Best Cards For The Silent In Slay The Spire

Summary

• Silent’s deck focuses on blocks, poisons, and energy gains, emphasizing avoiding damage and quick kills.
• Prioritize versatile cards like Catalyst and Die Die Die to enhance her playstyle in Slay the Spire.
• Understand and utilize cards like Well-Laid Plans and After Image to excel in crafting unbeatable strategies.

The Silent is the rogue-like class of Slay The Spire and comes with an interesting deck of cards that players can build. She is unique in that her cards do not heal her HP, ever. Instead, she must focus on avoiding damage through blocks, quickly killing her opponents through poisons, and utilizing lots of energy gains to accomplish both.

She offers fast-paced gameplay, and players who understand this core characteristic of her deck can quickly master her and swiftly decimate opponents. Given Silent’s complex playstyle in Slay the Spire, it’s essential to prioritize versatile additions to the deck, ensuring a balance of block, group damage, and enhanced poison effects.

The crafty Silent excels at avoiding damage while methodically wearing down enemies with relentless attacks and poison over time. To build an optimal deck for this deadly rogue, consider using what many regard as the best Slay the Spire cards for Silent.

Updated March 20, 2025 by Vlad Mazanko: The long-awaited Slay the Spire 2 is currently expected to launch in early access sometime in 2025, but in the meantime, players across all platforms can enjoy the original, which remains one of the best roguelike deck-builders ever. This list has been updated to expand and highlight each card’s stats, best-use scenarios, and overall effectiveness.

15

Dash

Gain 10 Block, Deal 10 Damage

• Type: Attack
• Rarity: Uncommon
• Default Cost: 2
• Upgraded Effect: Increase Block and Damage to 13

Dash is a brutal defensive and offensive card for Silent in Slay the Spire. For two energy, it can be played to gain 10 Block and deal 10 damage to a single enemy. Dealing 10 damage to a single enemy isn’t too shabby and can quickly take down a potential problem.

The 10 Block is also very handy and can help the player survive counterattacks or damage dealt by the fallen foe’s teammates. It’s a great foundational card to remove threats and come out stronger in one move.

14

Backflip

Gain 5 Block, Draw 2 Cards

• Type: Skill
• Rarity: Common
• Default Cost: 1
• Upgraded Effect: Increase Block Gain to 8

Backflip is a handy defensive and utility card, somewhat resembling Dash for its multipurpose nature. In one move, players can obtain five Block and draw two new cards for the cost of just one energy. Five Block is enough to absorb a solid blow, acting as a great layer of defense.

The two-card draw could also yield something useful to further improve defense or give the player extra options. Backflip isn’t exactly a game-changer on its own, but it enhances the versatility of any deck and can prove a winning move during a tough encounter if given access to better cards.

13

Die Die Die

Deal 13 Damage to All Enemies, Exhaust

• Type: Attack
• Rarity: Rare
• Default Cost: 1
• Upgraded Effect: Increase Damage to 17

Die Die Die is a powerful attack card that inflicts 13 to 17 damage to all enemies. This is great for taking down a group of weakened foes or minions or lowering defenses across the board. The card will Exhaust after use, so keep that in mind.

Admittedly, it’s better used against multiple opponents; otherwise, it’s only slightly better than Dash or Backstab. But against three or more enemies, this card deals a whopping 39 points of damage in one move. This card should be a staple for any Silent facing potential group fights.

12

Catalyst

Double the Enemy’s Poison, Exhaust

• Type: Skill
• Rarity: Uncommon
• Default Cost: 1
• Upgraded Effect: Triple the Enemy’s Poison

When played, Catalyst causes an enemy’s Poison to be doubled. To exploit this card, the player needs to quickly stack Poison on one enemy and then double it to absurd heights, watching even the toughest foes collapsing turn by turn. The card Corpse Explosion offers neat synergy as it inflicts six Poison that can be doubled to 12.

The Catalyst card will Exhaust afterward, so players need to ensure it’s used to the greatest effect during the battle. But when done correctly, it can cause major problems for any Elite enemy unfortunate enough to stand in the Silent’s way.

11

Wraith Form

Gain 2 Intangible, Lose 1 Dexterity at the End of a Turn

• Type: Power
• Rarity: Rare
• Default Cost: 3
• Upgraded Effect: Increase Intangible Gain to 3

Wraith Form gives the player two Intangible at the cost of one Dexterity. The loss of Dexterity is why this card doesn’t rank higher, as this drawback can be significant if the battle drags on. Dexterity is tied to Block and a lower Dexterity means less resistance to attacks.

Fortunately for Silent, there are a lot of Dexterity-boosting cards in the deck, and two Intangible are usually very valuable. Intangible reduces damage received and HP loss to a minimum. This is essentially a more effective form of Block and, when stacked, can make the player nearly impossible to kill in Slay the Spire.

10

Caltrops

Deal 3 Damage Back Whenever Attacked

• Type: Power
• Rarity: Uncommon
• Default Cost: 1
• Upgraded Effect: Increase Damage to 5

One of many Power cards for Silent on this list, Caltrops causes the enemy to receive three damage whenever the player’s character is attacked. This simple card can improve overall DPS as Silent will passively damage every enemy each time she takes a hit.

However, it ranks lower because, ideally, players should avoid as many hits as possible. With a high block, though, playing Caltrops lets Silent deal free damage to her opponents without any downside. It’s also very fun watching foes take damage for daring to strike the player. It pairs great with any Thorn relic in Slay the Spire too, pushing those retaliation numbers painfully high.

9

Corpse Explosion

Apply 6 Poison; When an Enemy Dies, Deal Damage Equal to Its Max HP to All Enemies

• Type: Skill
• Rarity: Rare
• Default Cost: 2
• Upgraded Effect: Increase Poison to 9

A gory concept to be sure, Corpse Explosion applies six Poison to enemies for damage over time. When that foe’s health pool finally runs out, they explode, dealing damage to their allies equal to their max HP. When played at the right moment in battle, the card’s damage output can be ridiculously high.

The poison is useful for whittling down foes with huge health pools and then turning that abundance of health against their allies when they die. Tagging the toughest fighter with this ability and then concentrating efforts on bringing it down is a solid strategy for taking out durable groups in battle with ease.

8

Alchemize

Obtain a Random Potion, Exhaust

• Type: Skill
• Rarity: Rare
• Default Cost: 1
• Upgraded Effect: Reduce Cost to 0

When playing this card, Silent will receive a random potion she can use at any convenient moment. Obtaining any potion is bound to be helpful, and it can be a great way to get some needed health or another ability, assuming luck favors her.

It can’t be relied upon to provide what is needed, so it’s challenging to incorporate the Alchemize card into any strategy. However, the randomized ability to obtain a potion is too strong to ignore. The small energy cost makes this a great card to use to expend the last of one’s energy and hopefully obtain something useful. Not to mention that upon upgrading it, players can gain free potions whenever they draw Alchemize in Slay the Spire.

7

Terror

Apply 99 Vulnerable, Exhaust

• Type: Skill
• Rarity: Uncommon
• Default Cost: 1
• Upgraded Effect: Reduce Cost to 0

This Skill card is incredibly valuable against a tough adversary in Silent’s arsenal. When played, it applies 99 Vulnerability. This causes enemies to receive 50% increased damage from each attack for, well, enough time until the battle ends.

This is invaluable in boss fights, as it can practically increase damage output by 50% for the entire duration of the fight. Outside of boss battles, it pairs well with something like Corpse Explosion, making it effective against heavy-hitting Elite enemies with menacing health pools.

6

Adrenaline

Gain 1 Energy, Draw 2 Cards, Exhaust

• Type: Skill
• Rarity: Rare
• Default Cost: 0
• Upgraded Effect: Increase Energy Gain to 2

Upon use, this simple card provides one extra energy and allows two additional cards to be drawn. It may not seem as impactful as more visceral cards like Corpse Explosion, but the Silent’s deck is filled with cards that require only one energy, and those two extra draws can often be game-changers in a challenging round.

The extra energy ensures that whatever is drawn can be played, whether it’s a much-needed Block card, a Poison attack for early use in a tough battle, or a Power card to boost overall efforts sooner. There is very little reason not to play this card as soon as it becomes available or not to add it to every Silent deck.

5

Envenom

Whenever An Attack Deals Unblocked Damage, Apply 1 Poison

• Type: Power
• Rarity: Rare
• Default Cost: 2
• Upgraded Effect: Reduce Cost to 1

A real treat to unleash upon Silent’s foes, this Power card applies one Poison whenever an attack deals unblocked damage. One Poison may not seem like much, but it stacks with every attack, which occurs frequently in a properly-built Silent deck.

Another key advantage is the ability to combine this effect with a multi-target strike like Die Die Die, poisoning all enemies in a single hit. At the very least, it provides another way to chip away at an opponent’s health, helping to speed up the flow of battle in Slay the Spire significantly.

4

Noxious Fumes

At the Start of a Turn, Apply 2 Poison to All Enemies

• Type: Power
• Rarity: Uncommon
• Default Cost: 1
• Upgraded Effect: Increase Poison to 3

This Power card is very similar to Envenom, but much more powerful while also being far passive. At the start of each turn, two Poison is applied to every enemy on the battlefield, and it doesn’t matter if an attack is made or not – they will be poisoned.

This is great when not directly damaging the enemy every round, as they will take damage every turn for the entire match regardless. In fact, this card is key to many players’ more passive strategies for winning as Silent, which often involves bolstering Block and letting poison kill enemies.

3

After Image

Gain 1 Block Whenever a Card Is Played

• Type: Power
• Rarity: Rare
• Default Cost: 1
• Upgraded Effect: Add Innate

A great reference to the Dragon Ball universe, After Image is a Power card that gives one point of Block whenever a card is played. It may seem weak at first, but the Silent deck specializes in having plenty of energy and cards that use very little energy, so playing many cards in a single turn is not uncommon, especially with cards like Adrenaline mentioned above.

A self-sustaining cycle can be created by using cards that draw more cards, which in turn can be used to draw even more cards. Each card consumed in these cycles adds more and more Block to the character. At the very least, it guarantees at least two to three Block every turn, minimizing the sting of each attack.

2

Glass Knife

Deal 8 Damage Twice, Decrease This Card’s Damage by 2 This Combat

• Type: Attack
• Rarity: Rare
• Default Cost: 1
• Upgraded Effect: Increase Damage to 12

The Glass Knife is by far the most powerful attack players as Silent can perform in Slay the Spire. It performs two attacks, dealing eight damage each, but then decreases its damage by two the next turn.

That last part is a bit disappointing, as the card loses efficiency as players get further into battle and continue drawing this card, but the double hit is useful for triggering many other cards and Powers in Silent’s arsenal, and with that initial damage so high, it remains impressive overall.

1

Well-Laid Plans

At the End of a Turn, Retain 1 Card

• Type: Power
• Rarity: Uncommon
• Default Cost: 0
• Upgraded Effect: Increase the Number of Retained Cards to 2

Easily Silent’s best card in Slay the Spire is Well-Laid Plans. This Power card allows retaining one of the cards from the hand. The ability to hold onto strong cards for later turns is immensely powerful, as it minimizes the loss of good cards each turn, enables building toward bigger strategies down the road, and provides extra tactical options.

The key to any Silent deck is thinking ahead and creating chains of blocks and attacks that cripple the enemy while bolstering the Block. A card like this improves the odds of accomplishing this by enabling the saving of at least one strong card for when it will be most useful later.