Malaise Skill

Is Malaise good in Slay the Spire 2?

Malaise is a rare Silent skill in Slay the Spire 2. In combat it resolves as: Enemy loses X Strength. Apply X Weak. It’s a dependable, middle-of-the-pack option, landing at C tier in our rankings.

Across 190 recorded runs, decks running it win 36.4% of the time, comfortably clear of the 13.8% average, by 22.5%. It’s a more selective pick, turning up in just 0.9% of decks that could run it. Offer data backs the pick — taken 14.1% of the time it is shown, with 41.9% for runs that took it against 32.6% for runs that did not, a +8.7% pick lift across 136 decided runs. Silent players keep it in 3.9% 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 Storm of Steel — together they post a +25.3% swing in win rate. It also has strong chemistry with the relic Nunchaku, which moves its win rate by +31.5%. At X energy, it’s upgraded in 31.3% of runs and usually joins the deck around floor 17.

That’s 68 wins, 119 deaths, and 3 abandoned runs with it in the deck. The encounter that most often ends a run carrying it is Test Subject Boss, which closes out 6.3% of its appearances. Read on for Malaise’s complete synergy, class, and threat breakdown to decide whether it earns a slot in your Silent run.

Pick or Skip: Malaise

Out of 978 recorded offers Malaise is taken 14.1% of the time, and taking it is worth +8.7% in pick lift — 41.9% for runs that picked it against 32.6% for runs that skipped, across 136 decided runs.

Taken 138 times out of 978 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 Malaise

Malaise is strongest when it joins the deck in Act 2, where runs win 52.6% across 57 runs — one of 4 recorded pickup windows.

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

Best Cards to Pair with Malaise

Ranked by win-rate lift, Malaise performs best alongside Storm of Steel (+25.3%), Abrasive (+24.3%), and Phantom Blades (+22.1%).

Storm of Steel+25.3%19 runsAbrasive+24.3%25 runsPhantom Blades+22.1%28 runsKnife Trap+21.9%23 runsTools of the Trade+19.1%31 runsMurder+18.8%24 runs

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

Malaise Win Rate by Class

Malaise is drafted only by the Silent, where it holds a 37.4% win rate across 182 runs.

The Silentappears in 3.9% of its runs (182 tracked)

Best Relics for Malaise

Malaise pairs best with the relics Nunchaku (+31.5%), Horn Cleat (+27.9%), and Miniature Cannon (+27.6%), ranked by win-rate lift.

Nunchaku+31.5%17 runsHorn Cleat+27.9%20 runsMiniature Cannon+27.6%17 runsBronze Scales+26.2%40 runsWar Paint+23.1%24 runsStrike Dummy+21.8%42 runs

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

Malaise Card Details

Malaise is a rare skill costing X energy; it’s upgraded in 31.3% of runs and usually picked up by floor 17.

Enemy loses X Strength. Apply X Weak.

What Ends Runs with Malaise

Malaise’s most common run-enders are Test Subject Boss (6.3%), Aeonglass Boss (5.8%), and Kaiser Crab Boss (4.2%).

• Test Subject Boss6.3% of runs
• Aeonglass Boss5.8% of runs
• Kaiser Crab Boss4.2% of runs
• Knowledge Demon Boss4.2% of runs
• Decimillipede Elite3.7% of runs

See Also

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