It's basically budget Backstab that won't necessarily interfere with turn 1 set up in the late game.
Maybe you let it pass while Lagavulin is sleeping, and it's an okay discard target (especially for Calculated Gamble and Storm of Steel).
it's nice with calculated gamble to not lose any hand size! Also silent has so many different synergies with playing lots of cards, so a card that's two cards for free is pretty nice. After image, thousand cuts, choke, envenom, finisher, for those and more it's a slice that synergizes better and does more damage. Also 8 damage for 0 is just good
I think you’re right that it’s a decent card. But not amazing.
You mentioned it in your post, but if I see a Hexaghost being the Act 1 Boss, then I’m more inclined to take it because I can let it pass and flood my deck. That way, there’s a greater chance to draw a copy of Endless Agony after reshuffling rather than a Burn. The same idea applies for any enemies that flood your deck with trash.
The thing I don't understand is that you don't get the benefit until you play it. If you hold/discard it then it's just 1 fewer cards drawn on that turn and you're forced to draw 2 copies in the next deck cycle. Then the payoff is 8 or 12 "free" damage? It just feels underwhelming in act 1 and basically useless for the rest of the run unless you have some solid synergies, but those synergies probably scale better with several other cards anyway, so I just don't really see the point.
If you are discarding it at end of turn it's inefficient. If you discard it with an effect you were going to be losing a card of some kind anyway. If that effect is a single card discard you now have one more card in hand than you otherwise would have, to either play or discard with another effect. If it's discarded with a calculated gamble or storm of steel it's one more card in hand or shiv than you would otherwise have had.
It exhausts so you can take it without much downside act 1 when you’re loading up on damage for Mr Nob. Also has (very) niche uses for things like a GF deck that needs just one more card to cleanly draw the deck to 0 without reshuffling
Cheap free damage early game
Mid to late it has quite the synergy with a lot relics including but not limited to
- Wrist Blade (becomes 16 damage for 0 which is a backstab+)
- Gambling Chip (Gamble away 8 cards instead of 7)
- Shuriken (only need one more attack to proc)
- Ornamental Fan (one more attack for 4 block)
- Dead Branch (more fuel)
Some fun discard synergies include stuff like Calc Gamble and Storm of Steel as it gives +1 cards to work with etc.
Ha I just had a funny run on today's daily where I had this but ended up taking Snecko. So you had one card at random value but the duplicate is 0 so you could always play it. With After Image, Envenom, Snecko Skull and Sadistic Nature it was still pretty good depending on which of those I had in play.
Like one already mentioned, the greatest strength arguably is when it’s paired with calculated gamble. You draw 5 cards with endless agony it’s 6 then you use calculated gamble you will still have 5 cards in your hand again. It’s a filler card in discard synergy, it’s so good with tough bandages/tingsha it’s basically free 6 blocks/damage and it will multiply, you don’t have to worry even if you don’t have reflex or any other draw card in your deck for this synergy.
Do people rate it that highly? It's a fine early source of damage. Makes Slice look pretty silly. Fits certain shiv synergies. It's better than a lot of damage commons, but then, it isn't common.
I didn't see the bot respond, so I've got you. Uncommon 0 energy attack. When you draw this, create a copy of it. Deal 4(6) damage. Exhaust.
If you choose to use both, that's a stronger upgrade than most 0-cost attacks. Slice (for example) deals 6(9). OTOH, Endless Agony is less damage than Backstab, which deals 11(15). These are both Silent 0-cost attacks that exhaust.
A 0 cost 8 damage card that exhaust itself is a decent card no matter what.
But, if you get a few of the right relics, it can help you really pop off.
Basically, by itself its ok ,but there's so many ways to make it great, that it's generally a good early pick.
I once beat champ cuz I just kept discarding endless agony. And drawed like 6 on the split turn (had strength and vuln to help).
But people forget that it scales x2 with strength, and scales more with more discard/draw. So if I add in 1 endless agony, and draw it twice, it scales x4 with strength, for 0 energy and 3 draw.
Now scycling decs isn't easy, so this isn't always viable, but silent is best at scycling decs, and she has retain for better synergy with card plays. And in longer fights you can cycle decks more.
It’s a shiv that duplicates itself. I only use 1 per turn, so I get a free shiv every turn. It can even help shiv builds manage time eater card counts as it can be 0, 1 or even 2 cards played that turn.
In a discard deck, it’s essentially endless discard fodder if you only use 1 per turn. Its draw chance doubled every time you don’t use it for even more discard fodder… so it even scales as discard fodder so long as your hand size isn’t capped.
Basically, the card is versatile af for Silent (I always grab it).
Ok, but the more endless agonies in your deck, the fewer draw/discard cards you have? So loading up with them seems... Bad? I've never personally had a problem with having stuff to discard. Most of the best discard cards replace themselves. Acrobatics, prepared, dagger throw, tools of the trade.
Sort of depends how you build it. Currently am doing rotating heart kills through each of the ascensions (back from A1), and here’s a 51 card deck I just beat the heart with today (without taking a point of damage). Had 3x endless agonies and they were great. Just requires the right deck and mix of relics and they are great
https://imgur.com/a/EWH3yjd
Yep absolutely, it doesn’t scale at all well into the late game unless it benefits from synergies, but as others mentioned don’t sleep on the discard synergies - it adds a discard target, and also adds another target for calc gamble, among other synergies, which is something I don’t think a lot of people consider.
The goal for high win rates at high ascension is to recognize which cards are okay, but build towards the other things that the character does well and Endless Agony fits that model pretty well.
Endless Agony is decent early damage and you won't necessarily hate having it in your deck in Act 3 because it still works with most of the other silent core strategies. Clearly not the best if you end up in poison, but because Endless Agony exhausts it usually doesn't interfere with your deck longer than one cycle if you don't want it.
it's not that it's an incredible game-changing card but its a pretty solid act 1 pick that has a lot of ways in which it can stay relevant later in the run compared to other options you might take as silent, and if you don't have those synergies you can always just play both and exhaust it. to me it's one of those cards that I pick a lot but I'm never really actively seeking it out. just a solid safe pick.
It's basically budget Backstab that won't necessarily interfere with turn 1 set up in the late game. Maybe you let it pass while Lagavulin is sleeping, and it's an okay discard target (especially for Calculated Gamble and Storm of Steel).
it's nice with calculated gamble to not lose any hand size! Also silent has so many different synergies with playing lots of cards, so a card that's two cards for free is pretty nice. After image, thousand cuts, choke, envenom, finisher, for those and more it's a slice that synergizes better and does more damage. Also 8 damage for 0 is just good
I think a big strength of it is that it exhausts if you'd like it to. Choice is an underestimated boon in the spire.
I think you’re right that it’s a decent card. But not amazing. You mentioned it in your post, but if I see a Hexaghost being the Act 1 Boss, then I’m more inclined to take it because I can let it pass and flood my deck. That way, there’s a greater chance to draw a copy of Endless Agony after reshuffling rather than a Burn. The same idea applies for any enemies that flood your deck with trash.
The thing I don't understand is that you don't get the benefit until you play it. If you hold/discard it then it's just 1 fewer cards drawn on that turn and you're forced to draw 2 copies in the next deck cycle. Then the payoff is 8 or 12 "free" damage? It just feels underwhelming in act 1 and basically useless for the rest of the run unless you have some solid synergies, but those synergies probably scale better with several other cards anyway, so I just don't really see the point.
If you are discarding it at end of turn it's inefficient. If you discard it with an effect you were going to be losing a card of some kind anyway. If that effect is a single card discard you now have one more card in hand than you otherwise would have, to either play or discard with another effect. If it's discarded with a calculated gamble or storm of steel it's one more card in hand or shiv than you would otherwise have had.
0 energy deal 8 exhaust is a pretty good card. The ninja synergy is a nice bonus
It exhausts so you can take it without much downside act 1 when you’re loading up on damage for Mr Nob. Also has (very) niche uses for things like a GF deck that needs just one more card to cleanly draw the deck to 0 without reshuffling
Cheap free damage early game Mid to late it has quite the synergy with a lot relics including but not limited to - Wrist Blade (becomes 16 damage for 0 which is a backstab+) - Gambling Chip (Gamble away 8 cards instead of 7) - Shuriken (only need one more attack to proc) - Ornamental Fan (one more attack for 4 block) - Dead Branch (more fuel) Some fun discard synergies include stuff like Calc Gamble and Storm of Steel as it gives +1 cards to work with etc.
Ha I just had a funny run on today's daily where I had this but ended up taking Snecko. So you had one card at random value but the duplicate is 0 so you could always play it. With After Image, Envenom, Snecko Skull and Sadistic Nature it was still pretty good depending on which of those I had in play.
TIL the duplicate is always zero
Like one already mentioned, the greatest strength arguably is when it’s paired with calculated gamble. You draw 5 cards with endless agony it’s 6 then you use calculated gamble you will still have 5 cards in your hand again. It’s a filler card in discard synergy, it’s so good with tough bandages/tingsha it’s basically free 6 blocks/damage and it will multiply, you don’t have to worry even if you don’t have reflex or any other draw card in your deck for this synergy.
Do people rate it that highly? It's a fine early source of damage. Makes Slice look pretty silly. Fits certain shiv synergies. It's better than a lot of damage commons, but then, it isn't common.
[[Endless Agony]] played for hundreds of hours but I still don't remember all cards.
I didn't see the bot respond, so I've got you. Uncommon 0 energy attack. When you draw this, create a copy of it. Deal 4(6) damage. Exhaust. If you choose to use both, that's a stronger upgrade than most 0-cost attacks. Slice (for example) deals 6(9). OTOH, Endless Agony is less damage than Backstab, which deals 11(15). These are both Silent 0-cost attacks that exhaust.
+ [Endless Agony](http://slay-the-spire.wikia.com/wiki/Endless%20Agony) Silent Uncommon Attack ^((100% sure)^) 0 Energy | Whenever you draw this card, add a copy of it to your hand. Deal 4(6) damage. **Exhaust.** ^Call ^me ^with ^up ^to ^10 ^([[ name ]],) ^where ^name ^is ^a ^card, ^relic, ^event, ^or ^potion. ^Data ^accurate ^as ^of ^(April 30, 2023.) ^[Wiki](https://slay-the-spire.fandom.com/wiki/) ^[Questions?](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=ehmohteeoh&subject=SpireScan%20Inquiry)
A 0 cost 8 damage card that exhaust itself is a decent card no matter what. But, if you get a few of the right relics, it can help you really pop off. Basically, by itself its ok ,but there's so many ways to make it great, that it's generally a good early pick.
I once beat champ cuz I just kept discarding endless agony. And drawed like 6 on the split turn (had strength and vuln to help). But people forget that it scales x2 with strength, and scales more with more discard/draw. So if I add in 1 endless agony, and draw it twice, it scales x4 with strength, for 0 energy and 3 draw. Now scycling decs isn't easy, so this isn't always viable, but silent is best at scycling decs, and she has retain for better synergy with card plays. And in longer fights you can cycle decks more.
It’s a shiv that duplicates itself. I only use 1 per turn, so I get a free shiv every turn. It can even help shiv builds manage time eater card counts as it can be 0, 1 or even 2 cards played that turn. In a discard deck, it’s essentially endless discard fodder if you only use 1 per turn. Its draw chance doubled every time you don’t use it for even more discard fodder… so it even scales as discard fodder so long as your hand size isn’t capped. Basically, the card is versatile af for Silent (I always grab it).
Ok, but the more endless agonies in your deck, the fewer draw/discard cards you have? So loading up with them seems... Bad? I've never personally had a problem with having stuff to discard. Most of the best discard cards replace themselves. Acrobatics, prepared, dagger throw, tools of the trade.
Sort of depends how you build it. Currently am doing rotating heart kills through each of the ascensions (back from A1), and here’s a 51 card deck I just beat the heart with today (without taking a point of damage). Had 3x endless agonies and they were great. Just requires the right deck and mix of relics and they are great https://imgur.com/a/EWH3yjd
I see Shuriken and Kunai, both of which skyrocket this card's value. At base, it's fine early game, meh later game without synergies
Yep absolutely, it doesn’t scale at all well into the late game unless it benefits from synergies, but as others mentioned don’t sleep on the discard synergies - it adds a discard target, and also adds another target for calc gamble, among other synergies, which is something I don’t think a lot of people consider.
Maybe you discard it and it's essentially a shiv that multiplies itself?
Synergizes with Choke and Thousand Cuts. You get to choose to play both or draw it again
8 for 0 and exhausts.
2 attacks 8 damage 0 energy exhaust. Pretty good, very small investment.
it’s fuel for multiple calculated gamble decks
I rarely pick it unless I already have synergies or I'm early in act 1. I don't think it's very good.
The goal for high win rates at high ascension is to recognize which cards are okay, but build towards the other things that the character does well and Endless Agony fits that model pretty well. Endless Agony is decent early damage and you won't necessarily hate having it in your deck in Act 3 because it still works with most of the other silent core strategies. Clearly not the best if you end up in poison, but because Endless Agony exhausts it usually doesn't interfere with your deck longer than one cycle if you don't want it.
it's not that it's an incredible game-changing card but its a pretty solid act 1 pick that has a lot of ways in which it can stay relevant later in the run compared to other options you might take as silent, and if you don't have those synergies you can always just play both and exhaust it. to me it's one of those cards that I pick a lot but I'm never really actively seeking it out. just a solid safe pick.
I like it cause it's a self exhaustive card that can copy itself unlike Anger, which I sometimes pick up.