Slay the Spire

[Eel Snave]

Dude, I've never beaten an Ascension and I have 50+ hours in the game. I've read guides and I still can't reliably win with most characters. I keep my decks between 10-15 cards so I know what I'm getting, I don't get a card unless I plan on upgrading it, I ditch the basic strikes in favor of stronger ones, and I just CAN'T DO IT.

I wish I could have someone watch me play and tell me what I'm doing wrong.

[LordMortis]

Well, I'm sure it would take months of playing to get to where Zax is but I was OK the last time I played. I think around level 10 in each class or just shy of... I think...

I totally play the try and keep a deck small and with purpose game but I do not limit myself.

Each character has gimmick or two or three. My style is to roll with punches on the gimmick you are offered. Stay flexible until you are entrenched in that gimmick and then only take cards that support it.

I *do* ditch cards at every opportunity.

Maybe if you post how a run ends something can be seen for how you got there.

[Eel Snave]

I think I'll do that next time I have a run that goes down in flames. I've got to be doing something wrong.

[Zaxxon]

I think I'll do that next time I have a run that goes down in flames. I've got to be doing something wrong.

It'll definitely help us give more concrete advice.

In general I agree with LM--you can't really pick a strategy at the outset with this game. Have to roll with the punches and then capitalize on whatever powerful relics or cards you come up with early on. I agree with trimming the deck as you go, although I do this less than I used to (only usually pull 1-3 cards out at shops)--the money is too useful to waste on a slight trim when it could instead get me another relic. I also like running into the 'upgrade all strikes/defends' event, and that's really demoralizing if you get it when you only have a few left.

My overall path is usually to try to maximize rest sites (and maximize upgrades within those sites), and then raise or lower my elite count as I go based on how I'm doing.

At these Ascension levels, I still lose at least 80% of the time.

[LordMortis]

I agree with trimming the deck as you go, although I do this less than I used to (only usually pull 1-3 cards out at shops)--the money is too useful to waste on a slight trim when it could instead get me another relic.

My memory is fuzzy but 2-3 shop pulls sounds about right, if only because I choose paths that rarely hit shops so I can maximize my trips but I also pull cards as a beginning bonus and at every ? event possible.

I also like running into the 'upgrade all strikes/defends' event, and that's really demoralizing if you get it when you only have a few left.

If that hits I always take it and that will end the pulling cards path. I'll also play roulette and transform basic strikes and blocks. I'll also often turn basic Strikes to bites at the cost of life.

Choosing a good path at the beginning I think is key, even on early runs.

I tend toward this order:

Most Rest Sites
Most Events
Most or least elites depending on my confidence level. Depending on that confidence this could supersede most events.
Predicted timely use of shops.

This pattern then influences my boss relics (and others) and vice versa. So I tend to pick relics that give me more hit points or make rest sites more useful. I tend to avoid relics that gimp rest site usefulness. (I actually think long and hard before I choose relics that gimp me at all. The confusion relic? Fuck that noise.)

Be it good or to my short sighted detriment, I also have an affinity for 0 energy cards and aversion to any 3 or 4+ cards that aren't exactly what I want powers. X cards need to be accounted for before they get in a deck.

[Eel Snave]

Aaaaaand last night I beat my first ascension. I think my mistake has been not targeting relics and trying to rely just on my deck. That's no good.

[Zaxxon]

Aaaaaand last night I beat my first ascension. I think my mistake has been not targeting relics and trying to rely just on my deck. That's no good.

Congrats! Yes, relics are key (either from elites or ? locations). As are colorless cards and powers.

To pick just one combo that works well--for The Defect, getting Electrodynamics and Static Discharge powers along with the Orb Inserter relic is killer. Arrange to get very slightly damaged each turn and In any battle that lasts more than a few turns, you'll end up with half a dozen or more Lightning orbs that damage all enemies simultaneously.

It's not always possible to arrange a combo like that, but knowing all of the available relics, powers, and colorless cards allows you to quickly devise a strategy based on the first few that you receive.

[LordMortis]

It's not always possible to arrange a combo like that, but knowing all of the available relics, powers, and colorless cards allows you to quickly devise a strategy based on the first few that you receive.

That's why flexibility is important... And why I probably overvalue (useful) powers.

Keep bumping this thread and you'll make me come back to play and getting my butt kicked at whatever ascension level I'm at.

[Zaxxon]

Keep bumping this thread and you'll make me come back to play and getting my butt kicked at whatever ascension level I'm at.

The game's still awesome. I wonder whether they have any plans for a 5th character. I'd pay much more than I should.

[LordMortis]

This was fun... or boring... not sure which...



I hit 5 just lucky's in scrye deck I was trying to build along with three third eyes (which eventually pared down to two, and would have taken to 0 if I could have) but then I just got lucky, Foresight I think, which turned scrye in to addtional block, then I just got lucky and got the top which states if you have no cards draw a card, then I just got lucky with talk to the hand.

Originally I was going for scryes to get me to the Pressure points faster but by the middle of third act every Just lucky would would hit 3 or 4, block for 9 and scrye for 1 or 2 where in it would likley hit Just Lukcy, Insight, or meditate.

Zaxxon, you ruined my weekend but now all my guys are at ascension 10, aka curse level.

[Zaxxon]

Glad to help.

Nice deck, too.

[LordMortis]

Trying to get to 11 with the Watcher once or twice a night. It's just not happening.

Edit, I guess it took this post. Yeah me! Did with no powers, Alpha, Beta, Omega and the Rat as the final battle. Lucky me!

[LordMortis]

I breezed through the first three and then got to the Watcher, trying to get to 12. I have either made dumb plays or just had crazy bad pulls so many time. I have had a lot of fun until I couldn't come up the prize. I had 20 card deck with Alpha, Beta, Omega, where 7 of those cards were the exhaust for one round of intangible screw me by bulling none of them the first two rounds against the dagger naga chick, whom I think is the most dangerous fight in the game. She came up in a ? room.

Edit: Didn't work last night. Still no win. I've been experimenting with decks heavy in retain, which also favor favor heave stance switching. This does a pretty good job of mitigating bad luck but I find that a deck as to be gathered and that means taking early hits in most battles, hunting camps to rest a lot, and never upgrading cards. A had a good thing going with a relic that healed from every potion... then I hit dagger naga chick... Defense heavy doesn't seem to every help either.

I find the Watcher to be pretty easy on the first run compared to the other heroes and then just not having to gogo juice on runs 2 and 3 so I'm debating changing my stance to hunt first run elites to roll with the punches on character building.

[Zaxxon]

Unlocked level 17 with the Defect today. That's my 2nd character to 17; have not gotten higher than that with any yet.

[LordMortis]

I'm raising them all equally. Until I unlock Watcher 12. I go no further.

[LordMortis]

Victory is mine!!!! On to level 12!!!

[Zaxxon]

Awesome.

[Zaxxon]

Level 18 unlocked for The Defect. Had a slick relic combo of the Orb Inserter, Frozen Core, and Meat on the Bone, plus 2x the card that negates your next 2 damages taken, plus a couple of Defragments. Used that all to build up very strong Frost coverage, then a couple of Claws repeatedly to eventually get the damage going.

[LordMortis]

Level 12 complete...

[LordMortis]

13 is complete... I'm comin' for you Zax... or not.

[Zaxxon]

13 is complete... I'm comin' for you Zax... or not.

I made it to the final boss on 19 today for the Defect, but the Timekeeper got me.

[Zaxxon]

13 is complete... I'm comin' for you Zax... or not.

I made it to the final boss on 19 today for the Defect, but the Timekeeper got me.

Misstated that one--I had made it to the final boss on 18. Now I've unlocked 19. Timekeeper was a PITA and I finished with 4 HP before work this am, but I got him.

[LordMortis]

I won't catch you (like I would anyway), as I've been playing too many video games lately in my bubble, so I'm setting them down at least for a few weeks to re calibrate. Stupid me will probably re calibrate to watch more TV and still not get the stuff done I need to do but my video game time has just been far far too much of my life, to the point of entire weekend days spent playing games and some post work days spent playing right up until bed time. (Also a good unsuccessful run of StS can take my well over an hour, sometimes over 2, so I could never get in a quick game before work)

[Zaxxon]

I won't catch you (like I would anyway), as I've been playing too many video games lately in my bubble, so I'm setting them down at least for a few weeks to re calibrate. Stupid me will probably re calibrate to watch more TV and still not get the stuff done I need to do but my video game time has just been far far too much of my life, to the point of entire weekend days spent playing games and some post work days spent playing right up until bed time. (Also a good unsuccessful run of StS can take my well over an hour, sometimes over 2, so I could never get in a quick game before work)

Have you enabled speedy mode, or whatever they call it? Helps a lot by reducing unnecessary animation and stuff.

[LordMortis]

I won't catch you (like I would anyway), as I've been playing too many video games lately in my bubble, so I'm setting them down at least for a few weeks to re calibrate. Stupid me will probably re calibrate to watch more TV and still not get the stuff done I need to do but my video game time has just been far far too much of my life, to the point of entire weekend days spent playing games and some post work days spent playing right up until bed time. (Also a good unsuccessful run of StS can take my well over an hour, sometimes over 2, so I could never get in a quick game before work)

Have you enabled speedy mode, or whatever they call it? Helps a lot by reducing unnecessary animation and stuff.

No. I don't think that fast and asking me to think that fast invites me to make more stupid mistakes than I already make. I don't mind relaxing to a 2 hour game. The problem is I'm in the baseball realm of the game where I my successful run percentage is sub .100. So if I get home from work and have a quick bad run, 15 minutes go by before I get nailed fighting a losing fight to the first elite, then a good bad run another 90 minutes go by, so I try another few bad runs and an hour goes by, and then I get another good bad run at 90 minutes, and the next thing I know I was dumb enough to relax my whole evening away in front of a monitor and my legs, back, and eyes aren't happy with hour I spent the last four+ hours. If I can't find moderation, then I need to walk away at least for now.

[Zaxxon]

It doesn't change the speed of your decisions--it's still turn-based. Just reduces the delays between your turns.

[LordMortis]

I know but if the pace of the action I am not performing is hastened my reactions are hastened as well and my relaxation goes down and my propensity to do something stupid goes up.

I am an case study of why they put blinders on horses.

[Zaxxon]

I am an case study of why they put blinders on horses.

That is an awesome way to put it.

[Fretmute]

It seems that Monster Train doesn't have its own thread, and I'm lazy at the moment, but if you're into this one, it's worth checking out. They ripped off all the good bits of StS and added more good bits on top.

[Carpet_pissr]

Just a quick post to mention that anybody enjoying Slay the Spire should check out a game on mobile called Pirates Outlaws. F2P and I haven’t spent any real world money in it yet (and I refuse to admit how many hours I’ve put into it).

I just now found out that it’s pretty much an exact copy of StS (which I own but never played) except with a pirate theme instead of fantasy.

[LordMortis]

It seems that Monster Train doesn't have its own thread, and I'm lazy at the moment, but if you're into this one, it's worth checking out. They ripped off all the good bits of StS and added more good bits on top.

I watched Quill18 play this a while back and he made the same claims. The video didn't grab me. This suggests it was early June



I almost bit but then I just played StS instead. Maybe I'll come back to it another time... after I have had video game hiatus (I'm all of four days in to).

[Zaxxon]

Well, this sounds... Difficult.

[Zaxxon]

I really want to get that final ascension win, but Hades has totally consumed my gaming time.

I will be back at some point!

[Sudy]

Picked this up again last weekend and was shocked to see I hadn't touched it since 2018 (that was so long ago). Despite having such vivid memories of it I didn't really play it much outside of a few week-long stretches either, which surprised me. I have no idea how some of you have tallied 400+ hours. This is a great game, but I usually tire out as the first act's climb gets very repetitive without modifiers. I think it might have legs for me if I just play the daily challenge, but I'm not really that kind of gamer... I generally play something obsessively or not at all.

I'm really digging the fourth class... the third one is still a blast as well. They make it really hard to go back to the relative simplicity of the first two classes.

The music and art really is charming and makes the game as much as the mechanics. It reminds me of Gazillionaire in that regard.

[Zaxxon]

It's all about the ascension challenge for me.

[Torfish]

I have well over 100 hours in this and only on ascension 3 for each character.

I think I'll pull the trigger on Monster Train soon. Looks fun and it's been out awhile where the bugs should be minor.

[Sudy]

Yeah, I was just looking at that last night and am very tempted to pick it up. I don't like the look of it in action in video quite as much as I did from the written reviews and screens, but it still looks to have a ton going for it.

Not giving up on Spire though, as I realized I've never even made it to Act 4.

[LordMortis]

I don't know how many hours I put in. A lot. Like Zax, it has been all about the ascension. Ascension reminded me of video games from yesteryear where you kept playing at higher difficulties. I'm not sure if/when I will get back to the game, but I had gotten to the point where I was failing *a lot* more than I was succeeding and working very hard on building new strategies to get around every more difficult hurdles.

If they put out 5th unique character, I'd jump right back in.

Monster Train play by Quill didn't do it for me.

[Sudy]

I really love the remixed music from the Act 3 event in which you have to fight an Act 1 boss.

Finally made it to the final boss but wasn't quite strong enough, despite having a watcher who was entering divinity every couple of turns and drawing half her deck.


Also picked up Monster Train and I'm really enjoying it. The Slay the Spire influences are obvious, but I don't think an iteration on a standout title is bad at all. There are enough twists to make it a fresh experience. I will say the art style is less inspired, and some of the gameplay design feels less focused. But for the $20 CAD/$15 USD I paid and the ten hours I've already sunk into it glued to my screen, these are minor quibbles. I wish we could have as many quality games in this sub-genre as we do, say, shooters. (Though after the indie explosion of the last 10-15 years we certainly have more candidates than ever before.)

[Tao]

If your looking for something along the lines of rogue-like, progression, card builder, I have been playing quite a lot of Erannorth Reborn. I picked it up on sale a while back but even at full price $20, it's not terribly expensive. There is also 5 or 6 DLC available that add additional content each for a few bucks. The game is definitely not perfect but the developer has been consistently active in working on the game and is quick to respond in the discussions, although they are a bit sensitive to criticism but always remain civil and polite. Anyway, I should start another thread to talk more about the game rather than use the Slay the Spire thread but just wanted to throw it out there as an alternative.