Melancholy

NecrobinderSkillUncommon
Gain 13 Block.
Reduce this card's cost by whenever ANYONE dies.
  • Effect: thirteen Block, 17 upgraded, for 3 Energy, and every time any creature dies while Melancholy is in one of your combat piles, its cost drops by 1 for the rest of the fight.
  • Who counts: enemies, minions, Osty and, in co-op, players all count, a death that gets prevented does not.
  • Discount: three deaths make it free, and a discount earned while it sits in the Draw Pile still applies when you draw it.
Character
Type
Skill
Rarity
Uncommon
Cost
3 Energy
Target
Yourself

When to take Melancholy

Take it for multi-enemy fights and a Necrobinder who kills Osty on purpose, since against a lone boss it is just a 3-cost Defend until something dies. Best in Act 2 and Act 3.

Cards that synergize with Melancholy

Bone Shards
Attack
1
If Osty is alive, he deals 9 damage to ALL enemies and you gain 9 Block.
Osty dies.
Bone Shards and Sacrifice kill Osty and cheapen it.If Osty is alive, he deals 9 damage to ALL enemies and you gain 9 Block.
Osty dies.
Sacrifice
Skill
1
Retain.
If Osty is alive, he dies and you gain Block equal to double his Max HP.
Bone Shards and Sacrifice kill Osty and cheapen it.Retain.
If Osty is alive, he dies and you gain Block equal to double his Max HP.
Negative Pulse
Skill
1
Gain 5 Block.
Apply 7 Doom to ALL enemies.
Negative Pulse and Deathbringer Doom the group so several die at once.Gain 5 Block.
Apply 7 Doom to ALL enemies.
Deathbringer
Skill
2
Apply 21 Doom and 1 Weak to ALL enemies.
Negative Pulse and Deathbringer Doom the group so several die at once.Apply 21 Doom and 1 Weak to ALL enemies.
Countdown
Power
1
At the start of your turn, apply 6 Doom to a random enemy.
Countdown picks off a minion each turn.At the start of your turn, apply 6 Doom to a random enemy.
Bodyguard
Skill
1
Summon 5.
Bodyguard resummons Osty for the next death.Summon 5.
Beacon of Hope
Power
1
Whenever you gain Block on your turn, other players gain half that much Block.
Beacon of Hope makes Block count for more, and Melancholy gains itWhenever you gain Block on your turn, other players gain half that much Block.
Entrench
Skill
2
Double your Block.
Entrench makes Block count for more, and Melancholy gains itDouble your Block.
Prolong
Skill
0
Next turn, gain Block equal to your current Block.
Exhaust.
Prolong makes Block count for more, and Melancholy gains itNext turn, gain Block equal to your current Block.
Exhaust.
Right Hand Hand
Attack
0
Osty deals 4 damage.
Whenever you play a card that costs or more, return this to your Hand from the Discard Pile.
Right Hand Hand triggers on cards that cost 2 or more, and Melancholy is oneOsty deals 4 damage.
Whenever you play a card that costs or more, return this to your Hand from the Discard Pile.
Danse Macabre
Power
1
Whenever you play a card that costs or more, gain 4 Block.
Danse Macabre triggers on cards that cost 2 or more, and Melancholy is oneWhenever you play a card that costs or more, gain 4 Block.

Relics that synergize with Melancholy

Gremlin Horn
Gremlin Horn draws and pays Energy on the same deaths.Whenever an enemy dies, gain and draw 1 card.
Parrying Shield
Parrying Shield makes Block count for more, and Melancholy gains itIf you end a turn with at least 10 Block, deal 6 damage to a random enemy.
Sturdy Clamp
Sturdy Clamp makes Block count for more, and Melancholy gains itUp to 10 Block persists across turns.
Pael's Legion
Pael's Legion makes Block count for more, and Melancholy gains itDoubles Block gained from a card, then goes to sleep for 2 turns.
Vambrace
Vambrace makes Block count for more, and Melancholy gains itThe first time you gain Block from a card each combat, double the amount gained.
Ivory Tile
Ivory Tile triggers on cards that cost 3 or more, and Melancholy is oneWhenever you play a card that costs or more, gain .
Intimidating Helmet
Intimidating Helmet triggers on cards that cost 2 or more, and Melancholy is oneWhenever you play a card that costs or more, gain 4 Block.

Changes by version

  1. 26 Feb 2026Bug fixOstyInternal playtest
    Fixed an issue where Melancholy card's cost reduction would persist between combats if the reduction was due to Osty dying
  2. 5 Feb 2026BlockVambraceInternal playtest
    Changed Vambrace relic: now doubles Block gain from Melancholy card again
    Bug fixPael's LegionInternal playtest
    Melancholy card now properly gains Block from Pael's Legion relic
  3. 29 Jan 2026BlockVambraceInternal playtest
    Changed Vambrace relic: no longer doubles block from Melancholy card
All 11 patch notes8 older
  1. 24 Jul 2025Block6(9)7(10)RarityCommonUncommonInternal playtest
    Block increased from 6 to 7 (upgraded 9 to 10) and rarity changed from Common to Uncommon
  2. 20 Jun 2025Block7(10)6(9)RarityUncommonCommonInternal playtest
    Block decreased from 7 to 6 (upgraded 10 to 9) and rarity changed from Uncommon to Common
  3. 15 May 2025Bug fixEtherealBurnInternal playtest
    Ethereal cards now exhaust before cards with end-of-turn-in-hand effects trigger (This fixes an issue where, if you ended your turn with Melancholy and Burn in your hand, Burn would trigger before you gained block from Melancholy, causing you to take the damage instead of blocking it)
  4. 3 Apr 2025Bug fixVambraceInternal playtest
    Fixed issue where Vambrace relic would continue to flash if it was proc'd by Melancholy power
  5. 5 Dec 2024Block9(11)7(10)Internal playtest
    Block decreased from 9 to 7 (upgraded 11 to 10)
  6. 14 Nov 2024ReworkInternal playtest
    Reworked Melancholy card
  7. 24 May 2024Doom application2(3)3(4)Internal playtest
    Doom application increased from 2 to 3 (upgraded 3 to 4)
    Bug fixDoomInternal playtest
    Updated Melancholy card description to include Doom not applied by cards
  8. 19 May 2023ArtInternal playtest
    Added card portrait for Melancholy
    ArtInternal playtest
    Added power icon for Melancholy

Internal playtest notes are from before the Early Access release. Names and numbers in them can differ from the game today.

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