Dark Embrace•Power

Is Dark Embrace good in Slay the Spire 2?

Dark Embrace is a rare Ironclad power in Slay the Spire 2. In combat it resolves as: Whenever a card is Exhausted, draw 1 card. It currently underperforms most alternatives, sitting at D tier in our Slay the Spire 2 card rankings.

Across 25 recorded runs, decks running it win 22.7% of the time, comfortably clear of the 18.9% average, by 3.8%. It’s a more selective pick, turning up in just 0.7% of decks that could run it. Ironclad players keep it in 3.4% of their runs, so it’s a familiar sight in those decks. On average it shows up 1.0 times in the decks that take it.

It performs best next to Stoke — together they post a +17.8% swing in win rate. It also has strong chemistry with the relic Mercury Hourglass, which moves its win rate by +17.8%. At 2 energy, it’s upgraded in 32.0% of runs and usually joins the deck around floor 14.

Upgraded, it gains -1 EnergyCost, which is why so many decks invest a rest-site upgrade in it. That’s 5 wins, 17 deaths, and 3 abandoned runs with it in the deck. The encounter that most often ends a run carrying it is Infested Prisms Elite, which closes out 12.0% of its appearances. Read on for Dark Embrace’s complete synergy, class, and threat breakdown to decide whether it earns a slot in your Ironclad run.

Best Cards to Pair with Dark Embrace

Ranked by win-rate lift, Dark Embrace performs best alongside Stoke (+17.8%), Second Wind (+14.9%), and Vicious (+14.2%).

Stoke+17.8%3 runsSecond Wind+14.9%5 runsVicious+14.2%7 runsAscender's Bane+12.1%9 runsBattle Trance+10.1%3 runsBully+10.1%3 runs

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

Dark Embrace Win Rate by Class

Dark Embrace is played across 2 classes, led by Ironclad (23.8%) and Silent (0.0%) by win rate.

The Ironclad23.8%24 runsThe Silent0.0%1 runs

Best Relics for Dark Embrace

Dark Embrace pairs best with the relics Mercury Hourglass (+17.8%), War Paint (+10.1%), and Bag of Preparation (+10.1%), ranked by win-rate lift.

Mercury Hourglass+17.8%3 runsWar Paint+10.1%3 runsBag of Preparation+10.1%3 runsPotion Belt+10.1%4 runsWhite Star+10.1%3 runsPear+10.1%4 runs

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

Dark Embrace Card Details

Dark Embrace is a rare power costing 2 energy; it’s upgraded in 32.0% of runs and usually picked up by floor 14.

Whenever a card is Exhausted, draw 1 card.

Upgrade: -1 EnergyCost

What Ends Runs with Dark Embrace

Dark Embrace’s most common run-enders are Infested Prisms Elite (12.0%), Test Subject Boss (8.0%), and Lagavulin Matriarch Boss (8.0%).

• Infested Prisms Elite12.0% of runs
• Test Subject Boss8.0% of runs
• Lagavulin Matriarch Boss8.0% of runs

See Also

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