Vantom is one of the three bosses of Act 1 Overgrowth, and perhaps the deadliest among the trio. Like all enemies in Slay the Spire 2, this boss has a pattern, and it becomes apparent pretty early on. For starters, Ironclad and Silent are very effective against this boss.

However, knowing is just half the battle, and you must execute your cards correctly to ensure smooth sailing to the next act. So, to prepare you for this fight, we have made this Vantom boss guide explaining its pattern and what works best.

Attack Pattern

Vantom is an extremely aggressive boss, dealing a hefty amount of damage each turn. It is important to understand that you can tank some of its early hits and focus on blocking in Turn 3 and Turn 2 (only if you have sufficient Blocks).

Turn 1

Vantom deals around 9 damage, but the main issue is the Slippery effect on it. It causes all your attacks to deal no more than 1 damage for 9 instances of attack.

You can use Strike or other low-cost, low-damage attacks to take down this effect. Defend only when needed because you need to start setting up for your heavy hitters once the effect is gone.

Turn 2

Vantom’s tail will grow in size and come one step closer to your character, dealing more damage than before. Your focus and priority in this turn should remain the same as before.

The main threat is its next turn, which we need to prepare for.

Turn 3

The tail will now be much bigger and directly above the character, dealing over 25 damage. Here, you must draw cards that give you as many Blocks as possible to negate the attack.

If you have Block Potion or Fortifier, now might be the time to use it. Alternatively, if you have Lucky Tonic and can deal a big chunk of damage, you should use it to prevent the next instance of enemy attack and go full offensive mode.

Turn 4

During this turn, Vantom will buff itself and prepare to repeat the same pattern from its first three turns.

This is the perfect opportunity to deal as much damage as possible, and probably the only one you will get without the help of potions.

Rinse & Repeat

After the fourth turn, Vantom will continue with the same pattern, dealing more and more damage each time. While the pattern itself is very simple, the boss’s aggressive nature can make even one mistake very costly.

Be prepared to tank some hits, heal at a rest site if possible. If the merchant is selling Lucky Tonic, get it without hesitation.

Even though drawing cards depends on your luck, having potions or cards that give you more draw opportunities may come in handy.

Once you have beaten this boss, you can progress towards Act 2. Remember, Act 2 is almost always the most difficult, due to the difficulty spike.

So, make sure you get the right Relic from the Ancient to make things easier.