Cascade Skill

Is Cascade good in Slay the Spire 2?

Cascade is a rare Ironclad skill in Slay the Spire 2. In combat it resolves as: Play the top X cards of your Draw Pile. It’s a dependable, middle-of-the-pack option, landing at C tier in our rankings.

Across 310 recorded runs, decks running it win 31.4% of the time, comfortably clear of the 13.9% average, by 17.4%. It’s a more selective pick, turning up in just 1.2% of decks that could run it. Offer data is close to a wash — 23.8% of offers taken, 32.5% for runs that picked it against 32.8% for runs that skipped, a pick lift of just -0.3% over 243 decided runs. Ironclad players keep it in 5.5% 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 Mad Science — together they post a +33.4% swing in win rate. It also has strong chemistry with the relic Kunai, which moves its win rate by +32.1%. At X energy, it’s upgraded in 45.0% of runs and usually joins the deck around floor 17.

That’s 96 wins, 210 deaths, and 4 abandoned runs with it in the deck. The encounter that most often ends a run carrying it is Kaiser Crab Boss, which closes out 6.1% of its appearances. Read on for Cascade’s complete synergy, class, and threat breakdown to decide whether it earns a slot in your Ironclad run.

Pick or Skip: Cascade

Out of 1085 recorded offers Cascade is taken 23.8% of the time, and taking it is worth -0.3% in pick lift — 32.5% for runs that picked it against 32.8% for runs that skipped, across 243 decided runs.

Taken 258 times out of 1085 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 Cascade

Cascade is strongest when it joins the deck in Act 3, where runs win 72.2% across 18 runs — one of 4 recorded pickup windows.

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

Best Cards to Pair with Cascade

Ranked by win-rate lift, Cascade performs best alongside Mad Science (+33.4%), Unmovable (+32.9%), and Stoke (+27.1%).

Mad Science+33.4%18 runsUnmovable+32.9%26 runsStoke+27.1%33 runsPyre+25.6%58 runsImpervious+24.8%34 runsJuggernaut+24.3%28 runs

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

Cascade Win Rate by Class

Cascade is drafted only by the Ironclad, where it holds a 30.6% win rate across 298 runs.

The Ironcladappears in 5.5% of its runs (298 tracked)

Best Relics for Cascade

Cascade pairs best with the relics Kunai (+32.1%), Self-Forming Clay (+28.4%), and Razor Tooth (+26.9%), ranked by win-rate lift.

Kunai+32.1%17 runsSelf-Forming Clay+28.4%22 runsRazor Tooth+26.9%16 runsCandelabra+25.4%29 runsPlanisphere+24.6%26 runsLizard Tail+24.3%19 runs

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

Cascade Card Details

Cascade is a rare skill costing X energy; it’s upgraded in 45.0% of runs and usually picked up by floor 17.

Play the top X cards of your Draw Pile.

What Ends Runs with Cascade

Cascade’s most common run-enders are Kaiser Crab Boss (6.1%), Decimillipede Elite (5.8%), and Test Subject Boss (5.8%).

• Kaiser Crab Boss6.1% of runs
• Decimillipede Elite5.8% of runs
• Test Subject Boss5.8% of runs
• The Insatiable Boss4.5% of runs
• Knowledge Demon Boss3.9% of runs

See Also

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