Elites

0:00 Slay the Spire 2 has 12 Elite fights in Early Access, three in each of its four areas: the Bygone Effigy, Byrdonis and Phrog Parasite in the Overgrowth, the Phantasmal Gardeners, Skulking Colony and Terror Eel in the Underdocks, the Decimillipede, Entomancer and Infested Prism in the Hive, and the Knight Trio, Mecha Knight and Soul Nexus in Glory, as Mobalytics' Elite list groups them. Elites are the map's harder fights between normal enemies and the boss, and the main way to earn relics in the middle of an act. Act 1 is the Overgrowth or the Underdocks (a coin flip each run), Act 2 is always the Hive and Act 3 always Glory, so a run meets Elites from three of the four lists. The game is in Early Access, and Mega Crit has changed several Elites in its patches; the numbers below are the main branch's (v0.107.1, Jun 19, 2026) unless a line says otherwise.

Quick facts

Sources: Game Rant: Essential Tips; Mobalytics: Slay the Spire 2 Elites; OP.GG monster data (beta v0.111.0); PCGamesN: All Ascension levels; Mega Crit: Beta Patch Notes v0.101.0.

How to read the numbers

Each Elite's numbers are written the way Mega Crit's patch notes write them: the base value, then in parentheses the value at the Ascension level that raises it. HP rises at Ascension 8 (Tough Enemies) and attack damage at Ascension 9 (Deadly Enemies), which Mega Crit's v0.100.0 notes confirm when they say a Block value scales "on A8" and a Strength value "on A9". So "127 (132)" HP is 127 HP, and 132 HP from Ascension 8 on. A range ("81-84") means the game rolls the HP within it.

The move numbers come from OP.GG's monster pages, which read the game data of the v0.111.0 public beta (Aug 14, 2026). Where a beta patch changed an Elite after the main branch's v0.107.1, the main-branch value is given and the beta change is labeled.

Overgrowth Elites (Act 1)

The Overgrowth is the forest version of Act 1, and its three Elites test three different things: a slow giant that hits very hard, a bird with a big opening attack, and a parasite that fills your deck with status cards.

Source: OP.GG monster pages for the Bygone Effigy, Byrdonis, Phrog Parasite and Wriggler (game data, beta v0.111.0), read Oct 26, 2026.

The Bygone Effigy's Slash was cut from 15 (17) to 13 (15) in v0.100.0 (Mar 20, 2026), and Mega Crit noted it "still attacks with 10 Strength". Byrdonis lost HP in v0.103.0 (Apr 10, 2026): it had 91-94 (99) before.

15:50 The Phrog Parasite is the Elite guides warn about for thin decks. Kotaku's Lewis Parker (Mar 18, 2026) writes that it puts 3 Infection cards into your discard pile every two turns, each dealing 3 damage while it sits in your hand, and that it is "designed as a hard counter to players who have thinned their deck too far". The Phrog Parasite and its Wrigglers are among the creatures that Phobia Mode (v0.100.0) draws differently.

Underdocks Elites (Act 1)

The Underdocks, the sewer version of Act 1, has a group of fragile Elites, a shelled colony that limits how much damage it takes, and the Terror Eel.

Source: OP.GG monster pages for the Phantasmal Gardener, Skulking Colony and Terror Eel (game data, beta v0.111.0), read Oct 26, 2026.

23:06 The Skulking Colony has changed more than any other Elite. It had 74 (79) HP at launch, v0.103.0 cut that to 70 (75) so it could be killed a turn earlier at Ascension 8, and Major Update #2 (v0.107.1, Jun 19, 2026) set it to 75 (80), raised Hardened Shell from 15 to 20, removed its Smash move and stopped it gaining Block. Hardened Shell caps the damage it can take each turn; since that update its health bar changes color when it can take no more damage that turn, and the cap resets at the start of both your turn and its turn.

7:56 The Terror Eel's Crash was cut to 16 (18) and its Thrash Vigor to 6 in v0.100.0. Once stunned it uses Terrorize, which puts 99 Vulnerable on every player. Mega Crit first showed the eel in its September 2025 Neowsletter. The Phantasmal Gardeners' HP was cut from 28-32 (29-33) to 26-31 (27-32) in v0.100.0.

Hive Elites (Act 2)

Every run's Act 2 is the Hive, so every run that goes past Act 1 can meet these three.

Source: OP.GG monster pages for the Decimillipede, Entomancer and Infested Prism (game data, beta v0.111.0), read Oct 26, 2026.

The Entomancer has 145 (155) HP on the main branch; on the public beta since v0.111.0 (Aug 14, 2026) its Ascension 8 HP is 165. Kotaku says it adds a Dazed to your draw pile each time you hit it while dealing about 18 to 28 damage a turn. The Decimillipede's segments were cut from 42-48 (48-56) HP in v0.100.0, and each segment has Reattach 25.

12:33 The Infested Prism was reworked in v0.106.0 (May 22, 2026 beta, main Jun 19). PCGamesN (May 22, 2026) wrote that the new Prism and the Aeonglass boss "now have the potential to completely halt a run in its tracks".

Glory Elites (Act 3)

Glory, Act 3, has the toughest Elites by HP: the three-knight fight, the 300 HP Mecha Knight and the Soul Nexus.

Source: OP.GG monster pages for the Flail Knight, Spectral Knight, Magi Knight, Mecha Knight and Soul Nexus (game data, beta v0.111.0), read Oct 26, 2026.

4:14 The Mecha Knight's Flamethrower only adds 4 Burn cards on the main branch; on the public beta since v0.111.0 it also deals 8 (12) damage.

The Mysterious Knight

The Mysterious Knight is an optional Elite-style fight from an event, not a map Elite. In the Hive event The Lantern Key, "Keep the Key" starts a fight for the key and "Return the Key" gives 100 Gold; Mega Crit's April 2026 Neowsletter said 56% of players returned it in the game's first month. OP.GG's entry for the knight is a Flail Knight with 101 HP, Ram 15, Flail 9 x2 and War Chant. The key opens War Historian, Repy in Act 3 (see Events).

What Elites drop

1:34 Beating an Elite gives a relic and a card reward. Game Rant's beginner guide (Mar 7, 2026) lists a card, a random potion and a relic, and Mobalytics' beginner guide (Mar 19, 2026) says "Elites, however, reward powerful Relics". Every relic is listed on Relics.

Several relics add to Elite rewards or Elite fights, per OP.GG's relic list (beta v0.111.0 data):

Booming Conch's Energy was added in v0.104.0, live on the main branch since Major Update #2. The Custom Run modifier Big Game Hunter makes Elites drop rare card rewards, per Mega Crit's v0.99.1 notes.

Swarming Elites and other rules

Ascension 1, Swarming Elites, reads "Elites spawn more often", per PCGamesN's Ascension list (Mar 10, 2026). It is the first of the ten Ascension levels and stays on at every level above it, so every Ascension run meets more Elites. Mega Crit has not published how many more.

Elites cannot appear on floor 6 since v0.101.0 (Mar 27, 2026 beta, main Apr 17). Mega Crit explained that Neow counts as the first floor, so Elites had been showing up a floor earlier than in the first game, and the change matches Slay the Spire (2019).

Elite kills also count toward unlocks: each character has an Epoch on the Timeline for killing 15 Elites with it, such as the Ironclad's "Ablaze" and the Silent's "Prisoner", per Destructoid's Epoch guide (Mar 7, 2026). See Unlocks and the Timeline.

In Co-op Multiplayer, Elites hit harder and have more HP as the party grows. TheGamer (Mar 10, 2026) says enemy health and damage scale with the number of players while your own stats do not.

How guides approach Elites

2:16 Guides agree that Elites are worth fighting but differ on how many. TheGamer's Collin MacGregor (Mar 9, 2026) says to aim for at least one Elite per act, two as the ideal, and to fight them near Rest Sites. Mobalytics says to learn to take "a few each act" because their relics can define a run, and to fight several normal enemies early in Act 1 before the first Elite: "A bunch of Strikes is not gonna cut it on the Elites or Boss!"

Game Rant puts safety first. Its beginner guide says an Elite can end a run, and that with plenty of Gold the Merchant is the safer path. Untapped.gg's Dillon Skiffington (Apr 2026) adds that if a strong relic does not fit your deck yet, you can avoid the next few Elites.

Act 1 is where Elites hurt most. Kotaku's Lewis Parker calls Act 1 possibly "the hardest act in the entire series" and asks why "some big-ass eel" is hitting him for 36 damage in Act 1. Mega Crit said in v0.103.0 (Apr 10, 2026) that it planned to move some difficulty from Act 1 to Act 3, starting with Act 1's spikes.

Which Elite is hardest

No source ranks all 12 Elites, and Mega Crit has published no Elite win rates. The views on record: Kotaku singles out the Terror Eel's damage in Act 1, Kotaku calls the Phrog Parasite a counter to thin decks, and PCGamesN wrote that the reworked Infested Prism can "completely halt a run". By the numbers, the Mecha Knight has the most HP, 300 (320), and the Magi Knight's Magic Bomb and the Mecha Knight's Heavy Cleave are the biggest single hits at 35 (40), per OP.GG's beta data.

Frequently asked questions

How many Elites are in Slay the Spire 2? Slay the Spire 2 has 12 Elite fights in Early Access, three per area, per Mobalytics: the Overgrowth and Underdocks (Act 1), the Hive (Act 2) and Glory (Act 3). A run sees three of the four lists, since Act 1 is one area or the other.

What do Elites drop in Slay the Spire 2? In Slay the Spire 2 an Elite drops a relic, a card reward and a random potion, per Game Rant. Relics such as Black Star (an extra relic) and White Star (an extra Rare card reward) add more.

What is the hardest Elite in Slay the Spire 2? No outlet ranks every Slay the Spire 2 Elite. Kotaku singles out the Terror Eel's damage in Act 1, and PCGamesN says the reworked Infested Prism can "completely halt a run"; the Mecha Knight has the most HP at 300 (320).

What does Ascension 1 do in Slay the Spire 2? Ascension 1 in Slay the Spire 2 is Swarming Elites: "Elites spawn more often", per PCGamesN. It stays active at every higher Ascension level.

How many Elites should I fight per act in Slay the Spire 2? TheGamer recommends at least one Elite per act in Slay the Spire 2, two as the ideal, fought near a Rest Site. Mobalytics says "a few each act".

Can Elites appear on floor 6 in Slay the Spire 2? No: since v0.101.0 Slay the Spire 2 no longer puts Elites on floor 6, to match the first game, because Neow counts as floor 1.

Who is the Mysterious Knight in Slay the Spire 2? The Mysterious Knight is the optional fight in Slay the Spire 2's Hive event The Lantern Key; OP.GG lists him as a 101 HP Flail Knight. Winning keeps the Lantern Key for an Act 3 event; returning the key instead pays 100 Gold.

Sources

• Slay the Spire 2 Elites, Mobalytics, undated, read Oct 26, 2026
• Slay the Spire 2 Monsters, OP.GG (game data v0.111.0), read Oct 26, 2026
• Bygone Effigy, Byrdonis, Phrog Parasite, Wriggler, Phantasmal Gardener, Skulking Colony, Terror Eel, Decimillipede, Entomancer, Infested Prism, Flail Knight, Spectral Knight, Magi Knight, Mecha Knight, Soul Nexus, Mysterious Knight, OP.GG monster guides (game data v0.111.0), read Oct 26, 2026
• The Lantern Key, OP.GG event page (v0.111.0), read Oct 26, 2026
• Slay the Spire 2 Relics, Complete Relic List, OP.GG (game data v0.111.0), read Oct 26, 2026
• Patch Notes - v0.99.1, Mega Crit, Mar 17, 2026
• Beta Patch Notes - v0.100.0, Mega Crit, Mar 20, 2026
• Beta Patch Notes - v0.101.0, Mega Crit (Anthony Giovannetti), Mar 27, 2026
• Beta Patch Notes - v0.103.0, Mega Crit, Apr 10, 2026
• The Neowsletter - April 2026, Mega Crit (Casey Yano, Demi Montes), Apr 17, 2026
• Beta Patch Notes - v0.104.0, Mega Crit, Apr 24, 2026
• Beta Patch Notes - v0.106.0, Mega Crit, May 22, 2026
• Major Update #2 - v0.107.1, Mega Crit, Jun 19, 2026
• Beta Patch Notes - v0.111.0, Mega Crit, Aug 14, 2026
• The Neowsletter - September 2025, Mega Crit, Sep 11, 2025
• All Ascension levels in Slay the Spire 2, PCGamesN (Christian Vaz), Mar 10, 2026
• Slay the Spire 2's least frightening enemies just got a lot more scary, PCGamesN, May 22, 2026
• Slay The Spire 2: Tips And Tricks For Getting Started, Kotaku (Lewis Parker), Mar 18, 2026
• Slay the Spire 2: Essential Tips & Tricks for Beginners, Game Rant (Matt Vatankhah), Mar 7, 2026
• 8 Beginner Tips And Tricks For Slay The Spire 2, TheGamer (Collin MacGregor), Mar 9, 2026
• How Multiplayer Works In Slay The Spire 2, TheGamer (Axel Bosso), Mar 10, 2026
• Slay the Spire 2 Ultimate Beginner Guide, Mobalytics, Mar 19, 2026
• The Best Relics in Slay the Spire 2: Identifying Directional Relic Signals, Untapped.gg (Dillon Skiffington), Apr 2026
• How to unlock all Epochs in Slay the Spire 2, Destructoid (Arka Sarkar), Mar 7, 2026
• How to Beat EVERY Elite in Slay the Spire 2 (Full Guide), Nerdy Hickey, Apr 15, 2026 (video)
• The game just got 200% harder | Spire 2 Patch Rundown V0.106.0, JapaneseExport, May 22, 2026 (video)
• Hyperbeam is FINALLY good?! | Spire 2 Patch Rundown v0.111.0, JapaneseExport, Aug 14, 2026 (video)
• 10 Things That Instantly Improved My Runs | Slay the Spire 2 Tips & Guide, Nerdy Hickey, Apr 7, 2026 (video)