Focused Strike•Attack

Is Focused Strike good in Slay the Spire 2?

Focused Strike is a common Defect attack in Slay the Spire 2. In combat it resolves as: Deal 9 damage. Gain 1 Focus this turn. It currently underperforms most alternatives, sitting at D tier in our Slay the Spire 2 card rankings.

Across 108 recorded runs, decks running it win 22.4% of the time, comfortably clear of the 18.9% average, by 3.5%. It’s a more selective pick, turning up in just 2.9% of decks that could run it. Defect players keep it in 18.5% of their runs, so it’s a familiar sight in those decks. On average it shows up 1.3 times in the decks that take it.

It performs best next to Skim — together they post a +20.9% swing in win rate. It also has strong chemistry with the relic Festive Popper, which moves its win rate by +23.8%. At 1 energy, it’s upgraded in 26.4% of runs and usually joins the deck around floor 13.

Upgraded, it gains +2 Damage, which is why so many decks invest a rest-site upgrade in it. That’s 22 wins, 76 deaths, and 10 abandoned runs with it in the deck. The encounter that most often ends a run carrying it is Kaiser Crab Boss, which closes out 7.4% of its appearances. Read on for Focused Strike’s complete synergy, class, and threat breakdown to decide whether it earns a slot in your Defect run.

Best Cards to Pair with Focused Strike

Ranked by win-rate lift, Focused Strike performs best alongside Skim (+20.9%), Rocket Punch (+15.7%), and Scrape (+15.0%).

Skim+20.9%10 runsRocket Punch+15.7%10 runsScrape+15.0%4 runsMachine Learning+14.3%7 runsReboot+13.8%10 runsSunder+13.8%13 runs

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

Focused Strike Win Rate by Class

Focused Strike is drafted only by the Defect, where it holds a 22.4% win rate across 108 runs.

The Defectappears in 18.5% of its runs (108 tracked)

Best Relics for Focused Strike

Focused Strike pairs best with the relics Festive Popper (+23.8%), Prayer Wheel (+22.2%), and Sword of Jade (+17.9%), ranked by win-rate lift.

Festive Popper+23.8%12 runsPrayer Wheel+22.2%4 runsSword of Jade+17.9%3 runsTiny Mailbox+16.6%6 runsAnchor???+16.6%6 runsLantern+15.7%10 runs

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

Focused Strike Card Details

Focused Strike is a common attack costing 1 energy; it’s upgraded in 26.4% of runs and usually picked up by floor 13.

Deal 9 damage. Gain 1 Focus this turn.

Upgrade: +2 Damage

What Ends Runs with Focused Strike

Focused Strike’s most common run-enders are Kaiser Crab Boss (7.4%), Knowledge Demon Boss (7.4%), and Queen Boss (6.5%).

• Kaiser Crab Boss7.4% of runs
• Knowledge Demon Boss7.4% of runs
• Queen Boss6.5% of runs
• Test Subject Boss4.6% of runs
• Waterfall Giant Boss3.7% of runs

See Also

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