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The Overgrowth is one of the two possible first acts of Slay the Spire 2, a jungle ruin chosen by a coin flip against the Underdocks, with the Elites Bygone Effigy, Byrdonis and Phrog Parasite and the bosses Ceremonial Beast, The Kin and Vantom.
The Overgrowth is one of the two possible first acts of Slay the Spire 2, which Mega Crit describes as "a lush, tangled ruin" of woodland creatures and "sentient flora that might just eat you alive"; its Elites are the Bygone Effigy, Byrdonis and Phrog Parasite, and its boss is the Ceremonial Beast, The Kin or Vantom. Every climb starts with Neow and then rolls Act 1: in Mega Crit's own words from Major Update #2, if the generated decimal is below 0.5 the run gets the Overgrowth, otherwise the Underdocks. The game is in Early Access, so this act's enemies are still being rebalanced patch by patch.
Quick facts
| Act | Act 1, one of two (the other is the Underdocks) |
| Chance | A coin flip, 50%, per Mega Crit's Major Update #2 notes (Jun 19, 2026) |
| Before it | Neow, who counts as the map's first floor |
| Elites | Bygone Effigy, Byrdonis, Phrog Parasite |
| Bosses | Ceremonial Beast, The Kin, Vantom (one per run, shown on the map) |
| Events | 13 of its own, plus the shared pool |
| Next | Act 2, the Hive |
| Version | Main branch v0.107.1; numbers below are OP.GG's data from the public beta v0.111.0 unless marked |
What the Overgrowth is
The Overgrowth is a ruined jungle at the foot of the Spire, the act most players see first. Mega Crit's September 2025 Neowsletter introduced it alongside the Underdocks and promised that the two "differ radically in their environments, enemies, events, and bosses". Destructoid's Epoch guide lists the Underdocks as an Epoch that unlocks an alternate Act 1, so the Underdocks has to be earned on the Timeline before the coin flip can land on it.
Each act ends in one boss, and its icon is on the map from the start. That lets you build for the fight ahead, a point PC Gamer's Abigail Shannon makes in her Vantom guide: check the boss at the start of the run and prepare the deck for it. The Acts and the Map page explains the room types.
Act 1 is where Mega Crit has softened the game most. Anthony Giovannetti wrote on Apr 10, 2026 that the team planned "to shift some of the difficulty from Act 1 -> Act 3", and v0.101.0 stopped Elites from appearing on floor 6 and cut down maps "overflowing with early monster rooms" (both on the main branch since Major Update #1, Apr 17, 2026).
How to read the numbers
Numbers are written base(higher) as Mega Crit and OP.GG write them: enemy HP rises at Ascension 8 ("Tough Enemies") and enemy damage at Ascension 9 ("Deadly Enemies"), so "65(70) HP" means 70 HP at Ascension 8 and above. The tables come from OP.GG's monster guides, read from the game data of the public beta v0.111.0 (Aug 14, 2026). Where a beta patch changed a number, the row says so; otherwise the beta and the main branch v0.107.1 agree as far as Mega Crit's patch notes show. See Ascension for every level.
Normal enemies
Normal fights in the Overgrowth come from a fixed list of encounters. Mobalytics lists Cubex Construct, Fogmog, Fuzzy Wurm Crawler, Inklets, Mawler, Nibbit (alone or as a duo), the Ruby Raiders in four mixes, Shrinker Beetle, two Slime groups and Vine Shambler, plus five pairs: Leaf Slime (M) with Flyconid, Shrinker Beetle with Fuzzy Wurm Crawler, Snapping Jaxfruit with Flyconid, Snapping Jaxfruit with Slithering Strangler, and Twig Slime (M) with Slithering Strangler.
| Enemy | HP | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| Cubex Construct | 65(70), Artifact 1 | Charge Up (+2 Strength) first; Repeater Blast 7(8) with +2 Strength, twice; Expel 5(6) x2 |
| Fogmog | 74(78) | Illusory Spores (summons an Eye with Teeth) first; Swipe 8(9) with +1 Strength; Headbutt 14(16) |
| Eye with Teeth | 6, Illusion | Distract: adds 3 Dazed to your deck each turn |
| Fuzzy Wurm Crawler | 55-57(58-59) | Acid Goop 4(6); Inhale for +7 Strength |
| Inklet | 11-17(12-18), Slippery 1 | Jab 3(4); Whirlwind 2(3) x3; Piercing Gaze 10(11) |
| Mawler | 72(76) | Claw 4(5) x2; Rip and Tear 14(16); Roar (3 Vulnerable) |
| Nibbit | 42-46(44-48) | Butt 12(13); Slice 6(7) plus 5(6) Block; Hiss +2(3) Strength |
| Assassin Raider | 18-23(19-24) | Killshot 10(11) every turn |
| Axe Raider | 20-22(21-23) | Two swings of 5(6) plus 5(6) Block, then Big Swing 12(13) |
| Brute Raider | 30-33(31-34) | Beat 7(8), then Roar +3 Strength |
| Crossbow Raider | 18-21(19-22) | Reload (3 Block), then Fire! 14(16) |
| Tracker Raider | 21-25(22-26) | Track (2 Frail), then Unleash the Hounds 1 x8 |
| Shrinker Beetle | 38-40(40-42) | Shrinker (applies Shrink); Chomp 7(8); Stomp 13(14) |
| Leaf Slime (M) | 32-35(33-36) | Sticky Shot (2 Slimed); Clump Shot 8(9) |
| Leaf Slime (S) | 11-15(12-16) | Tackle 3(4) or Goop (1 Slimed) |
| Twig Slime (M) | 26-28(27-29) | Sticky Shot (1 Slimed); Pokey Pounce 11(12) |
| Twig Slime (S) | 7-11(8-12) | Tackle 4(5) |
| Vine Shambler | 61(64) | Swipe 6(7) x2; Grasping Vines 8(9) and Tangled; Chomp 16(18) |
| Flyconid | 47-49(51-53) | Vulnerable Spores (2 Vulnerable); Frail Spores 8(9) and 2 Frail; Smash 11(12) |
| Snapping Jaxfruit | 31-33(34-36) | Energy Orb 3(4) and +2 Strength, every turn |
| Slithering Strangler | 53-55(54-56) | Constrict (3 Constrict); Thwack 7(8) plus 5 Block; Lash 12(13) |
Source: OP.GG monster guides (game data, public beta v0.111.0), read Oct 26, 2026; encounter list from Mobalytics, read Oct 26, 2026.
Two Overgrowth enemies changed on the main branch in Major Update #2. Mega Crit's notes cut the Assassin Raider's Killshot from 11(12) to 10(11), and since v0.106.0 the Inklets' Slippery (like Vantom's) no longer loses a stack when a hit is fully blocked.
One change is on the beta only. Since v0.108.0 (Jul 3, 2026, public beta) you can no longer get two encounters in a row that contain Slimes, or two in a row with Snapping Jaxfruit.
Elites
The Overgrowth's three Elites are the Bygone Effigy, Byrdonis and the Phrog Parasite, per Mobalytics. The Elites page covers every act's Elites together.
| Elite | HP | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| Bygone Effigy | 127(132), Slow | Sleeps, wakes with +10 Strength, then Slash 13(15) every turn |
| Byrdonis | 81-84(90), Territorial | Swoop 17(19), then Peck 3(4) x3 |
| Phrog Parasite | 61-64(66-68), Infested 4 | Infect (3 Infection status cards), then Lash 4(5) x4; spawns Wrigglers |
| Wriggler | 17-21(18-22) | Nasty Bite 6(7); Wriggle (+2 Strength and 1 Infection) |
Source: OP.GG monster guides (game data, public beta v0.111.0), read Oct 26, 2026.
The Bygone Effigy hits less hard than it did at launch. v0.100.0 (Mar 20, 2026) cut its Slash from 15(17) to 13(15), noting that it "still attacks with 10 Strength".
Byrdonis lost HP in April. v0.103.0 lowered it from 91-94(99) to 81-84(90), part of the plan to make Act 1 less spiky.
The Phrog Parasite punishes thin decks. Kotaku's Lewis Parker says it puts three Infection cards into your discard pile every two turns, each dealing 3 damage while in your hand, and calls it "designed as a hard counter to players who have thinned their deck too far". It has Phobia Mode visuals, added in v0.100.0, for players who would rather not look at it.
Bosses
The Overgrowth's boss is one of three: the Ceremonial Beast, The Kin or Vantom. The Bosses page compares every boss in the game.
| Boss | HP | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| Ceremonial Beast | 252(262) | Stamp (gains Plow 150(160)), then Plow 18(20) with +2 Strength every turn until stunned; then Beast Cry (Ringing on all players), Stomp 15(17), Crush 17(19) with +3(4) Strength |
| Kin Priest | 190(199) | Orb of Frailty 8(9) and 1 Frail; Orb of Weakness 8(9) and 1 Weak; Soul Beam 3 x3; Dark Ritual +2(3) Strength |
| Kin Follower (two) | 58-59(62-63), Minion | Quick Slash 5; Boomerang 2 x2; Power Dance +2(3) Strength |
| Vantom | 173(183), Slippery 8(9) | Ink Blot 7(8); Inky Lance 6(7) x2; Dismember 26(30) and 3 Wound cards; Prepare +2 Strength; then the cycle repeats |
Source: OP.GG monster guides (game data, public beta v0.111.0), read Oct 26, 2026.
Ceremonial Beast
The Ceremonial Beast charges every turn until you break its Plow. It opens with Stamp, gaining Plow 150(160), then hits for 18(20) and gains 2 Strength each turn until that much damage stuns it; after the stun it cycles Beast Cry, Stomp and Crush. Game Rant's Marc Santos calls it "a simple enemy at first", which turns to "seriously debilitating debuffs" once its health drops. Casey Yano wrote in the June 2026 Neowsletter that it was based on the Forest Spirit from Princess Mononoke and was probably the first boss designed for the game, in 2021.
The Kin
The Kin is a Kin Priest with two Kin Followers. Game Rant says the priest applies debuffs (his orbs bring Frail and Weak) while the followers buff their own Strength, so the fight grows harder the longer the minions live.
Vantom
Vantom is the Act 1 boss that guides call the hardest. Its Slippery means each of its first 8 (9 at Ascension 9) hits deals only 1 damage, and Abigail Shannon at PC Gamer calls it the toughest of the three Overgrowth bosses. Her advice: "maximize the number of hits you're getting on Vantom, rather than how much damage you're dealing with each attack", with multi-hit cards such as Twin Strike and an Attack Potion, and a switch to defense as Dismember approaches. Game Rant names the Regent's Stardust as a good multi-hit answer.
Vantom became easier on the main branch on Jun 19, 2026. Major Update #2 brought v0.104.0's cuts (Dismember from 27(30) to 26(30), Slippery from 9 to 8 below Ascension 9) and v0.106.0's rule that a fully blocked hit no longer removes a Slippery stack.
Events
The Overgrowth has 13 events of its own in OP.GG's list, plus the shared ones every act can roll; events come from ? rooms. The Events page gives every event's choices.
| Event | Choices |
|---|---|
| Aroma of Chaos | Let Go: Transform a card; or Maintain Control: Upgrade a card |
| Byrdonis Nest | Eat the Egg: gain 7 Max HP; or Take the Egg: add the Byrdonis Egg Quest card |
| Dense Vegetation | Trudge On: lose 8 HP, gain Gold; or Rest: heal, then fight some enemies |
| Jungle Maze Adventure | Join Forces: gain 50 Gold; or Solo Quest: gain 150 Gold, lose 18 HP |
| Luminous Choir | Offer Tribute: pay 149 Gold for a random Relic; or Reach into the Flesh: remove 2 cards, add Spore Mind |
| Morphic Grove | Group: lose ALL your Gold, Transform 2 cards; or Loner: gain 5 Max HP |
| Sapphire Seed | Consume: heal 9 HP, Upgrade a card; or Plant and Nourish: Enchant a card with Sown |
| Tablet of Truth | Decipher: 3 Max HP per step for random Upgrades, up to upgrading ALL cards; or Smash: heal 20 HP |
| The Sunken Statue | Grab the Sword: the Sword of Stone; or Dive into the Water: Gold, lose 7 HP (also in the Underdocks) |
| Unrest Site | Kill the Trees: lose 8 Max HP, a random Relic; or Rest Anyways: heal to full, receive Poor Sleep |
| Wellspring | Bottle: a random Potion; or Bathe: remove 1 card, add 1 Guilty |
| Whispering Hollow | Exchange Gold: 35 Gold for 2 random Potions; or Hug the Tree: lose 9 HP, Transform a card |
| Wood Carvings | Bird (a starter card becomes Peck), Snake (Enchant with Slither) or Torus (a starter card becomes Toric Toughness) |
Source: OP.GG event pages (public beta v0.111.0), read Oct 26, 2026. Gold amounts vary by run: TheGamer saw The Sunken Statue give 115 Gold where OP.GG shows 111.
The Byrdonis Nest is the act's best-known choice. Mega Crit's April 2026 Neowsletter said 51% of players took the egg and 49% ate it. Hatched at a Rest Site, the egg becomes the Byrdpip companion and Byrd Swoop, a 0 cost attack for 14 damage (18 upgraded); PC Gamer's Abigail Shannon says taking it is usually the stronger long-term choice.
Dense Vegetation's Gold changed in v0.100.0 and it now protects low-HP players. Mega Crit's v0.100.0 notes set Trudge On to 61-99 Gold, and the May bug fixes keep it from appearing when any player has 8 HP or less.
Tips from the guides
Guides agree that Act 1 is a survival test before it is a deckbuilding one. Kotaku's Lewis Parker calls Act 1 possibly "the hardest act in the entire series" and advises taking cards that help now, such as area attacks and big Block, before committing to a build near the end of the act.
Fight early, rest often. Mobalytics' beginner guide says to take several normal fights for Gold and cards before Elites, because "A bunch of Strikes is not gonna cut it on the Elites or Boss!", and PC Gamer's Austin Wood (Sep 18, 2026) says the most reliable way through Act 1 is to rest at every opportunity, calling the act a health check that "almost feels balanced around Ironclad".
The Overgrowth asks for front-loaded damage. Mobalytics' JapaneseExport says the Ironclad's Bludgeon "excels especially in overgrowth", and that the Silent needs more early damage than others, "especially in an overgrowth act". Bring multi-hit cards if the map shows Vantom. The Pathing Guide covers route choice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Overgrowth in Slay the Spire 2? The Overgrowth is one of Slay the Spire 2's two possible first acts, a jungle ruin of woodland creatures and carnivorous plants. Each run picks it or the Underdocks by a coin flip, per Mega Crit's Jun 19, 2026 notes.
What are the Overgrowth bosses in Slay the Spire 2? The Overgrowth's boss is the Ceremonial Beast (252 HP), The Kin (a Kin Priest with 190 HP and two Kin Followers) or Vantom (173 HP with Slippery 8). The map shows which one you will face from the start of the act.
What is the hardest Overgrowth boss in Slay the Spire 2? PC Gamer's Abigail Shannon (Mar 13, 2026) calls Vantom the toughest of the three Overgrowth bosses, because Slippery reduces its first eight hits to 1 damage each. Multi-hit attacks are the standard answer.
How do you beat Vantom in Slay the Spire 2? In Slay the Spire 2, play as many separate hits as you can to strip Vantom's Slippery, then switch to Block before Dismember, which deals 26 (30 at Ascension 9) and adds 3 Wounds. PC Gamer recommends cards like Twin Strike and an Attack Potion.
What are the Overgrowth Elites in Slay the Spire 2? The Overgrowth's Elites in Slay the Spire 2 are the Bygone Effigy (127 HP, wakes with 10 Strength), Byrdonis (81 to 84 HP) and the Phrog Parasite, which adds Infection cards and spawns Wrigglers.
Should I take or eat the Byrdonis egg in Slay the Spire 2? Players split almost evenly: Mega Crit counted 51% taking the egg and 49% eating it for 7 Max HP. PC Gamer says taking it and hatching it at the next Rest Site for Byrd Swoop is usually stronger, unless you are too low on HP to skip a rest.
Is the Overgrowth or the Underdocks harder in Slay the Spire 2? No source we use ranks the two Act 1s against each other. The Underdocks' Terror Eel is the Act 1 Elite Kotaku singles out, while PC Gamer calls Vantom the hardest Overgrowth boss.
Sources
- The Neowsletter - September 2025, Mega Crit, Sep 11, 2025
- Major Update #2 - v0.107.1, Mega Crit (Steam news), Jun 19, 2026
- Major Update #1 - v0.103.2, Mega Crit (Steam news), Apr 17, 2026
- Beta Patch Notes - v0.100.0, Mega Crit (Steam news), Mar 20, 2026
- Beta Patch Notes - v0.101.0, Mega Crit (Anthony Giovannetti, Steam news), Mar 27, 2026
- Beta Patch Notes - v0.103.0, Mega Crit (Steam news), Apr 10, 2026
- Beta Patch Notes - v0.108.0, Mega Crit (Steam news), Jul 3, 2026
- May Bug Fixes, Mega Crit (Steam news), May 29, 2026
- The Neowsletter - April 2026, Mega Crit (Casey Yano, Demi Montes), Apr 17, 2026
- The Neowsletter - June 2026, Mega Crit (Casey Yano), Jun 20, 2026
- Slay the Spire 2 Monsters, OP.GG (game data, public beta v0.111.0), read Oct 26, 2026
- Slay the Spire 2 Events, OP.GG (public beta v0.111.0), read Oct 26, 2026
- Slay the Spire 2 Monsters, Mobalytics, read Oct 26, 2026
- Slay the Spire 2 Elites, Mobalytics, read Oct 26, 2026
- Slay the Spire 2 Ultimate Beginner Guide, Mobalytics, Mar 19, 2026
- Slay the Spire 2 Ironclad Guide and Overview, Mobalytics (JapaneseExport), read Oct 26, 2026
- Slay the Spire 2 Silent Guide and Overview, Mobalytics (JapaneseExport), Jun 17, 2026
- How to unlock all Epochs in Slay the Spire 2, Destructoid (Arka Sarkar), Mar 7, 2026
- All Acts, Biomes, and Bosses in Slay the Spire 2, Game Rant (Marc Santos), Mar 12, 2026
- Vantom boss guide for Slay the Spire 2, PC Gamer (Abigail Shannon), Mar 13, 2026
- How to hatch the Byrdonis Egg in Slay the Spire 2, PC Gamer (Abigail Shannon), Mar 13, 2026
- After 894 hours in Slay the Spire 2, these are our 12 strongest opinions, PC Gamer (Evan Lahti, Harvey Randall, Austin Wood), Sep 18, 2026
- Slay The Spire 2: Tips And Tricks For Getting Started, Kotaku (Lewis Parker), Mar 18, 2026
- Every Event And The Best Choice For It In Slay The Spire 2, TheGamer (Sanyam Jain), Mar 15, 2026
- Slay the Spire 2 - 15 Biggest Changes From Slay the Spire 1, IGN, Mar 7, 2026 (video)
- How to Beat EVERY Elite in Slay the Spire 2 (Full Guide), Nerdy Hickey, Apr 15, 2026 (video)
- The Secret to Beating EVERY Boss on Ascension 10 | Slay the Spire 2 Guide, vmService, Jun 16, 2026 (video)
- The Optimal Choice for EVERY Event in Slay the Spire 2, vmService, Aug 25, 2026 (video)
- How to Beat EVERY Boss in Slay the Spire 2 | Complete Boss Guide, Nerdy Hickey, Oct 5, 2026 (video)
Moments
Slay the Spire 2 - 15 Biggest Changes From Slay the Spire 1
IGN
How to Beat EVERY Elite in Slay the Spire 2 (Full Guide)
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The Secret to Beating EVERY Boss on Ascension 10 | Slay the Spire 2 Guide
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- The Ceremonial Beast charges every turn until you break its Plow. It opens with Stamp, gaining Plow 150(160), then…
- The Kin is a Kin Priest with two Kin Followers. Game Rant says the priest applies debuffs (his orbs bring Frail and…
- Vantom is the Act 1 boss that guides call the hardest. Its Slippery means each of its first 8 (9 at Ascension 9) hits…
The Optimal Choice for EVERY Event in Slay the Spire 2
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Related
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ArchitectThe Architect is the figure at the top of the Spire who ends every Slay the Spire 2 run after the Act 3 boss, killing you before you can play a card; in Early Access there is no Act 4, no keys and no true ending, which Mega Crit promises for the 1.0 release.
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BossesSlay the Spire 2 has 12 bosses in Early Access, three per act: Ceremonial Beast, The Kin and Vantom (Overgrowth), Lagavulin Matriarch, Soul Fysh and Waterfall Giant (Underdocks), Kaiser Crab, Knowledge Demon and The Insatiable (Hive), and Aeonglass, Queen and Test Subject (Glory).
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ElitesSlay the Spire 2 has 12 Elite fights in Early Access, three in each of its four areas (Overgrowth, Underdocks, Hive and Glory), and every Elite drops a relic along with a card reward. Ascension 1, Swarming Elites, makes them appear more often.
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EnemiesSlay the Spire 2's normal enemies differ in each of its four areas (the Overgrowth and Underdocks in Act 1, the Hive in Act 2 and Glory in Act 3), with HP that rises at Ascension 8 and damage that rises at Ascension 9. The in-game Bestiary, added in v0.105.0, shows the moves of every monster you have met.
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GloryGlory is Act 3 of Slay the Spire 2, the upper Spire, whose Elites are the Knight Trio, the Mecha Knight and the Soul Nexus and whose boss is Aeonglass, the Queen or the Test Subject; at Ascension 10 you fight two of them.
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CardsSlay the Spire 2's game data holds 577 cards on the main branch (v0.107.1): about 88 for each of the five characters, 64 Colorless, 18 curses, 16 statuses, 3 Quest cards, and Event, Ancient and Token cards. Cards are Attacks, Skills, Powers, Statuses, Curses or Quests; rarities run Basic, Common, Uncommon, Rare and Ancient; card rewards offer 3 cards and you take 1.
See also
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UnderdocksThe Underdocks is the alternate first act of Slay the Spire 2, a sewer waterway chosen by a coin flip against the Overgrowth once unlocked, with the Elites Phantasmal Gardener, Skulking Colony and Terror Eel and the bosses Lagavulin Matriarch, Soul Fysh and Waterfall Giant.
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HiveThe Hive is Act 2 of every Slay the Spire 2 run, an insect nest whose Elites are the Decimillipede, Entomancer and Infested Prism and whose boss is the Kaiser Crab, the Knowledge Demon or The Insatiable; an Ancient greets you at its start.
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Unlocks and the TimelineSlay the Spire 2 unlocks its characters in a chain by playing one run (win or lose) with each: the Ironclad unlocks the Silent, then the Regent, the Necrobinder and the Defect. Everything else (cards, relics, potions, Ancients, the Underdocks, Ascension, Daily and Custom runs) comes from 57 Epochs on the Timeline, earned by goals such as beating an act or by spending score; Daily and Custom runs earn none.
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Acts and the MapA Slay the Spire 2 run climbs three acts, the Overgrowth or the Underdocks (a coin flip), then the Hive, then Glory, each opening with an Ancient and ending in a boss, before the Architect ends the climb. Each act is a branching map of combat, Elite, ? (Unknown), Merchant, Treasure and Rest Site rooms; Game Rant puts a run at about 45 to 50 encounters and up to about 40 minutes.
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AscensionSlay the Spire 2 has 10 Ascension levels, not 20: each one stacks a new handicap, from Swarming Elites at Ascension 1 to Double Boss at Ascension 10, and you unlock the next level by winning on your highest one. Ascension 6 has been Inflation (pricier card removal) since Apr 17, 2026; it was Gloom (fewer rest sites) at launch.