Expect a Fight•Skill

Is Expect a Fight good in Slay the Spire 2?

Expect a Fight is an uncommon Ironclad skill in Slay the Spire 2. In combat it resolves as: Gain -cost for each Attack in your Hand. You cannot gain additional -cost this turn. It currently underperforms most alternatives, sitting at D tier in our Slay the Spire 2 card rankings.

Across 84 recorded runs, decks running it win 23.7% of the time, comfortably clear of the 18.9% average, by 4.7%. It’s a more selective pick, turning up in just 2.2% of decks that could run it. Ironclad players keep it in 11.7% 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 Aggression — together they post a +19.7% swing in win rate. It also has strong chemistry with the relic The Chosen Cheese, which moves its win rate by +22.8%. At 2 energy, it’s upgraded in 34.4% of runs and usually joins the deck around floor 17.

Upgraded, it gains -1 EnergyCost, which is why so many decks invest a rest-site upgrade in it. That’s 18 wins, 58 deaths, and 8 abandoned runs with it in the deck. The encounter that most often ends a run carrying it is Kaiser Crab Boss, which closes out 8.3% of its appearances. Read on for Expect a Fight’s complete synergy, class, and threat breakdown to decide whether it earns a slot in your Ironclad run.

Best Cards to Pair with Expect a Fight

Ranked by win-rate lift, Expect a Fight performs best alongside Aggression (+19.7%), Stone Armor (+18.4%), and Sword Boomerang (+18.2%).

Aggression+19.7%7 runsStone Armor+18.4%18 runsSword Boomerang+18.2%10 runsOffering+18.2%10 runsHeadbutt+17.6%21 runsBody Slam+17.1%15 runs

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

Expect a Fight Win Rate by Class

Expect a Fight is played across 2 classes, led by Ironclad (23.7%) and Regent (0.0%) by win rate.

The Ironclad23.7%83 runsThe Regent0.0%1 runs

Best Relics for Expect a Fight

Expect a Fight pairs best with the relics The Chosen Cheese (+22.8%), Mango??? (+21.8%), and Bag of Preparation (+21.4%), ranked by win-rate lift.

The Chosen Cheese+22.8%9 runsMango???+21.8%4 runsBag of Preparation+21.4%13 runsGnarled Hammer+18.8%5 runsRegal Pillow+18.2%10 runsStrike Dummy???+17.6%3 runs

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

Expect a Fight Card Details

Expect a Fight is an uncommon skill costing 2 energy; it’s upgraded in 34.4% of runs and usually picked up by floor 17.

Gain -cost for each Attack in your Hand. You cannot gain additional -cost this turn.

Upgrade: -1 EnergyCost

What Ends Runs with Expect a Fight

Expect a Fight’s most common run-enders are Kaiser Crab Boss (8.3%), Knowledge Demon Boss (6.0%), and The Insatiable Boss (6.0%).

• Kaiser Crab Boss8.3% of runs
• Knowledge Demon Boss6.0% of runs
• The Insatiable Boss6.0% of runs
• Soul Fysh Boss4.8% of runs
• Test Subject Boss4.8% of runs

See Also

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