Card Category
Zero-Cost Cards
Complete guide to zero-cost cards in Slay the Spire 2 — free-to-play cards that enable high-efficiency turns and combo strategies.
Zero-cost cards in Slay the Spire 2 are cards that cost 0 energy to play. These efficient cards, while individually modest in power, create tremendous value when combined with the right synergies. They form the backbone of some of the game's most powerful archetypes and enable turns where you can play 8+ cards while your energy-expensive enemies struggle to keep up.
Every zero-cost card trades raw power for efficiency. A zero-cost attack typically deals 3-4 damage — less than a Strike — but provides additional effects like card draw, debuffs, or synergy with other cards. Zero-cost skills offer free block or utility, enabling you to spend all your energy on scaling cards or expensive powers.
The Silent has the deepest zero-cost card pool, centered around Shivs generated by Blade Dance, Cloak and Dagger, and Infinite Blades. These zero-cost attacks gain immense value with Strength scaling and effects that trigger on card play. Finisher, a Silent zero-cost attack, scales its damage based on cards played this turn, easily reaching 20+ damage in Shiv-heavy builds.
Zero-cost cards synergize exceptionally well with card draw and energy generation. Having a hand full of free cards means every card drawn is effectively additional "energy" compared to decks with expensive cards. Cards like Skim (draw 3) and Calculated Gamble (discard hand, draw that many) become even more powerful with zero-cost cards providing the fuel.

Adrenaline
Rare · Skill · Silent
Gain . Draw 2 cards.

Alignment
Uncommon · Skill · Regent
Gain .

Anger
Common · Attack · Ironclad
Deal 6 damage. Add a copy of this card into your Discard Pile.

Anticipate
Common · Skill · Silent
Gain 3 Dexterity this turn.

Assassinate
Rare · Attack · Silent
Deal 10 damage. Apply 1 Vulnerable.

Astral Pulse
Common · Attack · Regent
Deal 14 damage to ALL enemies.

Backstab
Uncommon · Attack · Silent
Deal 11 damage.

Battle Trance
Uncommon · Skill · Ironclad
Draw 3 cards. You cannot draw additional cards this turn.

Beam Cell
Common · Attack · Defect
Deal 3 damage. Apply 1 Vulnerable.

Believe in You
Uncommon · Skill · Colorless
Another player gains .

Big Bang
Rare · Skill · Regent
Draw 1 card. Gain . Gain . Forge 5.

Bloodletting
Common · Skill · Ironclad
Lose 3 HP. Gain .

Bolas
Rare · Attack · Colorless
Deal 3 damage. At the start of your next turn, return this to your Hand.

Boost Away
Common · Skill · Defect
Gain 6 Block. Add a Dazed into your Discard Pile.

Boot Sequence
Uncommon · Skill · Defect
Gain 10 Block.

Borrowed Time
Uncommon · Skill · Necrobinder
Apply 3 Doom to yourself. Gain .

Brand
Rare · Skill · Ironclad
Lose 1 HP. Exhaust 1 card. Gain 1 Strength.

Brightest Flame
Ancient · Skill · event
Gain . Draw 2 cards. Lose 1 Max HP.

Bully
Uncommon · Attack · Ironclad
Deal 6 damage. Deals 2 additional damage for each Vulnerable on the enemy.

Byrd Swoop
Event · Attack · event
Deal 14 damage.

Calculated Gamble
Uncommon · Skill · Silent
Discard your Hand, then draw that many cards.

Chill
Uncommon · Skill · Defect
Channel 1 Frost for each enemy.

Clash
Event · Attack · event
Can only be played if every card in your Hand is an Attack. Deal 14 damage.

Claw
Common · Attack · Defect
Deal 3 damage. Increase the damage of ALL Claw cards by 2 this combat.

Cloak of Stars
Common · Skill · Regent
Gain 7 Block.

Collision Course
Common · Attack · Regent
Deal 9 damage. Add a Debris into your Hand.

Comet
Rare · Attack · Regent
Deal 33 damage. Apply 3 Weak. Apply 3 Vulnerable.

Dark Shackles
Uncommon · Skill · Colorless
Enemy loses 9 Strength this turn.

Decisions, Decisions
Rare · Skill · Regent
Draw 3 cards. Choose a Skill in your Hand and play it 3 times.

Deflect
Common · Skill · Silent
Gain 4 Block.

Demonic Shield
Uncommon · Skill · Ironclad
Lose 1 HP. Give another player Block equal to your Block.

Dirge
Uncommon · Skill · Necrobinder
Summon 3 X times. Add X Souls into your Draw Pile.

Dramatic Entrance
Uncommon · Attack · Colorless
Deal 11 damage to ALL enemies.

Drum of Battle
Uncommon · Power · Ironclad
Draw 2 cards. At the start of your turn, Exhaust the top card of your Draw Pile.

Enlightenment
Event · Skill · event
Reduce the cost of ALL cards in your Hand to 1 this turn.

Eradicate
Rare · Attack · Necrobinder
Deal 11 damage X times.

Escape Plan
Uncommon · Skill · Silent
Draw 1 card. If you draw a Skill, gain 3 Block.

Expose
Uncommon · Skill · Silent
Remove all Artifact and Block from the enemy. Apply 2 Vulnerable.

Falling Star
Basic · Attack · Regent
Deal 7 damage. Apply 1 Weak. Apply 1 Vulnerable.

Feeding Frenzy
Event · Skill · event
Gain 5 Strength this turn.

Fetch
Uncommon · Attack · Necrobinder
Osty deals 3 damage. If this is the first time this card has been played this turn, draw 1 card.

Finesse
Uncommon · Skill · Colorless
Gain 4 Block. Draw 1 card.

Flash of Steel
Uncommon · Attack · Colorless
Deal 5 damage. Draw 1 card.

FTL
Uncommon · Attack · Defect
Deal 5 damage. If you have played fewer than 3 cards this turn, draw 1 card.

Fuel
Token · Skill · token
Gain . Draw 1 card.

Gamma Blast
Uncommon · Attack · Regent
Deal 13 damage. Apply 2 Weak. Apply 2 Vulnerable.

Go for the Eyes
Common · Attack · Defect
Deal 3 damage. If the enemy intends to attack, apply 1 Weak.

Grand Finale
Rare · Attack · Silent
Can only be played if there are no cards in your Draw Pile. Deal 50 damage to ALL enemies.

Heavenly Drill
Rare · Attack · Regent
Deal 8 damage X times. Double X if it's 4 or more.

Helix Drill
Rare · Attack · Defect
Deal 3 damage for each previously spent this turn.

Hidden Daggers
Uncommon · Skill · Silent
Discard 2 cards. Add 2 Shivs into your Hand.

Hotfix
Common · Skill · Defect
Gain 2 Focus this turn.

Impatience
Uncommon · Skill · Colorless
If you have no Attacks in your Hand, draw 2 cards.

Jack of All Trades
Uncommon · Skill · Colorless
Add 1 random Colorless card into your Hand.

Know Thy Place
Common · Skill · Regent
Apply 1 Weak. Apply 1 Vulnerable.

Largesse
Uncommon · Skill · Regent
Another player adds 1 random Colorless card to their Hand.

Luminesce
Token · Skill · token
Gain .

Lunar Blast
Uncommon · Attack · Regent
Deal 4 damage for each Skill already played this turn.

Make It So
Rare · Attack · Regent
Deal 6 damage. Every 3 Skills you play in a turn, put this into your Hand.

Malaise
Rare · Skill · Silent
Enemy loses X Strength. Apply X Weak.

Master of Strategy
Rare · Skill · Colorless
Draw 3 cards.

Meteor Shower
Ancient · Attack · Regent
Deal 14 damage to ALL enemies. Apply 2 Weak and Vulnerable to ALL enemies.

Minion Sacrifice
Token · Skill · token
Gain 9 Block.

Minion Strike
Token · Attack · token
Deal 7 damage. Draw 1 card.

Misery
Rare · Attack · Necrobinder
Deal 7 damage. Apply any debuffs on the enemy to ALL other enemies.

Modded
Rare · Skill · Defect
Gain 1 Orb Slot. Draw 1 card. Increase this card's cost by 1.

Monologue
Uncommon · Skill · Regent
Whenever you play a card this turn, gain 1 Strength this turn.

Multi-Cast
Rare · Skill · Defect
Evoke your rightmost Orb X times.

Neurosurge
Rare · Power · Necrobinder
Gain . Draw 2 cards. At the start of your turn, apply 3 Doom to yourself.

Neutralize
Basic · Attack · Silent
Deal 3 damage. Apply 1 Weak.

Oblivion
Rare · Skill · Necrobinder
Whenever you play a card this turn, apply 3 Doom to the enemy.

Offering
Rare · Skill · Ironclad
Lose 6 HP. Gain . Draw 3 cards.

Omnislice
Uncommon · Attack · Colorless
Deal 8 damage. Damage ALL other enemies equal to the damage dealt.

Overclock
Uncommon · Skill · Defect
Draw 2 cards. Add a Burn into your Discard Pile.

Pact's End
Rare · Attack · Ironclad
Can only be played if you have 3 or more cards in your Exhaust Pile. Deal 17 damage to ALL enemies.

Panache
Uncommon · Power · Colorless
Every time you play 5 cards in a single turn, deal 10 damage to ALL enemies.

Panic Button
Uncommon · Skill · Colorless
Gain 30 Block. You cannot gain Block from cards for 2 turns.

Particle Wall
Uncommon · Skill · Regent
Gain 9 Block. Return this card to your Hand.

Poke
Common · Attack · Necrobinder
Osty deals 6 damage.

Precise Cut
Uncommon · Attack · Silent
Deal 15 damage. Deals 2 less damage for each other card in your Hand.

Prepared
Common · Skill · Silent
Draw 1 card. Discard 1 card.

Primal Force
Rare · Skill · Ironclad
Transform all Attacks in your Hand into Giant Rock.

Production
Uncommon · Skill · Colorless
Gain .

Prolong
Uncommon · Skill · Colorless
Next turn, gain Block equal to your current Block.

Purity
Uncommon · Skill · Colorless
Exhaust up to 3 cards in your Hand.

Quasar
Uncommon · Skill · Regent
Choose 1 of 3 random Colorless cards to add into your Hand.

Radiate
Uncommon · Attack · Regent
Deal 3 damage to ALL enemies for each gained this turn.

Rage
Uncommon · Skill · Ironclad
Whenever you play an Attack this turn, gain 3 Block.

Reboot
Rare · Skill · Defect
Shuffle ALL your cards into your Draw Pile. Draw 4 cards.

Restlessness
Uncommon · Skill · Colorless
If your Hand is empty, draw 2 cards and gain .

Right Hand Hand
Uncommon · Attack · Necrobinder
Osty deals 4 damage. Whenever you play a card that costs or more, return this to your Hand from the Discard Pile.

Royal Gamble
Uncommon · Skill · Regent
Gain 9 .

Seance
Rare · Skill · Necrobinder
Transform a card in your Draw Pile into Soul.

Secret Technique
Rare · Skill · Colorless
Put a Skill from your Draw Pile into your Hand.

Secret Weapon
Rare · Skill · Colorless
Put an Attack from your Draw Pile into your Hand.

Shared Fate
Rare · Skill · Necrobinder
Lose 2 Strength. Enemy loses 2 Strength.

Shiv
Token · Attack · token
Deal 4 damage.

Skewer
Uncommon · Attack · Silent
Deal 7 damage X times.

Slice
Common · Attack · Silent
Deal 6 damage.

Soul
Token · Skill · token
Draw 2 cards.

Spite
Uncommon · Attack · Ironclad
Deal 6 damage. If you lost HP this turn, draw 1 card.

Stardust
Uncommon · Attack · Regent
Deal 5 damage to a random enemy X times.

Supercritical
Rare · Skill · Defect
Gain .

Suppress
Ancient · Attack · Silent
Deal 11 damage. Apply 3 Weak.

Sweeping Gaze
Token · Attack · token
Osty deals 10 damage to a random enemy.

Tempest
Uncommon · Skill · Defect
Channel X Lightning.

Tesla Coil
Uncommon · Attack · Defect
Deal 3 damage. Trigger all Lightning against the enemy.

The Gambit
Rare · Skill · Colorless
Gain 50 Block. If you take unblocked attack damage this combat, die.

Thinking Ahead
Uncommon · Skill · Colorless
Draw 2 cards. Put 1 card from your Hand on top of your Draw Pile.

TURBO
Common · Skill · Defect
Gain . Add a Void into your Discard Pile.

Undeath
Rare · Skill · Necrobinder
Gain 7 Block. Add a copy of this card into your Discard Pile.

Volley
Uncommon · Attack · Colorless
Deal 10 damage to a random enemy X times.

Whirlwind
Uncommon · Attack · Ironclad
Deal 5 damage to ALL enemies X times.

Wish
Ancient · Skill · event
Put a card from your Draw Pile into your Hand.

Wisp
Common · Skill · Necrobinder
Gain .