Slay the Spire: All Relics Tier List

Relics provide permanent bonuses throughout your run. This guide ranks every relic and explains the best synergies.

S-Tier Relics (Game-Changing)

Burning Blood (Ironclad)

• Effect: Heal 6 HP at end of combat
• Why S-tier: Incredible sustain. Makes you nearly unkillable in long runs.
• Best with: Any build (sustain is always good)

Ring of the Snake (Silent)

• Effect: Draw 2 additional cards at start of each combat
• Why S-tier: Card advantage is everything in Slay the Spire. More cards = more options.
• Best with: Any build (card draw is always good)

Cracked Orb (Defect)

• Effect: Gain 1 orb slot
• Why S-tier: More orb slots = more orb effects. Essential for orb-focused builds.
• Best with: Orb-focused builds (Lightning, Frost, Dark, Plasma)

Black Star

• Effect: Enemies in elite fights start with 2 strength
• Why S-tier: Makes elite fights easier by giving you more time to build up.
• Best with: Any build (makes elites easier)

Vajra

• Effect: Gain 1 strength at start of each combat
• Why S-tier: Free strength every combat. Scales infinitely with strength-focused builds.
• Best with: Strength builds (Limit Break, Inflame, etc.)

A-Tier Relics (Very Strong)

Akabeko

• Effect: First attack each combat deals 8 additional damage
• Why A-tier: Free damage on first hit. Great for burst damage.
• Best with: Builds that rely on first-hit damage

Anchor

• Effect: Gain 10 block at start of each combat
• Why A-tier: Free block every combat. Great for survivability.
• Best with: Block-focused builds

Horn Cleat

• Effect: Gain 2 dexterity at start of each combat
• Why A-tier: Free dexterity means more block from block cards.
• Best with: Block-focused builds

Kunai

• Effect: Gain 1 dexterity when you play 3 attacks in a turn
• Why A-tier: Easy to trigger. Great for attack-heavy builds.
• Best with: Attack-focused builds

Letter Opener

• Effect: Deal 3 damage when you play 3 skills in a turn
• Why A-tier: Easy to trigger. Great for skill-heavy builds.
• Best with: Skill-focused builds

B-Tier Relics (Good)

Bag of Marbles

• Effect: Apply 1 vulnerable to all enemies at start of each combat
• Why B-tier: Vulnerable increases damage taken by 50%. Great for damage builds.
• Best with: Damage-focused builds

Bag of Preparation

• Effect: Draw 2 additional cards at start of each combat
• Why B-tier: Card draw is always good, but not as strong as Ring of the Snake.
• Best with: Any build

Blood Vial

• Effect: Heal 2 HP at start of each combat
• Why B-tier: Small heal, but adds up over time.
• Best with: Any build

Centennial Puzzle

• Effect: Gain 3 strength when you lose HP in combat
• Why B-tier: Great for aggressive builds that take damage.
• Best with: Aggressive builds

Ceramic Fish

• Effect: Gain 9 gold at start of each combat
• Why B-tier: Free gold. Great for economy-focused builds.
• Best with: Economy-focused builds

C-Tier Relics (Situational)

Chameleon Ring

• Effect: Gain a random potion at start of each combat
• Why C-tier: Potions are useful, but random potions might not fit your build.
• Best with: Potion-focused builds

Circlet

• Effect: Gain 1 orb slot
• Why C-tier: Same as Cracked Orb, but you can only have one.
• Best with: Orb-focused builds

Darkstone Periapt

• Effect: Gain 15 max HP when you gain a curse
• Why C-tier: Only useful if you gain curses frequently.
• Best with: Curse-focused builds

Dodecahedron

• Effect: Gain 1 strength at start of each combat
• Why C-tier: Same as Vajra, but you can only have one.
• Best with: Strength builds

F-Tier Relics (Avoid)

Fossilized Helix

• Effect: Gain 8 block at start of each combat
• Why F-tier: Weak compared to other block relics.
• Best with: None

Gamblers Brew

• Effect: Gain a random potion when you enter a rest site
• Why F-tier: Random potions at rest sites. Not worth it.
• Best with: None

Gremlin Horn

• Effect: Gain 1 strength and 1 dexterity when you kill an enemy
• Why F-tier: Only triggers on kill. Too slow.
• Best with: None

Happy Flower

• Effect: Gain 1 energy every 3 turns
• Why F-tier: Too slow to be useful.
• Best with: None

Best Relics by Character

Ironclad

1. Burning Blood (sustain)
2. Vajra (strength)
3. Black Star (elite fights)
4. Akabeko (burst damage)
5. Anchor (block)

Silent

1. Ring of the Snake (card draw)
2. Kunai (dexterity)
3. Letter Opener (damage)
4. Bag of Marbles (vulnerable)
5. Horn Cleat (dexterity)

Defect

1. Cracked Orb (orb slot)
2. Circlet (orb slot)
3. Vajra (strength)
4. Akabeko (burst damage)
5. Anchor (block)

Best Relic Synergies

Strength Builds

• Vajra + Limit Break: Infinite strength scaling
• Vajra + Inflame: More strength per combat
• Black Star + Strength cards: Easier elite fights

Block Builds

• Anchor + Horn Cleat: Massive block at start of combat
• Horn Cleat + Block cards: More block per card
• Anchor + Barricade: Block carries over between turns

Orb Builds

• Cracked Orb + Capacitor: More orb slots
• Cracked Orb + Biased Cognition: More orb effects
• Circlet + Frost orbs: More block from frost

Card Draw Builds

• Ring of the Snake + Bag of Preparation: Massive card advantage
• Ring of the Snake + Well-Laid Plans: More cards in hand
• Bag of Preparation + Forethought: More cards to plan with

Advanced Tips

• Burning Blood is the best relic in the game. Always pick it up.
• Ring of the Snake is essential for Silent. Card draw is everything.
• Cracked Orb is essential for Defect. More orb slots = more damage.
• Vajra is great for any character. Free strength every combat.
• Avoid F-tier relics unless you have no other choice.
• Build around your relics. If you get a strength relic, pick up strength cards.
• Relic synergies are more important than individual relic power.