The Defect starts with 75 HP, 99 gold, 3 orb slots, 4 Strike, 4 Defend, Zap and Dualcast, and Cracked Core (Channel 1 Lightning at the start of each combat). It unlocks after a run as the Necrobinder.

The ascension stack at A10

Ascension 10 applies every level from 1 to 10:

Level	Change for a Defect run
A1 Swarming Elites	8 elites per act map instead of 5
A2 Weary Traveler	Ancients heal 80% of missing HP instead of all of it
A3 Poverty	25% less gold from fights and chests
A4 Tight Belt	2 potion slots instead of 3
A5 Ascender's Bane	Start with the Ascender's Bane curse in an 11-card deck
A6 Inflation	Card removal starts at 100 gold and rises by 50
A7 Scarcity	Rare cards and upgraded reward cards appear about half as often
A8 Tough Enemies	Enemies use their higher HP values
A9 Deadly Enemies	Enemies use their higher attack values
A10 Double Boss	Act 3 ends with two of Queen, Test Subject and Aeonglass

See ascension levels for the exact numbers.

Relic upgrade from Orobas

If Orobas opens act 2, Touch of Orobas turns Cracked Core into Infused Core: Channel 3 Lightning at the start of each combat, and Lightning deals 1 extra damage. See Touch of Orobas or Electric Shrymp.

Card or relic	Change
Fusion	Costs 1 instead of 2 (1); now Exhausts, and loses Exhaust when upgraded
Shatter	Evokes all your orbs twice; damage down from 11 (15) to 7 (11)
Tesla Coil+	Damage down from 6 to 4, Lightning triggers twice instead of once
Hyperbeam	Damage up from 26 (34) to 28 (36)
Synthesis	Damage up from 12 (18) to 14 (20)
Uproar	Damage up from 5 (7) to 6 (8)
Infused Core	Now also makes Lightning deal 1 extra damage

For the act 3 bosses you meet at A10, see act 3 bosses.