The Ironclad has some of the most straightforward but powerful cards in Slay the Spire 2. His playstyle usually revolves around scaling Strength, stacking Block, or abusing Exhaust synergies to generate value.

Some cards work in almost every run, while others only shine when the right build comes together. This tier list focuses on which Ironclad cards consistently perform the best during runs.

Best Ironclad Cards Tier List

The strongest Ironclad cards usually revolve around Strength scaling, Block synergies, or powerful Exhaust engines.

Cards that provide scaling, card draw, or repeatable damage tend to perform the best. Cards that only provide small one time effects usually fall behind unless they support a specific build.

S Tier Ironclad Cards

These cards can carry runs and are often worth building around.

Demon Form
Generates Strength every turn. Slow to start but extremely powerful if you can survive the setup.
Barricade
Lets Block stay between turns. This enables huge Body Slam turns and makes defensive builds incredibly strong.
Corruption
A key card for Exhaust builds. Skills become free and fuel powerful synergies.
Dark Embrace
Provides draw whenever cards Exhaust. This keeps Exhaust decks cycling through their entire deck quickly.
Feel No Pain
Gives Block every time a card Exhausts. Works perfectly with Corruption and other Exhaust strategies.

A Tier Ironclad Cards

Very strong cards that work in many decks.

Inflame
Reliable Strength scaling that is cheap to play.
Whirlwind
Excellent multi hit attack that benefits heavily from Strength.
Offering
Costs health but gives energy and card draw. Very powerful tempo card.
Body Slam
Deals damage based on your current Block. Becomes extremely strong in Block focused decks.
Twin Strike
Simple attack that hits twice. Works great with Strength builds.

B Tier Ironclad Cards

Solid cards that are useful in specific situations.

Shrug It Off
Reliable Block plus card draw. Fits in many decks.
True Grit
Provides Block and helps remove weak cards from your deck through Exhaust.
Flame Barrier
Strong defensive card that also deals damage to attackers.
Rupture
Turns self damage into Strength scaling. Very strong if your deck supports it.

C Tier Ironclad Cards

Situational cards that depend heavily on the right build.

Bloodletting
Generates energy but costs health. Requires good card draw to be worth it.
Breakthrough
AoE attack that costs a small amount of HP. Decent but not always necessary.
Crimson Mantle
Provides Block but also causes self damage. Only useful in certain builds.

Popular Ironclad Build Archetypes

Most Ironclad runs end up falling into one of several main strategies.

Strength Scaling

This build focuses on increasing Strength and using attacks that hit multiple times.

Common cards used here include:

Inflame
Demon Form
Twin Strike
Whirlwind

Once Strength starts stacking, even basic attacks become extremely dangerous.

Block Stacking

This strategy turns defense into offense by generating huge amounts of Block.

Key cards often include:

Barricade
Body Slam
Shrug It Off
Flame Barrier

With Barricade active, Block can build up over multiple turns until Body Slam deals massive damage.

Exhaust Engine

Exhaust builds revolve around turning discarded cards into value.

The core cards usually include:

Corruption
Dark Embrace
Feel No Pain

Once the engine is running, the deck can cycle extremely quickly while generating Block and card draw.

Final Blurb

Ironclad decks in Slay the Spire 2 usually revolve around a few powerful strategies. Strength builds focus on scaling attack damage, Block builds convert defense into offense, and Exhaust decks turn card removal into a powerful engine. Choosing the right cards for your build can turn a struggling run into a victory.