Vicious Power

Is Vicious good in Slay the Spire 2?

Vicious is an uncommon Ironclad power in Slay the Spire 2. In combat it resolves as: Whenever you apply Vulnerable, draw cards. It currently underperforms most alternatives, sitting at D tier in our Slay the Spire 2 card rankings.

Across 545 recorded runs, decks running it win 25.0% of the time, comfortably clear of the 13.8% average, by 11.2%. It’s a more selective pick, turning up in just 2.6% of decks that could run it. Offer data backs the pick — taken 16.6% of the time it is shown, with 25.1% for runs that took it against 21.5% for runs that did not, a +3.6% pick lift across 394 decided runs. Ironclad players keep it in 11.7% 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 +29.1% swing in win rate. It also has strong chemistry with the relic Pocketwatch, which moves its win rate by +37.5%. At 1 energy, it’s upgraded in 32.5% of runs and usually joins the deck around floor 16.

Upgraded, it gains +1 Cards, which is why so many decks invest a rest-site upgrade in it. That’s 134 wins, 402 deaths, and 9 abandoned runs with it in the deck. The encounter that most often ends a run carrying it is Test Subject Boss, which closes out 5.9% of its appearances. Read on for Vicious’s complete synergy, class, and threat breakdown to decide whether it earns a slot in your Ironclad run.

Pick or Skip: Vicious

Out of 2512 recorded offers Vicious is taken 16.6% of the time, and taking it is worth +3.6% in pick lift — 25.1% for runs that picked it against 21.5% for runs that skipped, across 394 decided runs.

Taken 416 times out of 2512 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 Vicious

Vicious is strongest when it joins the deck in Act 3, where runs win 56.8% across 74 runs — one of 4 recorded pickup windows.

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

Best Cards to Pair with Vicious

Ranked by win-rate lift, Vicious performs best alongside Mad Science (+29.1%), Drum of Battle (+25.0%), and Feed (+23.1%).

Mad Science+29.1%39 runsDrum of Battle+25.0%35 runsFeed+23.1%44 runsDark Embrace+21.6%34 runsConflagration+21.2%56 runsStoke+20.8%50 runs

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

Vicious Win Rate by Class

Vicious is drafted only by the Ironclad, where it holds a 25.1% win rate across 540 runs.

The Ironcladappears in 11.7% of its runs (540 tracked)

Best Relics for Vicious

Vicious pairs best with the relics Pocketwatch (+37.5%), Sword of Jade (+36.1%), and Molten Egg (+34.1%), ranked by win-rate lift.

Pocketwatch+37.5%18 runsSword of Jade+36.1%17 runsMolten Egg+34.1%23 runsCloak Clasp+31.1%23 runsVambrace+29.0%52 runsFragrant Mushroom+27.4%31 runs

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

Vicious Card Details

Vicious is an uncommon power costing 1 energy; it’s upgraded in 32.5% of runs and usually picked up by floor 16.

Whenever you apply Vulnerable, draw cards.

Upgrade: +1 Cards

What Ends Runs with Vicious

Vicious’s most common run-enders are Test Subject Boss (5.9%), Decimillipede Elite (5.5%), and Kaiser Crab Boss (5.0%).

• Test Subject Boss5.9% of runs
• Decimillipede Elite5.5% of runs
• Kaiser Crab Boss5.0% of runs
• Queen Boss4.4% of runs
• Knowledge Demon Boss3.1% of runs

See Also

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