How Ancients Work

Ancients are mysterious non-playable characters that offer powerful and unique blessings at the start of each Act. These replace the Boss Relics from the original Slay the Spire, while opening up a fresh design space that allows for more novel interactions.

Just like in Slay the Spire 1, each run begins with Neow, Mother of Resurrection. She offers a random assortment of benefits, some of which may come with a downside.

However, upon entering both Act 2 and Act 3, players will discover a variety of new Ancients. Each Act has its own individual random pool.

Potential Choices

• Arcane Scroll: Obtain a random Rare Card.
• Booming Conch: At the start of Elite combats, draw 2 additional cards.
• Cursed Pearl: Receive Greed. Gain 333 Gold.
• Golden Pearl: Upon pickup, gain 150 Gold.
• Hefty Tablet: Choose 1 of 3 Rare cards to add to your Deck. Add 1 Injury to your Deck.
• Large Capsule: Obtain 2 random Relics. Add an additional Strike and Defend to your Deck.
• Lava Rock: The Act 1 Boss drops 2 Relics.
• Lead Paperweight: Choose 1 of 2 Colorless cards to add to your Deck.
• Leafy Poultice: Transform 1 of your Strikes and 1 of your Defends. Lose 10 Max HP.
• Lost Coffer: Gain 1 card reward and procure1 random Potion.
• Massive Scroll (Multiplayer Only): Choose 1 of 3 Multiplayer Colorless Cards to add to your Deck.
• Neow's Bones: Gain 2 random Neow Relics. Add 1 random Curse to your Deck.
• Neow's Talisman: Upgrade 1 of your Strikes and 1 of your Defends.
• Neow's Torment: Add 1 Neow's Fury to your Deck.
• New Leaf: Transform 1 card.
• Nutritious Oyster: Raise your Max HP by 11.
• Phial Holster: Gain 1 potion slot and procure 2 random potions.
• Pomander: Upgrade a card.
• Precarious Shears: Remove 2 cards from your Deck and lose 16 HP.
• Precise Scissors: Remove 1 card from your Deck.
• Scroll Boxes: Lose all Gold. Choose 1 of 2 packs of cards to add to your Deck.
• Silver Crucible: The first 3 card rewards you see are Upgraded. The first Treasure Chest you open is empty.
• Small Capsule: Obtain a random Relic.
• Stone Humidifier: Whenever you Rest at a Rest Site, raise your Max HP by 5.
• Winged Boots: You may ignore paths when choosing the next rooms to travel to 3 times.

Orobas

Potential Choices

• Alchemical Coffer: Gain 4 potion slots filled with random potions.
• Archaic Tooth: Transform [Starter Card] into [Ancient Starter Card].
• Driftwood: You may reroll each card reward once.
• Electric Shrymp: Enchant a Skill with Imbued.
• Glass Eye: Upon pickup, obtain 2 Common cards, 2 Uncommon cards, and 1 Rare card.
• Prismatic Gem: Gain Energy at the start of each turn. Card rewards now contain cards from other colors.
• Radiant Pearl: At the start of each combat, add 1 Luminesce into your Hand.
• Sand Castle: Upgrade 6 random cards.
• Sea Glass: See 15 cards from [Random Character]. Choose any number of them to add to your Deck.
• Touch of Orobas: Replace [Starter Relic] with [Ancient Starter Relic].

Pael

Potential Choices

• Pael's Blood: At the start of your turn, draw 1 additional card.
• Pael's Claw: Enchant all Defends with Goopy.
• Pael's Eye: The first time each combat you end your turn without playing cards, Exhaust your Hand, and take an extra turn.
• Pael's Flesh: Gain an additional Energy at the start of your 3rd turn, and every turn after that.
• Pael's Growth: Enchant a card with Clone.
• Pael's Horn: Add 2 Relax to your Deck.
• Pael's Legion: Doubles Block gained from a card, then goes to sleep for 2 turns.
• Pael's Tears: If you end your turn with unspent Energy, gain an additional 2 Energy next turn.
• Pael's Tooth: Remove 5 cards from your Deck. After each combat, randomly add 1 back Upgraded.
• Pael's Wing: You may sacrifice card rewards to Pael. Every 2 sacrifices, obtain a Relic.

Tezcatara

Potential Choices

• Biiig Hug: Remove 4 cards from your Deck. Whenever you shuffle your Draw Pile, add a Soot into your Draw Pile.
• Golden Compass: Replace the Act 2 Map with a single special path.
• Nutritious Soup: Enchant all Strikes in your Deck with Tezcatara's Ember.
• Pumpkin Candle: Gain Energy at the start of each turn. Extinguishes at the start of Act 3.
• Seal of Gold: At the start of your turn, spend 5 Gold to gain Energy.
• Storybook: Add 1 Brightest Flame into your Deck.
• Toasty Mittens: At the start of your turn, Exhaust the top card of your Draw Pile and gain 1 Strength.
• Toy Box: Obtain 4 Wax Relics. Every 3 combats, your left-most Wax Relic will melt away.
• Very Hot Cocoa: Start each combat with an additional 4 Energy.
• Yummy Cookie: Upgrade 4 cards.

Nonupeipe

Potential Choices

• Beautiful Bracelet: Choose 3 cards in your Deck. Enchant them with Swift 3.
• Blessed Antler: Gain Energy at the start of each turn. At the start of each combat, shuffle 3 Dazed into your Draw Pile.
• Brilliant Scarf: The 5th card you play each turn is free.
• Delicate Frond: At the start of each combat, fill all empty potion slots with random potions.
• Diamond Diadem: Whenever you play 2 or fewer cards in a turn, take half damage from enemies.
• Fur Coat: Mark 7 random combats. Enemies in those rooms have 1 HP.
• Glitter: Enchant all card rewards with Glam.
• Jewelry Box: Add 1 Apotheosis to your Deck.
• Looming Fruit: Raise your Max HP by 31.
• Signet Ring: Upon pickup, gain 999 Gold.

Tanx

Potential Choices

• Claws: Transform up to 6 cards into Maul.
• Crossbow: At the start of your turn, add a random Attack into your Hand. It costs 0 Energy this turn.
• Iron Club: Every 4 cards you play, draw 1 card.
• Meat Cleaver: You may Cook at Rest Sites.
• Sai: At the start of your turn, gain 7 Block.
• Spiked Gauntlets: Gain Energy at the start of each turn. Powers cost 1 more Energy.
• Tanx's Whistle: Add 1 Whistle to your Deck.
• Throwing Axe: The first card you play each combat is played an extra time.
• Tri-Boomerang: Choose 3 Attacks in your Deck. Enchant them with Instinct.
• War Hammer: Whenever you kill an Elite, Upgrade 4 random cards.

Vakuu

Potential Choices

• Blood-Soaked Rose: Add 1 Enthralled to your Deck. Gain Energy at the start of each turn.
• Choices Paradox: At the start of each combat, add 1 of 5 random cards into your Hand. Add Retain to the chosen card.
• Distinguished Cape: Lose 9 Max HP. Add 3 Apparitions to your Deck.
• Fiddle: At the start of each turn, draw 2 additional cards. You may not draw cards during your turn.
• Jeweled Mask: At the start of combat put a random Power from your Draw Pile into your Hand, it's free to play.
• Lord's Parasol: When you encounter the Merchant, immediately obtain EVERYTHING he sells.
• Music Box: Create an Ethereal copy of the first Attack you play each turn.
• Preserved Fog: Remove 3 cards from your Deck. Add Folly to your Deck.
• Sere Talon: Add 2 random Curses and 3 Wishes to your Deck.
• Whispering Earring: Gain Energy at the start of each turn. Vakuu plays your first turn for you.

Darv

Potential Choices

• Astrolabe: Transform 3 cards, then Upgrade them.
• Black Star: Elites drop an additional Relic when defeated.
• Calling Bell: Obtain a unique Curse and 3 Relics.
• Dusty Tome: Obtain [Character Specific Ancient Card].
• Ectoplasm: You can no longer gain Gold. Gain Energy at the start of each turn.
• Empty Cage: Remove 2 cards from your Deck.
• Pandora's Box: Transform ALL Strikes and Defends.
• Philosopher's Stone: Gain Energy at the start of each turn. ALL enemies start combat with 1 Strength.
• Runic Pyramid: At the end of your turn, you no longer discard your Hand.
• Snecko Eye: At the start of your turn, draw 2 additional cards. Start each combat Confused.
• Sozu: Gain Energy at the start of each turn. You can no longer obtain potions.
• Velvet Choker: Gain Energy at the start of each turn. You cannot play more than 6 cards per turn.