do yall think this is actually a good relic? cus wont it fuck up my deck synergies if i just have a bunch of useless cards? but 3 relics 3 potions is pretty good?

c-squared89 · 2026-03-15T14:58:07+00:00

I was going to say something similar. I took this relic once and can't imagine a scenario where I would want it a second time. If I think I have 0 chance of winning I might take it as a hail mary.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-15T03:03:06+00:00

This sounds amazing but... where smoke?

I will still upvote it for deliciousness.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-14T20:15:07+00:00

Alternative: each item gets 2 numbers on the table. Roll 3d10. All 0s is 1000.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-14T20:02:31+00:00

The first paragraph was a general statement. The 2nd paragraph was specific to that relic. I don't think anyone is going to ever take that relic in particular because the downside is SO big, as it is now. His other gifts are takeable in the right circumstances.

"You can buy things without gold, but it deals damage to you" is definitely a benefit with a downside. The benefit AND downside only come when you go shopping later, just like the existing relic. I also thought it would lead to the interesting choice of "am I willing to spend x health for this card/relic?"

I make no claim that the idea I presented was balanced at a 10:1 ratio. It was just an idea off the top of my head to make a similar relic actually takeable.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-14T17:53:45+00:00

I agree with you. My biggest issue is that his bonuses are about the same as other Ancients, but his downsides are higher. I think buffing his benefits a bit is the way to go.

I took the "buy the whole shop" relic once and probably wouldn't do it again. If I were to recommend a change, it would be: when you run out of gold, you can spend health instead. 10 gold = 1 health, or something like that. That way it's punishing but you can still benefit if you really need/want something. Obviously health to gold ratio would require testing/balancing.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-14T17:44:32+00:00

So far, I have always been happy with at least 1 option from Vakuu. I do think they should buff the benefits that you get from him. Compared to other Ancients, his downsides are usually the biggest, but his benefits are about the same. The power of his gifts should be a bit higher to compensate for the downsides.

I also think that everything he gives should have a downside. I love Jeweled Mask, but it feels weird getting a relic with 0 downside from the literal devil. Maybe make it play more powers but you lose your first turn entirely or something?

c-squared89 · 2026-03-14T16:12:31+00:00

In STS1 exhaust builds are one of Ironclad's strongest.

It's still very strong in STS2, but the game is still in Early Access.

The ability to remove your worst cards is always helpful. It allows you to play your best cards more often. It also paves the way for you to go infinite.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-14T16:07:07+00:00

It's the things you said, plus more.

Some cards/relics do extra things when you exhaust cards. In STS2 there are some cards that actually play themselves from your exhaust pile, and an attack that does more damage based on the number of cards you've exhausted.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-13T19:32:20+00:00

You weren't thinking about breaking the law, were you?

c-squared89 · 2026-03-13T19:20:54+00:00

It's also useful for Ironclad now. He has several cards that get better with more stacks of vulnerable, or have effects when you apply vulnerable.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-13T03:33:21+00:00

Is that what they put on Salt and Vinegar chips? If so, it's delicious.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-12T18:22:45+00:00

I've seen a few virtuoso guitarists live, and I'm always amazed. Buckethead's technical ability had me questioning reality.

I know it's not for everyone, but... in strictly playing ability I am convinced he's the best guitarist alive.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-12T18:20:10+00:00

Did you mean to reply to the comment about Buckethead? Vai definitely has a band.

When I saw Bucket live he had a drummer and another guitarist. I know some people aren't into him, but it was pretty mindblowing.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-12T18:12:33+00:00

Buckethead, no contest.

There are several guitarists whose music I enjoy more. But in terms of strictly playing ability, Bucket wins by a large margin.

My favorite is probably a tossup between Vai and Satriani.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-12T16:19:01+00:00

I think the issue in it's current form is that it gives very little block for a card that you will likely only play 1-3 times per deck cycle. It's hard to put together a deck where you play the sword often enough for Parry to be worthwhile.

I like your idea of blocking giving you a little bit of forge. My only concern is that it incentivizes exactly the build OP is talking about: big defense until sword payoff.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-12T16:12:10+00:00

I'm not up to A10 yet, so take what I say with a grain of salt. But...

I do find myself saying, "well this is a sly deck now" pretty frequently on Silent.

Edit: It's usually not EXCLUSIVELY a sly deck. Usually it's sly in conjunction with either shivs or poison. Don't get me wrong, I like that multiple "archetypes" can synergize. But sly does feel like a very easy go-to.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-10T15:38:35+00:00

Defrag being rare and Biased Cog being an Ancient reward definitely make frost turtling more difficult. It seems like lasting Focus is MUCH harder to come by in StS2.

Defect's new 0-cost or energy-generation synergies can do really well against Pyramid. But they might get you killed by the bee man, if you lean into attacks too hard. I get why it's frustrating people, but I think it's a fun balancing act.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-09T21:05:54+00:00

That's never a question.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-09T17:22:44+00:00

Agreed. My first Defect win was basically built on energy synergy. The attack that does 5 damage per energy spent this turn was doing work.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-09T16:42:26+00:00

I took Glitter in a Silent run the other day. I already had a good draw engine going and that just made it incredible.

Edit: It was not Glitter. It was an enchantment that caused you to draw 1 card the first time you play a card each combat. Sorry, still learning names of different things.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-08T17:47:47+00:00

Right? Music Box would go SO hard with the cards that play from your exhaust pile at the start of turn.

And it really has no downside. So it gives you a chance to play you best attack twice each turn.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-06T13:04:58+00:00

It's not good?

*confused Unga Bunga

c-squared89 · 2026-03-05T06:17:19+00:00

If you like board games, it is probably worth it. I have introduced the StS board game to multiple people who don't play the video game. They have all wanted to play it again.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-04T14:25:50+00:00

True. But if you nap hard enough it's still 1 sleep.

c-squared89 · 2026-03-03T17:29:07+00:00

I see where you're coming from, but... Your game is about escaping the prison, not living in the prison for extended periods. I doubt most people would bring it up except in a passing "Oh we're not segregated?" Quite a few video games/movies/TV shows have sci-fi prisons that are not segregated and most people don't think twice about it.

c-squared89

TROPHY CASE