Slay the Spire 2 Ironclad Card Tier List
This Slay the Spire 2 cards tier list places 174 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 26 strongest cards right now — features Whistle (65.0%), Folly (63.2%), Salvo (60.0%), Nostalgia (60.0%), and Apotheosis (58.8%). Whistle posts the single highest win rate at 65.0%. For players hunting an edge, Salvo is the most underrated pick this patch — S-tier results at only a 0.4% pick rate — while Defend looks overrated, popular at 97.3% 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
(26)S-tier is led by Whistle, which dominates the current data with a 65.0% win rate on a 0.7% pick rate. They are followed by Folly (63.2%), Salvo (60.0%), Nostalgia (60.0%), Apotheosis (58.8%), Tank (55.6%), Eternal Armor (52.9%), and Prolong (52.6%). The remaining 18 cards in this tier average a 42.6% win rate. These cards define the current meta and are the safest, highest-impact picks. Popularity within S-tier is uneven: Mad Science is picked in 3.8% of games against 0.4% for Salvo, despite both landing in the same tier.
B Tier - Viable
(26)B-tier is led by Gang Up, which posts competitive results with a 36.4% win rate on a 0.4% pick rate. They are followed by Restlessness (35.7%), Brightest Flame (35.7%), Automation (35.3%), Stoke (35.1%), Crimson Mantle (34.7%), Panache (34.5%), and Dark Shackles (34.0%). The remaining 18 cards in this tier average a 31.1% win rate. These cards are balanced and fully viable with solid execution. Popularity within B-tier is uneven: Pyre is picked in 10.4% of games against 0.4% for Adrenaline, despite both landing in the same tier.
C Tier - Situational
(35)C-tier is led by Aggression, which shows mixed results with a 28.9% win rate on a 5.3% pick rate. They are followed by Flash of Steel (28.3%), Conflagration (28.1%), Colossus (28.1%), Dominate (28.0%), Battle Trance (27.6%), Cruelty (27.6%), and Brand (27.4%). The remaining 27 cards in this tier average a 25.8% win rate. These cards are situational and need favourable matchups or team comps to shine. Battle Trance stays widely picked at 20.0% despite its C-tier results, while Assassinate sees 0.5%.
D Tier - Below Average
(43)D-tier is led by Body Slam, which trails stronger options with a 24.7% win rate on a 13.0% pick rate. They are followed by Vicious (24.5%), Juggling (24.4%), Feel No Pain (23.9%), Stone Armor (23.9%), Squash (23.9%), Discovery (23.7%), and Fiend Fire (23.5%). The remaining 35 cards in this tier average a 21.3% win rate. These cards underperform against the current meta and take extra effort to win with. Bloodletting stays widely picked at 34.7% despite its D-tier results, while Impatience sees 0.4%.
F Tier - Weak
(44)F-tier is led by Breakthrough, which currently underperforms with a 19.5% win rate on a 21.0% pick rate. They are followed by Prep Time (19.4%), Headbutt (19.3%), Unrelenting (19.1%), Enlightenment (18.9%), Rolling Boulder (18.8%), Evil Eye (18.6%), and Inflame (18.2%). The remaining 36 cards in this tier average a 12.1% win rate. These cards are the weakest options this patch and are best avoided in ranked. Defend stays widely picked at 97.3% despite its F-tier results, while Purity sees 0.4%.
