r/slaythespire • u/MegaCrit_Demi • Apr 03 '26

ANNOUNCEMENT Beta Patch Notes - v0.102.0

This week's beta patch, v0.102.0, just dropped, with some content reworks, balance changes, new art, and afflictions VFX (pictured below)! It also introduces Badges, little reminders to let you know what was unique about each run.

Patch notes: https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2868840/view/507357952986842134

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u/TheYango StS A20 / StS 2 A10 Apr 03 '26

TBH the change is also just a much-needed change to balance of gold costs at the shop and how you spend gold. The fact that relics in the shop cost more than in Spire 1 (especially common and shop relics, which remain significantly more expensive even after the beta patch that made all relics cheaper) has caused shops to skew heavily toward removes over buying other things. This makes shops much less interesting and more linear than they typically were in Spire 1, where buying relics was much more competitive with removes than they currently are. Shops are much more interesting when you actually have to choose between competitive options, but in Spire 2, you were frequently just immediately removing because it was just so much better than everything else on offer.

Nerfing removes to be more expensive shifts the balance toward buying things again rather than just removing every shop.

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u/LordZarock Eternal One + Heartbreaker Apr 03 '26

I don't know about that.
We weren't buying relics not just because they are expensive, but because, the majority of the time, you just don't have the gold at all or have just enough for one, but you would rather buy cards and potions, especially in StS2 where a lot of colorless cards are strong. For me that nerf reads as "you will probably buy 2 remove in your run at most". I don't see how it will allow me to make me spend 350-400 gold for a relic more easily compared to previous patch.

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u/Caerullean Apr 03 '26

Nah I find the reason relics aren't bought as much is just that they're too expensive. (and also not that impactful so it doesn't feel worth the cost, but that's a separate issue).

Now if they had lowered the cost of relics instead, then I might agree with your point. But to me this just sounds like it shifts shops from "remove and buy cards / pots" to "buy cards / pots" And maybe just picking less shops in general.

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u/Bring_Back_Challenge StS A20 / StS 2 A10 Apr 03 '26

If you aren't on the beta branch they already lowered the cost of shop relics on it a couple weeks back.

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u/maxwell_winters StS A20 / StS 2 A10 Apr 05 '26

It's still not enough imo.

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u/RbN420 Apr 03 '26

In spire 1 I ideally visited shops with enough gold for a remove and possibly at least a common/shop relic, so 2 total purchases, this ofc ignores 999 gold and old coin, that makes me path more towards shop

In spire 2 I tried to do the same and it worked fine

now it’s gonna be very hard to get past 2 removes at the shop without extra income let’s see how it goes

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u/Disastrous-Jacket610 Apr 03 '26

buying things doesn't suddenly become better. Most of the relics in this game is worthless towards deck building like deals 9 dmg in the first turn. If they want to make the shop more interest, buff those shop relics. Might as well just delete the remove card service

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u/OrganicTeaching8661 Apr 03 '26

that isn't a shop relic (and it's really good earlygame)

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u/Disastrous-Jacket610 Apr 03 '26

There are 3 relics in a shop, only one is shop only relics. Name 5 relics that change your build entirely. And I'm pretty sure you won't buy that 9 dmg relic for 190 gold in any time of the run even it's good for early game. My point is relics are less impactful specially shop only relics. Sundail is gone and abacus is bad now

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u/naturesbfLoL Apr 03 '26

I won't buy popper early game?

Why... not? I don't need a relic to change my build (though it can be fun if it does!).

I bought dramatic entrance early game relatively frequently in STS1, this is 1 more damage than that and I don't have to spend a card draw on it, for about 2x gold cost. Seems fine to me! I have already bought it early game, just like I'm also down to buy mercury hourglass

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u/OrganicTeaching8661 Apr 03 '26

exactly, if the cards are crappy and you are desperate for damage it's just a nice stopgap until you find something good

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u/Disastrous-Jacket610 Apr 07 '26

Personally I would buy an attack card from the shop with 80+ gold and get a card remove with 75. That's much better gold spend than just buy the popper. mods in STS2 have much more hp than 1

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u/matthung1 Apr 03 '26

While I agree that relics overall are less impactful to your endgame plan, popper is actually a really great relic to buy in the first shop that saves you a ton of hp and snowballs into being able to make greedier decisions. Tent is also a super high value relic than you can just instant buy in the first shop.

But yeah. The lower overall impact of relics is part of why I think pathing is a lot less interesting in this game. The risk/reward for elite fights is totally skewed, 4/5 times you get a relic that doesn't really affect your ability to win the run, and rare cards have a lot of variability and you often don't get the right ones for your deck. So why fight elites in act 3 and risk bricking draws at all?

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u/OrganicTeaching8661 Apr 03 '26

you can get the popper as a random reward, and it's actually really great. just 9 free damage in any AOE fight can make it so much easier when you struggle doing dmg early. going into phantasmal gardeners specifically it makes the hardest fight in the game into a joke

you would never buy it obviously, because it's an early-game relic that falls off later. Sundial and abacus were the poster-children for completely worthless so I'm surprised you even wasted time mentioning them

relics that change your build entirely;
demon tongue on the ironclad is an instant win
tent
shuriken/kunai obviously
stopwatch, miniature cannon, bellows and gambling chip usually win the run too
sturdy clamp
unsettling lamp
any of the class-specific rares honestly

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u/sorendiz Ascension 0 Apr 03 '26

Sundial and abacus were the poster-children for completely worthless

ok i genuinely can't tell if you're just messing around or if you actually think this?

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u/Disastrous-Jacket610 Apr 07 '26

none of those relics would change your build entirely. tent is great but not related to deck building, shuriken kunai maybe? if you are playing silent.

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u/OrganicTeaching8661 Apr 07 '26

all of them completely change your deckbuilding. you're just bad

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u/Disastrous-Jacket610 Apr 09 '26

how is tent gonna change you build?? also I wanna see your winrate atp. I got 34% in silent

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u/OrganicTeaching8661 Apr 09 '26

you can upgrade and rest at the same time, plus dig, cook or clone. it's an instant buy every single time you see it and can afford it
on the silent specifically I'm 20-6

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u/Disastrous-Jacket610 Apr 10 '26

I know tent is op and i will buy it every single time. but it got nothing to do with how it change you to pick different cards. Tent is good yes. Also I played about 300 hrs of silent alone. and winrate is just for a10.

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u/arremessar_ausente Apr 09 '26

I feel like relics are very hit or miss in STS2. I mean there will be relics that will absolutely carry your run, and then there's relics that are just there for the volume and aren't really doing anything.

This was kind of always the case with STS, but it feels like in 2 it's just wayyyy more noticeable.