Anticipate•Skill

Is Anticipate good in Slay the Spire 2?

Anticipate is a common Silent skill in Slay the Spire 2. In combat it resolves as: Gain 2 Dexterity this turn. It currently underperforms most alternatives, sitting at D tier in our Slay the Spire 2 card rankings.

Across 452 recorded runs, decks running it win 19.6% of the time, comfortably clear of the 13.9% average, by 5.7%. It’s a more selective pick, turning up in just 3.9% of decks that could run it. Taken in 13.8% of its offers, it still trails on the pick-versus-skip split: 19.7% for runs that took it against 23.6% for runs that left it, a -3.8% pick lift over 365 decided runs. Silent players keep it in 15.3% of their runs, so it’s a familiar sight in those decks. On average it shows up 1.1 times in the decks that take it.

It performs best next to Blade of Ink — together they post a +26.6% swing in win rate. It also has strong chemistry with the relic Kusarigama, which moves its win rate by +28.9%. At 0 energy, it’s upgraded in 22.5% of runs and usually joins the deck around floor 15.

Upgraded, it gains +1 Dexterity, which is why so many decks invest a rest-site upgrade in it. That’s 88 wins, 360 deaths, and 4 abandoned runs with it in the deck. The encounter that most often ends a run carrying it is Knowledge Demon Boss, which closes out 6.4% of its appearances. Read on for Anticipate’s complete synergy, class, and threat breakdown to decide whether it earns a slot in your Silent run.

Pick or Skip: Anticipate

Out of 2911 recorded offers Anticipate is taken 13.8% of the time, and taking it is worth -3.8% in pick lift — 19.7% for runs that picked it against 23.6% for runs that skipped, across 365 decided runs.

Taken 402 times out of 2911 offers.

Pick rate when offered counts offers, not runs: out of every time the game put this in front of a player, how often it was taken. It is not the same number as the share of runs that end up containing it.

Pick lift is the sample-adjusted gap between runs that took the option and runs that passed on it. It is the fair way to rank choices, because raw win rates put the smallest samples on top.

When to Pick Up Anticipate

Anticipate is strongest when it joins the deck in Act 3, where runs win 50.0% across 60 runs — one of 3 recorded pickup windows.

Win rate of runs by the act Anticipate entered the deck. Acts that have not reached the sample floor show their run count only.

Best Cards to Pair with Anticipate

Ranked by win-rate lift, Anticipate performs best alongside Blade of Ink (+26.6%), Storm of Steel (+20.3%), and Malaise (+18.2%).

Blade of Ink+26.6%44 runsStorm of Steel+20.3%40 runsMalaise+18.2%19 runsBullet Time+16.6%34 runsEnvenom+15.2%57 runsMad Science+14.6%22 runs

Based on small co-occurring samples — treat these as early signals, not final verdicts.

Anticipate Win Rate by Class

Anticipate is drafted only by the Silent, where it holds a 19.6% win rate across 443 runs.

The Silentappears in 15.3% of its runs (443 tracked)

Best Relics for Anticipate

Anticipate pairs best with the relics Kusarigama (+28.9%), Horn Cleat (+25.6%), and Art of War (+25.4%), ranked by win-rate lift.

Kusarigama+28.9%27 runsHorn Cleat+25.6%43 runsArt of War+25.4%21 runsSnecko Skull+24.3%40 runsFragrant Mushroom+23.6%20 runsOddly Smooth Stone+23.5%72 runs

Based on small co-occurring samples — treat these as early signals, not final verdicts.

Anticipate Card Details

Anticipate is a common skill costing 0 energy; it’s upgraded in 22.5% of runs and usually picked up by floor 15.

Gain 2 Dexterity this turn.

Upgrade: +1 Dexterity

What Ends Runs with Anticipate

Anticipate’s most common run-enders are Knowledge Demon Boss (6.4%), Test Subject Boss (6.4%), and Queen Boss (4.4%).

• Knowledge Demon Boss6.4% of runs
• Test Subject Boss6.4% of runs
• Queen Boss4.4% of runs
• Aeonglass Boss4.0% of runs
• Kaiser Crab Boss3.8% of runs

See Also

Compare Anticipate with the rest of the best Slay the Spire 2 cards, relics, and classes below.