Slay the Spire 2 v0.109.0 Patch Notes – Beta Branch Update (New Neow Relics & Card Reworks)

The July 17 Slay the Spire 2 beta patch, coded v0.109.0, introduces two new Neow relics, a new Quest card and a rather interesting looking potion. It also brings along major card reworks and the usual slate of balance adjustments.

Check out our previous patch-note rundowns below to trace the development changes in full:

• v0.108.0
• v0.107.1 – Main Branch Update
• v0.107.0
• v0.106.0
• v0.105.0
• v0.104.0
• v0.103.2 - Main Branch Update

Slay the Spire 2 v0.109.0 Beta Branch Patch Notes – Key Insights

Content Changes – new Ancient Relics

Dowsing Rod adds the new Dowsing Quest card to your deck. After you enter five ? rooms, it transforms into Abundance, a one-cost Ancient Skill that lets you choose one of three upgraded Powers, add it to your hand, and play it for free that turn.

Neow’s Sacrifice gives you the new Ambergris potion and adds Guilty to your deck as a downside. Ambergris heals 50% of your maximum HP and immediately grants an extra turn, which feels like an instant win button for many scenarios.

Balance Changes

Relic Changes

• Nonupeipe’s Diamond Diadem rework: now starts combat with 20 Block that is not removed at the start of your next turn (was half damage from enemies whenever you played 2 or fewer cards in a turn)
• Orobos’ Sand Castle pool change: Pool 1 to Pool 2
• Darv blessing pool change: increased variety, with Energy relics appearing more often
• Tanx’s Meat Cleaver HP gain nerf: 9 to 5
• Tezcatara’s Toy Box relic gain buff: 4 to 5
• Vakuu’s Fiddle card draw buff: 2 to 3
• Vakuu’s Sere Talon and Distinguished Cape swapped downsides (adding two random Curses to your deck and losing 9 max HP, respectively)
• History Course (previously: At the start of your turn, play a copy of your last played Attack or Skill) now only repeats Attacks.

Enemy Changes

• Aeonglass' Ebb damage nerf: 26(32) to 22(26)
• Torchhead Amalgam opening damage buff: now uses Strong Tackle on turn 1, increasing damage from 18(22) to 26(32)

Card Changes – Singleplayer

Ironclad

• Demon Form Strength buff: 2(3) to 3(4)
• Expect a Fight buff: removed “You cannot gain additional Energy this turn.”
• Primal Force Giant Rock damage buff: 16(20) to 20(24)
• Taunt Block nerf: 7(8) to 6(7)
• Taunt rarity change: Uncommon to Common
• Bloodletting rarity change: Common to Uncommon
• Cruelty rarity change: Rare to Uncommon
• Dominate rarity change: Uncommon to Rare

Silent

• Mirage rework: now costs 0 and grants 1(2) Energy next turn (was 1(0) Energy to gain Block equal to Poison on ALL enemies and Exhaust)
• Well-Laid Plans rework:
• • Now costs 1(0) and prevents you from discarding your Hand at the end of your turn (was 1 Energy to Retain up to 1(2) card)
  • Rarity change: Uncommon to Rare; the card is now also available in multiplayer
• Expertise now draws 2(3) cards and gives them Retain this turn (was draw until you have 6(7) cards in your Hand)
• Outbreak damage buff: 3(4) to 4(5)
• Accelerant rarity change: Rare to Uncommon

Regent

• Pillar of Creation rework: the first card you create each turn now grants 5(7) Block (was 3 Block whenever you created a card)
• Collision Course damage nerf: 11(15) to 10(14)

Necrobinder

• Eidolon rework: now plays ALL Ethereal cards in your Exhaust Pile and Exhausts (was Exhaust your Hand and gain 1 Intangible if 9 cards were Exhausted)

Defect

• Hyperbeam damage buff: 28(36) to 30(38)
• Sunder damage buff: 24(32) to 26(34)
• Trash to Treasure upgrade rework: now lowers cost by 1 instead of granting Innate

Card Changes – Multiplayer

Regent

• Tutor added: Rare Skill, costs 1(0): Another player chooses a card in their Draw Pile to add into their Hand

Multiplayer Balance Changes

• Midnight damage nerf: 99(120) to 60(72)
• The Ball damage scaling nerf: +15(25) to +10(15)
• Blade Symphony cost nerf: 1 to 2(1); upgrade no longer increases Shiv count
• Well-Laid Plans (as previously mentioned) is now available in multiplayer

 You can read the full list of changes on Steam.

Absey32’s impressions of the v0.109.0 patch

"So many bold Clad changes, and losing a reliable energy source like common Bloodletting is by far the most impactful of the bunch.

Buffing Well-Laid Plans is questionable even as a Rare, but I sympathise with wanting to streamline out its selection screen. I'm still overall happy for constant retain to be offered less often, as well as see other retain cards be explored.

I'm surprised they're reverting the Expect a Fight nerf that prevented simple infinites, so it makes me wonder if Megacrit will lean more on enemies to stop that playstyle from dominating. I'm trying to be optimistic, but this change seems really weird.

Diamond Diadem was reworked, rejoice! It was incredibly dominant, and not too fun to play with. I have a feeling that this new version will be more pickable than it lets on. Some decks just need that cushion to set up, and then become untouchable.

This Vakuu's Fiddle buff is wild. I get that it was globally under-performing, but stats don't say everything. This thing is straight busted now."

Absey32 is a writer and streamer passionate about roguelites, arena shooters, consumer tech, and discovering music.

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