KEY POINTS

  • Shivs deal very low damage unless buffed by other cards
  • Cloak and Dagger is a high-priority card when building Shiv decks
  • Always balance offense and defense when picking cards

The Silent has a number of interesting deck archetypes to play around with, and “Slay the Spire” players who love throwing tons of cards per turn will love the Shiv cards.

Shivs are no-cost, low-damage cards that can be buffed up to extreme lengths, turning the tiny knives into real boss killers. They’re a little hard to build around, and in most cases, they’re best used to complement other cards instead of hogging the spotlight.

However, with the proper setup and a lot of luck, Shivs can easily and comfortably carry “Slay the Spire” players to the end of a run.

“Slay the Spire” Silent Shiv Deck

There are a few cards that provide Shivs on-demand. The three must-have cards for this deck are Blade Dance, Infinite Blades and Cloak and Dagger.

Cloak and Dagger card in Slay the Spire
Cloak and Dagger card in Slay the Spire Slay the Spire

Blade Dance grants four Shivs for one point of energy, while Infinite Blades spawns one Shiv at the beginning of each turn. However, the true priority here is Cloak and Dagger, as it grants both Block and Shivs. Upgrade Cloak and Dagger as soon as possible, and try to get as many copies of it as needed.

Here are other cards to consider when going for a Shiv-oriented deck:

  • Finisher
  • Choke
  • Thousand Cuts
  • Storm of Steel
  • After Image
  • Accuracy
  • Envenom

It’s important to find a way to buff Shivs because of their terrible base damage. This deck’s card-spamming nature also makes it weak against the Time Eater and Corrupt Heart bosses as they both counter heavy card usage.

Envenom and After Image are great with Shiv cards because they both activate whenever cards are played (or whenever damage is dealt in Envenom’s case). The former can help deal with enemies like the Time Eater, while the latter provides general survivability. Draw cards like Expertise are also great for this deck.

Choke, Finisher and Thousand Cuts are complementary damage effects that synergize extremely well with Shivs. Activate Thousand Cuts and Choke, then unload on enemies with a barrage of Shivs. If anything survives, execute them with Finisher.

As for Relics, Ninja Scroll and Wrist Blade are excellent picks. Prioritize getting these in shops or in boss chests to help set the rest of the deck up for success.

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