Slay the Spire essentially invented the deckbuilder roguelike genre and remains its best execution. Each run climbs a three-act spire, battling enemies with a card deck you build from scratch. The genius is in how relics (passive items) synergize with specific card combinations to create broken combos — Shuriken (gain Strength on 3 attacks played) with a deck full of zero-cost attacks creates infinite scaling. Four characters with completely distinct card pools and playstyles provide hundreds of hours of variety. The Ascension system (20 difficulty levels per character) ensures the game stays challenging for thousands of hours. Slay the Spire 2 is in development, but the original remains a masterpiece.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corruption | S | Ironclad | Ironclad Power card that makes all Skills cost 0 energy but Exhausts them after use. |
| Wraith Form | A | Silent | Silent Power card granting 2 turns of Intangible (reduce ALL damage to 1). |
| Electrodynamics | A | Defect | Defect Power card that makes Lightning Orbs hit ALL enemies and channels 2 Lightning Orbs. |
| Omniscience | B | Watcher | Watcher card that lets you choose a card from your draw pile and play it twice for free. |
| Apotheosis | B | All characters | A colorless card that upgrades ALL cards in your deck when played. |
S-Tier: Corruption
Ironclad Power card that makes all Skills cost 0 energy but Exhausts them after use. Combined with Feel No Pain (+3 Block per Exhaust) and Dark Embrace (+1 card draw per Exhaust), it generates enormous value. With Dead Branch relic (random card per Exhaust), it creates infinite card generation.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Ironclad |
| Key Mechanic | deck building |
| Recommended Build | Ironclad |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Corruption: Pairs naturally with Ironclad thanks to stat scaling synergies.
A-Tier: Wraith Form
Silent Power card granting 2 turns of Intangible (reduce ALL damage to 1). The strongest defensive card in the game. The Dexterity loss each turn afterward is manageable with Artifact charges or short fights. Wraith Form + Catalyst Poison = win condition against most bosses.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Silent |
| Key Mechanic | relic synergies |
| Recommended Build | Silent |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Wraith Form: Pairs naturally with Silent thanks to stat scaling synergies.
A-Tier: Electrodynamics
Defect Power card that makes Lightning Orbs hit ALL enemies and channels 2 Lightning Orbs. This transforms Lightning builds from single-target to AoE, trivializing multi-enemy fights. Combined with high Focus, Lightning Orbs chain across all enemies for devastating passive damage.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Defect |
| Key Mechanic | potion management |
| Recommended Build | Defect |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Electrodynamics: Pairs naturally with Defect thanks to stat scaling synergies.
B-Tier: Omniscience
Watcher card that lets you choose a card from your draw pile and play it twice for free. This enables playing your strongest card (upgraded Ragnarok, Brilliance, or Vault) twice in one turn. At 4 energy cost it's expensive, but the double-play effect is worth it.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Watcher |
| Key Mechanic | event choices |
| Recommended Build | Watcher |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Omniscience: Pairs naturally with Watcher thanks to stat scaling synergies.
B-Tier: Apotheosis
A colorless card that upgrades ALL cards in your deck when played. Costs 2 energy. Found in shops and events. Playing Apotheosis early in a run means every card you play for the rest of the run is upgraded. One of the strongest shop purchases available.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | All characters |
| Key Mechanic | ascension levels |
| Recommended Build | Modded Characters |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Apotheosis: Pairs naturally with Modded Characters thanks to stat scaling synergies.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Exordium
- Wraith Form → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Electrodynamics → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Corruption → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying — one strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Remove Strikes (not Defends) at every opportunity — Strikes deal 6 damage which is irrelevant by Act 2. Defends at least provide 5 block which is always useful. A smaller deck draws your power cards more often.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Slay the Spire Guides
- Slay the Spire Slay the Spire Overview
- Slay the Spire Best Builds
- Slay the Spire Tier List
- Slay the Spire Walkthrough
- Slay the Spire Beginner's Guide
- Slay the Spire Tips & Tricks
- Slay the Spire Combat Guide
- Slay the Spire Boss Guide
- Slay the Spire Maps & Locations
- Slay the Spire Crafting Guide
- Slay the Spire Classes & Characters
