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.

With Early Access finally releasing, stay tuned as we begin adding in more details!

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.
• 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.
• Neow's Torment: Add 1 Neow's Fury to your Deck.
• New Leaf: Transform 1 card.
• Nutritious Oyster: Raise your Max HP by 11.
• Pomander: Upgrade a card.
• Precarious Shears: Remove 2 cards from your Deck. Take 13 damage.
• 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.

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.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• 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].
• Empty Cage: Remove 2 cards from your Deck.
• Pandora's Box: Transform ALL Strikes and Defends.
• 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.