Slay the Spire 2 · builds
Slay the Spire 2 Expect a Fight: Build Around Strength-to-Block on Beta
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Applies to: Beta v0.111.0; do not apply to unchanged main text. Check the installed card text before following the combination.
On beta v0.111.0, Expect a Fight is a 3-energy defensive card: 15 Block plus 5 per Strength, or 16 plus 8 per Strength when upgraded. It is no longer the old hand-dependent energy generator. Only use this plan when your installed card matches that rework.
Published October 18, 2026 · Developer-source analysis
Build the useful turn, in order
- Read the installed card before choosing it as an engine piece. If it still describes generating energy from Attacks, this beta defense plan is the wrong reference.
- Count the Strength actually available before the Block card resolves. Do not include a later gain as though it already existed.
- Reserve the 3-energy payment while planning the rest of the hand. Strength setup and the defensive payoff compete for the same turn resources.
- Compare the resulting Block with the enemy intent and your other defenses. Choose the upgrade for the state in which the card will realistically be used.
What the plan needs
The build opportunity is turning offensive scaling into a large defensive action. The constraint is timing: scaling that only arrives after a dangerous turn cannot protect that turn. Prioritize dependable early survival and access to the payoff before adding another slow source of Strength. This does not mean every Strength deck should force the card; it means the card has a distinct role once the conditions are present.
A concrete comparison
At 4 Strength, the ordinary arithmetic is 15 + 5 × 4 = 35 Block; the upgraded arithmetic is 16 + 8 × 4 = 48. At zero Strength the same comparison is 15 versus 16. The upgrade’s extra value is therefore strongly dependent on the Strength available. These numbers precede other Block modifiers and are not damage prevented against every enemy effect.
When the interaction fails
I expected energy back
That is a different version of the card.
The preview is smaller than this example
Check actual Strength, upgrade state and Block modifiers.
I cannot afford the defensive turn
A three-energy payoff needs an energy plan; theoretical Block does not pay its own cost.
Version and sources
Sources retrieved October 18, 2026. The stated branch is part of the mechanic, not an optional label. Main and beta may have different card text; do not combine values from both into a fictional build. Calculations and decision sequences are independent analysis, not a personal gameplay result, win-rate claim or guaranteed infinite.
Before adopting the route, compare the current card, its upgrade state and the encounter you need it to solve. If a required piece is absent, choose the next useful action from the existing deck rather than taking a risky reward solely to force this example.