Cruelty Power

Is Cruelty good in Slay the Spire 2?

Cruelty is a rare Ironclad power in Slay the Spire 2. In combat it resolves as: Vulnerable enemies take an additional 25% damage. It’s a dependable, middle-of-the-pack option, landing at C tier in our rankings.

Across 627 recorded runs, decks running it win 29.0% of the time, comfortably clear of the 14.3% average, by 14.7%. It’s a more selective pick, turning up in just 2.3% of decks that could run it. Offer data is close to a wash — 40.2% of offers taken, 29.1% for runs that picked it against 29.2% for runs that skipped, a pick lift of just -0.1% over 525 decided runs. Ironclad players keep it in 10.4% of their runs, so it’s a familiar sight in those decks. On average it shows up 1.2 times in the decks that take it.

It performs best next to Demonic Shield — together they post a +26.6% swing in win rate. It also has strong chemistry with the relic Sai, which moves its win rate by +36.0%. At 1 energy, it’s upgraded in 48.0% of runs and usually joins the deck around floor 19.

That’s 181 wins, 443 deaths, and 3 abandoned runs with it in the deck. The encounter that most often ends a run carrying it is Test Subject Boss, which closes out 8.1% of its appearances. Read on for Cruelty’s complete synergy, class, and threat breakdown to decide whether it earns a slot in your Ironclad run.

Pick or Skip: Cruelty

Out of 1413 recorded offers Cruelty is taken 40.2% of the time, and taking it is worth -0.1% in pick lift — 29.1% for runs that picked it against 29.2% for runs that skipped, across 525 decided runs.

Taken 568 times out of 1413 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 Cruelty

Cruelty is strongest when it joins the deck in Act 3, where runs win 49.1% across 56 runs — one of 4 recorded pickup windows.

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

Best Cards to Pair with Cruelty

Ranked by win-rate lift, Cruelty performs best alongside Demonic Shield (+26.6%), Stoke (+23.4%), and Offering (+23.1%).

Demonic Shield+26.6%33 runsStoke+23.4%49 runsOffering+23.1%78 runsMad Science+20.8%50 runsImpervious+20.0%51 runsProlong+18.9%19 runs

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

Cruelty Win Rate by Class

Cruelty is drafted only by the Ironclad, where it holds a 28.9% win rate across 615 runs.

The Ironcladappears in 10.4% of its runs (615 tracked)

Best Relics for Cruelty

Cruelty pairs best with the relics Sai (+36.0%), Molten Egg (+32.9%), and Pocketwatch (+32.3%), ranked by win-rate lift.

Sai+36.0%16 runsMolten Egg+32.9%27 runsPocketwatch+32.3%29 runsJeweled Mask+29.9%17 runsPrayer Wheel+27.9%25 runsSword of Jade+27.3%20 runs

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

Cruelty Card Details

Cruelty is a rare power costing 1 energy; it’s upgraded in 48.0% of runs and usually picked up by floor 19.

Vulnerable enemies take an additional 25% damage.

What Ends Runs with Cruelty

Cruelty’s most common run-enders are Test Subject Boss (8.1%), Queen Boss (6.4%), and Decimillipede Elite (5.1%).

• Test Subject Boss8.1% of runs
• Queen Boss6.4% of runs
• Decimillipede Elite5.1% of runs
• Aeonglass Boss4.5% of runs
• Kaiser Crab Boss4.3% of runs

See Also

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