Ironclad · Slay the Spire 2
Ironclad Builds
Ranked Ironclad archetypes for Slay the Spire 2 — each with core cards, relic priorities, mulligan plans, and how to pilot them. Tiers are editorial judgment from the current Early Access card pool.
- 5
- Builds
- S
- Top tier
- 2026-06-06
- Updated
- Ironclad
- Class
At a glance
Ironclad builds compared
Every archetype side by side — tier, difficulty, and win condition. Jump to any guide for the full plan.
| Build | Tier | Difficulty | Win condition | Archetype |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💪 Demon Form Juggernaut of War | S | Intermediate | Establish a Strength engine early (Demon Form, Inflame, Rupture) so that by mid-fight every attack hits for far more than printed. Multi-hit cards like Twin Strike and Fight Me! convert each stacked Strength point into damage several times per play, snowballing into one-turn kills. | Strength |
| 🔥 Ashen Reaper of the Pyre | A | Advanced | Convert the act of Exhausting cards into a self-sustaining engine — every burn draws a card (Dark Embrace) and earns Block (Feel No Pain) — then cash the swollen Exhaust pile into damage with Ashen Strike, Pact's End, and Fiend Fire. | Exhaust |
| 🛡️ Barricade Iron Bastion | A | Intermediate | Use Barricade so Block carries over between turns, building an enormous reserve, then convert it into damage: Body Slam deals damage equal to your Block, while Juggernaut pings enemies every time you gain any Block at all. | Block |
| 🎯 Cruel Hand of Reckoning | B | Beginner | Apply heavy Vulnerable and increase the damage multiplier it provides (Cruelty, Paper Phrog). Once enemies take far more from every hit, your ordinary attacks — and AoE like Thunderclap and Shockwave — kill rooms quickly. | Vulnerable |
| 🩸 Bloodthirsty Rite of Rupture | B | Advanced | Use Rupture so that every point of self-inflicted HP loss becomes permanent Strength, then feed it deliberately with Bloodletting, Hemokinesis, Offering, and Crimson Mantle. Inferno converts the same HP loss into board-wide damage, so your blood scales both offense and tempo. | HP-loss |
Whenever a card is Exhausted, draw 1 card.
Upgraded: Cost changes from 2 to 1
Ashen Reaper of the Pyre
Exhaust cards on purpose to trigger draw, Block, and damage payoffs, then thin your deck into a lean killing machine. Dark Embrace and Feel No Pain turn every burned card into free value.
Key cards
Whenever a card is Exhausted, draw 1 card.
Upgraded: Cost changes from 2 to 1
Whenever a card is Exhausted, gain 3 Block.
Upgraded: Whenever a card is Exhausted, gain 4 Block.
Skills cost 0 Energy. Whenever you play a Skill, Exhaust it.
Upgraded: Cost changes from 3 to 2
Deal 6 damage. Deals 3 additional damage for each card in your Exhaust Pile.
Upgraded: Deal 6 damage. Deals 4 additional damage for each card in your Exhaust Pile.
Block is not removed at the start of your turn.
Upgraded: Cost changes from 3 to 2
Barricade Iron Bastion
Lock your Block in place with Barricade and let it pile up turn after turn, then weaponise the wall with Body Slam and Juggernaut. The bigger your guard, the harder you hit.
Key cards
Block is not removed at the start of your turn.
Upgraded: Cost changes from 3 to 2
Deal damage equal to your Block.
Upgraded: Cost changes from 1 to 0
Whenever you gain Block, deal 5 damage to a random enemy.
Upgraded: Whenever you gain Block, deal 7 damage to a random enemy.
The first time you gain Block from a card each turn, double the amount gained.
Upgraded: Cost changes from 2 to 1
Vulnerable enemies take an additional 25% damage.
Upgraded: Vulnerable enemies take an additional 50% damage.
Cruel Hand of Reckoning
Stack Vulnerable on everything and amplify it with Cruelty and Paper Phrog so every attack lands for far more. Vicious even draws you cards for the privilege of debuffing.
Key cards
Deal 8 damage. Apply 2 Vulnerable.
Upgraded: Deal 10 damage. Apply 3 Vulnerable.
Vulnerable enemies take an additional 25% damage.
Upgraded: Vulnerable enemies take an additional 50% damage.
Whenever you apply Vulnerable, draw 1 card.
Upgraded: Whenever you apply Vulnerable, draw 2 cards.
Deal 4 damage and apply 1 Vulnerable to ALL enemies.
Upgraded: Deal 7 damage and apply 1 Vulnerable to ALL enemies.
Whenever you lose HP on your turn, gain 1 Strength.
Upgraded: Whenever you lose HP on your turn, gain 2 Strength.
Bloodthirsty Rite of Rupture
Spend your own HP as a resource — Rupture turns every drop of blood into Strength, while Inferno turns it into AoE damage. The Ironclad's self-harm cards become an engine instead of a cost.
Key cards
Whenever you lose HP on your turn, gain 1 Strength.
Upgraded: Whenever you lose HP on your turn, gain 2 Strength.
At the start of your turn, lose 1 HP. Whenever you lose HP on your turn, deal 6 damage to ALL enemies.
Upgraded: At the start of your turn, lose 1 HP. Whenever you lose HP on your turn, deal 9 damage to ALL enemies.
Lose 3 HP. Gain 2 Energy.
Upgraded: Lose 3 HP. Gain 3 Energy.
Lose 2 HP. Deal 14 damage.
Upgraded: Lose 2 HP. Deal 19 damage.
