Defect
"1100 0011 1100 0011..."
An automaton eternally modifying itself to survive. Deploys Orb technology when it must fight. Most RNG-sensitive character.
Frost-Focus turtle defense OR Dark Orb burst nuke OR Claw spam OR Lightning Storm
Channel 1 Lightning Orb at combat start.
Key Mechanics
Orb System
Defect channels Orbs into slots. Each Orb has a Passive (triggers every turn) and an Evoke effect (triggers when the Orb is manually evoked or bumped out of the last slot). Five orb types: Lightning (deal 3 dmg passive / 8 dmg evoke), Frost (gain 2 Block passive / 5 Block evoke), Dark (accumulate damage / release all on evoke), Plasma (gain 2 Energy passive), Glass (new in STS2 — AoE evoke). Focus amplifies all Orb values.
Focus Stat — STS2 Changes
Focus amplifies all Orb passive and evoke values by that amount. In STS2, MOST Focus gains are temporary (per-turn). Permanent Focus is now exclusively from Defragment — which is now Rare (was Uncommon in STS1). Biased Cognition gives 4 Focus but loses 1 per turn (net decay). Do not plan Frost Turtle builds around Defragment showing up — have a backup plan.
Beginner Tips
- ▸ Frost Orbs are your safety net. Even in non-Frost builds, a few Frost Orbs early save runs. Passive Block per turn adds up fast.
- ▸ Set up your orb queue in turns 1-2. Orb passives compound over a long fight — delaying costs cumulative value.
- ▸ Defragment is now Rare. Do not plan your run around it. Have a backup plan if it never shows.
- ▸ Multicast is the Defect highest-ceiling card. Take it with any Dark or Lightning synergy.
- ▸ Electrodynamics is almost always correct to take. AOE Lightning is that impactful in multi-enemy rooms.
- ▸ Claw and Orb builds do not mix. Decide early which lane you are in — relic and card picks are completely different.
- ▸ Pivot when card rewards do not cooperate. The Defect is the most RNG-sensitive character. Flexibility wins runs.
Card Tier List
Early Access — rankings reflect the March 2026 launch build and will shift with patches.
Key Cards
| Card | Cost | Effect | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biased Cognition | 1 | Gain 4 Focus; lose 1 Focus per turn | S+ |
| Echo Form | 3 | First card played each turn plays twice | S+ |
| Defragment | 1 | Gain 1 permanent Focus | S |
| Glacier | 2 | Gain 2 Focus, channel 2 Frost Orbs | S |
| Machine Learning | 1 | Draw 1 extra card per turn | S |
| Creative AI | 3 | Add 1 random Power to hand each turn | S |
| Buffer | 2 | Prevent next HP loss entirely | S |
| All for One | 2 | Play all 0-cost cards in hand | A+ |
| Loop | 1 | Trigger rightmost Orb passive at turn start | A+ |
| Quadcast | ? | Channel 2 of any Orb type, trigger them | A+ |
| Hologram | 1 | Return top discard to hand, Exhaust | A+ |
| Electrodynamics | ? | Lightning Orb passive/evoke hits ALL enemies | A |
| Multicast | ? | Evoke leftmost Orb multiple times | A |
| Barrage | 1 | Deal 4 damage per Orb currently channeled | A |
| Claw | 0 | Deal 3 damage; every Claw played adds 2 damage to all Claws | A |
| Hyperbeam | 2 | Deal 26 damage to all; lose 3 Focus | A |
| Rainbow | 2 | Channel 1 Lightning, 1 Frost, 1 Dark Orb | A |
| Storm | 1 | Channel 1 Lightning Orb whenever you play a Power | A |
| Genetic Algorithm | 1 | Gain Block; Block value permanently +1 each time played | A |
| Darkness | 1 | Channel a Dark Orb; upgraded channels 2 | B |
| Cold Snap | 1 | Deal 6 damage, channel 1 Frost Orb | B |
Build Archetypes
Frost / Focus Turtle
Stack Frost Orbs + Focus via Glacier / Defragment / Biased Cognition. Passive Block every turn makes you nearly unkillable. Loop amplifies this further. CRITICAL STS2 CHANGE: Most Focus gains are now temporary (per-turn). Permanent Focus is Defragment-only, which is now Rare. Do not assume this archetype will work like STS1.
Dark Orb Nuke
Channel a Dark Orb (accumulates damage equal to 6 + Focus per turn), protect it behind Frost Orbs while it charges, then release via Multicast for one enormous burst. Classic combo: charge for 3-4 turns, then Multicast for one-shot. Darkness (upgraded: channels 2 Dark Orbs) is the engine.
Claw Spam
Ignore Orbs entirely. Spam Claw (0-cost) — every Claw played permanently buffs all future Claws that combat. All for One pulls Claws from discard back to hand. Scrape keeps the cycle going. Keep deck small and fast. Do not take orb-synergy relics — they do nothing here.
Lightning Storm
Channel Lightning Orbs rapidly, force frequent Evokes for consistent multi-target damage. Electrodynamics is the key — makes Lightning hit ALL enemies instead of random. Storm channels a Lightning Orb every time you play a Power. Barrage scales damage with current Orb count. Thunder Strike is the finisher.
Top Relics
Best relics to look for on a Defect run (universal + character-specific)
Defect Relics
Relics exclusive to Defect