Slay the Spire 2 Guide | Ironclad Best Build and Tips

The Ironclad is still the easiest character to learn in Slay the Spire 2 because the game plan is easy to understand. You hit hard, use Burning Blood to heal after fights, and get stronger turns with Strength or value from Exhaust. 

The best early plan is to get cards that make your attacks hit harder without making the deck too big too quickly. Fight Me, Twin Strike!Inflame and Whirlwind are both good examples of this because they reward simple damage scaling and don't require a lot of setup.

Put Cards That Increase Strength First

When each point of Strength matters more, a good Ironclad run gets stronger. That's why attacks that hit more than once are so helpful. Every time your scaling goes up, Twin Strike and Whirlwind become more valuable. This makes them much more reliable than random heavy cards that don't have any support. 

Demon Form can help you win long boss fights, but the deck needs to stay alive until that happens. Simple scaling first usually works better than greedy scaling later.

Don't be afraid of the deck; use exhaust to clean it

A lot of new runs get weaker because the deck has too much filler. Ironclad has a good answer for that. Exhaustion isn't the only bad thing. It is one of the easiest ways to get rid of weak cards during a fight and get to your better tools more often. 

Brand and Burning Pact are helpful because they help you get rid of junk while adding value. Dark Embrace can even turn that into card draw. When the deck starts to cycle cleanly, your stronger attacks happen more often, and the whole run feels more stable.

Keep enough defense to get to your big turns

When the damage cards come on time, Ironclad can seem easy, but weak defense can still ruin good runs. Even a strong attack deck needs enough block to stay alive long enough for the setup cards to work. 

Flame Barrier, Shrug It Off, and even a Body Slam package can keep the run safe while still making it look like it could take damage. You don't have to completely switch to a block deck, but you do need to be stable enough that elites and bosses can't punish you for one bad draw.

Be Honest with the Deck

Most of the time, the best Ironclad decks look simple. You pick the cards that help your main plan and leave out the flashy ones that don't. You also upgrade the pieces you already trust. 

Ironclad is one of the best ways to climb the Spire when the deck has real Strength scaling, smart Exhaust support, and just enough block to stay alive.

Also, check our Slay the Spire 2 Review and other guides below:

• Slay the Spire 2 Guide | Byrdonis Egg Quest Guide
• Slay the Spire 2 Guide | How to Unlock Custom Runs Fast
• Slay the Spire 2 Guide | How to Beat Ceremonial Beast
• Slay the Spire 2 Guide | All Ascension Levels Explained
• Slay the Spire 2 Guide | Silent Best Build and Shiv Deck Tips
• Slay the Spire 2 Guide | Defect Best Build and Claw Deck Tips
• Slay the Spire 2 Guide | How to Beat Vantom Boss