Sword of Stone

Obtained by choosing "Take the sword" in the Sunken Statue event. The other option is "Dive into the pool" (gain 101-121 gold, lose 7 HP).

Stone Sword is an Event relic that transforms into Jade Sword (3 Strength at combat start) after defeating 5 Elites. On pickup it has zero combat effect and simply occupies a relic slot as dead weight.

"Defeat 5 Elites" is harsher than it looks. Given typical Elite encounter counts, completion usually comes in late Act 2 to Act 3, and at high Ascension (A9+) it is even tougher. During the long investment window you carry an empty slot while other players are extracting value from their relic.

With no benefit on pickup, in Act 1 you are effectively wasting a relic slot. The transformed Jade Sword's "3 Strength at combat start" is a simple effect, and whether it justifies the long investment is questionable.

That said, the other option in Sunken Statue (101-121 gold, 7 HP cost) is itself risky, so choosing the riskless Stone Sword when HP is low is a reasonable call. But 101-121 gold can buy card removal or shop value, and in most situations gold carries more immediate impact.

Character-Specific Ratings

• Pick it up understanding there is zero benefit until 5 Elites are defeated
• In the Sunken Statue event, if HP allows, 101-121 gold is often more immediate
• With low HP where 7-HP cost is dangerous, riskless Stone Sword is safer
• Valuable as an investment when you plan to actively hunt Elites
• At A9+ the 5-Elite condition is far harder, lowering the rating further