick the most detrimental starting blessing you can, then once you enter your first combat node, just skip all of your turns. You’ll unlock all the characters in no time.
The Ironclad
A strong, resilient warrior with draconic and demonic blood. Cuts enemies down using long, technical combos or single, overwhelming strikes. The Ironclad is the stereotypical fighter of the Slay the Spire 2 cast who solves every problem with brute force.
Ironclad Playstyles & Card Archetypes
- Combo Master: The Ironclad has access to many buff and debuff cards that amplify his physical damage. He also has cards with interactions that let them chain together into long and winding combos, and these become even stronger with the right Relics.
- Walking Tank: The Ironclad can turn a rock-solid defense into an unrelenting offense. He can counter-attack with Flame Barrier, generate Block while attacking with Juggernaut, or turn his entire Block count into a one-time nuke with Body Slam.
- Blood is Power: Sacrifice your own health to gain ludicrous amounts of power. This archetype of cards is extremely risky, and using them relies on you getting the perfect hand every time.
- Strength Stacker: Pulverize enemies by stacking Strength and amplifying the damage dealt by all your Attack cards. Build up your power, then slam it all into your enemy’s face for silly amounts of damage.
The Silent
A swift rogue specializing in quick attacks, sabotage, and subterfuge. The Silent isn’t as sturdy as the Ironclad, but she can overwhelm enemies with a barrage of zero-cost cards, damage-over-time effects, and a variety of other abilities that can keep her alive just as well as any other character.
Silent Playstyles & Card Archetypes
- Blade Dancer: Rain a thousand cuts upon your enemies by using free Shivs and other cards that cost no Energy to cast. This archetype has received significant changes since the first Slay the Spire, and it’s now much more flexible.
- Draw and Discard: Throw away your hand in search of better cards, or use Discard mechanics to inflict damage or different effects on your enemies. Juggle your cards well, and you’ll be rewarded accordingly.
- Chemical Warfare: Use Poison effects to passively chew away at your opponents’ health bars. This is one of the strongest archetypes in the game, and it’s particularly potent in multiplayer when there’s a Necrobinder in the party.
- Debilitate and Destroy: Employ various debilitating effects that weaken enemies or neutralize their buffs. Cards under this archetype are perfect for group play, but they’re not shabby when playing solo either.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
The Regent
A would-be ruler from the cosmos who brings the power of the stars to bare. The Regent uses cosmic powers to bombard enemies with starlight and forge his own powerful weapons, but this comes at the cost of limited defensive options, making the Regent a glass cannon character.
Regent Playstyles & Card Archetypes
- Star Power: The Regent has a special resource called Stars, which he can use on cards that specifically require it. Star-consuming cards usually have little to no Energy costs. Much like the Defect’s Orbs archetype, the Regent’s Star cards cover a broad range of playstyles.
- Cosmic Forge: The Regent can create cards that act as weapons. The Sovereign Blade, for example, can be forged to deal massive damage in a single blow. This playstyle is somewhat similar to the Ironclad and his Strength-based cards.
The Necrobinder
A Lich born inside the Spire who bends dark energies to her will. She can weaponize spirits, decrease the lifespan of enemies, and command Osty, her trusty, sentient left hand who absorbs all incoming damage in the Necrobinder’s stead.
- Minion Master: Osty is a controllable minion that comes with its own archetype of Summon and Osty Attack cards. Summon cards increase the hand’s health, while Attack cards have unique synergize that work with Osty and the Necrobinder’s other card types.
- Impending Doom: Necrobinder can inflict Doom, a debuff that reserves a portion of the enemy’s health. When the amount of Doom stacks meets or exceeds the target’s current health, it will die after its next turn.
- Lord of Souls: Necrobinder has cards that create Souls, cards that let players draw more cards for free. Soul cards can be imbued to remove enemy HP, add health for Osty, or used as ammunition for a powerful barrage.
The Defect
A sentient construct with the ability to command the elements. The Defect has numerous playstyles that revolve around the type of Orbs they have, though they can brute-force their way through the Spire using strong physical attacks as well.
- Elementalist: The Defect can channel elemental Orbs that have varying effects. Some Orbs damage enemies, while others protect the Defect or provide other meaningful bonuses. This is an extremely broad archetype that’s supported by dozens of cards that can interact with each other in different ways.
- Close Combat: Instead of elemental magic, the Defect can opt to use their own body as a weapon, rending enemies with claws and obliterating them with energy beams.
- Self-Immolation: The Defect can inflict itself with different negative Status cards and convert them into energy. This meshes well with both elemental and physical playstyles, as Status cards can be transformed to provide Energy or used to search more cards.