Definitive Tarot Cards Guide

This guide list and describe all tarot cards that could be acquired in binding of Isaac

Tarot Cards

A Card is a moderately common type of item which provides a special effect upon activation. Cards come with various properties:

• They are stored in the upper right item slot, used by pressing "Q" and are one-time-use only.
  
• You may only carry one card or pill at a time. Attempting to pick up a second card or pill will cause you to drop the one you've been previously holding.
  
• There are two types of cards in The Binding of Isaac: "Tarot Cards" and "Suit Cards".
  
• "Suit Cards" are only found in Wrath of The Lamb. Similarly to Soul Hearts having a small chance to spawn instead of regular Hearts, they act like a special replacement for Tarot Cards, and have a 20% chance of spawning instead.
  
  
• Unlike Pills, a particular type of card will always have the same effect. However, all tarot cards share the same icon, and therefore cannot be identified until picked up.
  Suit cards use a separate icon.

Acquisition

• Spawned in rooms upon completion.
  
• Found in chests (both locked and unlocked, but not in red chests)
  
• Potential drop from enemies in their Champion Form.
  
• Reward from a Beggar.
  
• Reward from Slot Machines and Fortune Telling Machines.
  
  • Might also drop when a machine is blown up.
    
  • Only Fortune Telling Machines can provide Suit Cards.
    
  
  
• Offered in the Shop for 5 coins (3 coins on discount).
  
  • Notice that you won't know which one of the 22 Tarot Cards you will get for your money.
    
  • It will always be a Tarot Card, you won't find a Suit Card in the shop.
    
  
  
• The Deck of Cards, a spacebar item.
  
  • Again, Suit Cards cannot be acquired from here.
    
  
  
• The Ace of Spades trinket increases the chance of finding cards.
  
  • It also considerably increases the chance of getting Suit Cards instead of Tarot Cards.
    

Major Arcana (Cards) (Part. 1)

Item Icon	Item Name	Effect
	O The Fool	Teleports the player to the starting room of the current level, even if you use the card in the starting room. TIP: This card has little use, but it can teleport you out of inescapable rooms like the Challenge Room and the Mom boss fight. It can also teleport you out of problematic rooms in a pinch.
	I The Magician	Player's shots curve towards enemies and may turn purple until you leave the current room. TIP: This effect is the same as Spoon Bender and Telepathy For Dummies; this card is useless in the case of the former and best used when the latter lacks charge.
	II The High Priestess	Summons Mom's foot stomp on a random enemy (targets the player if fighting Mom or if there are no enemies present), dealing massive damage — enough to kill most bosses and wiping half of Mom's own health if used on her. Acts as an explosion — will destroy rocks and can open secret rooms. TIP: As mentioned, this card will target Isaac if no enemies are present in the current room; make sure that's something you want to do before you use this.
	III The Empress	Turns the player into a demon, increasing damage by 2 and speed by 1 until you leave the current room. TIP: This effect is the same as ♥♥♥♥♥ Of Babylon; as such, this card is useless if you already have this item and it is active.This card is best saved for a room you're going to stay in for awhile, such as a Challenge Room or the Boss Room.
	IV The Emperor	Teleports the player to the Boss Room. If used while fighting the boss, the fight will restart and the boss will be back at full health. (Will be the same boss, but could possibly change to a different colored version) TIP: Always try to save this card for the final floor of your run; also keep in mind that you can use the inertia from running to take another card or pill into the boss room with you, if you're fast enough.
	V The Hierophant	Spawns 2 soul hearts. TIP: It spawns these rather than adding them to your life, as Balls of Steel does; use this to your advantage, if you can.
	VI The Lovers	Spawns 2 full hearts. TIP: It spawns these rather than adding them to your life; use this to your advantage, if you can.
	VII The Chariot	Grants you temporary invincibility, and causes you to damage enemies with touch. However, you cannot attack unless you're holding Mom's Knife. TIP: This is the same effect as My Little Unicorn, so this is best used when said item lacks charge.
	VIII Justice	Spawns 1 random type of Bomb drop, Key drop, Coin drop, and Heart drop. TIP: This can spawn anything dropped by clearing a room, like Troll Bombs, 1+1 Free, Soul Hearts, and nickels; with Wrath of the Lamb, you can also get Super Troll Bombs, Eternal Hearts, Golden Keys and dimes from using this card. Also, as with The Lovers and The Hierophant, it spawns these rather than adding them to your life and inventory; use this to your advantage, if you can. This card will spawn a specific kind of heart if a room forces it (full red heart in the womb-themed top secret room, eternal heart in the cathedral-themed top secret room).
	IX The Hermit	Teleports the player to the Shop. If there is no Shop (or you are already in one), this will act as a random teleport. TIP: This card can teleport you into a locked Shop, and you will open it without consuming a key if it does.
	X Wheel of Fortune	Spawns a Slot Machine. In Wrath of the Lamb, this may also spawn a Fortune Telling Machine. TIP: If you can, find a room with another Slot Machine, Fortune Telling Machine, or Blood Donation Machine to maximize gambling efficiency.
	XI Strength	Makes the player bigger, increasing maximum health and damage until the player leaves the current room (same effect as Odd Mushroom (Large)). ??? receives a permanent spirit heart rather than a temporary maximum health increase, however this may be a bug. TIP: This card is best saved for a room you're going to stay in for awhile, such as a challenge room or the boss room; it can also be used as a last-ditch healing effort.
	XII The Hanged Man	Removes the player's body allowing flight over obstacles, spikes and pits until you leave the current room. If you have Brimstone, instead of removing the players body it will give them wings (All the same as single-use Transcendence). TIP: This card is useless if you have any item that already allows flight, such as Transcendence (as Item), Lord Of The Pit, Fate, or the Holy Grail.
	XIII Death	Damages all enemies in the room significantly. TIP: This does the same thing as the The Necronomicon, and they can be devastating to enemies in the room if you use them in quick succession. This technique is best saved for Bosses, though; especially those that like to spawn lesser enemies.
	XIV Temperance	Spawns a Blood Donation Machine. TIP: If you can, find a room with another Slot Machine, Fortune Telling Machine, or Blood Donation Machine to maximize gambling efficiency.
	XV The Devil	Increases your damage until you leave the current room. TIP: This does the same thing as the The Book Of Belial, and the effect does stack if you use both in the same room.
	XVI The Tower	Spawns six troll bombs around the room. TIP: This does the same thing as the Anarchist Cookbook, and they can be devastating to both yourself and enemies in the room if you use them in quick succession.

Major Arcana (Cards) (Part. 2)

Item Icon	Item Name	Effect
	XVII The Stars	Teleports the player to the Treasure Room. If there is no Treasure Room, this will act as a random teleport. Randomly chooses a Treasure Room in XL floors. TIP: This card can teleport you into a locked Treasure Room, and you will open it without consuming a key if it does.
	XVIII The Moon	Teleports the player to the Secret Room. This card will open one random wall once inside the Secret Room, so you can leave even if you don't have any bombs available. TIP: This card can teleport you out of inescapable rooms like the Challenge Room and Mom's room. It can also get you out of problematic rooms in a pinch.
	XIX The Sun	Completely heals player, damages all enemies, and reveals the entire map and location of special rooms for the current level. (Same effect as XXI The World and a Full Health pill combined, though unlike a Full Health Pill, it will not heal ???.) TIP: Try to use this card in an uncleared room or on the Boss, if you need to use it at all.
	XX Judgement	Spawns a beggar. In Wrath of the Lamb, this may also spawn a Devil Beggar. TIP: Try to wait until you get into a Devil Room or an Angel Room to use this card; if you do and give the Beggar enough money, he will leave behind an item specific to that room instead of a more random item. If you cannot get either before leaving this card behind, use it in the Curse Room or the Secret Room.
	XXI The World	Reveals the entire map and location of all special rooms for the current level. TIP: This is less useful if you have either Treasure Map or The Compass, and completely useless if you have both, or you've revealed the map via things like the Crystal Ball, a Sun card or another World card.

[omar69321]

Very very good explain everything

[OmegaMendes]

hey @sandstormsound, thanks for the comment bro. There's been a long time since the last time I played The bind of Isaac, as far as I remember, normally is better to use it on your last floor, for example when you are about to face Mom for the first time, usually the last floor is the most difficult, so if you start the floor and jump straight to the boss, it could be a very nice advantage to have.

About the inertia, I'm not sure if this is still possible, but you can run towards a card and use your emperor right before getting the card, this way your character will use the card but move a lil bit to the direction you were facing.

There is no right or wrong on Isaac, you should play the way you feel comfortable and above all, to have fun.
Why do people use the emperor? Normally to skip the current floor and get to the boos with full health.

[sandstormsound]

I'm new to the game. For the emperor, what do you mean by "the final floor of your run?" And what does "you can use the inertia from running to take another card or pill into the boss room with you" mean. I thought you always get immediately teleported. Is there footage of this happening? Because if there's footage that would be really good. I don't really understand all the tips and tricks yet. Why do people use the emperor? When is the best time to use it?

[BishopCope]

Thanks.

[OmegaMendes]

It now has a lot to update since there is so many new patches, I'm working on that.

[⭕⃤ Moonwalkah!]

Marilin Mendeson, não sei do que se trata, mas foi feito com capricho. Parabéns!

[TheGabrielRam]

Cool, thanks.

[Борис Небритый]

Tysm

[Me. Maracujá]

vlw cara

[Frogsplat]