Draft verdict: v0.111 makes Forgotten Ritual much easier to use honestly. It is no longer an Energy card that first asks you to jump through an Exhaust hoop. It is still an Energy card, though—take it for a hand you can actually improve.
What changed
The v0.111 beta notes remove the condition that required you to Exhaust a card before Forgotten Ritual gives Energy. That is a quiet but practical buff. The old condition could create awkward turns where the deck had the ritual and the payoff but no sensible card to Exhaust first.
Now the card asks a simpler question: is spending a card on setup worth the larger turn it enables?
Why consistency is the real gain
The change does not necessarily raise the card's maximum ceiling. A dedicated Exhaust deck already had ways to meet the old condition. What it improves is the floor: ordinary Ironclad hands can use the Energy without adding an unrelated Exhaust action to their plan.
That frees up decisions. You can Exhaust a card because it is dead, because it triggers Feel No Pain, or because the deck wants it gone—not because Forgotten Ritual refuses to work otherwise.
Draft it for an Energy problem, not an Exhaust label
| Deck state | Forgotten Ritual read |
|---|---|
| Several useful 2- or 3-cost cards, but turns are cramped | Good candidate |
| A Power-heavy deck with a safe setup turn | Often good |
| Plenty of Energy already goes unused | Usually pass |
| Exhaust package with real payoffs | Better, but no longer dependent on it |
| Weak Block before the next elite | Be cautious; setup can lose HP |
The key is conversion. Extra Energy should let you play a defensive card and a damage card together, deploy a Power without giving up safety, or end a turn that would otherwise stretch across two cycles. If it merely makes an already-empty hand feel richer, it has not solved the run's problem.
Do not force bad Exhaust lines
Ironclad still has strong reasons to Exhaust cards. But a v0.111 Forgotten Ritual no longer needs a disposable card before it pays out. That means a good Exhaust card is now a bonus, not an admission fee.
This matters in lean decks. Avoid drafting mediocre Exhaust fodder simply to make one Energy card consistent; the patch already did that work for you. Spend the saved deck space on the cards that use the Energy: stable Block, draw, or a payoff that changes the fight.
Battle Trance is a useful reminder that more resources are only good when timing works. Draw and Energy need to meet in the same turn. Before drafting Forgotten Ritual, check whether the deck can both see its important cards and play them after setup.
Upgrade and pathing priorities
The database's main-branch text can lag beta changes, so use the live beta card and the official notes for exact current values. For gameplay, judge any upgrade by the next hard room. If an upgrade to Forgotten Ritual gives a repeatable improvement to your best turns, it can be excellent. If the run instead loses to a specific damage threshold or defensive turn, upgrade that answer first.
On the map, take a cautious view of the first elite after adding a setup card. The new version is more reliable, but it still costs tempo. A route with a couple of ordinary fights can show whether the deck has enough safe turns to play it.
FAQ
Is Forgotten Ritual now an automatic pick in Exhaust decks?
No. Exhaust synergy makes its Energy easier to exploit, but the draft still needs enough payoff and safety to justify the setup.
Can it help a non-Exhaust Ironclad deck?
Yes. That is one of the clearest benefits of the change. A deck with expensive but useful turns can take it without manufacturing an Exhaust action first.
What should the extra Energy pay for?
Prefer a concrete two-card line: Block plus damage, setup plus defense, or a finisher that ends the fight. “More Energy eventually” is not enough.
Source note
The requirement removal is listed in the official Slay the Spire 2 v0.111.0 beta patch notes.
