Slay the Spire 2 Character Tier List (Major Update 2)

The entity:silent is the strongest character in Slay the Spire 2 on patch 0.107.1 (Major Update 2), with the entity:necrobinder and entity:ironclad close behind and the entity:regent and entity:defect rounding out the bottom. The cast is tightly balanced this patch, so this is a ranking by win rate and matchup fit, not a split between good and bad characters. Every class clears high Ascension. The order below tells you which one asks the least of your draft to get there.

One change sets that order: Aeonglass, the Act 3 boss that replaced entity:doormaker in Major Update 2. It feeds Wither cards into your deck as the fight runs, and the damage from holding them climbs nonlinearly in the back half. Pure block-and-stall plans time out and lose the race. Characters that close with scaling damage, or that delete Wither with Exhaust and discard, sit at the top. Characters built to stall sit at the bottom.

Character tier list

Tier	Character	Win rate	The read
S	Silent	35.6%	Shiv and Sly-discard tempo race the boss, and discard clears Wither for free
A	Necrobinder	32.1%	The Doom execute scales past the Wither pile no matter how long the fight runs
A	Ironclad	31.7%	Strength plus Exhaust answers the boss mechanic by default
B	Regent	30.4%	The Parry and Sword Sage loop is strong, but block nerfs cap the stall lines
B	Defect	29.8%	The Frost-stall plan is exactly what Aeonglass punishes

Win rates come from a community aggregate of roughly 23,000 runs as of June 16, 2026.

How the tiers map

S is the highest floor and the most adaptable pick, strong into the new boss with no special draft required. A is either a higher ceiling or a clean structural answer to Aeonglass, slightly more demanding to pilot. B is fully viable at any Ascension but leans harder on finding the right cards, and pays for this patch's nerfs to block.

S Tier: Silent

The Silent tops the roster because her best plans race Aeonglass instead of feeding it. item:shiv and Sly-discard tempo close fights before the Wither stack matters, and the discard engines double as free Wither removal. Major Update 2 sharpened the aggressive lines: Untouchable and Pounce both got buffed, and Predator dropped to Common, so the pieces come together more often. She has the highest reported win rate and the best floor in the cast, which makes her the default pick for a new run.

For the card-by-card priorities, read the Silent card tier list. For the dominant build on the main branch, see the Silent Sly Discard build guide.

A Tier: Necrobinder and Ironclad

The Necrobinder has the highest ceiling in the cast. Stack Doom on the boss and the execute lands regardless of how tall the Wither pile has grown, which is the cleanest answer to a fight that punishes slow decks. Death March, Sic 'Em, and The Scythe all gained value in Major Update 2, smoothing out an early game that used to sink the character. She still asks the most from a new player, so the ceiling comes with a higher skill floor. One caution: Debilitate lost a turn of duration, so do not lean on it as a stall tool.

Dig into the Necrobinder card tier list and the Necrobinder Soul Engine build guide.

The Ironclad is the cleanest structural fit for the new boss. Strength builds the damage ceiling while Exhaust deletes the Wither cards out of the fight, so the class handles the boss mechanic without a perfect draft. The reworked Conflagration now hits all enemies for 2 damage four to five times, giving repeatable pressure for the elites on the way in, and Drum of Battle became a 1-cost Skill that draws 2 and refunds energy when Exhausted. This is the pick when you want a plan that does not depend on the right cards showing up.

See the Ironclad card tier list and the Ironclad Strength build guide.

B Tier: Regent and Defect

The Regent has a real payoff in the Parry and Sword Sage loop. Parry's item:sovereign-blade now grants Block directly, and Sword Sage gives Sovereign Blade a Replay, so the two chain into a strong defensive engine. Several Block cards got nerfed in Major Update 2, though, which hurts the older stall lines and keeps the Regent in the middle of the pack rather than near the top.

Reference the Regent card tier list and the Regent Star Battery build guide.

The Defect drops to the back of the cast. The pure Frost-Tank plan that block-stalls a boss to death is precisely what Aeonglass was built to punish, so the class now lives or dies on its damage. The Lightning buffs carry that load: Shatter evokes every orb twice, Tesla Coil triggers Lightning twice, Hyperbeam hits harder, and item:infused-core adds Lightning orb damage. Build the Defect for output, not for a Frost wall, and it holds up fine. Build it to stall and the boss runs you over.

Check the Defect card tier list and the Defect Frost Tank build guide.

How to pick your next run

Take the Silent for the highest floor and a run that bends to any draft. The Necrobinder rewards a confident pilot with the higher ceiling, and the Ironclad answers the new boss with the least setup of anyone in the cast. The Regent and Defect both win plenty once you build them around scaling damage rather than block.

Whatever you pick, one thing decides the run now: whether your deck can assemble scaling damage before Aeonglass outpaces it. Drop a decklist into the deck evaluator to see where your run stands.

For the wider patch context and the top build for each class, read the Major Update 2 meta snapshot. For a deeper look at how the five classes play, see the characters guide.