Ancients are powerful NPCs that appear between acts, offering blessings that shape your entire run. This guide covers every known Ancient, their blessing options, and when to pick each one.
Neow's blessing selection screen — the first Ancient encounter every run begins with.
Ancients replace Boss Relics from the first game. Instead of picking a relic after beating an act boss, you meet a powerful NPC who offers a choice of blessings. Mega Crit designed this system to open up more interactive and narrative-driven choices than a simple relic pickup.
The practical impact is huge: Ancient blessings can give you temporary relics, lock cards into your deck permanently, or transform your act map entirely. Picking the wrong blessing can cripple a run just as easily as the right one can carry it.
Verification note
Cross-referenced from Mega Crit's Neowsletter #16 (official Ancient reveal), Mobalytics, GAMES.GG, and Deltia's Gaming guides. Tezcatara and Pael blessing details verified across 3+ independent sources.
Fast takeaway
This guide is built around one practical question, so you can use it during a run instead of digging through a broad overview.
If the answer depends on a mechanic, a character system, or a recent patch, the related links show you what to open next.
Use this when you want a direct answer instead of a broad overview.
Follow the related links if this decision depends on a mechanic, character system, or co-op rule.
Check the update pages whenever balance changes might shift the recommendation.
Each act has its own pool of possible Ancients. You meet one Ancient between acts and choose from their blessing options (typically pick 1 of 3). The Ancient you encounter is random, but they are visible on the map before you reach them, so you can plan ahead.
Ancients never repeat in the same position within a single run. Neow fills the Act 1 blessing role (same as the original game), while later Ancients shape Acts 2 and 3.
Neow returns from Slay the Spire 1 and works the same way: at the start of every run, she offers starting blessings like card transforms, relic swaps, HP trades, and bonus gold. The key is to pick a blessing that supports your first few fights rather than one that only pays off in Act 3.
Tezcatara is a large witch surrounded by massive candles. Her blessings offer high upfront power that is often temporary or comes with a permanent cost.
The Golden Path — Transforms the act map into a simplified golden route. Reduces difficulty but also limits reward opportunities. Best when your deck needs to coast through Act 2 without taking risks.
Wax Choker — Grants 4 temporary Wax Relics that melt away during the act (one every 3 combats, left to right). Safest default choice because it gives consistent short-term value without permanent commitments.
Heap of Coals — Supercharges your Strike cards but makes them permanently impossible to remove from your deck. Appealing early but dangerous long-term because Strikes become dead weight in Act 3 when deck compression matters most.
Pael appears as an alternative to Tezcatara. Her blessings center around Exhaust card effects and synergize heavily with Exhaust-based builds. Ironclad and Necrobinder benefit most from Pael's offerings because their card pools have the deepest Exhaust interactions.
If you are running Silent or Regent without Exhaust support, Pael's blessings are usually weaker than Tezcatara's Wax Relics.
The most reliable decision framework across all community sources comes down to three questions: Does this blessing match my build direction? Is the cost manageable for the rest of the run? And what is the safest fallback if I am unsure?
When unsure, pick Wax Relics — They provide consistent short-term value without permanent downsides. The relics melt away by late Act 2 or early Act 3, so there is no long-term lock-in.
Avoid Heap of Coals unless your build wants Strikes — Permanently locking Strikes in your deck sounds minor but becomes a real problem when you need a lean deck for Act 3 bosses.
Match Pael to Exhaust builds — Ironclad Corruption decks and Necrobinder Exhaust decks get the most from Pael. Everyone else usually prefers Tezcatara.
Evaluate Golden Path by deck state — If your deck is fragile and needs to survive Act 2, the simplified route can save a run. If your deck is strong and wants more rewards, Golden Path costs you potential relics and card choices.
Yes. Mega Crit confirmed in Neowsletter #16 that Ancient blessings replace Boss Relics to open up more interactive design space. You no longer pick a relic after beating an act boss.
Can I see which Ancient I will meet before reaching them?
Yes. Ancient encounters are visible on the map, which lets you plan your pathing and resource spending around the upcoming blessing choice.
What are Wax Relics?
Temporary relics granted by Tezcatara's Wax Choker blessing. They melt away one at a time (left to right) every 3 combats. Place your weakest Wax Relic in the leftmost slot so it melts first.
Are Act 3 Ancients documented yet?
Not fully. Act 3 Ancients have their own blessing pools, but complete details have not been published by the community yet. This guide will be updated as more data becomes available.
