In Slay the Spire, players face endless strategic decisions, risky card combinations, and unforgiving combat. Among the most dramatic and controversial cards in the game is Blasphemy, a high-risk, high-reward card available to the Watcher class. This card has sparked discussion in the game’s community for its power, danger, and the unique tension it brings to every run. While some players fear it, others have built entire strategies around it. To fully grasp its potential, you need to understand what Blasphemy does, how it works, and how to use it effectively without sabotaging your own progress.
What Is Blasphemy in Slay the Spire?
Blasphemy is a rare skill card that belongs to the Watcher, a character introduced in one of the later updates to Slay the Spire. The card’s effect is simple yet terrifying: it enters your character into Divinity stance, tripling all attack damage dealt that turn. However, at the end of that turn, if the enemy is still alive, you die instantly no matter how much health you have.
Here is the card description for Blasphemy:
- Cost: 1 energy
- Type: Skill
- Effect: Enter Divinity. Die next turn.
On the surface, this card seems dangerous and reckless. But for players who enjoy calculated risk, or who have high burst potential, Blasphemy can be the centerpiece of a lethal combo that deletes bosses in a single turn.
Understanding Divinity Stance
To appreciate the value of Blasphemy, it helps to understand how the Divinity stance works. The Watcher has multiple stances, each offering different advantages:
- Calm: Provides extra energy when exited
- Wrath: Doubles both attack damage dealt and received
- Divinity: Triples attack damage and gives 3 energy immediately
Divinity is the strongest stance available in the game. Tripling damage means that even weak attacks can turn into devastating strikes. Cards like Strike or Consecrate suddenly become incredibly effective. Combined with powerful multi-hit attacks, Divinity can allow players to destroy elite enemies or even final bosses before they have time to react. Blasphemy provides immediate access to Divinity at the steep cost of instant death if the job isn’t finished that turn.
When to Use Blasphemy
Because the penalty is so severe, using Blasphemy recklessly is a recipe for disaster. However, in the right hands and situations, it can be a game-winning card. Here are key scenarios where Blasphemy shines:
1. Ending Boss Fights Instantly
If you’ve brought the enemy down to around 100 HP or less, and you have a deck that can deliver 30-40 base damage in a single turn, Blasphemy can close the deal. By entering Divinity, your 30 base damage becomes 90 more than enough to finish off the final enemy.
2. Creating One-Turn-Kill (OTK) Combos
Some Watcher decks are built entirely around one-turn burst. With cards like Talk to the Hand, Wallop, Reach Heaven, or Ragnarok, it’s possible to deal massive multi-hit damage, especially when upgraded and boosted by Strength. Blasphemy turns this strategy into a sure kill.
3. Emergency Escape from Losing Battles
In some runs, you may find yourself cornered by an elite enemy or boss you can’t beat the usual way. If you’re about to die anyway, playing Blasphemy as a last-ditch attempt might flip the battle in your favor. You either win immediately or die which you would have done anyway.
How to Build a Deck Around Blasphemy
If you decide to keep Blasphemy in your deck, building around it is essential. The card is not useful on its own it needs synergy. Here are tips on how to make Blasphemy work effectively:
1. Stack Cheap Attack Cards
Cards like Flurry of Blows, Bowling Bash, Consecrate, and Ragnarok benefit greatly from Divinity. Since you’ll have 3 energy when you enter the stance, the more attacks you can squeeze into that turn, the better. Look for attacks that cost 0 or 1 energy and can hit multiple times.
2. Use Card Draw and Retain Mechanics
To pull off a Blasphemy combo, you often need to hold the right cards. Establishment helps reduce the cost of retained cards like Ragnarok or Windmill Strike. Third Eye, Foresight, and Halt help with setup and card draw. Retaining Blasphemy until the exact right moment can be the difference between victory and instant defeat.
3. Combine with Strength Scaling
Blasphemy benefits heavily from Strength bonuses. Cards like Vigilance, Worship, and relics like Pen Nib, Vajra, or Girya can raise your base damage, which is then tripled in Divinity. Even one or two Strength boosts can change a combo from strong to unstoppable.
4. Plan Around the Energy Spike
Entering Divinity gives 3 energy immediately, which can catch players off guard. Make sure your hand is full of cards that can take advantage of that energy burst. Energy-generating cards like Prostrate or Deceive Reality can also add flexibility.
Risks and Drawbacks of Using Blasphemy
Despite its potential, Blasphemy is one of the riskiest cards in Slay the Spire. A single misstep can end a successful run in seconds. Here are common risks to keep in mind:
- Miscalculating Damage If the enemy survives your combo, you die. There’s no second chance.
- Discard or Exhaust Effects Cards that randomly discard or exhaust other cards can interfere with your setup, removing Blasphemy or your key attacks.
- Enemy Intents Enemies with thorns, multi-phase fights (like Awakened One), or auto-revive mechanics may survive the first burst, ruining your combo.
- Unpredictable Draw Order Drawing the wrong card at the wrong time can leave you with no way to finish the combo after entering Divinity.
Upgrading Blasphemy
When upgraded, Blasphemy becomes Retain, meaning it will stay in your hand each turn until you play it. This is one of the most important upgrades in the game for this card, allowing you to hold it until the perfect moment without wasting energy or risking it being buried in your draw pile.
Without the upgrade, Blasphemy is significantly harder to use effectively. You’ll need to play it the turn you draw it or risk never seeing it again.
Relics That Help Blasphemy Work
Certain relics can make using Blasphemy much safer and more consistent:
- Fossilized Helix Prevents the first instance of damage, which could protect you if your combo fails by just a bit.
- Orange Pellets Clears debuffs when you play a Power, Attack, and Skill in one turn helpful for making the combo smoother.
- Emotion Chip Gives extra energy if you’ve lost HP last turn, enabling bigger combos.
- Lesson Learned If timed well, this lets you upgrade Blasphemy mid-run after a finishing blow.
Blasphemy in Slay the Spire is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a card that asks for courage, planning, and precise execution. For the Watcher, it can transform an average deck into a deadly burst machine but only in the right hands. Whether you use it as a last resort or a centerpiece of a lethal combo, Blasphemy represents one of the most thrilling high-stakes moments in the game. Master it, and you may find yourself slaying the spire in just a single turn.