Since its release back in 2019,Slay the Spirehas been making waves and winning over legions of fans with itsaddictivegameplay and intriguing worldbuilding. With the game now being available on every platform under the sun, more people than ever are having a crack at toppling the Spire, but newcomers may be a little confused as to what it's all about.
Slay the Spire is a game in which the player selects one of four playable characters and must ascend a procedurally generated spire consisting of multiple floors, battling enemies and surviving terrifying boss encounters. Unlike other indie-Roguelikes in its ilk,Slay the Spire doesn't use a traditional hack-and-slash form of combat; instead, its combat is built around buildingand effectively utilizinga deck of cards. It's a fairly unusual approach to the Roguelike genre, but it's easy to pick up, meaning you'll be slaying monsters with ease in no time at all. However, a little understanding of the game's four playable characters may give new players a better chance at toppling the first few hurdles this game throws at you.
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The Ironclad
The Ironclad is the default character that you will have to use when starting your first run of the game. His move set consists of powerful strikes, incredible defensive abilities, and can draw magical powers from his demonic benefactors. He also has a starting HP of 80, which is the highest of any of the playable characters, making him the ideal character for first-time runs as he can take more of a beating.
Ironclad's starting deck consists of 5 Strike, 4 Defend and 1 Bash. They also start with the Burning Blood relic, which heals for 6HP after every battle, which allows for a decent amount of recovery on long-stretches, especially if you're able to play defensively and not take a whole lot of damage. The Ironclad is fairly versatile in terms of deck builds, but to get the best out of his abilities, it's best to prioritize a High Defense or High Strength build.
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The Silent is the second playable character in the game and is unlocked by completing a run with The Ironclad. She is a silent huntress whose combat is bi. Compared to The Ironclad, Silent is less about outright offense but tends to chip away at the enemy's health bars with numerous cuts or poison attacks and uses her high agility to avoid attacks where possible. The trade-off here is that she starts with a relatively low 70hp, so she's more of a risk-reward type of character.
Her Starting Deck consists of 5 Strikes, 5 Defends, 1 Survivor and 1 Neutralize.Silent utilizes many powerful cards that allow her to draw additional cards and discard some of those in her hand, which keeps your deck in constant rotation and the enemy on their toes. The Silent's starting Relic is the Ring of the Snake, which draws 2 additional cards when starting combat, perfectly complimenting her usual rotation of draw and discard cards. Either a Defensive or Poison Deck Build will yield the best results for a first-time player.
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The Defect is unlocked by finishing a run with Silent. This combatant uses a tech-based arsenal coupled with an array of Powers and elemental spells. The Defect's most interesting aspect is its unique mechanic of elemental Orbs. Using both cards and Relics, The Defect can channel these elemental spheres into a set of Orb slots, which automatically activates their passive effects each turn or can Evoke them for a one-time burst that can deal massive damage. Defect starts each run with three Orb slots, though by the use cards and relics, can either add or consume them. It starts the run with a respectable 75 hp, making it a good midground.
The Defect's Starting Deck consists of 4 Strike, 4 Defend, 1 Zap and 1 Dualcast.The Defect's starting Relic is the Cracked Core, which Channels 1 Lightning at the start of every combat-encounter. Compared to the Ironclad or Silent, this ability seems to fall a little short, but due to the Defect's unique playing style, this is incredibly useful, favoring offense over strategic healing.So far as suggestedDeck Builds go, the recommendation for Defect is to go for a Zero Cost or Lightning Damage Over Time build. With the latter working especially well when coupled with the Cracked Core.
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The Watcher is the final character that players will unlock during their time with Slay the Spire. She is a monk that utilizes the effects of her different stances to great effect, with their primary skills being based around deck control via scrying and Icon Retaining. She starts with a fairly standard 72 HP; not the greatest, but very doable. Most players who choose her will undoubtedly have plenty of experience behind them, so this isn't much of an issue.
The Watcher's Starting Deck consists of 4 Strike, 4 Defend, 1 Eruption and 1 Vigilance.The Watcher's starting Relic is Pure Water, which automatically adds a Miracle to your hand at the start of each combat. Much like the Defect's ability, this plays directly into their core gameplay, making it an incredibly useful ability. In terms of Deck Build suggestions, a Retain or Ragnarok Build is advised for the first attempt with her.
Published by Humble Bundle,Slay the Spire is available forMicrosoft Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and iOS, with an Android release coming February 3, 2021.
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