Cards That Make The Necrobinder a Joy to Play in Slay the Spire 2

Though there are several returning characters in Slay the Spire 2, this particular list is about one of the new additions to the Roguelike deckbuilder. She goes by The Necrobinder, and she's looking for bloody revenge. The only catch is that she's a bit undead, and thus somewhat frail. But she's also an incredible addition to the game.

Not only can The Necrobinder use Doom against foes, drawing them into hell if it exceeds their HP, but she also has a vast array of powerful Ethereal cards that disappear if not used. You might not be sold on her just yet, but the best thing about her is that she's not fighting solo.

The Necrobinder's right-hand man is a gigantic skeletal fist named Osty. Not only can it absorb unblocked damage for her, but it grows stronger every turn, eventually turning into a huge problem for her foes. So let's talk about some cards used by both of this dynamic duo, which make them a powerhouse fighting team!

10 Dirge

A Mournful Song

Now, while Osty is an invaluable asset in battle, he's also one who takes time to properly cultivate. His HP starts very low, gradually increasing every turn, assuming he's not shattered and forced to start over from scratch. But thankfully, there is a way to speed things up with cards that Summon, which increase his maximum health and even heal him in some cases.

Dirge is an incredible asset, assuming you have sufficient energy to power it. Any card with X cost gobbles up all your available energy to activate it. And for Dirge, each point of energy turns into more life force for Osty. It's even more impressive when you've upgraded the card.

This means if you have spare energy, you can double or even triple Osty's low starting health, making him a skeletal tank able to absorb some heavy hits. When combined with cards like Unleash, which deals damage plus a little extra for his health, it gets even better. And that's before you factor in adding Souls to your deck, which gives Necrobinder a fast and easy way to draw more cards.

9 Grave Warden

Bony Boss Lady

While one way to help Osty become a fighting force is to use cards that Summon, another is simply boosting Necrobinder's own defenses so he doesn't have to shoulder the full brunt of enemy attacks. One card that's helped me tremendously in that regard is Grave Warden.

Grave Warden is very inexpensive and adds more Block than standard defensive cards. Best of all, much like Dirge, it adds more Souls to your deck, which improves your drawing options. So even though Souls have Exhaust, meaning they disappear from your deck after playing them, they're still really handy.

There's another reason that Souls are so very handy, and we'll talk all about that in the next entry.

8 Haunt

Ungrateful Dead

Power cards are really handy in Slay the Spire 2, since they add passive effects for the duration of the battle they're activated. Usually, this means they're really expensive, costing 2 or more energy. But not so with Haunt, which is why it's become such a valuable addition to my runs.

Remember all those Souls that get added to your deck by the Necrobinder's other cards? Haunt is how you benefit further from them. Every single time Necrobinder plays a Soul card and draws, you'll also damage a random enemy.

Though this is admittedly not a ton of damage, and it's also randomized, it can be a lifesaver in challenging battles. And if you have various ways to keep drawing and adding mana, you can really wallop bosses with Haunt as well.

7 Deathbringer

Wave of Darkness

Earlier, I touched on how one of the Necrobinder's specialties is using cards that inflict Doom. It's really handy, since if it accrues enough, a Doomed foe will die even if it has health remaining. And with cards like Deathbringer, that's almost a certainty.

So even though Deathbringer is a bit costly at 2 energy, it is well worth it. Because not only does it inflict a whopping 21 Doom on every foe, but it also weakens them! This means Necrobinder won't have to worry as much about enemies breaking her or Osty's defenses.

I've had many times when this card was a game-changer, and helped me sail past battles against groups of fierce foes with low HP. You'll eventually learn to love the power of Doom.

6 Flatten

Smashed By Osty

Now, perhaps the only downside to Necrobinder fighting side by side with Osty is that they share a deck, meaning that you'll have to choose whether to expend energy on her attacks or his. But that's not as much of a concern with cards like Flatten.

Just play a low-cost attack card for Osty, and if Flatten is in hand, it'll suddenly cost zero for the rest of that turn. And if you have a hand full of them? Well, let's just say that foe will get slapped around by a giant skeletal Thing.

The best part is that Osty does have some weaker cards that cost zero. So if you have a deck full of those and Flatten, your opponent is ready for a world of hurt.

5 Neurosurge

Necromantic Wisdom

Generally speaking, it's not the best idea to apply Doom to oneself. But many of Necrobinders' more powerful cards have that as a tradeoff, and if you're careful, that won't be much of a concern. You just have to make sure you Doom your opponents before the proverbial clock runs out for her.

Neurosurge is a very, very strong card. It costs nothing other than a little Doom, and gives you a burst of energy and draws two cards. If you're in a really tough battle, Neurosurge can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Cards like this are the glue that holds powerful decks together, so don't get worried about the consequences, and reap your opponent with a flash of power!

4 Melancholy

Upside Down Smile

At first, I didn't think Melancholy was worth the steep cost. Sure, it gets reduced when foes die, but that still didn't seem worth it. Until I realized that it says anyone, which sadly means Osty.

Sure, you generally want to keep Osty alive so he keeps growing stronger, but there's a good chance he'll get shattered in the first two rounds of combat, no matter what your intentions are. So why not capitalize on it with Melancholy?

When Melancholy becomes a zero-cost card, it suddenly turns into one of the most incredible defensive cards wielded by The Necrobinder. Don't worry, Osty will probably forgive his master. One day.

3 The Scythe

One Grim Card

Now, it's not really a surprise that Necrobinder's whole vibe is pretty much a female Grim Reaper. So why not make it a perfect fit with The Scythe? This is a devastating card. Yes, it can only be used once per battle, but there's a big catch. Every time it's used, it'll be stronger the next time. This means that it can deal upwards of 30+ damage in a single hit later in a run.

Now, if you have a way to reduce the cost of The Scythe, or add multiple copies to your deck? Then it's suddenly an incredible asset. You might even be able to find some ways to bring Exhausted cards back into your deck for more undead brutality...

2 Right Hand Hand

Recursive Fist

In a game like Slay the Spire 2, you'll not only want powerful cards, you'll want cards that can be used again and again, and which offer combinations with others. Right Hand Hand isn't just a great pun on "right-hand man", but it's one of Necrobinder's best assets.

Though it doesn't deal a ton of damage, you can always rely on Right Hand Hand finding its way back to your deck. The only requirement is that it's in your Discard Pile and you play a card that costs 2 or more energy. And while many of Necrobinder's cards are inexpensive, the truly powerful ones are all costly.

My favorite combo usually revolves around mixing this card with others that cost X energy, like Dirge. But sometimes you want to go out with a bang, and that's reserved for the last card on this list.

1 Squeeze

Crushed To a Pulp

Everyone loves a game-ending card, and for Necrobinder, that card is Squeeze. It's pricey at 3 energy, but it's well worth it. It does additional damage not based on attacks you've inflicted, but on how many other Osty attack cards are in your deck!

I was suddenly doing 60 or more damage with every Squeeze, which easily made it one of my favorite cards. You won't even care about the cost of the card when it's crushing the life out of bosses single-handedly.

So if you weren't sold on The Necrobinder before, I hope you'll consider this undead gladiator in future runs. She's grim, but also quite fun!