Strangle•Attack

Is Strangle good in Slay the Spire 2?

Strangle is an uncommon Silent attack in Slay the Spire 2. In combat it resolves as: Deal 8 damage. Whenever you play a card this turn, the enemy loses 2 HP. It currently underperforms most alternatives, sitting at D tier in our Slay the Spire 2 card rankings.

Across 286 recorded runs, decks running it win 22.3% of the time, comfortably clear of the 13.9% average, by 8.4%. It’s a more selective pick, turning up in just 2.5% of decks that could run it. Taken in 19.0% of its offers, it still trails on the pick-versus-skip split: 21.3% for runs that took it against 29.1% for runs that left it, a -7.4% pick lift over 239 decided runs. Silent players keep it in 9.6% 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 Knife Trap — together they post a +23.6% swing in win rate. It also has strong chemistry with the relic Lantern, which moves its win rate by +25.0%. At 1 energy, it’s upgraded in 34.1% of runs and usually joins the deck around floor 14.

Upgraded, it gains +2 Damage, which is why so many decks invest a rest-site upgrade in it. That’s 63 wins, 219 deaths, and 4 abandoned runs with it in the deck. The encounter that most often ends a run carrying it is Knowledge Demon Boss, which closes out 5.2% of its appearances. Read on for Strangle’s complete synergy, class, and threat breakdown to decide whether it earns a slot in your Silent run.

Pick or Skip: Strangle

Out of 1357 recorded offers Strangle is taken 19.0% of the time, and taking it is worth -7.4% in pick lift — 21.3% for runs that picked it against 29.1% for runs that skipped, across 239 decided runs.

Taken 258 times out of 1357 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 Strangle

Strangle is strongest when it joins the deck in Act 3, where runs win 70.0% across 30 runs — one of 3 recorded pickup windows.

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

Best Cards to Pair with Strangle

Ranked by win-rate lift, Strangle performs best alongside Knife Trap (+23.6%), Adrenaline (+19.4%), and Reflex (+15.8%).

Knife Trap+23.6%34 runsAdrenaline+19.4%48 runsReflex+15.8%30 runsStorm of Steel+15.4%34 runsAfterimage+14.9%48 runsShadowmeld+14.6%15 runs

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

Strangle Win Rate by Class

Strangle is drafted only by the Silent, where it holds a 22.2% win rate across 279 runs.

The Silentappears in 9.6% of its runs (279 tracked)

Best Relics for Strangle

Strangle pairs best with the relics Lantern (+25.0%), Miniature Cannon (+24.9%), and Anchor (+24.6%), ranked by win-rate lift.

Lantern+25.0%56 runsMiniature Cannon+24.9%18 runsAnchor+24.6%48 runsAkabeko+24.4%29 runsBag of Preparation+23.4%43 runsPantograph+22.1%22 runs

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

Strangle Card Details

Strangle is an uncommon attack costing 1 energy; it’s upgraded in 34.1% of runs and usually picked up by floor 14.

Deal 8 damage. Whenever you play a card this turn, the enemy loses 2 HP.

Upgrade: +2 Damage

What Ends Runs with Strangle

Strangle’s most common run-enders are Knowledge Demon Boss (5.2%), Entomancer Elite (4.9%), and Queen Boss (4.5%).

• Knowledge Demon Boss5.2% of runs
• Entomancer Elite4.9% of runs
• Queen Boss4.5% of runs
• Aeonglass Boss4.5% of runs
• Ceremonial Beast Boss3.8% of runs

See Also

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