10 Tips and Tricks for Ascension 10 in Slay the Spire 2

Slay The Spire 2 has been available for a while now, and players looking for a difficult experience are currently working their way through the game’s ten Ascension levels.

Think beating the Spire was challenging? Get ready for a much harder experience with stronger enemies, more curses, fewer helpful items, and a seriously difficult final boss – plus even more obstacles!

Ascension 10 is incredibly challenging, demanding precise skills and a thorough understanding of the Spire. You’ll also need some luck to survive!

Having trouble with this tough challenge? Check out this list before your next attempt – it might just help! If I could figure it out, I’m confident you can too.

10. Offense Isn’t Always Best

Batten Down the Hatches!

Surprisingly, many players struggle to reach the higher Ascension levels – especially 9 and 10 – because of Act 1. Enemies in this act deal significant damage, and elite enemies are even more dangerous.

I’ve noticed a huge shift in how people play Slay the Spire! In the first game, everyone would try to build a super aggressive deck right away and just power through the first act. Now, it feels like you really need to focus on getting some good defenses and maybe one really powerful attack card. It’s a totally different approach!

Your top priority in the beginning is simply surviving. Don’t worry about making everything perfect or fitting together just yet. Just concentrate on getting through each challenge as it comes.

9. Don’t Waste Your Potions!

I Need Only Your Strongest Potions

I used to think Potions were only useful for tough boss fights and challenging enemies. But after playing Ascension 10 a lot, I’ve realized they’re helpful in many more situations.

In A10, you usually only have room for two potions, and some of the regular enemy encounters can be as challenging as, or even harder than, the boss fights. Don’t hesitate to use a potion – even if it just prevents a small amount of damage, or helps you finish a fight one turn faster.

I often find myself stuck with a potion, only to earn another right after a battle and have to discard one. If you’re unsure about saving it, it’s better to just use your potion and plan your movements carefully. After all, a potion doesn’t do much good if you’re defeated!

8. Greed Will Get You Killed

Health is Wealth!

I used to struggle with this a lot. Whenever I stopped at a rest site, my first thought was always to improve my favorite cards. It seemed like the best way to get stronger over time, didn’t it?

It’s a bit of both. Usually, after playing for a while, I prefer to focus on recovery rather than improving my cards, unless I have a particularly powerful build. My main focus, as I said before, is simply to survive. You can always find ways to upgrade your abilities later, but keeping your health high should be your top priority.

Trying to fight the final boss with less than half health is almost guaranteed to result in defeat. While other preparations might not be essential, it’s always safest to be overly cautious.

7. Keep Your Deck Slim

Kill Your Darlings

Do you ever feel like the card you really need is always at the very bottom of the deck?

Most players struggle because they collect every reward after a battle, or they focus on getting items from shops and events instead of removing cards from their deck. The most important thing is to build a consistent, streamlined deck.

If your deck is focused – not too big – and includes plenty of cards for drawing, gaining energy, and attacking, you’ll avoid turns where you can’t do much. Those unproductive turns, where you only draw status cards or can only strike or defend, can quickly ruin an otherwise good run. So, keep your deck lean and efficient!

6. Spend Time Pathing

Master Cartographer

It might sound simple, but I always spend a little time after beating each Ancient – like a minute or so – just checking out all the different routes forward. It’s become a habit of mine!

Check the key on the side of the screen to locate Rest Sites, Merchants, and Elites. It’s important to find several Rest Sites to restore your health, and you’ll need at least one Merchant in each Act. While you don’t have to actively seek out Elites, even regular enemies can damage you. Without Rest Sites, you won’t be able to survive for long.

If you’re short on money, check with merchants later in the game. Try to find a good mix of everything you need as you progress.

5. Events Aren’t Always That Eventful

A Boat’s a Boat, But a Mystery Box Could be Anything! It Could Even be a Boat!

Poor planning can quickly ruin a playthrough. It’s easy to get carried away trying to complete every event, especially the simple and enjoyable ones. Certain events are so strong they can almost guarantee a win by themselves.

Usually, you won’t earn card rewards during these situations. Especially in the first two parts of the game, having a variety of cards – even basic ones – is important. You’ll need to build a better deck than your starting one to succeed.

Okay, so here’s the thing: sometimes you just get really unlucky and draw a ton of events that hurt you and fill your deck with curse cards. That’s the worst! And watch out for events where you can pick options over and over, like that hot spring one. It’s tempting to keep going for more rewards, but being too greedy can actually make you lose before you even get to the boss fight. Trust me, I’ve learned that the hard way!

4. Be Careful with Elites

Gremlin Nob Would be Proud

This is the last part of the route, I assure you. Elite enemies can be really challenging. It’s easy to get carried away, especially if you find a valuable item like Black Star, and try to fight every elite enemy you come across for the better rewards.

Okay, so Ascension 10 elites really pack a punch. If you’re going to try and fight through them, I’ve learned it’s best to target the ones near safe spots – like rest sites – or towards the end of the Act. Seriously, don’t pick a fight with an elite right when you start a new Act! You need time to build up your deck and get stronger first, or you’re gonna have a bad time.

Generally, I aim to clear one elite enemy per act, unless my deck is performing exceptionally well, in which case I can usually handle two.

3. Don’t Force a Build

Claw is the Law

You’ve probably heard this advice before, but it’s especially true in A10. Early on, you can experiment with fun, less optimized builds – like those focused on Orb or Claw – and still succeed.

When a match gets tough, you can’t just blindly add cards. You need to choose the one that will help you win the current challenge. This might mean prioritizing defense, or boosting your ability to draw cards. Sometimes, it’s even smart to skip a powerful card if it makes your deck more effective overall.

Working well with other cards is helpful, but relying on finding one specific card to make your strategy work is usually too risky.

2. Get Used to Losing & Review Your Losses

Don’t Cry Because It’s Over, Smile Because it Happened

Ascension 10 is notoriously difficult. You’ll likely lose most of your games, particularly when you’re first getting used to playing at higher levels. Sometimes bad luck plays a role – you might get unfavorable events or simply not draw the cards you need.

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It’s perfectly normal to lose sometimes. Being able to accept losses, learn from them, and start again with a positive attitude is key. Everyone makes mistakes while playing, but the most important thing is to understand what went wrong and improve.

If you lose a run, it’s a good idea to review your deck. Check if you have a good mix of cards and whether you over-focused on upgrading items or triggering events. It’s tempting to restart runs when things go wrong, but relying on that habit won’t help you improve in the long run and isn’t a core part of the game.

1. Ensure your Deck Has Something For Every Situation

Only the Worthy!

Reliability is crucial in Slay the Spire 2. Especially with the challenge of facing two Act 3 bosses at the end of each playthrough, only well-built, dependable decks will consistently succeed.

Consistency in this game means having a well-rounded deck. To succeed in the final challenge, you need a good mix of cards that deal damage, provide defense (block), generate energy, and let you draw new cards. Without enough card draw, you’ll struggle against the Queen, and without good blocking, she’ll quickly defeat you.

It’s crucial to have a strategy that gets stronger as the battle continues. Bosses consistently increase their power throughout the fight, so if you can’t keep up, they’ll gradually wear you down and defeat you.

Simply playing strong attack cards by losing health isn’t a good strategy, as you need enough health to survive two battles. That’s why having ways to defend yourself is really important.

These cards are great for removing unwanted cards from your draw pile, helping you focus on more useful ones. Sly-Silent is also excellent for this. Alternatively, you could fully upgrade your Defect’s orb capacity and fill it with Frost or create a large number of Star orbs using the Regent.

Success depends on a combination of effort and chance – things like getting favorable outcomes and making smart decisions. Don’t give up, and with persistence, you’ll eventually start to understand what works.

2026-05-29 20:11