Le Soldat de Fer Card Tier List
Ironclad is the most polarizing character in Slay the Spire 2. The dominant strategy is forcing infinite every run — once you understand how to go infinite, runs become very consistent. Act 1 is the hardest part; if you survive it, you usually win. The character is in a unique balance state with one dominant playstyle centered around exhaust loops. Bloodletting at Common rarity makes infinite combos extremely accessible, and Stoke is considered by far the best card in the entire class.
Infinite Enablers & Core Engine
14 cards
These are the cards that define Ironclad's dominant infinite strategy. Most are common or uncommon, making the infinite plan extremely consistent. The core loop involves energy generation (Bloodletting, Expect to Fight, Forgotten Ritual) + draw/exhaust (Burning Pact, Pommel Strike, Stoke) to cycle your deck infinitely.
Perdez 3 PV. Gagnez [energy:2].
The most polarizing card in the class. Reusable energy generation at Common rarity is absurd — it's what turns Ironclad into Watcher-level power. Lose 3 HP is often a positive with Ironclad's healing synergies (starter relic heals 6 per combat). Pick the first good energy generation on sight. Enables every infinite combo in the character.
Épuisez 1 carte. Piochez 2 cartes.
The #1 infinite enabler. Self-cycles by exhausting a card and drawing. With Brand, Second Wind, or any exhaust piece, this card becomes the engine that powers your entire deck. Bloodletting at Common makes this enter your deck much more often. Best-in-class single-target exhaust card.
Gagnez [energy:1] pour chaque Attaque dans votre Main.
Gain 1 energy for each attack in hand — does NOT exhaust. Can generate 5-7 energy per turn. Works beautifully with Second Wind exhausting non-attacks, leaving your hand full of attacks. Completely disgusting energy generation that scales with your deck composition.
Si vous avez Épuisé une carte ce tour, gagnez [energy:3].
If you exhausted a card this turn, gain 3 energy (4 upgraded). Trivial condition in any exhaust deck. Loop your entire deck with excess energy for Pommel Strike loops + Burning Pact. Same power level as Expect to Fight but for different deck compositions.
Perdez 6 PV. Gagnez [energy:2]. Piochez 3 cartes.
Classic acceleration — lose 6 HP, gain 2 energy, draw 3, exhaust. Life loss is irrelevant on Ironclad. Lines up combo pieces perfectly and gives energy for exhaust cards. Still as cracked as Spire 1 — always a top pick regardless of build state.
Infligez 6 dégâts. Piochez des cartes jusqu'à piocher une carte qui n'est pas une Attaque.
Deal 6 damage, draw cards until you draw a non-attack. Often redraws your entire deck in small decks. With Second Wind exhausting skills, Pillage draws everything back. A Strike that draws your whole deck — good in Act 1 for damage and broken in endgame for combo enablement. No risk, always gets into the deck.
Infligez 9 dégâts. Piochez 1 carte.
1 energy deal 9, draw 1 (upgrades to 10 damage draw 2). THE main infinite enabler at Common rarity. With Bloodletting, goes infinite with itself and any draw card. Expect to Fight generates energy just from having Pommel in hand. Pick every Pommel Strike you see — it's the backbone of Ironclad infinite.
Épuisez toutes les cartes de votre Main qui ne sont pas des Attaques. Gagnez 5 d'Armure pour chaque carte Épuisée.
Exhaust all non-attack cards in hand, gain 5 block per card exhausted. One of the main infinite enablers — clears statuses vs Frog elites and Fish boss, enables Pillage to draw your entire deck. Bottom of S tier but essential for many infinite configurations.
Infligez 6 dégâts. Si vous avez perdu des PV pendant ce tour, piochez 1 carte.
0 energy deal 6. If you lost HP this turn, draw 1. Zero-cost draw that pairs with Bloodletting for infinite loops. Two Spites + Bloodletting = infinite. At worst it's an Anger, at best it's a core infinite package piece. The floor is high and the ceiling is broken.
Épuisez votre Main. Piochez une carte pour chaque carte Épuisée.
Exhaust your hand, draw a card for each exhausted. Upgrades to 0 energy. Described as 'by far the best card in the entire class.' It's Fiend Fire + Dark Embrace effect on a single card with no synergy required. Dominates every game state it appears in.
Lorsque vous appliquez Vulnérable, piochez 1 carte.
Whenever you apply Vulnerable, draw 1 card (upgrades to draw 2). This is Rushdown but better — your base deck already applies Vulnerable with Bash. Thunderclap applies Vulnerable to all enemies, drawing per enemy hit. Creates a draw engine that makes the entire deck function.
Lorsqu'une carte est Épuisée, piochez 1 carte.
Draw 1 card whenever a card is exhausted. Extremely powerful — upgrades to 1 energy cost. Acceleration lets you draw your entire deck with Bloodletting and energy sources. S tier despite being Rare because it single-handedly enables exhaust strategies.
Infligez 12 dégâts à TOUS les ennemis. Coûte 1 [energy:1] en moins pour chaque Attaque déjà jouée pendant ce tour.
3 energy deal 12 to all, costs 1 less per attack played this turn. Often becomes 0-cost. One of the strongest non-infinite cards in the class. 12 AoE for 0 energy at Common with a Pommel Strike loop. Favorite card for both design and raw power.
Ne peut être joué que si votre pile de cartes Épuisées contient 3 cartes ou plus. Infligez 17 dégâts à TOUS les ennemis.
0-cost deal 17 AoE damage if 3+ cards exhausted this turn. Trivial condition in any exhaust build — Ascender's Bane alone counts toward the threshold. Enablers are always in your deck. Bottom of S tier or top of A.
Strong Support & Combo Pieces
5 cards
These cards provide strong support for the infinite strategy or serve as powerful standalone picks. They don't single-handedly enable infinite but significantly accelerate your deck when paired with the right pieces.
Piochez 3 cartes. Vous ne pouvez plus piocher de cartes jusqu'à la fin du tour.
Draw 3 cards, can't draw additional cards this turn. No punishment for loading deck with skills. Lines up combo pieces together and lets you exhaust cards with Second Wind. May warrant an S tier placement in some metas.
Perdez 1 PV. Épuisez 1 carte. Gagnez 1 de Force.
0 energy, lose 1 HP, exhaust one card, gain 1 strength. The strength is irrelevant — 0-energy targeted exhaust is the real value. Being Rare bumps it down; if it were Uncommon it would be S tier.
Infligez 10 dégâts. Coup de grâce : augmentez vos PV Max de 3.
Max HP scaling through kills. Less important than in Spire 1 but still valuable for extending your health pool through long runs. Helps survive Act 1 while building toward endgame.
Gagnez 7 d'Armure. Appliquez Vulnérable (1).
1 energy gain 7 block, apply 1 Vulnerable. Extends Bash's Vulnerable duration so you don't feel pressure to capitalize immediately. 7 block is a solid number. Becomes a draw engine when paired with Vicious — never falls off.
Infligez 4 dégâts 2 fois. Épuisez une Attaque aléatoire de votre Main et ajoutez ses dégâts à ceux de cette carte.
1 energy Rare: deal 4x2, exhaust random attack, add its damage. Scaling in boss fights as it absorbs attack damage. Don't exhaust Pommel Strike with it. Top of A tier — strong burst that also thins your deck.
Act 1 Solves & Situational Support
26 cards
B-tier cards serve important roles in Act 1 survival and provide value in specific situations, but they don't directly contribute to the dominant infinite strategy. Many are strong early game picks that you may remove or transform later.
Infligez 6 dégâts. Ajoutez une copie de cette carte à votre Défausse.
0 energy deal 6, add copy to discard. Strong Act 1 pick for immediate damage. Endgame: Anger + Burning Pact creates a permanent 0-cost exhaust fodder loop. Early game is the scariest part — Anger helps you survive.
Vous ne perdez plus votre Armure au début de votre tour.
3 energy, block not removed between turns. Much worse than Spire 1 — there's less demand for huge block turns now. Expensive and doesn't win on the spot. Only useful in specific matchups like Waterfall Giants.
Infligez 32 dégâts.
3 energy deal 32. Now Uncommon rarity — big bonk to end fights. Combos well with Bloodletting for energy. Makes Bloodletting's energy generation immediately impactful in Act 1.
Perdez 1 PV. Infligez 9 dégâts à TOUS les ennemis.
1 energy lose 1 HP deal 9 to all. One of the weaker AoE cards, but AoE is AoE — Act 1 survival pick. Could reasonably drop to C tier.
Gagnez 5 d'Armure. Vous subissez 50% de dégâts en moins des ennemis Vulnérables pendant ce tour.
1 energy gain 5 block, take 50% less damage from enemies. Lots of block value, but with Bloodletting + infinite combo available, you often ignore purely defensive cards. Bottom of B.
Les ennemis Vulnérables subissent 25% de dégâts supplémentaires.
1 energy: Vulnerable enemies take 25% more damage. Powerful effect on paper, but when your goal is going infinite, bonus damage doesn't matter. The entire strategy is about reaching infinite — not amplifying damage.
Au début de votre tour, gagnez 2 de Force.
3 energy gain 2 strength per turn. A curse in endgame because you're always going infinite and don't need strength. Kills Act 1 bosses though — that's the only reason it's B tier.
Infligez 8 dégâts. Si l'ennemi est Vulnérable, infligez ces dégâts 2 fois.
1 energy deal 8, if enemy is Vulnerable hits twice. Strong early game with Bash — 1 energy deal 24 against Vulnerable elites. Solid Act 1 damage pick.
Gagnez 8 d'Armure. Gagnez 8 d'Armure de nouveau si vous avez Épuisé une carte pendant ce tour.
1 energy gain 8 block, +8 block if you exhausted a card this turn. With Burning Pact often gives 16 block. Even 8 alone isn't horrible. Helps stall while you set up your exhaust engine.
Lorsqu'une carte est Épuisée, gagnez 3 d'Armure.
3 block per exhaust. Was an easy S tier in Spire 1 — biggest fall from grace. Skip consistently now. Can help with Second Wind setup but you can't pick it in Act 1 and it's not needed for infinite.
Épuisez votre Main. Infligez 7 dégâts pour chaque carte Épuisée ainsi.
Exhaust hand, deal damage per card exhausted. Overlaps with Stoke's role but as an attack. Can be useful for burst damage and deck thinning. Middle of B.
Gagnez 12 d'Armure. Lorsque vous vous faites attaquer pendant ce tour, infligez 4 dégâts en retour.
12 block, when attacked deal 4 reflect damage. Chunky early game block. Against multi-hit enemies (Act 2 boss that hits 8 times) it becomes very strong. Top of B.
Infligez 9 dégâts. Placez une carte de votre Défausse sur le dessus de votre Pioche.
Solid early game card. Puts combo pieces back on top (Burning Pact + Forgotten Ritual, Bloodletting + Burning Pact). Substantially worse than Spire 1 because it doesn't directly contribute to infinite loops.
Lorsque vous piochez une carte contenant « Frappe », elle est immédiatement jouée sur un ennemi aléatoire.
2 energy: Strikes played against random enemy. Has a soft-lock cap on Pommel Strike — plays 9 times then stops. With 3-5 Pommel Strikes the fight ends. Fun but awkward for strict infinite plans. Bottom of B.
Perdez 2 PV. Infligez 14 dégâts.
Lose 2 HP deal 14 (19 upgraded). Big damage that combos with Vulnerable. Not as exceptional as Spire 1 — you're usually picking other stuff over it, but the raw damage is always relevant.
Au début de votre tour, perdez 1 PV. Lorsque vous perdez des PV durant votre tour, infligez 6 dégâts à TOUS les ennemis.
Start of turn lose 1 HP: whenever you lose HP deal 6 to all. Better than Combust was. Works with HP loss synergies. Decent power card for AoE pressure. Middle of B.
Gagnez 2 de Force.
1 energy gain 2 strength. Used to be pick-on-sight — way worse now. Helps kill elites and bosses in Act 1. Infinite attacks make strength scaling largely unnecessary. Much less strength payoff in Spire 2.
Gagnez 30 d'Armure.
2 energy gain 30 block, exhaust. Slam it on sight for Act 1 performance. Once you're going infinite, don't pick more. Not worth building around Barricade/Body Slam anymore.
Gagnez 5 d'Armure. Infligez 5 dégâts.
1 energy deal 5, gain 5 block. Mediocre Strike+Defend hybrid. Prevents chip damage. Try to skip but it's not the worst Act 1 pick. Bottom of B.
Lorsque vous jouez une Attaque pendant ce tour, gagnez 3 d'Armure.
0 energy: gain 3 block per attack played (5 upgraded). Turns Pommel Strikes into block. Rage + Bash + Strike = 10 block for free. Top of B for early game value.
Infligez 9 dégâts. Augmentez les dégâts de cette carte de 5 jusqu'à la fin du combat.
Deal 9, gains +5 each play. Got buffed in Spire 2. Kills Act 1 bosses if you can cycle it. Picking draw cards to cycle Rampage is a valid early strategy. Bottom of B.
À la fin de votre tour, 1 Attaque aléatoire de votre Main est jouée sur un ennemi aléatoire.
2 energy: end of turn one random attack is played. Cheats expensive cards into play for essentially 1 energy per turn on an attack. Bottom of B.
Gagnez 8 d'Armure. Piochez 1 carte.
1 energy 8 block draw 1. The classic block + draw. Turns off Pillage though (draws a non-attack). Good for blocking early hallway fights. Less essential than in Spire 1.
Gagnez 7 d'Armure. Épuisez 1 carte au hasard.
7 block, exhaust random card (targeted when upgraded). Demands upgrade to be reliable. Better than Spire 1 given the exhaust meta. Not premium but serviceable.
Infligez 4 dégâts et appliquez Vulnérable (1) à TOUS les ennemis.
1 energy deal 4, apply 1 Vulnerable to all enemies. Bad in Spire 1 but AoE is more important now. Combos amazingly with Vicious (S tier) — each Vulnerable application draws a card. Always click in Act 1.
Infligez 13 dégâts. Appliquez Affaibli (1). Appliquez Vulnérable (1).
2 energy deal 13, apply 1 Weak + 1 Vulnerable. Harder to upgrade than Spire 1. Only source of Weakness for Ironclad. Less necessary when going infinite — you don't need defensive debuffs.
Situational Picks
18 cards
C-tier cards are generally not worth picking unless you're desperate in Act 1 or have a very specific reason. Many are clunky, slow, or work against the infinite strategy. Only take these when alternatives are worse.
Au début de votre tour, placez une Attaque aléatoire de votre Défausse dans votre Main et Améliorez-la.
1 energy Rare: start of turn put random attack from discard into hand and upgrade it. Extremely slow draw/scaling. Normally unpickable, but can kill a boss if you're failing Act 1 with no other options.
Gagnez 5 d'Armure. Améliorez une carte dans votre Main.
1 energy 5 block, upgrade a card in hand. Incredibly slow scaling. Defend that converts to minor damage/block improvement. Not worth a card slot in most decks.
Infligez 6 dégâts. Inflige 3 dégâts supplémentaires pour chaque carte Épuisée.
1 energy deal 6 + 3 per card exhausted this turn. Slow scaling that requires exhaust setup. If you're exhausting, you have better things to care about.
Perdez 2 PV. Gagnez 16 d'Armure.
2 energy lose 2 HP gain 16 block (14 effective). Doesn't help you win or generate value for your HP loss cards. Shuts down late game potential without contributing to the game plan.
Jouez les X cartes du dessus de votre Pioche.
X energy: play the top X cards of your draw pile. Weird card that cheats energy and draw but can play Second Wind or Fiend Fire at the wrong time. Without Frozen Eye, you have no control. Skip most of the time.
Infligez 17 dégâts. Épuisez la carte du dessus de votre Pioche.
2 energy deal 17, exhaust the top card of your draw pile. No control of what you exhaust — can exhaust Bloodletting and die. Worse than comparable damage options.
Infligez 8 dégâts à TOUS les ennemis. Inflige 2 dégâts supplémentaires pour chaque autre Attaque que vous avez jouée ce tour.
1 energy deal 8 to all + 2 per other attack in hand. Strange Rare that's outclassed by uncommon alternatives. Awkward scaling condition.
Piochez 2 cartes. Au début de votre tour, Épuisez la carte du dessus de votre Pioche.
0 energy: draw 2 cards, but start of turn exhaust the top card of draw pile. Can exhaust key combo pieces randomly. Only pick when you're already winning.
Infligez 7 dégâts. Lorsque vous gagnez de l'Armure pendant ce tour, infligez 5 dégâts à l'ennemi.
1 energy deal 7, if you have block also deal 5. Play Grapple + 2 Defends = 17 damage. But you often play Bash instead of blocking, making the bonus unreliable.
Lorsque vous gagnez de l'Armure, infligez 5 dégâts à un ennemi aléatoire.
2 energy: whenever you gain block, deal 5 damage. How often is Ironclad blocking? Without Feel No Pain doubling up, this rarely generates meaningful value.
Infligez 15 dégâts. L'ennemi perd 10 de Force jusqu'à la fin du tour.
3 energy Rare: deal 15, enemy loses 10 strength. Block 10 worth of damage. But you're paying all your energy for it — could easily cost 2 and still be fair. Top of C.
Infligez 10 dégâts. Doublez le nombre d'incidences de Vulnérable sur l'ennemi.
Deal 10 damage, double Vulnerable duration, exhaust. Vulnerable synergy doesn't work well because you need just enough Vulnerable, not extra stacking.
Infligez 6 dégâts. Inflige 2 dégâts supplémentaires pour CHACUNE de vos cartes contenant « Frappe ».
2 energy deal 6 + 2 per Strike card. Buffed to count exhaust pile, but you're removing Strikes more often at shops. Felt bad in practice.
Transformez toutes les Attaques de votre Main en Rocher gigantesque.
0 energy: transform all attacks into Giant Rock (1 energy deal 13-16). Kills stuff in Act 1 single-handedly. Gets exhausted by Second Wind — often don't want to turn your hand into attacks. A-tier in Act 1 but falls off.
Gagnez [energy:1] au début de chaque tour.
Exhaust-based damage that requires setup. Not bad with the exhaust package but there are better options for the same slot.
Lorsque vous perdez des PV pendant votre tour, gagnez 1 de Force.
1 energy: whenever you lose HP, gain strength. Strength payoff is not needed when going infinite. Bloodletting + Bash already kills without strength stacking.
Infligez 7 dégâts. Gagnez 2 de Force jusqu'à la fin du tour.
1 energy deal 7, gain 2 strength. Strength cards are simply not necessary in the current meta. C tier desperation pick.
Gagnez 4 de Blindage.
1 energy gain 4 Plating. Plating decreases per turn (worse than Metallicize). Block value goes 4, 3, 2... The ceiling isn't high. Top of C.
Generally Avoid
8 cards
D-tier cards actively hurt your deck or provide so little value that skipping card rewards is usually better. These cards either brick your infinite loops, provide negligible output, or have conditions too hard to meet.
Infligez un montant de dégâts égal à votre Armure.
1 energy deal damage equal to your block. Needs upgrade for 0-cost loop, and there are a million better options. Power Through and Feel No Pain are gone or nerfed — there are no enablers for a block-based strategy anymore.
Gagnez 1 de Force pour chaque incidence de Vulnérable sur l'ennemi.
1 energy gain 1 strength per Vulnerable stack, exhaust. Best use: get it out of your deck for 1 energy. Draw-order reliant and you'd rather just play a Strike.
Infligez 5 dégâts 2 fois. Gagnez 2 de Force. L'ennemi gagne 1 de Force.
2 energy deal 5x2, gain 2 strength, but enemy gains 1 strength. Expensive for middling damage + 2 strength, and buffing the enemy is always bad.
Jouez la carte du dessus de votre Pioche et Épuisez-la.
1 energy play top card of draw pile, exhaust it. Headbutt+Havoc combo requires too much setup. Better zero-energy exhaust options exist. Too random without Frozen Eye.
La prochaine Attaque que vous jouez ce tour sera jouée une fois supplémentaire.
1 energy: next attack plays an extra time. Awkward Double Tap variant. Can theoretically go infinite with 0-cost attacks but the setup is too unreliable.
Infligez 5 dégâts. Se déclenche autant de fois supplémentaires que de fois où vous avez perdu des PV pendant ce combat.
Damage card with anti-synergy for the infinite plan. The condition is too restrictive and the payoff too low to justify a card slot.
Infligez 3 dégâts à un ennemi aléatoire 3 fois.
1 energy deal 3 damage 3x to random enemies. Strength scaling is worse than Spire 1, and the random targeting is bad when AoE is what you actually need.
Ajoutez une copie de la troisième Attaque que vous jouez chaque tour à votre Main.
1 energy: add a copy of the 3rd attack you play. Can brick infinite loops by adding unwanted copies. Only theoretically good with Flash of Steel cloning, which is too niche.
Le Soldat de Fer Card Strategy Notes
- 1Act 1 focus: Pick minimal cards to survive; prioritize damage, Bloodletting, Pommel Strike. Early game is the most dangerous phase — if you get through Act 1, you usually win.
- 2Infinite plans: Bloodletting + Pommel Strike loops; Expect to Fight / Forgotten Ritual for energy; Burning Pact, Second Wind, Stoke for exhaust/draw. Two Spites + Bloodletting = infinite.
- 3Stoke is the best card: Exhaust your hand, draw equal cards. Fiend Fire + Dark Embrace effect on one card, no synergy required.
- 4Vicious + Taunt = draw engine: Whenever you apply Vulnerable, draw cards. Thunderclap applies Vulnerable to all enemies, drawing per enemy hit.
- 5Avoid: Block-heavy builds; Barricade/Body Slam combo is much weaker than Spire 1; cards that brick infinite loops.
- 6Hard fights: Act 1 elites, Worm boss (status spam), Hunterkiller (decks you down). AoE is more important than in Spire 1.
- 7Strength scaling is largely unnecessary when going infinite — cards like Inflame and Demon Form lose value compared to Spire 1.
Le Soldat de Fer Guide
Character overview and strategies
Full Tier List
Character and build rankings
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