How to Beat Vantom in Slay the Spire 2 (Act 1 Boss Guide)

If you check your map in Act 1 of Slay the Spire 2 and see an inky, blob-like icon waiting for you at the top, brace yourself. You are about to fight Vantom, arguably the most frustrating early boss in the game.

Unlike the server bugs we have seen in Marathon, Vantom is a problem you can actually solve with the right strategy. Vantom is designed to completely ruin your math. If you go in blindly throwing your heaviest attacks, you will end up dead before you even scratch its health bar.

Here is exactly how to break Vantom’s defenses and survive the toughest Act 1 roadblock.

DEALING WITH VANTOM’S SLIPPERY EFFECT

The Problem: The Slippery Mechanic

The main reason Vantom destroys new players is its signature status effect called Slippery.

In a standard solo run, this boss begins the fight with exactly nine stacks of Slippery. This means the next nine times you deal damage to it, Vantom will only take 1 HP of damage, regardless of how powerful your attack actually is. Your massive 25-damage nuke? It hits for 1.

(Note: If you are playing the new co-op mode, Vantom’s stats scale up, but you also have more players to help chip away the shield).

How to Counter Vantom

If you drafted a deck built around slow, heavy-hitting cards, Vantom is going to be a nightmare. To win this fight, you have to prioritize the number of hits over the raw damage output.

• Multi-Hit Cards: Cards like Twin Strike are absolute lifesavers here. Anything that lets you land multiple hits for a single energy point will melt the Slippery stacks incredibly fast.
• Zero-Cost Attacks: Low-cost attacks (like a simple Shiv) are perfect for stripping away that shield on your first two turns without draining your energy pool.
• Drink the Attack Potion: As noted by PC Gamer in their recent breakdown, using an Attack Potion is a top-tier strategy. Not only do you get to play a free attack to help chip the shield, but the card stays in your deck to use later in the fight when Vantom is actually vulnerable. Save your Duplication Potions for Act 2!

Surviving the Damage Cycle

While you are busy chipping away at its Slippery stacks, Vantom is going to start throwing Wound cards into your discard pile. These will eventually cycle back and clog up your hand, making it much harder to draw the block cards you actually need.

Because of this, you cannot afford to drag the fight out.

You also need to watch Vantom’s damage cycle. The boss starts off lightly by hitting you for around 7 damage. However, that damage scales up every single turn until it unleashes a massive 30-damage strike from its spooky pointed tail. After the big hit, the cycle repeats.

Keep an eye on its tail. When you know that 30-damage nuke is coming next turn, stop attacking and dump all your energy into block cards.

Pro Tip: Since Vantom is an Act 1 boss, your health will fully restore after the fight ends. Do not be afraid to face-tank a few 7-damage hits early on if it means breaking that Slippery shield faster. Take the bruises, break the shield, and then drop your heavy attacks before the 30-damage strike wipes you out!