Setup Strike•Attack

Is Setup Strike good in Slay the Spire 2?

Setup Strike is a common Ironclad attack in Slay the Spire 2. In combat it resolves as: Deal 7 damage. Gain 2 Strength this turn. It currently underperforms most alternatives, sitting at D tier in our Slay the Spire 2 card rankings.

Across 533 recorded runs, decks running it win 15.8% of the time, comfortably clear of the 13.9% average, by 1.8%. It’s a more selective pick, turning up in just 4.6% of decks that could run it. Taken in 19.0% of its offers, it still trails on the pick-versus-skip split: 16.8% for runs that took it against 19.7% for runs that left it, a -2.8% pick lift over 452 decided runs. Ironclad players keep it in 19.3% 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 Mad Science — together they post a +24.2% swing in win rate. It also has strong chemistry with the relic Molten Egg, which moves its win rate by +31.0%. At 1 energy, it’s upgraded in 27.0% of runs and usually joins the deck around floor 12.

Upgraded, it gains +2 Damage, +1 Strength, which is why so many decks invest a rest-site upgrade in it. That’s 83 wins, 443 deaths, and 7 abandoned runs with it in the deck. The encounter that most often ends a run carrying it is The Insatiable Boss, which closes out 6.8% of its appearances. Read on for Setup Strike’s complete synergy, class, and threat breakdown to decide whether it earns a slot in your Ironclad run.

Pick or Skip: Setup Strike

Out of 2918 recorded offers Setup Strike is taken 19.0% of the time, and taking it is worth -2.8% in pick lift — 16.8% for runs that picked it against 19.7% for runs that skipped, across 452 decided runs.

Taken 555 times out of 2918 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 Setup Strike

Setup Strike is strongest when it joins the deck in Act 3, where runs win 37.1% across 35 runs — one of 4 recorded pickup windows.

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

Best Cards to Pair with Setup Strike

Ranked by win-rate lift, Setup Strike performs best alongside Mad Science (+24.2%), Dark Embrace (+20.7%), and Not Yet (+18.1%).

Mad Science+24.2%24 runsDark Embrace+20.7%19 runsNot Yet+18.1%39 runsCrimson Mantle+18.0%49 runsFeed+17.4%40 runsOffering+16.9%50 runs

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

Setup Strike Win Rate by Class

Setup Strike is drafted only by the Ironclad, where it holds a 15.2% win rate across 520 runs.

The Ironcladappears in 19.3% of its runs (520 tracked)

Best Relics for Setup Strike

Setup Strike pairs best with the relics Molten Egg (+31.0%), Pen Nib (+25.1%), and Razor Tooth (+23.5%), ranked by win-rate lift.

Molten Egg+31.0%19 runsPen Nib+25.1%34 runsRazor Tooth+23.5%23 runsChandelier+21.1%16 runsVexing Puzzlebox+20.7%19 runsLizard Tail+20.2%25 runs

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

Setup Strike Card Details

Setup Strike is a common attack costing 1 energy; it’s upgraded in 27.0% of runs and usually picked up by floor 12.

Deal 7 damage. Gain 2 Strength this turn.

Upgrade: +2 Damage, +1 Strength

What Ends Runs with Setup Strike

Setup Strike’s most common run-enders are The Insatiable Boss (6.8%), Knowledge Demon Boss (5.8%), and Test Subject Boss (5.6%).

• The Insatiable Boss6.8% of runs
• Knowledge Demon Boss5.8% of runs
• Test Subject Boss5.6% of runs
• Queen Boss5.1% of runs
• Decimillipede Elite4.3% of runs

See Also

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