Xuanji Character Mod

Xuanji is a male custom character mod for Slay the Spire 2. His combat loop is built around playing cards, encoding them into a Machine Chamber, condensing Machine Cores, and using those cores to turn synergy progress into a long-running engine.

Encode. Condense. Synergize.

Current version: 0.13.0-beta
Release status: Beta
Author: Jason Song
Type: custom character / synergy-building / Machine Core planning
Gameplay impact: yes. It adds a new character, custom cards, custom relics, and new build directions.

Gameplay Overview

Xuanji is not built around one oversized burst card. His core gameplay is about laying down tagged cards, encoding them into the Machine Chamber, condensing those cards into Machine Cores, then letting multiple synergies trigger across turn start, encoding, condensing, drawing, exhausting, and combat victory.

• Encode: encoded cards enter the Machine Chamber after being played. Once encoded, they no longer contribute synergies again during the same combat.
• Machine Chamber: holds cards waiting to be condensed. Chamber order matters, so arranging the chamber is part of the tactical puzzle.
• Condense: when the chamber reaches 3 cards, they become a Machine Core. Cores provide synergy progress and can establish a main combat identity.
• Retuning: some cards move, remove, replace, or add tags, letting players correct the next core instead of simply waiting for it.
• Momentum growth: some routes turn combat planning into Gold, Max HP, deck upgrades, Replay, or future-combat bonuses.

In a normal run, you are not expected to max every synergy. The more interesting choice is deciding whether the deck needs defense, burst, draw, Energy, exhaust payoffs, poison and debuffs, long-term growth, or multi-synergy chaining, then drafting and condensing around that plan.

Main Synergies

The current version has 8 synergies. This overview focuses on the main routes instead of listing every card.

Synergy	Direction	Main Effects
Bulwark	Defense, Block scaling	Bulwark cores provide Block at turn start. Higher progress adds extra Block when cards grant Block, can preserve Block, and eventually reflects attack damage back to enemies.
Ambush	Attack rhythm, burst	Ambush cores empower the first attack each turn. Higher progress grants Vigor, temporary Strength, and eventually creates an extra attack card at turn start.
Insight	Draw, hand filtering	Insight cores draw when you encode. Higher progress adds turn-start draw, draw after the first encode each turn, discard/exhaust choices, and eventually turns drawing into area damage.
Overload	Energy, stored burst	Overload cores grant Energy after condensing. Higher progress adds more Energy, preserves unspent Energy, and can convert current Energy into damage to all enemies.
Momentum	Long-term growth	Momentum cores earn Gold on turns where you do not condense. Higher progress grants Max HP after combat, upgrades deck cards or adds Replay, and builds a Momentum Emblem for future-combat bonuses.
Transmute	Exhaust, resource loops	Transmute cores turn Exhaust into draw. Higher progress turns encoding and exhausting into card draw, Energy, and random 0-cost Exhaust cards.
Corrosion	Poison, Weak, Vulnerable	Corrosion cores apply Poison at turn start. Higher progress adds Weak and Vulnerable, expands target coverage, and can eventually apply a large amount of Poison to all enemies.
Command	Multi-synergy engine	Command cores trigger when other main cores trigger. Higher progress rewards other synergy triggers with Block, draw, Energy, damage, and extra synergy progress.

Build Directions

Xuanji decks are closer to planning a small machine than finding one single payoff. Common directions include:

• Bulwark + Insight for stable defense, draw, and turn quality.
• Ambush + Overload to convert Energy and first-attack bonuses into fast kills.
• Transmute + Insight for draw, exhaust, and 0-cost resource loops.
• Corrosion + Momentum for sustained pressure and long-term growth.
• Command as the glue for decks that want several active cores and many synergy triggers.

Compatibility

• Requires BaseLib v3.1.0.
• The current build has compatibility handling for the Slay the Spire 2 v0.103 stable line and the v0.107 beta line.
• This is a Beta release, so balance values, card distribution, and UI details may continue to change based on feedback.

Links

• Bilibili intro video: Xuanji Character Mod introduction
• Back to All Mods