Speedrun Optimization Guide: How to Clear A0 in Under 10 Minutes
The STS2 Speedrun Marathon (June 7) proved that sub-8-minute A0 clears are possible. Ironclad's Exhaust Engine dominates the speedrun category, with Silent and Necrobinder competing for the #2 spot. This guide distills the marathon's top strategies into actionable tips for your own speedrun attempts — whether you're aiming for a personal best or competing on the Speedrun.com leaderboard.
Current Estimated A0 Any% World Record · Ironclad Exhaust Engine · Speedrun Marathon (Jun 7, 2026)
Speedrun Character Tier List
| Rank | Character | Best Time | Archetype | Why Fast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Ironclad | ~7:42 | Exhaust Engine | Linear scaling. No setup required. Play cards → exhaust → win. Fewest decisions per turn. |
| 🥈 | Silent | ~12:00 | Sly Discard | Fast cycling but more decisions per turn (discard sequencing). Sly Strike is common = consistent. |
| 🥉 | Necrobinder | ~15:30 | Doom Execute | Slowest per-run but most consistent. Rare-reliant (Death Sentence). High-risk Act 1. |
| 4 | Defect | ~18:00 | Lightning Rush | Orb setup takes 3-4 turns. Slowest Act 1 of all characters. |
| 5 | Regent | ~20:00 | Minion Rush | Minion summons have animation delays. Reflect slow-plays combat. Not speedrun-viable. |
Ironclad Speedrun Build: Exhaust Engine Turbo
The marathon-winning build is deceptively simple:
- Core: Exhaust Engine (deal 5 per exhaust, buffed to 6 in v0.107.0) + any exhaust cards. Every card you exhaust deals damage — you win by exhausting your deck.
- Accelerators: Offering (draw 3, gain 2 energy, lose HP — who cares, you're speedrunning), Battle Trance (draw 3), Seeing Red (gain 2 energy).
- Draft Priority: Exhaust Engine > Offering > Battle Trance > any card with "Exhaust" in the text. Skip block cards entirely — you out-damage enemies before they hit you.
⚡ Speedrunner's Combo
Turn 1: Offering (draw 3, +2 energy) → Exhaust Engine (on field) → True Grit (exhaust a Strike, deal 6 dmg) → Battle Trance (draw 3 more) → Havoc (play top card free, exhaust it, deal 6 more dmg). 5 cards played, 3 exhausted, 18 damage dealt, 7 cards drawn — in 1 turn. Repeat this loop for 3-4 turns and the boss is dead.
Speedrun Settings & Optimization
- Fast Mode: Enable in Settings. Doubles animation speed. Non-negotiable — saves ~90 seconds per run.
- Disable Screen Shake: Eliminates visual noise. Saves ~30 seconds of cumulative distraction over a run.
- Keyboard-Only Controls: Mouse clicks are slow. Memorize hotkeys: 1-9 for cards, E to end turn, Space to confirm. Shaves ~60 seconds per run.
- Skip Events: Events have unskippable text animations. Path through ? rooms only if they're unavoidable. Combat rooms are faster (enemy intents are skippable in Fast Mode).
- Campfire = Always Upgrade: Resting wastes time (animation). If you're speedrunning correctly, you shouldn't need to heal anyway.
Pathing: The Fastest Route
Speedrun pathing prioritizes minimum combats, maximum campfires:
- Act 1: Path through 3-4 combats, 2 campfires. Avoid Elites — they take too long even if you win. Aim to reach the boss in under 3 minutes.
- Act 2: Path through 4-5 combats, 2 campfires. The City has the fewest event nodes — lean into it. Collect your Rare card reward.
- Act 3: Path through 5-6 combats, 2 campfires. No Elites. The boss fight should be under 2 minutes with a fully upgraded Exhaust Engine.
Community Speedrun Categories
- A0 Any%: Fastest clear at Ascension 0 with any character. The most competitive category. Ironclad ~7:42 WR.
- A20 Any%: Fastest clear at Ascension 20. Necrobinder dominates (~25 min WR) because Doom Execute ignores HP scaling.
- Character-Specific: Separate leaderboards for each character. Perfect for competing on your main.
- No Neow's Blessing: No starting bonus. Adds ~30-60 seconds but tests raw skill.
Also check: Speedrun Overview · Ironclad Exhaust Build · Silent Sly Discard Build