# The concept
Most roguelike deckbuilders open a run with a choice that shapes the whole climb — a starting boon, a relic-like package, or a risk/reward bargain. Ancients fill that role in STS2: framed as offerings you accept at the run start (and at act starts), trading something now for an advantage, or accepting a downside for a bigger upside. Because they apply before you've drafted much, they're a bet on the run you intend to build, not the one you already have.
# Early Access caveat
# Boon categories
Whatever the exact wording, run-start boons tend to fall into a few recognisable buckets. Knowing the bucket tells you when the offer is strong:
Survivability
Extra HP or defensive padding. Strongest when you expect a slow start, plan to fight elites, or are climbing high difficulty where HP is scarce.
Economy
Gold or value spikes. Strong when there's an early shop to spend at — gold converts into removes, relics, and cards, but only if you can use it.
Card / deck package
Cards or upgrades added to your deck. Great when they fit your plan; a trap when they bloat your deck with off-plan filler.
Greed / cursed
A strong upside attached to a curse, HP loss, or other downside. Correct only when the upside directly fixes a problem and you can neutralise the cost.
# An evaluation framework
Run any Ancient through these questions before committing. They turn a gut feeling into a defensible choice.
- 1
What does my deck need most right now?
Survival, consistency, scaling, or economy. The best boon answers your biggest current weakness, not the flashiest number.
- 2
Can I actually use it this act?
Gold needs a shop; a card package needs to fit a plan; HP only matters if you'd otherwise lose it. Value you can't convert is dead value.
- 3
What's the real cost?
A curse clogs draws and a deck add dilutes them. Weigh the downside against how easily you can remove or play around it.
- 4
Does it lock me into a plan?
Some boons strongly suggest an archetype. Take them when you're happy committing early; skip them when you want to stay flexible.
# The first-elite timeline
The single most useful lens: evaluate every Ancient against how it affects your first real test — typically the first elite or the act boss. Run-start choices that don't help you reach and clear that checkpoint in good shape are usually overrated.
Helps the timeline
- HP that lets you take an early elite safely.
- Economy that buys a remove or relic before the elite.
- A card that meaningfully raises your early damage or block.
Hurts the timeline
- A curse that clogs your opening hands before you can purge it.
- Off-plan cards that dilute an already-loose early deck.
- Upside that only pays off long after the act is decided.
# When greed & curses are right
Strong players take cursed boons more often than beginners — but only deliberately. A curse is acceptable when its upside directly fixes a weakness and you have a concrete plan to neutralise the downside.
Conversely, a curse with no removal in sight, on a deck that's already inconsistent, is one of the fastest ways to lose a run before it starts. Greed is correct when it buys tempo or fixes a hole — not as a default.
# Quick checklist
- 1.Read the actual offer text and numbers in-game — don't assume.
- 2.Identify the category: survivability, economy, package, or greed.
- 3.Match it to your deck's biggest current need.
- 4.Confirm you can use the value before the first elite/boss.
- 5.If there's a cost, name exactly how you'll pay it off.
- 6.Prefer flexibility early unless a boon clearly accelerates a plan.
Turn boons into a plan
Once you've chosen an Ancient, draft toward it with a real deckbuilding framework.