The Silent’s Shiv Mechanic: How to Make a Returning Favorite Work

The Silent is back in the Spire (with some scary story implications) in Slay the Spire 2, and so is one of its classic builds: the Shiv archetype. Relying on spamming 0-Cost damage cards and looking super stylish while doing it, it has been the favorite of many StS players, including your humble author.

Here’s how the Shiv mechanic has made it to Slay the Spire 2, and how you can win runs with it.

Shivs in Slay the Spire 2 – everything you need to know

Shivs are 0-Cost colorless Attack cards that deal 4 damage and Exhaust when played. They are generated by other cards in your deck rather than drafted directly, making Shiv builds with the Silent a unique exercise in card generation and hand management. When upgraded, they deal 6 damage instead, and other cards like Accuracy also amplify their damage.

So the name of the game is to get more and more Shivs with cards like Infinite Blades while buffing their damage output.

At the time of writing, the Slay the Spire 2 early access builds have somewhat overtuned the Sly mechanic, making Discard builds the preferred option for the Silent. You can read more about The Silent's exclusive mechanics and alternative built options on its character page. However, Shivs remain super fun and viable – here is how you can make the most out of it.

We’d like to thank former collegiate Hearthstone player and current roguelike content creator Flare for his excellent research, which you should check out below if you’d like to get additional expert commentary on the cards and the build.

How to Start Building a Shiv Build in Slay the Spire 2

Blade Dance is strong early damage. Unlike in the original game, this card now Exhausts, so don’t over-draft copies expecting to chain them. Cloak and Dagger is the more versatile early pick, offering 6 Block plus a Shiv (two when upgraded) for 1 Energy. It gives you both offense and defense on the same card, which is valuable in Act 1 when your deck is still thin. It works as a flex pickup even if you don’t commit to the build.

Leading Strike was changed in the v0.102.0 Beta Patch, which is the latest at the time of writing, reducing its base damage to 3 but giving you two Shivs, increasing its synergy aspect. This patch also reworked Blade of Ink, which now gives you two Enchanted Shivs, likely increasing the build’s overall viability once it hits the main release.

Scaling Up with Shiv cards in Slay the Spire 2

Up My Sleeve is where the archetype starts to shine, with its continuous cost reduction making it one of your key damage sources in a drawn-out fight later in the game – and an incredible value-generator in just one card.

Phantom Blades and Accuracy are your two key damage-scaling Powers, but they push your build in separate directions. The former lets you comfortably space out Shivs without losing them at the end of your turn, which is exactly how you get maximum value from the per-turn bonus, especially with Infinite Blades involved.

Hidden Daggers pairs naturally with Sly cards like Reflex, Tactician, and Untouchable that gain value from being discarded, and is a decent flex choice.

StS2’s Late-Game Shiv Payoffs and Finishers

Knife Trap is not essential for the build to function, but it's a powerful finisher. Storm of Steel works best when combined with discard synergies rather than in a fully dedicated Shiv deck, where your hand is likely already full of Shivs you'd rather keep. Fan of Knives is a key card, as its AoE effect solves one of the archetype's main weaknesses. It is a key new tool compared to the original Slay the Spire.

Each Shiv-related Relic and Potion is a straightforward pickup to any build of the archetype, with Ninja Scroll making it an immediate direction for your deck in Act 1 – it is 12 free damage with no setup required, scaling further with Accuracy or Strength. Helical Dart is a 1-to-1 trigger, unlike Kunai, which requires 3 Attacks. Cunning Potion is solid in any deck and excellent with Accuracy.

Flare is a former collegiate Hearthstone player, now roguelike content creator and a Slay the Spire 2 expert. You can check out his YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@flareisgone