Slay the Spire 2 Golden Compass, Explained
The Golden Compass Relic in Slay the Spire 2 transforms the entire map into a single track, eliminating a fair chunk of randomness in your run while providing players with a (typically) better selection of nodes to travel to. With that being said, transforming your current Slay the Spire 2 map into a one-track railroad has its own set of ups and downs, and depending on what other options the Act 2 Ancient offers you, you’ll need to consider whether taking the Golden Compass is worth it or not.
The 7 Greatest Roguelike Deckbuilder Games Of All Time, Ranked
You can’t beat a good roguelike deckbuilder, and these are some of the very best.
Slay the Spire 2 Golden Compass Effect
The moment you pick the Golden Compass from Tezcatara, your map will transform into a special one that has only one long path. While you’ll still have to complete the same number of encounters as a normal map, the Golden Path will provide you with a healthy balance of combat, shop, Resting Sites, and even random event nodes.
Keep in mind that the Golden Compass only works on Act 2, and since it’s an Ancient boon specifically from Tezcatara, you won’t be able to get it anywhere else.
Taking the Golden Compass doesn’t seem to affect the composition of the map itself. You’ll still be fighting the same enemies you’d find on a normal map, and the boss waiting for you at the end will not change either.
Is the Golden Compass Relic Worth Getting?
Yes, but this depends heavily on what other boons Tezcatara is offering you at that time. The special single-track map that this Relic creates tends to be more rewarding than the usual ones, as it will always give you a decent distribution of all map node types in the game. Any character in Slay the Spire 2 will be able to benefit greatly from this, regardless of what build players are going for.
Of course, missing out on Tezcatara’s other offerings is the opportunity cost for picking the Golden Compass. Depending on your deck, you may benefit more from a Relic like Nutritious Soup, which reduces the cost of Strike cards. The Heap of Coals Relic, on the other hand, makes Strikes deal more damage at the cost of becoming permanent parts of your deck.
Whether you take the Golden Compass is purely up to your discretion, though we do recommend getting it if you’re not particularly interested in whatever else Tezcatara is peddling. Having a track with guaranteed shops and campsites is pretty good, especially if you’re trying to curate your deck with nothing but the best cards possible.
The biggest downside of taking the Golden Compass in Slay the Spire 2 is it forces you to push forward. If you’re not sure that you can take on an Elite, or if you don’t want to risk an Unknown encounter with potentially horrible outcomes, you don’t really have much of a choice but to get in there and hope for the best.