Slay the Spire 2 Max Hand Size
Players can hold up to 10 cards in Slay the Spire 2, and depending on what cards they have in their deck, hitting this limit can be a good or a bad thing. Slay the Spire 2 does offer players some fun ways to play with the cards they have in their hand, and such interactions might not be obvious to new players or even the veterans of the original game. Below, we’ll be diving into some important things you’ll want to know about managing your hand during combat encounters.
How to Use Slay the Spire 2 Console Commands
If you want to experiment with some fun stuff in Slay the Spire 2, here’s how you can enable cheats and other console commands.
How Many Cards Can You Hold in Slay the Spire 2?
While players can only hold 10 cards max, Slay the Spire 2 reintroduces the Retain effect, which lets players hold onto their cards in between turns. Normally, your entire hand gets discarded when you end your turn, but if you somehow manage to add the Retain tag to any of them, you’ll get a chance to play your cards without having to rely on drawing them again in the following turn.
On a related note, there doesn’t appear to be a hard limit on the number of cards one can have in their deck. Normally, 20-card decks are ideal for most builds, with some favoring fewer (like Regent’s Stars build), and others favoring more (Ironclad’s Perfected Strike/Hellraiser build).
How to Retain Cards in Slay the Spire 2
The most reliable way to Retain cards is to use other cards. Unfortunately, neither the Ironclad nor the Defect have cards that can add Retain. For the other characters, you can use the following:
|
Character |
Card |
Effect |
|---|---|---|
|
Regent |
Convergence |
Next turn, gain 1 Energy and 1 Star. Retain your Hand this turn. |
|
Necrobinder |
Snap |
Osty deals 7 damage. Add Retain to a card in your Hand. |
|
Silent |
Well-Laid Plans |
At the end of your turn, Retain up to 1 card. |
|
Phantom Blades |
Shivs gain Retain. The first Shiv you play deals 9 additional damage. |
If you’re playing Defect or Ironclad, your best bet at Retaining your cards is by using potions. Alternatively, you can try getting your hands on the Salvo and Equilibrium cards from the merchant.
Benefits of Drawing and Retaining Cards
Drawing more cards per turn lets players find the right combos and synergies, maximizing the efficiency of each Energy point as well as the turn itself. Additionally, certain builds/decks can benefit greatly from having many cards in your hand at once. The Silent’s Murder/Discard or Necrobinder’s Death March/Soul decks are great examples, as they grow stronger with every card you draw in a turn.
However, drawing additional cards can become detrimental under the following conditions:
- You do not have the Energy to play the cards you draw.
- You end up drawing harmful Status cards (i.e. Burn, Beckon, etc).
Meanwhile, Retaining cards lets you set up the perfect combo for your next turn (or the turn after that). This is especially important when you’re using specialized decks, or when you’re fighting bosses. Retain effects are best used on high-cost cards that require a lot of setup, like Regent’s Stardust or Ironclad’s Demon Form.
There’s an option under General Settings that shows your Hand Card Count.