Tips for Defeating the Doormaker Boss in Slay the Spire 2

The Doormaker in *Slay the Spire 2* presents a challenging multi-stage boss encounter in Act Three that can be quite frustrating. Unlike typical foes, the Doormaker avoids direct confrontation at first. You’ll need to eliminate a proxy enemy, known as a Door, before you can even lay a finger on the real target.

With a limited window of vulnerability and the constant distraction of summoned reinforcements, here’s how to tackle the Doormaker effectively.

At the start of the battle, the Doormaker doesn’t show up right away. Instead, it calls forth a Door, which you must defeat first. This “door” (which resembles a floating pile of debris) acts like a mini-boss, boasting 155 health and delivering punishing attacks that can deal 15-30 HP per turn, whether through a single heavy hit or two lighter strikes.

Given its substantial health, it’s wise to choose skills that provide immediate shields before the fight. For the Defect, options like Boot Sequence are great, while Ironclad can benefit from moves like Iron Wave, which both attack and grant shields.

If the Door is low on health as your turn wraps up, it’s often better to hold off on finishing it until your next turn. Once you take it down, the Doormaker will appear, so maximizing your energy for a couple of extra hits can help prevent the Doormaker from stacking buffs.

The Doormaker is tougher than the Door, enhancing itself and its summoned Doors, so applying some powers or stat buffs early on can be beneficial. While the Door is a nuisance, using cards like Buffer to mitigate initial attacks can be quite effective. Remember, the Door will return after you defeat it.

Once you destroy the Door, the Doormaker finally makes its entrance, but it won’t attack immediately. Instead, it arrives stunned for a full turn, giving you a prime opportunity to unleash high-damage attacks or combos without needing to defend. This is also a good time to invest energy into powers and buffs. The more you can exploit this stunned phase, the better, as the Doormaker will retaliate once the stun wears off.

With a hefty 489 health, the Doormaker is a formidable opponent, requiring significant firepower to take down. Choose your cards wisely leading up to this fight, focusing on quick, heavy attacks. The Doormaker buffs itself over time, making it ill-suited for prolonged battles.

In a single-player run, the Doormaker attacks twice, dealing around 30 HP on the first turn and 40 on the second. After these attacks, it vanishes and summons another Door, this time with 20 additional health compared to the last.

The real challenge with the Doormaker is that it buffs itself and its Doors with extra power as it retreats, meaning you have only three turns to strike before facing a stronger Door. Speed is crucial here, making this one of the few boss fights where the Defect may struggle. Instead, the Silent, with its free attacks and card draw, or the Ironclad, with its brute force and buffs, can handle the fight more effectively. Stocking up on attack-heavy potions and aggressive relics before this encounter is also a smart move.

Aim to take down the Doormaker in three to five phases, which gives you between nine to fifteen turns to inflict 489 damage. This translates to needing to deal around 20 to 40 damage per turn. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the Doors and their enhanced attacks, but defeating the Doormaker is less about finesse and more about relentless aggression—kick down that door until it’s off its hinges!