Slay the Spire 2 Defect Card Tier List
This Slay the Spire 2 cards tier list places 147 cards for October 2026, from S-tier down to F-tier. Placement combines win rate, pick rate and how much match data sits behind each result, so it is not a straight win-rate sort — an entry with a high win rate over few games ranks below a steadier one. The S-tier — the 22 strongest cards right now — features Apotheosis (78.6%), Apparition (53.3%), Mayhem (53.3%), Production (46.9%), and Regret (46.7%). Apotheosis posts the single highest win rate at 78.6%. For players hunting an edge, Shame is the most underrated pick this patch — S-tier results at only a 0.6% pick rate — while Zap looks overrated, popular at 97.4% but landing in F-tier. Rankings update daily from real ranked matches, so every placement reflects current performance rather than a one-off result. Use the tiers below to pick the best cards for your games.
S Tier - Meta Defining
(22)S-tier is led by Apotheosis, which dominates the current data with a 78.6% win rate on a 0.8% pick rate. They are followed by Apparition (53.3%), Mayhem (53.3%), Production (46.9%), Regret (46.7%), Gold Axe (46.7%), Huddle Up (45.5%), and Discovery (44.4%). The remaining 14 cards in this tier average a 38.1% win rate. These cards define the current meta and are the safest, highest-impact picks. Popularity within S-tier is uneven: Supercritical is picked in 9.1% of games against 0.6% for Shame, despite both landing in the same tier.
B Tier - Viable
(22)B-tier is led by Flak Cannon, which posts competitive results with a 32.6% win rate on a 5.5% pick rate. They are followed by Ultimate Defend (31.9%), Believe in You (30.8%), Decay (30.3%), Skim (30.1%), Distraction (30.0%), Biased Cognition (30.0%), and Bad Luck (30.0%). The remaining 14 cards in this tier average a 27.3% win rate. These cards are balanced and fully viable with solid execution. Popularity within B-tier is uneven: Echo Form is picked in 10.1% of games against 0.6% for Distraction, despite both landing in the same tier.
C Tier - Situational
(29)C-tier is led by Synthesis, which shows mixed results with a 26.3% win rate on a 4.8% pick rate. They are followed by Modded (26.1%), Spinner (26.1%), Adaptive Strike (25.7%), Fusion (25.6%), Rocket Punch (25.1%), Squash (25.0%), and Genetic Algorithm (25.0%). The remaining 21 cards in this tier average a 24.2% win rate. These cards are situational and need favourable matchups or team comps to shine. Subroutine stays widely picked at 14.5% despite its C-tier results, while Restlessness sees 0.7%.
D Tier - Below Average
(37)D-tier is led by Splash, which trails stronger options with a 23.1% win rate on a 0.8% pick rate. They are followed by Purity (23.1%), Leap (22.9%), Panache (22.9%), Scavenge (22.8%), Boost Away (22.6%), Overclock (22.5%), and Hologram (22.5%). The remaining 29 cards in this tier average a 20.3% win rate. These cards underperform against the current meta and take extra effort to win with. Go for the Eyes stays widely picked at 29.5% despite its D-tier results, while Bolas sees 0.6%.
F Tier - Weak
(37)F-tier is led by Charge Battery, which currently underperforms with a 17.9% win rate on a 31.9% pick rate. They are followed by Ball Lightning (17.9%), Debt (17.6%), Storm (17.6%), Refract (17.0%), Beam Cell (16.5%), Uproar (16.4%), and Focused Strike (16.3%). The remaining 29 cards in this tier average a 9.7% win rate. These cards are the weakest options this patch and are best avoided in ranked. Zap stays widely picked at 97.4% despite its F-tier results, while Feeding Frenzy sees 0.6%.
