Slay the Spire: Toughest Enemies Guide
This guide provides a detailed list of the hardest enemies in Slay the Spire, including the dreaded Sentries and Gremlin Nob. Some of these enemies are new for Act 3, while others have been a challenge since the beginning. As you gear up for the final fight and prepare to take down these enemies once and for all, our guide to the hardest enemies in Slay the Spire will provide you with tips and tricks to ensure you come out on top.
For a roguelike game like Slay the Spire, the deckbuilding mechanics often make it feel like the entire run hinges on which encounters you hit first. These enemies force players to adapt and play in unexpected ways. For example, using a weakly-statted runecarver just to counter the Bronze Automaton's roguish ways. Some players can't resist the urge to buff countless squishy minions. Whatever type of deckbuilder you are, these hard Slay the Spire enemies will challenge your strategy. But don't worry, we'll cover all the best ways to beat them in our tips guide.
The Sentries
Difficulty level: Very High
The Sentries were introduced as new enemies in Slay the Spire Act 3. If you're not careful, they can overwhelm you by dealing tons of Dazed cards. To make matters worse, you won't have access to your library at the start of the fight, making it harder to draw the cards you need. Our advice is to dedicate one turn to clearing, then focus your energy on dealing a few good hits. Since they're weak against daggers, any combat-focused builds are fine, but make sure to draw damage-boosting skill cards.
Gremlin Nob
Difficulty level: High
The Gremlin Nob grows stronger with every Skill card you play, which can be a problem if you have a high level of passive drawing. Starting with easily-activated skills will make them weak in comparison to the Nob's stats. Ideally, move your best starting cards to the bottom of your deck and use draw cost reducers to quickly get through your deck. This way, you'll have a nice balance against the mountain of skill cards you'll be drawing.
Nemesis in Act 3
Difficulty level: Very High
The nemesis in Act 3 will give you a run for your money in unexpected ways. They have the Intangible ability, which mitigates your hits and shuffles burn cards into your deck. Most decks won't find this too difficult, but doing damage to these enemies can be challenging. Since their damage-mitigating abilities stack, it might be better to take the opportunity to run if you find yourself in a slugfest against multiple Act 3 nemeses.
Reptomancer
Difficulty level: Very High
Reptomancer uses her large family of minions to chip away at you, especially using weakening debuffs. Watch out for Wound cards to prevent getting overwhelmed and focus on block-heavy builds that are essential here. Reptomancer can also use skeletons for her own damage-dealing abilities, but with quick-responding, stuns, and kill commands, you can prevent a lot of damage. Kill all three enemies on the same turn to avoid the last enemy's resurrection ability.
Darkling Boss
Difficulty level: High
Darkling is an intergalactic crowbar-wielding enemy who wants to kill you as fast as possible, which means murdering your deck in the process. To counter this, build a deck that can deliver a rapid succession of damage-dealing cards. For example, a two-hit combo of attack two and a strength buff card, or even better, one that does both. Focus on killing the enemies as quickly as possible using efficient stomps.
Spire Growth
Difficulty level: Extremely High
The Spire Growth is the last boss of Act 3 and possibly the hardest boss in the game. This big mushroom uses the Constricted ability, which deals increasing damage when you reach eight cards in your hand. This is a glass cannon deckbuilding challenge, so you need to carefully manage your hand size and play only the cards you absolutely need.
