Slay the Spire 2 · builds
Slay the Spire 2 Well-Laid Plans: Retain a Useful Hand Without Forgetting the Setup Cost
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Applies to: Beta v0.109.0 rework and v0.110.0 cost change. Check the installed card text before following the combination.
The beta rework of Well-Laid Plans prevents the end-of-turn hand discard, then v0.110.0 sets its cost to 2, or 1 upgraded. It helps hold the pieces for a later turn; it does not make their energy cost disappear. Check the installed text before using an older limited-retain plan.
Published October 18, 2026 · Developer-source analysis
Build the useful turn, in order
- Confirm the card’s branch, wording and upgrade state. The older version retains a limited number of chosen cards instead.
- Name the exact card or small combination that you need to align across turns. Do not retain a hand without a clear later use.
- Pay for setup without leaving the present turn undefended. Compare the unupgraded and upgraded cost with the rest of the hand.
- On the next turn, check energy and the actual cards drawn before planning the payoff. Retention preserves access, not automatic affordability.
What the plan needs
The strongest practical role is reducing the chance that support and payoff pass each other on different turns. It can also make a poor plan look deceptively organized: several retained cards may all demand the same limited energy. Evaluate the turn on which the held cards will be used, and make room for immediate defense when the encounter cannot wait.
A concrete comparison
Imagine retaining a 2-energy payoff and a 1-energy support card. The later combination still needs 3 energy before any additional actions. If you also need a separate defense, account for that cost before deciding the retained hand is ready. These are invented card costs to illustrate resource planning, not a claimed exact combo or infinite.
When the interaction fails
An older guide lets me keep only one or two cards
That may describe the pre-rework card.
I have every piece but cannot play the turn
Count energy independently from hand availability.
I spent the whole turn on the Power and got hit
The benefit arrives later; the present defensive cost still matters.
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.