Ironclad
Slay the Spire 2 Ironclad guide with builds, cards, and strategy.
"The last soldier of the Ironclads. Crushes foes with sword and flame against his will."
The last soldier of the Ironclads. Crushes foes with sword and flame against his will.
Quick Answer
Ironclad is the first playable character in Slay the Spire 2, starting with 80 HP and the Burning Blood relic for post-combat healing. Best builds focus on Strength scaling, Exhaust engines, or the Body Slam + Barricade Block shell.
Starting Relic
Heal for 6 HP at the end of combat. Can be replaced by Black Blood.
Strengths & Weaknesses
✦ Strengths
- Easy to pilot with straightforward mechanics
- Heals after combat with Burning Blood
- Beginner-friendly with clear build paths
- Strong multi-hit attacks scale with Strength
✧ Weaknesses
- Exhaust can be awkward to manage
- Self-damage builds require careful HP management
- Lower ceiling compared to more complex characters
- Reliant on finding key scaling cards early
Recommended Builds
Strength Tempo
The most consistent Ironclad build. Pick up early Strength sources — Inflame, Demon Form, Fight Me — then pair them with multi-hit attacks like Twin Strike and Whirlwind that apply Strength bonus on every hit. Brand helps thin your deck of Strikes while scaling with Rupture. Prioritize cheap Strength generators in Act 1, then let Demon Form handle passive scaling in longer fights.
Power 
Power 
Attack 
Attack 
Power 
At the start of your turn, gain 2 Strength and ALL enemies gain 1 Strength.
Start each combat with 3 Strength.
The first time you gain Strength each combat, double the amount gained.
Start each combat with 10 Block.
At the start of your 2nd turn, gain 14 Block.
Block Fortress
Stack Block without losing it at the end of the turn via Barricade, then convert your massive armor into damage with Body Slam. Shrug It Off provides solid defense with draw, True Grit thins your deck, and Impervious is your panic button that becomes devastating with Barricade active. Juggernaut deals damage whenever you gain Block, turning defense into a win condition.
Attack 
Power 
Skill 
Skill 
Power 
Whenever you add a card that gains Block to your Deck, Enchant it with Nimble 2.
At the end of your turn, gain 1 Block for each card in your Hand.
The first time you gain Block from a card each combat, double the amount gained.
At the start of your turn, gain 7 Block.
Start each combat with 3 Thorns.
Exhaust Engine
The holy trinity — Corruption, Dark Embrace, Feel No Pain — turns every Skill card into a free cycle that generates Block passively. Ashen Strike and Pact's End serve as finishers once your Exhaust pile is loaded. With the removal of Dead Branch in STS2, this deck plays faster, relying on burst finishers instead of infinite value. Body Slam also works well here since you generate massive Block through Feel No Pain.
Power Skills cost 0 .
Whenever you play a Skill, Exhaust it.
Power 
Power 
Attack 
Skill Lose 6 HP.
Gain .
Draw 3 cards.
Whenever you Exhaust a card, deal 3 damage to ALL enemies.
The first time each combat you Exhaust a Skill, add a copy of it into your Hand.
Every 5 times you Exhaust a card, draw 1 card.
Whenever you Exhaust a card, deal 1 damage to a random enemy.
Bloodletting / Self-Damage
Rupture converts HP loss into permanent Strength, making self-damage cards like Breakthrough, Bloodletting, and Crimson Mantle into scaling engines. Inferno adds AoE damage based on self-damage taken. The Burning Blood relic heals 6 HP after every fight, offsetting the HP cost. Feed lets you increase max HP to give you a bigger pool to work with. Two upgraded Ruptures plus Crimson Mantle can stack Strength incredibly fast.
Power 
Power 
Attack 
Attack 
Attack 
The first time you lose HP each combat, draw 3 cards.
The first time you lose HP on your turn, heal HP equal to the amount lost.
Whenever you lose HP in combat, gain 3 Block next turn.
Gameplay Guide
Core Mechanics
Strength Scaling
Ironclad has access to more Strength-scaling tools than any other character in Slay the Spire 2. Strength adds flat bonus damage to every single hit, which makes multi-hit attacks scale exponentially. Cards like Inflame provide immediate +2 Strength for one energy, Rupture converts self-inflicted HP loss into permanent Strength, and Dominate can grant Strength equal to the Vulnerability stacks on an enemy. Even a moderate Strength investment (5-8) transforms average attack cards into elite-destroying powerhouses.
Vulnerability Exploitation
Starting with Bash as a built-in Vulnerability source, Ironclad can build entire strategies around this debuff. In Slay the Spire 2, Vulnerability has evolved from a simple damage multiplier into a core mechanical pillar. Tremble applies Vulnerability at zero energy cost, Bully deals damage that scales directly with the remaining turns of Vulnerability, and the Power card Cruelty increases all damage taken by Vulnerable enemies at the cost of your energy. Chaining these together creates devastating execution windows.
Self-Damage Payoffs
Unlike other Slay the Spire 2 characters, Ironclad actively profits from spending his own HP. Blood Wall converts health into Block, Breakthrough delivers AoE damage at a vital cost, and Spite grants extra card draw whenever you lose HP during your turn — enabling explosive momentum plays. The Burning Blood relic healing 6 HP after every combat means the "blood price" you pay during fights is often fully recovered, making self-damage one of the most efficient resource trades in the game.
Exhaust Engine
Exhausting cards is a cornerstone of Ironclad's identity across both Slay the Spire games. In STS2, the Exhaust engine gains a recursive dimension: Dark Embrace draws a card every time you exhaust, Feel No Pain generates Block on each exhaust, and Pact's End delivers massive late-fight damage once your Exhaust pile reaches critical mass. Howl from Beyond can even trigger effects directly from the Exhaust pile. Keep your deck lean, and every exhausted card becomes fuel instead of waste.
Balance Changes from STS1
Several classic Ironclad cards have been rebalanced for Slay the Spire 2: • Bludgeon moved from Rare to Uncommon, making high-burst damage more accessible in early acts. • Dark Embrace returned to Rare status to balance the increased frequency of exhaust synergies. • Hemokinesis received a slight base damage reduction to compensate for improved self-damage synergy cards. • New mechanics like Plating (via Stone Armor) offer permanent defensive layers at the cost of Dexterity, enabling a unique 'tank' playstyle.
Pro Tips
Burning Blood heals 6 HP after every combat — factor this into your risk calculations. Ending fights at full HP means you're leaving free value on the table. Trade HP for faster kills when possible.
Balance your energy curve carefully. A hand full of 2-cost cards with only 3 energy is a dead turn. Mix in 0-cost and 1-cost cards to ensure every hand is playable.
One reliable damage plan and one reliable Block plan is all you need in Act 1. Don't chase multi-card synergies that require five pieces to function — take proven staples first.
Prioritize frontloaded damage over long-term scaling in Act 1. Ironclad's Burning Blood sustain only works when you're already ending fights quickly and efficiently.
Upgrade Bash early. The jump from 2 to 3 turns of Vulnerable is significant, and you'll use Bash in nearly every fight for the entire run.
Mistakes to Avoid
Relying on Burning Blood to compensate for a bad deck. 6 HP per fight doesn't offset 20+ damage taken from slow, clunky turns. Fix the deck, don't trust the relic.
Drafting expensive Power cards before your deck can survive long enough to play them. A Turn 1 Barricade is useless if you die on Turn 3.
Ignoring deck thinning. A 30-card Ironclad deck with great cards still draws poorly. Remove Strikes and redundant cards at every opportunity.
Adding every damage card offered. Card quality matters more than card quantity — a focused 15-card deck beats a bloated 25-card deck every time.
Skipping card removal events. Ironclad benefits enormously from a lean deck, especially for Exhaust and Body Slam strategies.
Co-op Multiplayer Role
In co-op mode, Ironclad naturally fills the frontline damage dealer role. Stack Strength and apply Vulnerability to maximize total team damage output. Your Burning Blood self-healing means you can absorb hits without depending on your partner for sustain. Keep AoE attacks in your deck for multi-enemy encounters where your co-op partner might struggle with split damage. Ironclad pairs especially well with Silent (who handles Poison and evasion) or Defect (who provides supplementary AoE through Orbs).
Video Guide
How To Win With the Ironclad | Slay the Spire 2 Guide
Ironclad Database
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ironclad the best character for beginners in Slay the Spire 2?
Yes. Ironclad is the first character unlocked and is designed to be the most forgiving. His Burning Blood relic provides consistent post-combat healing, and his card pool rewards straightforward strategies built around Strength and Block rather than complex combo sequencing.
What is the best Ironclad build in Slay the Spire 2?
The Strength Tempo build is the most consistent overall, focusing on early Strength sources like Inflame and Demon Form paired with multi-hit attacks. For late-game scaling, the Body Slam + Barricade shell is extremely powerful, converting defense directly into lethal offense.
How do I unlock Ironclad in Slay the Spire 2?
Ironclad is available from the start — no unlocking required. He is the default playable character when you first launch Slay the Spire 2.
What is the Ironclad starting relic?
Burning Blood, which restores 6 HP at the end of each combat. It can be replaced by Black Blood through boss relic swap events, which heals more HP but has different upgrade conditions.
How does Strength work in Slay the Spire 2?
Strength adds flat bonus damage to every individual hit. If you have 5 Strength and play a card that hits twice, each hit deals 5 extra damage (for a total of 10 bonus damage). This makes multi-hit attacks and Strength stacking one of the most powerful damage strategies in the game.
How many cards does Ironclad have in Slay the Spire 2?
Ironclad has 87 unique cards in his card pool, split across Attacks, Skills, and Powers. This includes returning favorites from the original game as well as new Slay the Spire 2 additions.
