Decay Curse

Is Decay good in Slay the Spire 2?

Decay is a curse Curse curse in Slay the Spire 2. In combat it resolves as: At the end of your turn, if this is in your Hand, take 2 damage. It’s a dependable, middle-of-the-pack option, landing at C tier in our rankings.

Across 349 recorded runs, decks running it win 37.2% of the time, comfortably clear of the 13.8% average, by 23.3%. It’s a more selective pick, turning up in just 1.7% of decks that could run it. Regent players keep it in 1.7% 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 +23.9% swing in win rate. It also has strong chemistry with the relic Razor Tooth, which moves its win rate by +26.4%. At - energy, it’s upgraded in 0.0% of runs and usually joins the deck around floor 30.

That’s 129 wins, 218 deaths, and 2 abandoned runs with it in the deck. The encounter that most often ends a run carrying it is Test Subject Boss, which closes out 8.9% of its appearances. Read on for Decay’s complete synergy, class, and threat breakdown to decide whether it earns a slot in your Curse run.

When to Pick Up Decay

Decay is strongest when it joins the deck in Act 3, where runs win 51.7% across 209 runs — one of 3 recorded pickup windows.

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

Best Cards to Pair with Decay

Ranked by win-rate lift, Decay performs best alongside Mad Science (+23.9%), Adrenaline (+23.8%), and Summon Forth (+21.0%).

Mad Science+23.9%37 runsAdrenaline+23.8%24 runsSummon Forth+21.0%17 runsRadiate+20.5%19 runsFriendship+18.6%20 runsDecisions, Decisions+17.7%15 runs

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

Decay Win Rate by Class

Decay is played across 5 classes, led by Regent (45.6%), Necrobinder (41.2%), and Silent (40.2%) by win rate.

The Regent45.6%57 runsThe Necrobinder41.2%52 runsThe Silent40.2%82 runsThe Defect34.9%66 runsThe Ironclad29.6%89 runs

Best Relics for Decay

Decay pairs best with the relics Razor Tooth (+26.4%), Lizard Tail (+23.2%), and Festive Popper (+22.4%), ranked by win-rate lift.

Razor Tooth+26.4%21 runsLizard Tail+23.2%21 runsFestive Popper+22.4%56 runsKusarigama+22.1%31 runsGlitter+21.7%15 runsTiny Mailbox+21.3%22 runs

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

Decay Card Details

Decay is a curse curse costing - energy; it’s upgraded in 0.0% of runs and usually picked up by floor 30.

At the end of your turn, if this is in your Hand, take 2 damage.

What Ends Runs with Decay

Decay’s most common run-enders are Test Subject Boss (8.9%), Aeonglass Boss (7.4%), and Queen Boss (6.3%).

• Test Subject Boss8.9% of runs
• Aeonglass Boss7.4% of runs
• Queen Boss6.3% of runs
• Knowledge Demon Boss4.0% of runs
• The Insatiable Boss3.4% of runs

See Also

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