FTL Attack

Is FTL good in Slay the Spire 2?

FTL is an uncommon Defect attack in Slay the Spire 2. In combat it resolves as: Deal 5 damage. If you have played fewer than cards this turn, draw 1 card. It currently underperforms most alternatives, sitting at D tier in our Slay the Spire 2 card rankings.

Across 687 recorded runs, decks running it win 16.8% of the time, comfortably clear of the 13.8% average, by 2.9%. It’s a more selective pick, turning up in just 3.3% of decks that could run it. Taken in 33.5% of its offers, it still trails on the pick-versus-skip split: 15.9% for runs that took it against 18.2% for runs that left it, a -2.3% pick lift over 534 decided runs. Defect players keep it in 14.6% 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 +21.7% swing in win rate. It also has strong chemistry with the relic Jeweled Mask, which moves its win rate by +30.2%. At 0 energy, it’s upgraded in 18.6% of runs and usually joins the deck around floor 15.

Upgraded, it gains +1 Damage, which is why so many decks invest a rest-site upgrade in it. That’s 113 wins, 561 deaths, and 13 abandoned runs with it in the deck. The encounter that most often ends a run carrying it is Kaiser Crab Boss, which closes out 6.7% of its appearances. Read on for FTL’s complete synergy, class, and threat breakdown to decide whether it earns a slot in your Defect run.

Pick or Skip: FTL

Out of 1778 recorded offers FTL is taken 33.5% of the time, and taking it is worth -2.3% in pick lift — 15.9% for runs that picked it against 18.2% for runs that skipped, across 534 decided runs.

Taken 595 times out of 1778 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 FTL

FTL is strongest when it joins the deck in Act 3, where runs win 49.2% across 61 runs — one of 3 recorded pickup windows.

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

Best Cards to Pair with FTL

Ranked by win-rate lift, FTL performs best alongside Mad Science (+21.7%), Ignition (+20.9%), and Squash (+18.8%).

Mad Science+21.7%49 runsIgnition+20.9%21 runsSquash+18.8%20 runsReboot+18.6%71 runsModded+17.9%64 runsSubroutine+16.9%79 runs

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

FTL Win Rate by Class

FTL is drafted only by the Defect, where it holds a 16.5% win rate across 668 runs.

The Defectappears in 14.6% of its runs (668 tracked)

Best Relics for FTL

FTL pairs best with the relics Jeweled Mask (+30.2%), Cloak Clasp (+26.4%), and Red Mask (+25.4%), ranked by win-rate lift.

Jeweled Mask+30.2%17 runsCloak Clasp+26.4%24 runsRed Mask+25.4%79 runsPunch Dagger+24.3%16 runsPermafrost+23.7%52 runsData Disk+22.4%77 runs

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

FTL Card Details

FTL is an uncommon attack costing 0 energy; it’s upgraded in 18.6% of runs and usually picked up by floor 15.

Deal 5 damage. If you have played fewer than cards this turn, draw 1 card.

Upgrade: +1 Damage

What Ends Runs with FTL

FTL’s most common run-enders are Kaiser Crab Boss (6.7%), Test Subject Boss (5.8%), and The Insatiable Boss (5.5%).

• Kaiser Crab Boss6.7% of runs
• Test Subject Boss5.8% of runs
• The Insatiable Boss5.5% of runs
• Knowledge Demon Boss5.4% of runs
• Aeonglass Boss4.9% of runs

See Also

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