What the Golden Compass does in Slay the Spire 2

The Golden Compass is one of Slay the Spire 2's more unusual floor starting bonuses, a little similar to Vakuu's Whispering Earring that lets the demon play your first hand for you—if only in terms of its weirdness. It is one of the bonuses you can claim from Tezcatara, the candle-loving floor guardian who frequently appears at the start of Act 2 and who also offers the Wax Relic Set.

The relic's description reads "replaces the Act 2 map with a single special path," and that is exactly what it does: it creates one route you must follow through Act 2 all the way to the boss. The path seen here consisted of: Battle Encounter Battle Campfire Battle Campfire Encounter Chest Encounter Chest Encounter Shop Elite Campfire Elite Campfire Act boss.

It’s hard to tell whether that sequence is entirely random, but the two elites at the end each having campfires afterward suggests some consistency. Is it worth spending your Act 2 starting bonus on it?

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