Should I upgrade Zap in Slay the Spire 2?

Compare the upgraded text: Cost changes from 1 to 0. If the upgrade lowers cost, adds damage/block, or enables a combo piece, it is usually high priority.

Zap appears in 2 tracked builds: Storm Conductor (S-tier, core card), Overcharge Detonation (A-tier, flex pick).

What character uses Zap?

Zap is tagged as a Defect card. See the Defect build hub for archetypes that care about it.

Updated for Data 2026-03-17Early Access — numbers may shift with patches.

Zap

Defect · Skill · Basic · 1 cost

Base

Upgraded

Card text

Channel 1 Lightning.

Zap+

Cost changes from 1 to 0

Builds that use Zap

Archetypes that draft this card in real runs, with the role it plays.

Keywords

Channel Lightning

Build context

See the Defect build hub for archetypes that feature this card in real runs.

Related cards

Zap FAQ

Should I upgrade Zap in Slay the Spire 2?: Compare the upgraded text: Cost changes from 1 to 0. If the upgrade lowers cost, adds damage/block, or enables a combo piece, it is usually high priority.
What builds use Zap?: Zap appears in 2 tracked builds: Storm Conductor (S-tier, core card), Overcharge Detonation (A-tier, flex pick).
What character uses Zap?: Zap is tagged as a Defect card. See the Defect build hub for archetypes that care about it.

Patch history

SpireForge snapshots card text from Untapped exports dated 2026-03-17. When Mega Crit ships a balance patch, we re-run the scraper and refresh every affected URL—see /patches for the editorial log.