The biggest jump in difficulty in STS2 happens between Act 1 and Act 2. A deck that cruised through Act 1 elites can get destroyed in Act 2 hallways. This guide covers the specific draft priorities, card evaluations, and mindset shifts needed to transition a successful Act 1 deck through Acts 2 and 3 to a Heart kill.
Act 1 → Act 2: the hardest transition
Checklist before entering Act 2: (1) AoE damage — at least one card that hits all enemies. (2) A scaling plan — how does your deck win a 4-5 turn fight? (3) Enough block density to handle 15-20 damage per turn. (4) At least one potion that helps in a tough fight.
Act 2 hallway fights have a significantly higher damage floor than Act 1. If your Act 1 deck was greedy (all scaling, no defense), Act 2 is where it dies. Use the last few Act 1 floors to pick defensive cards if needed.
Blessing choice at Act 2 entry is critical. Look for blessings that patch your biggest weakness. If you lack AoE, an AoE blessing. If block is thin, a defensive blessing. If your deck is already strong, pick the most scaling-oriented blessing.
Card evaluation shifts in Act 2
Cards you skipped in Act 1 become good in Act 2. AoE cards like Conflagration (Ironclad, 1-cost, deal 10 to all, +2 per other Attack played), Sweeping Beam (Defect, 1-cost, deal 6 to all, draw 1), and Echoing Slash (Silent, 1-cost, deal 10 to all, repeats per kill) go from situational to essential.
Status and affliction management becomes important. Cards that handle statuses — Flak Cannon (Defect, exhaust ALL statuses, deal damage), Cleanse (Necrobinder, Summon 3, exhaust 1 from draw pile) — are draftable in Act 2 even if they were skips in Act 1.
Energy generation becomes more important. In Act 1, energy relics and Bloodletting/Turbo were nice to have. In Act 2, they are frequently the difference between winning and losing. Prioritize them.
Act 2 → Act 3: polishing the engine
By Act 3, your deck should be doing its thing consistently. Act 3 is about removing the last weak cards, adding the final energy/draw pieces, and ensuring your scaling plan wins before Act 3 bosses scale out of control.
Card removal at shops: Act 3 is the best time to strip starter cards from your deck. A deck running with 3 Strikes and 3 Defends still has 6 dead draws. Remove them aggressively.
The final boss check: before committing to your Act 3 path, know who the boss is. The Time Eater equivalent in STS2 limits card plays per turn. The Awakened one equivalent punishes power-heavy decks. Adjust your draft if needed.
Potion loadout for Act 3: one block potion, one energy potion, one damage/strength potion. The flexibility of having the right potion for the specific boss fight cannot be overstated.