アイアンクラッド 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.
HPを3失う。 [energy:2]を得る。
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.
カードを1枚廃棄する。 カードを2枚引く。
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.
手札のアタック1枚につき、[energy:1]を得る。
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.
このターン、カードを廃棄していた場合、[energy:3]を得る。
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.
HPを6失う。 [energy:2]を得る。 カードを3枚引く。
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.
6ダメージを与える。 アタック以外のカードを引くまで、カードを引く。
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.
9ダメージを与える。 カードを1枚引く。
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.
手札にあるアタック以外のカードをすべて廃棄する。廃棄したカード1枚につき、ブロック5を得る。
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.
6ダメージを与える。 このターン、HPを失っていた場合、カードを1枚引く。
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.
手札をすべて廃棄する。 廃棄したカード1枚につき カードを1枚引く。
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.
弱体を付与するたび、カードを1枚引く。
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.
カードが廃棄されるたび、 カードを1枚引く。
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.
すべての敵に12ダメージを与える。このターンにプレイしたアタック1枚につき、コストが1[energy:1]減少する。
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.
廃棄札にカードが3枚以上ある場合のみプレイ可能 すべての敵に17ダメージを与える。
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.
カードを3枚引く。 このターン、追加でカードを引くことができない。
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.
HPを1失う。 カードを1枚廃棄する。 筋力1を得る。
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.
10ダメージを与える。 リーサル時、最大HPが3増加する。
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.
7ブロックを得る。 弱体1を付与する。
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.
4ダメージを2回与える。 手札のランダムなアタックを1枚廃棄し、そのダメージをこれに追加する。
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.
6ダメージを与える。 このカードのコピーを1枚捨て札に加える。
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.
ターン開始時にブロックを失わない。
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.
32ダメージを与える。
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.
HPを1失う。 すべての敵に9ダメージを与える。
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.
5ブロックを得る。 このターン、弱体中の敵から受けるダメージが50%減少する。
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.
弱体中の敵は、追加で25%のダメージを受ける。
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.
ターン開始時、筋力2を得る。
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.
8ダメージを与える。 敵が弱体状態の時、2回攻撃になる。
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.
8ブロックを得る。 このターン、カードを廃棄している場合、さらに8ブロックを得る。
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.
カードが廃棄されるたび、3ブロックを得る。
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.
手札をすべて廃棄する。 廃棄したカード1枚につき、7ダメージを与える。
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.
12ブロックを得る。 このターン、攻撃を受けるたび、攻撃した敵に4ダメージを与える。
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.
9ダメージを与える。 捨て札のカードを1枚山札の一番上に置く。
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.
「ストライク」を含むカードを引くたび、ランダムな敵1体に対して自動でプレイする。
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.
HPを2失う。 14ダメージを与える。
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.
ターン開始時、 HPを1失う。 HPを失うたび、すべての敵に6ダメージを与える。
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.
筋力2を得る。
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.
30ブロックを得る。
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.
5ブロックを得る。 5ダメージを与える。
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.
このターン、アタックをプレイするたび、3ブロックを得る。
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.
9ダメージを与える。 この戦闘中、このカードのダメージが5増加する。
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.
ターン終了時、手札にあるランダムなアタック1枚を、ランダムな敵にプレイする。
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.
8ブロックを得る。 カードを1枚引く。
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.
7ブロックを得る。 ランダムなカードを1枚廃棄する。
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.
すべての敵に4ダメージを与え、弱体1を付与する。
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.
13ダメージを与える。 脱力1を付与する。 弱体1を付与する。
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.
ターン開始時、捨て札にあるランダムなアタックを1枚手札に加え、それをアップグレードする。
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.
5ブロックを得る。 戦闘終了まで、手札のカードを1枚アップグレードする。
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.
6ダメージを与える。 廃棄札にあるカード1枚につき、追加で3ダメージを与える。
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.
HPを2失う。 16ブロックを得る。
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.
山札の上からX枚のカードをプレイする。
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.
17ダメージを与える。 山札の一番上のカードを廃棄する。
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.
すべての敵に8ダメージを与える。このターンにプレイしたアタック1枚につき、追加で2ダメージを与える。
1 energy deal 8 to all + 2 per other attack in hand. Strange Rare that's outclassed by uncommon alternatives. Awkward scaling condition.
カードを2枚引く。 ターン開始時、山札の一番上のカードを廃棄する
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.
7ダメージを与える。 このターン、ブロックを得るたび、5ダメージを与える。
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.
ブロックを得るたび、ランダムな敵1体に5ダメージを与える。
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.
15ダメージを与える。 このターン、敵は筋力10を失う。
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.
10ダメージを与える。 敵の弱体を2倍にする。
Deal 10 damage, double Vulnerable duration, exhaust. Vulnerable synergy doesn't work well because you need just enough Vulnerable, not extra stacking.
6ダメージを与える。 「ストライク」を含むすべてのカード1枚につき、追加で2ダメージを与える。
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.
手札にあるすべてのアタックを巨大な岩に変化させる。
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.
各ターンの開始時、[energy:1]を得る。
Exhaust-based damage that requires setup. Not bad with the exhaust package but there are better options for the same slot.
このターン、HPを失うたび、筋力1を得る。
1 energy: whenever you lose HP, gain strength. Strength payoff is not needed when going infinite. Bloodletting + Bash already kills without strength stacking.
7ダメージを与える。 このターン、筋力2を得る。
1 energy deal 7, gain 2 strength. Strength cards are simply not necessary in the current meta. C tier desperation pick.
プレート4を得る。
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.
自身のブロック値に等しいダメージを与える。
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.
弱体中の敵1体につき 筋力1を得る。
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.
5ダメージを2回与える。 筋力2を得る。 敵は筋力1を得る。
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.
山札の一番上にあるカードをプレイし、それを廃棄する。
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.
このターン、次にプレイするアタックを2回プレイする
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.
5ダメージを与える。 この戦闘でHPを失った回数分、追加で攻撃する。
Damage card with anti-synergy for the infinite plan. The condition is too restrictive and the payoff too low to justify a card slot.
ランダムな敵1体に3ダメージを3回与える。
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.
毎ターン、3枚目にプレイしたアタックのコピーを1枚手札に加える。
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.
アイアンクラッド 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.
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