Treat it as a planning tool, not a trophy case
The Bestiary is one of the most useful additions in the recent main-branch updates, but it is easy to use it too late. Opening an enemy entry after a run ends may explain a loss. Opening it before a route choice can prevent one.
The practical question is not “what moves does this monster have?” It is: what does my deck fail to do on the worst turn of this fight? A deck can be excellent at ordinary hallway fights and still be one card, one potion, or one campfire short of a particular elite.
Use the Bestiary when you are deciding between routes, at a shop, or before a campfire. It turns vague anxiety into a specific job.
A 90-second preparation routine
Before an elite or boss you have seen before, make this short pass:
- Open the enemy entry and recall the turn that normally costs you the most health.
- Name the pressure: a large attack, several enemies acting together, an early setup turn, or a fight that outscales you.
- Look at the deck, not the ideal deck. Can this deck answer that pressure today?
- Choose one adjustment that improves the answer: a card reward, an upgrade, a shop purchase, a potion, or a safer route.
This is deliberately smaller than rebuilding the entire deck around one matchup. A good answer often covers several fights. Area damage helps against many groups; dependable Block helps against more than one heavy-hitter; draw helps almost everywhere.
Translate enemy knowledge into deck jobs
| What the entry reminds you of | The job to check | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Several enemies attack together | Fast area damage or enough immediate Block | Drafting slow scaling and hoping to set up |
| One large hit arrives early | Reliable Block, Weak, or a potion | Spending the only defensive potion on a harmless fight |
| The fight gets worse over time | Damage clock or scaling | Adding more defense without a way to finish |
| Your deck has a weak first cycle | Draw, energy, or an Innate answer | Calling a deck “strong” because its best hand is strong |
The Bestiary does not replace judgment. It makes the judgment testable. If you cannot say how the deck handles the dangerous turn, you are not prepared yet.
Route with your current deck, not your previous win
Players often remember a successful route and try to repeat it. That habit breaks when the current deck has a different weakness. An Act 1 deck with fast damage and a full potion belt can justify an elite path. The same map can be a trap when the deck has no answer to a multi-enemy turn.
Check three things before committing:
- Health and recovery: Can you survive the fight and still reach the next important node?
- Immediate answer: Does the deck already contain the damage or defense the entry demands?
- Support on the path: Is there a campfire, shop, or mystery room that can realistically improve the matchup first?
If two answers are “no,” take the safer line. A route is not cowardly because it preserves a run that has not earned an elite yet.
Potions are part of the plan
The Bestiary is particularly good at exposing potions that should not be saved. If a potion turns a known dangerous turn into an elite relic, an upgrade instead of a rest, or twenty fewer health lost, it has done its job.
Do not decide that every potion is “for the boss.” Assign it a job. One may protect a route; another may cover a fight where the deck's first cycle is unreliable. That is more valuable than carrying three theoretical answers into a run-ending hallway fight.
Use it alongside the database
The in-game Bestiary is a record of what you have encountered. For a fast reference while planning, pair it with the Spire Builds monster database. Then move from an enemy pattern to the relevant part of your run: boss preparation, Act 2 routing, or a character-specific plan.
The habit to keep is simple: before taking a risk, identify the fight's hardest question and make sure the deck has an answer that exists now.
FAQ
Where is the Bestiary in Slay the Spire 2?
Open the Compendium from the main menu, then choose Bestiary. It is available outside a run and records enemies you have encountered.
Can the Bestiary tell me exactly what to draft?
No. It gives encounter context. The useful step is comparing its threats with your current deck's missing job before you choose a card, route, or campfire action.
Should I avoid a route if the Bestiary shows a hard enemy?
Not automatically. First ask whether a potion, upgrade, shop, or one strong card reward can cover the danger. Route away only when the cost of reaching that answer is too high.
