Slay the Spire 2: Complete Ironclad Guide and Builds

Discover everything you need to know about the best Ironclad builds in Slay the Spire 2 with this guide, including the relics and core cards.

The Ironclad is one of the playable characters in Slay the Spire 2 and is available from the start of the game. He’s a melee warrior who focuses on strength scaling, self‑damage, and exhausting cards. You can prefer Strength, Exhaust, Block, and Bloodletting mechanics for the best Ironclad build.

Prioritize cards and relics that directly support your chosen build path. Using the best Common, Uncommon, and Core cards can make a huge difference in Slay the Spire 2.

How Ironclad Works

Ironclad is the first character you begin your journey with in Slay the Spire 2. He comes with a starting HP of 80 and a starting relic (Burning Blood). This is a melee fighter that comes with strong attacking power, survivability, and unique mechanics like Strength, Exhaust, Block, and Bloodletting. He can use heavy attacks or multi-hit attacks to burst enemies quickly. Ironclad can also convert blocks into damage with specific cards.

He can build Strength to increase attack damage, allowing each point of Strength to add +1 damage to every attack. Cards like Inflame or Demon Form help you stack Strength and use heavy attacks in combat.

The exhaust mechanic allows the Ironclad to remove a card from the fight permanently. For example, Feel No Pain provides a block when cards are exhausted, and Dark Embrace draws cards when cards are exhausted. Several Ironclad cards give bonuses when cards are exhausted.

Bloodletting in Slay the Spire 2 is a special Ironclad skill that converts your HP into energy. This helps you play more cards in a single turn and deal the large combos for explosive attacks. Block is Ironclad’s main defense that lets you absorb incoming damage. It’s worth mentioning that the Block disappears at the start of your next turn.

Ironclad Strength Build

The setup focuses on stacking Strength to deal more damage to enemies and finish the fight with powerful attacks. Strength build increases attack damage, and every point in this stat increases damage to every attack. Demon Form, Inflame, Spot Weakness, Flex, and Limit Break are some crucial cards for this build.

All of these cards grant you Strength for maximum damage. Cards like Whirlwind, Sword Boomerang, Twin Strike, and Heavy Blade are the major damage-dealing cards. This build is powerful because the damage increases during the long fights, allowing you to defeat the bosses within a few turns.

Best Common and Uncommon Cards

Choose the best Common and Uncommon Cards for the Strength build for Ironclad that grants more Strength for Act 1 in Slay the Spire 2.

Best Core Cards For Strength Build

Choose the best damage-dealing cards that multiply Strength, allowing you to eliminate enemies in Act 2 or Act 3.

Best Relics

Prefer the relics for the Strength build that give additional Strength and increase damage in Slay the Spire 2.

Ironclad Block Build

The block build turns the Block into an offense in combat to deal massive damage to enemies. The setup generates a large amount of Block, keep it across turns, and use it to deal damage. This build works around Barricade, Entrench, and Body Slam. Cards like Juggernaut, Shrug It Off, Flame Barrier, and True Grit are the best ones to choose while running the Block build in Slay the Spire 2.

Best Common and Uncommon Cards

Choose the cards that generate large amounts of Block, multiply your Block, and convert it into damage in combat. These are crucial ones to use during Act 1 in Slay the Spire 2.

Core Cards for Block Build

Choose the cards that generate Block, keep it across turns, multiply it, and convert it into damage in Slay the Spire 2.

Best Relics

Choose the relics that help your Block strategy for the Block build in Slay the Spire 2. They must also add damage while you stack Block and support your card synergy.

Ironclad Exhaust Build

The Exhaust build in Slay the Spire 2 turns the normally negative Exhaust mechanic into the core engine of your deck. You get explosive turns with lots of cards every time you exhaust a card. Exhausting means the card is removed from your deck for the rest of the combat.

Cards like Corruption, Dark Embrace, and Feel No Pain are the best cards to use while running this build. Make sure not to chase Exhaust unless you find Corruption.

Best Common and Uncommon Cards

Choose the cards that generate Exhaust triggers, fuel the Exhaust engine, draw cards, and provide Block for the Exhaust build in Slay the Spire 2.

Best Core Cards

Choose the best cards that make the Exhaust engine work and trigger effects every time a card is Exhausted to explode the turn.

Best Relics For Exhaust Build

Choose the relics that amplify Exhaust synergies and make the engine much stronger for the Exhaust build in Slay the Spire 2.

Ironclad Bloodletting Build

The Bloodletting setup in Slay the Spire 2 is a high‑risk, high‑reward deck archetype that turns self‑damage into power. This build uses that HP loss to fuel powerful synergies. You sacrifice your own health repeatedly with cards to gain great value in return.

The deck then uses Power cards that convert HP loss into Strength, making your attacks more powerful. Bloodletting, Brutality, Hemokinesis, and Blood for Blood are the best Self-damage cards that deal damage to yourself but provide offensive value. The gameplay strategy should be to use cards that convert HP loss into Strength.

Best Common and Uncommon Cards

Prefer using the early cards that convert your HP loss into Strength and boost the damage output for the Bloodletting build.

Best Core Cards For Bloodletting Build

The best core cards for this build are the ones that turn losing your own HP into energy, Strength, and huge damage. These cards can hurt you and trigger powerful attacks.

Best Relics

Choose the relics that support the self‑damage, Strength, and tempo mechanics for the Bloodletting build in Slay the Spire 2. Relics like Self‑Forming Clay soften your repeated HP loss by giving you Block.