The Ironclad
The Ironclad is the bruiser of Slay the Spire 2. His cards revolve around HP manipulation, Strength scaling, and Exhaust synergies. Burning Blood heals him after every combat, making him forgiving for newer players while still offering deep build variety.
Strengths
- + Easy to pilot and beginner friendly
- + Heals after combat via Burning Blood
- + Straightforward Strength scaling mechanics
- + High damage ceiling with multi-hit attacks
Weaknesses
- - Exhaust can be awkward to manage
- - Self-damage builds require careful HP management
- - Relies on setup turns for scaling builds
- - Vulnerable to enemies that remove buffs
Strength Build
Strength remains the Ironclad's primary scaling method. Buff Strength with cheap generators, then leverage multi-hit attacks where each hit benefits from the bonus. Simple to pilot and effective at all Ascension levels.
Core Cards
Inflame
CoreCheap Strength generator — play early for immediate value
Whirlwind
CoreBest multi-hit card with AoE — scales with both Strength and Energy
Early Pick Cards
Twin Strike
Early PickHits twice, each benefiting from Strength
Thrash
Early PickMulti-hit attack that scales with Strength on each hit
Payoff Cards
Demon Form
PayoffBest passive Strength generation, but requires setup turn
Brand
PayoffThins your deck of Strikes/Defends and scales with Rupture
Key Relics
Free Block on turn 1 — buys time to set up Demon Form
Risk/reward — huge Strength but enemies gain some too
Free Strength with no downside
Block Build
Stack Block with Barricade, Stone Armor, and defensive powers, then convert your massive Block into damage with Body Slam. Very safe once online, but slow to set up — prioritize defensive cards early.
Core Cards
Barricade
CoreCore power — Block no longer resets at start of turn
Body Slam
CoreConverts your entire Block stack into damage — the win condition
Impervious
CoreMassive single-turn Block — great for surviving big hits
Early Pick Cards
Stone Armor
Early PickGives Plating for passive Block every turn
Shrug It Off
Early PickSolid Block + card draw — always useful
Key Relics
Free Block on turn 1 — stacks with Barricade
Block on turn 1 — helps survive until setup is complete
Adds passive Block generation each turn
Exhaust Build
Thin your deck mid-combat by Exhausting cards, triggering powerful on-exhaust effects. Corruption makes all Skills free but Exhausts them — pair with Feel No Pain for Block and Dark Embrace for draw. High skill ceiling but devastating when assembled.
Core Cards
Corruption
CoreMakes all Skills cost 0 but Exhausts them — the engine
Dark Embrace
CoreDraw a card whenever you Exhaust — keeps your hand full
Feel No Pain
CoreGain Block on every Exhaust — your defense while comboing
Early Pick Cards
Second Wind
Early PickExhausts all non-Attack cards for Block — great with Corruption
Payoff Cards
Fiend Fire
PayoffExhausts entire hand for massive single-target damage
Key Relics
Deals damage to all enemies whenever you Exhaust a card
Post-combat heal offsets any chip damage from aggressive plays
Bloodletting Build
Trade HP for power. Self-damage cards like Offering and Bloodletting trigger Rupture for permanent Strength gains. Burning Blood helps offset the HP cost. High risk, high reward — the most aggressive Ironclad archetype.
Core Cards
Rupture
CoreGains Strength whenever you lose HP from a card — the payoff engine
Offering
CoreLose HP to draw 3 and gain Energy — one of the best cards in the game
Early Pick Cards
Hemokinesis
Early PickLose HP to deal high damage — triggers Rupture
Bloodletting
Early PickLose HP to gain Energy — triggers Rupture and accelerates turns
Rage
Early PickGain Block whenever you play an Attack — sustain while going aggressive
Key Relics
Post-combat heal offsets the self-damage — essential for consistency
Bonus Strength when at low HP — synergizes naturally with self-damage
Boss Matchups
Ceremonial Beast
MediumStrength scaling races the Beast before it buffs. Burst during stun windows. Flame Barrier punishes multi-attacks. Watch for Ringing turns limiting you to 1 card.
Vantom
EasyMulti-hit attacks like Whirlwind strip Slippery stacks fast. Save Block for Turn 3 Dismember (27 dmg). Burst on Turn 4 safe window.
Lagavulin Matriarch
MediumUse her 3 sleep turns to set up Demon Form or Barricade. Front-load damage once she wakes. She debuffs Strength — Block builds are safer.
Soul Fysh
EasyPlay Beckon cards immediately to avoid unblockable damage. Don’t waste attacks during Intangible phases. Concentrate damage on turns 2-3.
Waterfall Giant
EasyBig HP pool but predictable. Stack Strength and burst with Whirlwind. Save Block for the explosion turn when he dies at 0 HP.
Crusher
MediumAlways face the attacking claw. Kill Rocket first (higher damage), then burst Crusher. Flame Barrier and Shrug It Off are premium.
Knowledge Demon
HardPlay aggressively — Ponder heals 30 HP + Strength. Pick Disintegration if your build is fast. Save Offering for burst turns.
The Insatiable
MediumPure DPS race — Sandpit counter kills you at 0. Always play Frantic Escape cards. Never use random Exhaust (may remove Escapes).
Queen
HardKill the Amalgam first (before turn 10). Whirlwind clears adds while Strength handles Queen. Plan around Chains locking 3 cards.
Doormaker
MediumMultiple phases — Doormaker HP persists between cycles. Barricade/Body Slam is safest. Burst during the stun turn after Door transforms.
Draft Priority
Raw damage and basic defense. Need to kill Elites fast.
Start building your archetype. Key Powers define the rest of the run.
Win conditions and boss-killers. Skip anything that doesn't directly support your build.
Ascension Tips
A1-4: Ironclad is forgiving. Take strong Attacks early, rely on Burning Blood healing. Fight Elites for relics.
A5: You start with Ascender's Bane curse. Remove it at the first shop — a dead card in your deck costs you turns.
A6-7: Fewer Rest Sites and rarer upgrades. Strength + Block hybrid is the most consistent. Don't rely on finding specific Rares.
A8-9: Enemies have more HP and deal more damage. Draft defensively — Flame Barrier and Shrug It Off are premium picks.
A10: Double boss at Act 3 end. Barricade/Body Slam is the safest boss-killer. Deck must handle two full fights back-to-back.
