Ball Lightning Attack

Is Ball Lightning good in Slay the Spire 2?

Ball Lightning is a common Defect attack in Slay the Spire 2. In combat it resolves as: Deal 7 damage. Channel 1 Lightning. It currently underperforms most alternatives, sitting at D tier in our Slay the Spire 2 card rankings.

Across 849 recorded runs, decks running it win 14.8% of the time, right in line with the typical deck. It’s a more selective pick, turning up in just 4.1% of decks that could run it. Offer data is close to a wash — 21.4% of offers taken, 15.3% for runs that picked it against 16.2% for runs that skipped, a pick lift of just -0.9% over 720 decided runs. Defect players keep it in 18.4% of their runs, so it’s a familiar sight in those decks. On average it shows up 1.3 times in the decks that take it.

It performs best next to Apotheosis — together they post a +27.1% swing in win rate. It also has strong chemistry with the relic Sword of Jade, which moves its win rate by +33.5%. At 1 energy, it’s upgraded in 16.5% of runs and usually joins the deck around floor 10.

Upgraded, it gains +3 Damage, which is why so many decks invest a rest-site upgrade in it. That’s 124 wins, 715 deaths, and 10 abandoned runs with it in the deck. The encounter that most often ends a run carrying it is Kaiser Crab Boss, which closes out 6.6% of its appearances. Read on for Ball Lightning’s complete synergy, class, and threat breakdown to decide whether it earns a slot in your Defect run.

Pick or Skip: Ball Lightning

Out of 4029 recorded offers Ball Lightning is taken 21.4% of the time, and taking it is worth -0.9% in pick lift — 15.3% for runs that picked it against 16.2% for runs that skipped, across 720 decided runs.

Taken 861 times out of 4029 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 Ball Lightning

Ball Lightning is strongest when it joins the deck in Act 3, where runs win 36.4% across 33 runs — one of 4 recorded pickup windows.

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

Best Cards to Pair with Ball Lightning

Ranked by win-rate lift, Ball Lightning performs best alongside Apotheosis (+27.1%), Fasten (+24.8%), and Energy Surge (+22.3%).

Apotheosis+27.1%15 runsFasten+24.8%19 runsEnergy Surge+22.3%57 runsProduction+20.1%20 runsMad Science+17.7%50 runsNeow's Fury+14.0%17 runs

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

Ball Lightning Win Rate by Class

Ball Lightning is drafted only by the Defect, where it holds a 14.8% win rate across 839 runs.

The Defectappears in 18.4% of its runs (839 tracked)

Best Relics for Ball Lightning

Ball Lightning pairs best with the relics Sword of Jade (+33.5%), Glitter (+27.7%), and Jewelry Box (+27.1%), ranked by win-rate lift.

Sword of Jade+33.5%20 runsGlitter+27.7%17 runsJewelry Box+27.1%15 runsCloak Clasp+27.1%27 runsSai+24.8%19 runsHorn Cleat+24.7%57 runs

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

Ball Lightning Card Details

Ball Lightning is a common attack costing 1 energy; it’s upgraded in 16.5% of runs and usually picked up by floor 10.

Deal 7 damage. Channel 1 Lightning.

Upgrade: +3 Damage

What Ends Runs with Ball Lightning

Ball Lightning’s most common run-enders are Kaiser Crab Boss (6.6%), Knowledge Demon Boss (5.4%), and Queen Boss (5.4%).

• Kaiser Crab Boss6.6% of runs
• Knowledge Demon Boss5.4% of runs
• Queen Boss5.4% of runs
• The Insatiable Boss5.1% of runs
• Decimillipede Elite4.1% of runs

See Also

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