Slay the Spire 2 adds exclusive new playable character

Mega Crit has released Slay the Spire 2 beta patch v0.113.0, adding The Fool as the game’s sixth playable character. The patch reached Steam’s beta branch on November 12 and also names the two experimental modes the studio had kept under wraps: Blitz and Dread. The Fool is the first character added since early access began on March 5.

How The Fool plays

In Slay the Spire 2, the patch notes describe The Fool only as “a silly musician who wields a bow” and leave players to work out the rest. The character starts with 77 HP and one unique card, Foolish Shot, which costs 1 energy and shoots an arrow for 15 damage. The Song Bow starter relic grants 6 aims at the start of each combat.

A fired arrow leaves the enemy impaled, and cards that need the arrow stay locked until the player hits that enemy three times or kills it. The card pool also includes Wah, Ki, and Cho Melody cards; Sadness and Joy cards; and the rare power Mythic Form, which adds a random Tarot card to the hand each turn. Mega Crit expects many content and balance changes before The Fool reaches the main branch.

Blitz and Dread modes

Blitz is a condensed, deck-building-focused mode that removes the map, makes Gold irrelevant, and changes what the Merchant offers. It has five Ascension levels shared across all characters and unlocks after completing an Ascension run on any difficulty. Dread requires Ascension 10 on every character, including The Fool. It enables every Ascension modifier, strengthens bosses so they buff all enemies in their Act, and adds Curses as the climb continues.

New events and balance changes

Five events join the pool: Waterfall of Obvious Secrets and Wuppy in Trouble in the Underdocks, Museum of Torture in Act 2, and Shrine of the Warlord and Thermae Nonupeipe in Act 3. Rest sites can appear one floor earlier in every Act, and the patch adds a Byrdpip evolution and a Colorless card called My Shinies.

Ironclad’s Expect a Fight now grants 15 block (20 upgraded) and makes attacks in hand cost 1 less energy until played. Silent’s Expertise retains the whole hand for the turn, and Memento Mori becomes a 3-cost Sly attack dealing 19 damage (23 upgraded) to the lowest-HP enemy. Salvo, Phantom Blades, and Charge!! have been nerfed.

The patch is exclusive to the public-beta branch. Mega Crit says the main branch will soon be updated to v0.111.0 first.