We rank every Ironclad card from S to D tier, covering Strength scaling, Exhaust synergies, and early picks that define runs.
The Ironclad in Slay the Spire 2 brings back Strength scaling, self-damage, and Exhaust synergies, but his card pool is larger and more nuanced than ever. Picking the wrong early card can stall an entire run before Act 2.
This tier list ranks every Ironclad card by Act 1 takeability and late-game potential. In this guide we’ll cover S through D tiers, with card details and how they interact with mechanics like Exhaust and Vulnerable.
Key mechanics for Ironclad
These five keywords define how most Ironclad cards scale and interact. Understanding them makes tier evaluation much sharper.
- Strength: Increases damage by the number of stacks; permanent unless specified.
- Exhaust: Removes a card from the deck for the rest of combat.
- Fatal: Triggers an effect only if the card deals the killing blow to a non-Minion enemy.
- Vulnerable: Causes enemies to take 50% more damage (75% with Paper Phrog).
- Plating: Provides Block at the end of turn; the amount decreases by 1 each turn.
S tier cards
These cards are game-defining or hyper-efficient engine enablers. Snap-pick them whenever they appear.
- Offering: Lose 6 HP to gain Energy and draw 3 cards (5 upgraded). Often repays the health by ending fights faster.
- Colossus: A defensive Power that provides Block and halves damage taken from Vulnerable enemies. Does not Exhaust and stacks.
- Evil Eye: Block 8 (11), doubled if you’ve Exhausted a card this turn. Benefits twice from Dexterity.
- Vicious: Uncommon draw Power; draw 1 card (2 upgraded) whenever you apply Vulnerable. Functions like Rushdown for Ironclad.
- Bloodletting: Now Common; lose 3 HP to gain 2 (3) Energy. A reusable energy source that slots into any deck.
- Pummel Strike: Best common attack; deals 9 (10) damage and draws 1 (2) cards. Highly stackable with energy generation.
- Immovable: Defensive Power that doubles Block gained from the first card played each turn. Can trigger same turn it’s played.
- Break: Ancient version of Bash (unlocked via Darv); 1 Energy deals 20 (30) damage and applies 5 (7) Vulnerable.
A tier cards
These high performers anchor specific builds or give exceptional utility, though they rarely solo-carry a run.
- Anger: Zero-cost damage engine that creates copies of itself in the discard pile.
- Battle Trance: Zero-cost draw 3 cards, but prevents further card draw that turn.
- Body Slam: Converts your current Block into damage; upgrades to 0 Energy. Exceptional in Act 3.
- Ashen Strike: Damage scales with cards in your Exhaust pile; can hit 100+ damage late game.
- Feed: “Win more” card; if Fatal, permanently increases Max HP.
- Fiend Fire: Exhausts your entire hand to deal massive damage, activating all Exhaust triggers at once.
- Stomp: Premium AoE for Act 1; cost decreases by 1 for every Attack played that turn.
- Uppercut: Applies both Weak and Vulnerable. The Ironclad’s only Weak source outside Ancient cards.
- Aggression: Power that puts a random Attack from discard into your hand each turn, then upgrades it.
B tier cards
Reliable picks that perform well in the right circumstances but rarely define a run on their own.
- Shrug It Off: Solid Block that also draws 1 card.
- Flame Barrier: Provides high Block and deals damage back; excellent against multi-hit enemies.
- Blood Wall: Two-cost common Block that synergizes well with Body Slam.
- Dismantle: Hits twice if the enemy is Vulnerable, making it a better Twin Strike in those fights.
- Crimson Mantle: Power that grants 8 (10) Block at the start of every turn, costing 1 HP.
- Pacts End: Rare Attack that scales with the number of cards in your Exhaust pile.
C tier cards
Serviceable but often outclassed, these cards are too conditional for early picks or overshadowed by faster alternatives.
- Bash: Starting Vulnerable source; useful early but quickly outclassed by stronger options.
- Cinder: Two-cost attack dealing 18 (24) damage and Exhausting a random card in hand.
- Inflame: Standard Strength gain Power; Ironclad now has faster or reusable Strength sources making it less appealing.
- Hellraiser: High-cost Power that auto-plays any card containing Strike when drawn. Fun but unreliable due to random targeting.
- Twin Strike: Deals damage twice, benefiting from Strength. Decent if no better options appear.
D tier cards
Avoid picking these unless you have no alternative or a highly specific synergy planned.
- Havoc: Plays and Exhausts the top card of your draw pile. Highly unreliable without a way to see the top card.
- Tank (Multiplayer only): You take double damage while allies take half. Extremely poor value, especially in two-player runs.
Once your Ironclad card evaluations are sharp, the Silent and Defect tier lists demand entirely different heuristics. The full Slay the Spire 2 class breakdown lives on Solo Jugadores.
