Slay The Spire is a staple of the deckbuilding genre of games, combined with the randomly generated run-based nature of rogue-like titles. Even among such a packed genre, however, Slay the Spire stands on its own. With 4 characters to choose from, and dozens of different enemies, cards, and relics, the game offers unparalleled customization.
However, the newest of these four characters, the Watcher, can prove difficult to fully appreciate. While most concepts and gameplay mechanics are the same between characters, the Watcher is particularly complex, and there are many tips that can help players master her playstyle.
Don’t Be Afraid Of Wrath Stance
At first glance, Wrath Stance seems incredibly intimidating. Unlike the Silent’s focus on poison and low-cost attacks, or the Defect’s use of orbs, Wrath Stance has an unavoidable downside. While it doubles all damage, it also multiplies the damage dealt to players as well, making even early enemies like jaw worms large threats.
However, the utility it offers cannot be underestimated. Wrath form gives The Watcher the ability to defeat dangerous early game enemies and elites incredibly quickly and is consistently useful throughout a run. As such, most Watcher decks appreciate having multiple ways into and out of wrath stance to facilitate this. Cards that allow her to enter a calm stance like Inner Mind and Meditate, or cards that allow her to exit stances entirely like Empty Fist are a staple of most Watcher decks.
Remember To Remove Cards
Many new players of Slay The Spire underestimate the power of the shopkeeper’s card removal option. Paying increasingly large amounts of gold to remove a card is less flashy than buying new cards or relics. However, card removal offers something that is exceedingly hard to come by in the game: consistency. By removing cards that are weaker, like basic Strikes and Defends, players become more likely to draw the cards they need earlier. As a character-based around switching to various forms based on specific cards, the Watcher is easily one of the top contenders in Slay the Spire‘s cast to benefit from this consistency, and removing early cards to make way for stronger ones will benefit her playstyle greatly.
Consider The Deck
As a rogue-lite game, a degree of randomness between runs of Slay The Spire is expected. Players will always see different cards, events, relics, and more. All of these must be taken into account during the course of a run. For example, are players trying to build their decks around a specific archetype unique to the Watcher, like stance changing, scrying, or the divinity stance?
It is very possible that cards useful in one run could be a detriment in another if a player’s deck is not ready to make use of them. A player can always skip cards and even certain relics if they could prove harmful to a current run.
Unlocks Are Key
Slay The Spire, like other games in the rogue-like genre, has a progression that persists between runs. Each time a player uses a certain character, regardless of a win or a loss, an experience bar will fill, and eventually unlock various rewards, including new cards and relics. Even if a player doesn’t feel comfortable with the intricacies of the Watcher, it can be worthwhile to play as her, even if a run might not end up as a win.
Not only will new items be unlocked to use in the future, but some of the Watcher’s strongest cards and relics are locked behind this progression system. For example, this is the only way to unlock the supremely powerful card Blasphemy, which allows the Watcher to enter the divinity stance immediately after playing it, tripling your damage, but at the cost of dying on her next turn.
Plan Your Path
Slay The Spire‘s map is another important gameplay mechanic, especially for a character such as the Watcher. The map is primarily used to select a player’s encounters, and if they will discover enemies, elites, events, and more. However, it can also be used to see what boss a player will face at the end of an act. As different bosses require different strategies to defeat, this can be incredibly useful to keep in mind when playing any character.
However, the sheer damage output the Watcher can have, even from the beginning, makes this key. the Watcher can enter and exit Wrath Stance using her basic deck alone, which means she can be aggressive in her fights, often allowing a player to choose more battles to partake in. If players are confident, planning a route that allows them to encounter many elites and gather many relics early on can make bosses later act less of a hassle.
Play To The Watcher’s Strengths
The Watcher excels at damage output. Defensive decks are certainly viable, such as with the card Talk To The Hand, which gives a player block each time you attack an enemy afflicted with it. However, the Watcher’s card selection includes a number of powerful attacks, and skills, and powers that let players easily manipulate what cards they will draw to use those cards more readily. While the immediate needs of a player’s deck are important, as is balancing attack and defense, a character’s strengths are more important.
Don’t Forget Potions
It is easy to forget Slay The Spire‘s potion mechanic, even for experienced players. In the midst of a tough fight, the small potion icons in the corner of the screen can easily slip one’s mind. While potions and the vast array of benefits they offer are valuable for any player, the Watcher can make particularly good use of them. For example, strength-increasing potions such as flex potions are multiplicative with the Watcher’s wrath and divinity stances, increasing their worth. Furthermore, the Watcher has powerful unique potions, including ambrosia, which offers her instant access to divinity stance, without downsides.
Don’t Be Afraid To Experiment
As with other characters in Slay The Spire, the Watcher has a number of different ways to play at her disposal, from using cards that can be re-drawn multiple times per turn, like Flurry of Blows, or cards that have very powerful effects later in a fight such as Alpha, and more. However, make sure to experiment and discover what you enjoy playing.
While some strategies are undoubtedly more effective, especially when using Slay The Spire‘s difficulty system known as Ascension, picking only one “type” for your deck isn’t always beneficial. Experimenting to discover playstyles players both enjoy and can use effectively is a key part of Slay the Spire‘s gameplay loop, as in many other rogue-like games.
Have Fun!
While Slay The Spire is undoubtedly an incredibly difficult game, especially once Ascensions are enabled, players should always remember to have fun. Rogue-like games are built around repetitive gameplay loops, and loss is to expected. the Watcher’s number of unique mechanics can make mastering her a challenge, and playing other characters can be worthwhile if her mechanics are proving elusive. Perhaps mastering the exhaust mechanics of the Ironclad, or the Silent’s use of shivs will help with your Watcher gameplay. Of course, the only way to be better at Slay The Spire is to continue playing, but don’t lose hope when encountering difficult challenges.
Boss Relics Can Make Or Break Your Run
Boss relics, awarded after successfully clearing Acts 1 and 2, will be among the most defining items in a particular run. Each offers a powerful effect, often at the cost of a significant downside, ranging from losing actions at campsites and beyond. As such, it is vitally important to choose one suitable to the current playstyle of a run. However, this is particularly important for runs as the Watcher.
Since her playstyle revolves around high instances of damage by putting herself at risk, picking a boss relic that doesn’t amplify that risk is important. Is the extra energy per turn from choosing Coffee Dripper worth it, now that damage can’t heal as easily? Or should players have chosen Holy Water instead, increasing the power of their starting relic? Since boss relics are chosen out of three options, knowing how each one affects a run is vital to winning the game.
