Slice & Dice is a tactical roguelike where your party of five heroes fights enemies using dice instead of traditional combat systems. Each hero has a custom six-sided die with faces showing attacks, shields, heals, and special abilities. The strategic depth comes from rerolling dice, choosing which faces to use, and upgrading die faces at level-ups. With 100+ hero classes, 20+ difficulty levels, and runs taking 30-60 minutes, Slice & Dice is the most elegant dice-based combat system in gaming — simple to learn, endlessly deep to master.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flaming Sword Die | S | Warrior for sustained fire damage over multiple turns | An upgraded Sword face that deals fire damage plus burning DoT. |
| Ice Staff Die | A | Mage for enemy control through freeze effects | An upgraded Spell face that deals ice damage and freezes the target (skip their next turn). |
| Holy Shield Die | A | Healer for combined blocking and healing on a single face | An upgraded Shield face that blocks damage AND heals the hero for the blocked amount. |
| Poison Arrow Die | B | Ranger for sustained single-target poison damage | An upgraded Ranged face that deals damage plus poison (stacking DoT). |
| Lightning Die | B | Mage for maximum AoE damage in multi-enemy fights | An upgraded Spell face that chains damage to 2-3 adjacent enemies. |
S-Tier: Flaming Sword Die
An upgraded Sword face that deals fire damage plus burning DoT. The burn continues dealing damage on subsequent turns, effectively doubling the face's value over two turns. Fire upgrades are among the best Warrior upgrade paths.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Warrior for sustained fire damage over multiple turns |
| Key Mechanic | dice combat |
| Recommended Build | Warrior |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Flaming Sword Die: Pairs naturally with Warrior thanks to stat scaling synergies.
A-Tier: Ice Staff Die
An upgraded Spell face that deals ice damage and freezes the target (skip their next turn). Freeze is one of the most powerful control effects — preventing an enemy attack is worth more than dealing extra damage. Ice upgrades are the best defensive Mage path.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Mage for enemy control through freeze effects |
| Key Mechanic | hero rerolling |
| Recommended Build | Mage |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Ice Staff Die: Pairs naturally with Mage thanks to stat scaling synergies.
A-Tier: Holy Shield Die
An upgraded Shield face that blocks damage AND heals the hero for the blocked amount. This turns a defensive face into a defensive + healing face, doubling its utility. Holy Shield is the strongest Healer upgrade for sustained survivability.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Healer for combined blocking and healing on a single face |
| Key Mechanic | item shop |
| Recommended Build | Healer |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Holy Shield Die: Pairs naturally with Healer thanks to stat scaling synergies.
B-Tier: Poison Arrow Die
An upgraded Ranged face that deals damage plus poison (stacking DoT). Poison stacks compound — 3 poison stacks deal 3+2+1=6 total damage over turns. Poison Arrow Rangers deal the highest sustained single-target damage in the game.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Ranger for sustained single-target poison damage |
| Key Mechanic | boss encounters |
| Recommended Build | Ranger |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Poison Arrow Die: Pairs naturally with Ranger thanks to stat scaling synergies.
B-Tier: Lightning Die
An upgraded Spell face that chains damage to 2-3 adjacent enemies. Lightning scales with enemy count, making it the best AoE damage upgrade. On multi-enemy encounters, a single Lightning face deals more total damage than any other upgrade.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Mage for maximum AoE damage in multi-enemy fights |
| Key Mechanic | class upgrades |
| Recommended Build | Specialist |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Lightning Die: Pairs naturally with Specialist thanks to stat scaling synergies.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Forest Encounters
- Ice Staff Die → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Holy Shield Die → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Flaming Sword Die → 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.
- Rerolling dice is free (up to your reroll limit) — use rerolls every turn. A bad face on your healer when healing is needed should always be rerolled. Don't accept suboptimal faces passively.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Slice & Dice Guides
- Slice & Dice Slice & Dice Overview
- Slice & Dice Best Builds
- Slice & Dice Tier List
- Slice & Dice Walkthrough
- Slice & Dice Beginner's Guide
- Slice & Dice Tips & Tricks
- Slice & Dice Combat Guide
- Slice & Dice Boss Guide
- Slice & Dice Maps & Locations
- Slice & Dice Crafting Guide
- Slice & Dice Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Slice & Dice, check out these related guides:
- Risk of Rain 2 Weapons Guide — roguelike game with similar mechanics
- Hades Weapons Guide — roguelike game with similar mechanics
- Darkest Dungeon Weapons Guide — roguelike game with similar mechanics
