Ironclad
Card Tier List & Build Guide
v0.100.0 meta · Community pick rates · March 2026
Quick Answer
The three strongest picks are Offering (70% pick rate), Pyre (55%), and Battle Trance (51%). Ironclad's best archetype is Exhaust + Infinite combos via Bloodletting, Burning Pact, and Hellraiser. The biggest noob traps are Havoc (4%), Cinder (7%), and Body Slam (8%) — they look useful but high-level players almost never take them. Browse all 87 Ironclad cards →
Ironclad Card Tier List
Based on community pick rate data from combat card offers (skipped offers excluded, minimum 20 times offered). Higher pick rate = players consistently take the card when offered in real runs.
S Always pick. These cards win runs on their own. 3 cards ▾
Skill Lose 6 HP.
Gain .
Draw 3 cards.
Power Gain at the start of each turn.
Skill A Almost always pick. Core cards for most Ironclad decks. 10 cards ▾
Skill 
Attack 
Power 
Skill 
Skill 
Attack 
Power 
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Skill B Good picks in the right context. Archetype-dependent. 28 cards ▾
Attack 
Power 
Power 
Power 
Skill 
Attack 
Skill Gain for each Attack in your Hand.
Attack 
Power 
Skill 
Attack 
Power 
Skill 
Power 
Power 
Attack 
Attack Deal 12 damage to ALL enemies.
Costs 1 less for each Attack played this turn.
Attack 
Skill 
Skill Lose 3 HP.
Gain .
Attack 
Skill 
Attack 
Skill 
Power 
Skill If you Exhausted a card this turn, gain .
Attack 
Attack C Situational. Only take when your deck specifically needs them. 29 cards ▾
Power 
Power 
Attack 
Attack 
Power 
Power 
Attack 
Power 
Attack 
Attack 
Power 
Attack Deal 12 damage.
The next Attack you play costs 0 .
Attack 
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Skill 
Attack 
Attack 
Attack 
Attack 
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Skill 
Skill 
Attack 
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Attack F Almost never pick. Low impact or actively harmful. 10 cards ▾
Attack 
Attack 
Power 
Power 
Attack 
Skill 
Attack 
Attack 
Attack 
Skill Ironclad Archetypes
The community and high-Ascension players identify three core Ironclad builds. Each archetype has distinct "must-pick" cards and its own scaling pattern.
🔥 Exhaust & Infinite Combos
The dominant archetype in v0.100.0. Build around exhausting cards for value, then go infinite with 0-cost loops.
Core cards: Burning Pact (40%), Corruption (Ancient), Feel No Pain, Dark Embrace, Offering (70%)
Infinite enablers: Bloodletting+ (41%), Hellraiser (39%), Spite, Pillage
Why it works: As one high-Ascension player (64% WR at A20 Heart) put it: "I am infinite every run... We don't have Dropkick, but we have Spite, Pillage, Hellraiser, Stoke, and a TON of colorless cards to support going infinite."
💪 Strength Scaling
Classic Ironclad identity. Stack Strength, then deal massive damage with multi-hit attacks.
Core cards: Inflame (42%), Crimson Mantle (46%), Brand (45%), Rupture
Payoff cards: Pommel Strike (44%), Heavy Blade, Sword Boomerang
Note: Demon Form's pick rate is lower than expected. The community consensus: "Why play a clunker like Demon Form when Rupture is now two mana cheaper, easier to find, and scales faster?"
🎯 Vulnerability Exploitation
New to STS2 — Vulnerability is now a much more usable status with dedicated support cards.
Core cards: Taunt (45%), Bash, Uppercut
Pro tip: "Lean into Vuln synergies. Vuln is now a way more usable status and there are new cards to double vuln and extend it."
Pairs well with: Strength builds — Vulnerability multiplies your Strength-buffed damage.
Top Picks Breakdown
Lose 6 HP → gain 2 energy + draw 3 cards. The single strongest Ironclad card. Ironclad's self-damage is a feature, not a cost — Burning Blood heals you post-combat anyway. Enables explosive turns and fuels every archetype.
A new STS2 rare Power. Provides consistent value across long fights. Picked over half the time when offered — the consensus pick for any Ironclad build that expects multi-turn combats.
Draw 3 cards for 0 energy. The downside (can't draw more this turn) matters less than you think — you're drawing into your power plays. A must-pick in Act 1 for tempo, and still relevant late game as a combo enabler.
Cards to Avoid (Noob Traps)
These cards have pick rates below 10%. High-level players skip them in almost every run.
| Card | Pick Rate | Why It's Bad |
|---|---|---|
| Havoc | 4% | Plays a random card from draw pile. Unpredictable, can waste key cards at wrong times. |
| Cinder | 7% | Low damage, mediocre exhaust. Better exhaust options exist (Burning Pact, True Grit). |
| Body Slam | 8% | Needs heavy Block investment to deal damage. Ironclad's meta is offense-first, not turtle. |
| Sword Boomerang | 8% | Random targeting across enemies. Unreliable single-target damage in a game about focused kills. |
| Tremble | 10% | Offered often (1208 times) but rarely picked. Low-impact Common that doesn't fit any archetype well. |
How We Rate
This tier list combines quantitative data (community pick rates from real runs) with qualitative analysis from high-Ascension players and established content creators. Every ranking is cross-verified across multiple sources.
- Pick rates are sourced from combat card offers only (skipped offers excluded, min. 20 offers per card).
- Tiers may be adjusted when expert opinion strongly disagrees with raw data.
Tier thresholds: S ≥ 50% pick rate · A ≥ 40% · B ≥ 25% · C ≥ 15% · F < 15%.
Last updated: March 24, 2026 · Game version: v0.100.0 (beta branch).