Slay the Spire 2
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Slay the Spire 2 1.0 release: Sep 2027Not announced: our best guess from Mega Crit's 1 to 2 year Early Access plan.
Best guessMega Crit's Early Access FAQ on Steam says it will stay in Early Access "Until the game feels great! Last time we thought it would be about a year and it took about 1.5 years. So perhaps in the same 1 - 2 year range." We count 18 months from the Mar 5, 2026 Early Access launch, as the first game took, to the first Thursday of Sep 2027 (Mega Crit ships on Thursdays) at 10 AM Pacific, the hour of the Early Access launch. Steam

10Months6Days

Ironclad Guide

The Ironclad is Slay the Spire 2's starting character, with 80 HP and Burning Blood (heal 6 HP after each combat). Guides build him around Vulnerable, Body Slam Block, Exhaust or Strength, and agree on taking early damage and energy cards such as Bloodletting, Pommel Strike and Offering.

To play the Ironclad well in Slay the Spire 2, guides say to fix his starting deck's damage in Act 1, then build toward one of three archetypes PCGamesN names: Vulnerable, Body Slam (Block) or Exhaust (PCGamesN's Ironclad guide, Apr 8, 2026). He starts with 80 HP, the most of the five characters, and his starter relic Burning Blood heals 6 HP at the end of every combat, which is why Game Rant and TheGamer call him the easiest character. Every piece of advice below is attributed to the outlet or player who gave it; card numbers are the main branch, v0.107.1, as the game is in Early Access and still changing. His card list is on Ironclad Cards and his story on Ironclad.

Quick facts

Starting HP 80
Starting deck 5 Strike, 4 Defend, Bash (10 cards)
Starter relic Burning Blood: heal 6 HP at the end of combat
Ancient starter relic Black Blood: heal 12 HP at the end of combat (Touch of Orobas)
Ancient cards Break, Corruption
Archetypes guides name Vulnerable, Body Slam (Block), Exhaust, Strength, Demon Form
Character tier PCGamesN C (Apr 28, 2026); Pocket Tactics B (Oct 5, 2026)
Share of all runs 24%, the most played (Mega Crit, May 2026)

Sources: Spire Codex (game data, v0.107.1); Spire Codex relics; PCGamesN; Pocket Tactics; Mega Crit's May 2026 Neowsletter; read Oct 26, 2026.

Strengths and weaknesses

The Ironclad's strength is that he forgives mistakes and has fast access to energy and draw. Mobalytics' Ironclad guide (by JapaneseExport, updated Sep 7, 2026) calls him forgiving thanks to Burning Blood, with consistent game plans and "the most explosive access to energy and draw". His kit revolves around losing life (Bloodletting, Blood Wall) and exhausting cards (Burning Pact, Fiend Fire).

His weaknesses are Weak and Retain: JapaneseExport notes he has no Weak source except Uppercut and no Retain, so he struggles to block consistently. For that reason he warns that Barricade is hard to make work and that killing fast usually beats outlasting. Pocket Tactics (Oct 5, 2026) adds that few of his cards scale damage without risking HP, giving him a low ceiling that may struggle at Ascension 10.

Act 1: fix the starting deck

Act 1 is about damage, and the starter deck does not have enough. Kotaku's Lewis Parker (Mar 18, 2026) advises taking cards that help right now, such as AoE attacks and high-Block skills, rather than committing to a deck in Act 1. PC Gamer's Harvey Randall calls Act 1 "a make-or-break rush" (May 15, 2026) to cover defense, damage, draw and energy, and Austin Wood says in PC Gamer's panel (Sep 18, 2026) that Act 1 "almost feels balanced around Ironclad".

Early damage picks recur across guides. JapaneseExport lists Pommel Strike, Whirlwind (much stronger upgraded early), Breakthrough, Bludgeon ("excels especially in overgrowth"), Anger and Tremble as frontload damage, and calls Bloodletting "probably the single most important card in ironclads kit". TheGamer's Ironclad build (Mar 16, 2026) takes Taunt, Shrug It Off and Bloodletting first.

Bash is a card to replace, not to keep. JapaneseExport says Vulnerable is a 1.5x damage multiplier and suggests replacing Bash early with Uppercut or an upgraded Taunt. Kotaku prefers Taunt over Hellraiser early on, because Hellraiser needs Defends cut, extra Strikes, upgrades and a good first draw.

Acts 2 and 3: scale and finish

Act 2 is where the Ironclad needs scaling. JapaneseExport names Dominate ("the premium Strength scaling option"), Fiend Fire loops, Body Slam and Cruelty ("one of the best damage multipliers in the game") as his scaling damage, and Crimson Mantle, Colossus, Rage, Second Wind, Unmovable and Uppercut as scaling Block. He says Feel No Pain and Dark Embrace are worth taking even before any synergy.

Late in a run, some Ironclad decks become loops. JapaneseExport describes exhausting a 30-plus card deck down to a short, repeatable sequence, for example alternating Pommel Strike+ and the 0-cost Bully on 3 energy. PCGamesN says most fights with the Vulnerable deck should end in about five turns, with Dominate for longer ones.

Harvey Randall wins more Ironclad runs by going for value and energy than by the old builds. In his May 2026 column he says Demon Form "now just isn't very good" because chances to play a three-energy power are rare, and that Barricade with Body Slam and Whirlwind has become more niche.

Builds

Six Ironclad builds appear in the guides, and PCGamesN says its own three blend into one deck.

Build Key cards Relics Named by
Vulnerable Early Molten Fist, Tremble, Taunt, Dismantle, Uppercut; then Dominate, Cruelty, Colossus; upgrade Bash Red Skull, Self-Forming Clay, Paper Phrog, Ruined Helmet PCGamesN, Apr 8, 2026
Body Slam (Block) Early Shrug It Off, Body Slam, Blood Wall, Flame Barrier; then Unmovable, Crimson Mantle, Impervious Bronze Scales, Gorget, Oddly Smooth Stone, Anchor, Horn Cleat, Captain's Wheel, Parrying Shield PCGamesN, Apr 8, 2026
Exhaust Early True Grit, Burning Pact, Evil Eye, Forgotten Ritual; then Ashen Strike, Pact's End, Feel No Pain, Corruption, Dark Embrace, Fiend Fire, Second Wind Joss Paper, Charon's Ashes PCGamesN, Apr 8, 2026
Strength Brand, Inflame, Rupture, Dominate, Setup Strike, Fight Me!, Demon Form; payoffs Whirlwind, Sword Boomerang, Twin Strike, Conflagration, Thrash, Fiend Fire Vajra, Bag of Marbles, Beating Remnant, Molten Egg, Ruined Helmet, Sling of Courage TheGamer, Mar 16, 2026
Demon Form Demon Form, Twin Strike, Fight Me!, Whirlwind, Inflame Anchor, Horn Cleat, Ruined Helmet Pocket Tactics, Sep 30, 2026
Block Juggernaut, Barricade, Taunt, Body Slam, Shrug It Off Vambrace, Sai, Pael's Legion Pocket Tactics, Sep 30, 2026

The Vulnerable build is the easiest of PCGamesN's three, it says: Vulnerable raises damage taken by 50%, and the Ironclad's Paper Phrog raises that to 75%. PCGamesN calls the Body Slam build "very forgiving" and gives the Exhaust build the highest skill ceiling, advising to save Fiend Fire as a finisher. Vulnerable "replaces the old Strength build" of the first game, in PCGamesN's words, though TheGamer still builds Strength.

Key cards

These are the cards the guides above name most, with their main-branch numbers.

Card Cost Effect Upgraded Guides that rate it
Bloodletting 0 Lose 3 HP. Gain 2 Energy. Gain 3 Energy Mobalytics S; "the single most important card" (JapaneseExport)
Offering 0 Lose 6 HP. Gain 2 Energy. Draw 3 cards. Exhaust. Draw 5 PCGamesN S; Mobalytics S; Pocket Tactics best cards
Pommel Strike 1 Deal 9 damage. Draw 1 card. 10 damage, draw 2 Mobalytics S
Battle Trance 0 Draw 3 cards. You cannot draw additional cards this turn. Draw 4 PCGamesN S; Mobalytics S
Uppercut 2 Deal 13 damage. Apply 1 Weak and 1 Vulnerable. 2 Weak, 2 Vulnerable Mobalytics S
Taunt 1 Gain 7 Block. Apply 1 Vulnerable. 8 Block, 2 Vulnerable Kotaku's early pick
Dominate 1 Apply 1 Vulnerable. Gain 1 Strength per Vulnerable on the enemy. Exhaust. Apply 2 Vulnerable Mobalytics S
Cruelty 1 Vulnerable enemies take an additional 25% damage. 50% Mobalytics S
Feel No Pain 1 Whenever a card is Exhausted, gain 3 Block. 4 Block PCGamesN S
Dark Embrace 2 Whenever a card is Exhausted, draw 1 card. Cost 1 PCGamesN S; Mobalytics S
Fiend Fire 2 Exhaust your Hand. Deal 7 damage per card Exhausted. Exhaust. 10 per card Mobalytics S; Pocket Tactics best cards
Crimson Mantle 1 At the start of your turn, lose 1 HP and gain 8 Block. 10 Block Mobalytics S; Pocket Tactics best cards
Impervious 2 Gain 30 Block. Exhaust. 40 Block Mobalytics S
Demon Form 3 At the start of your turn, gain 2 Strength. 3 Strength PCGamesN S; Mobalytics C

Source: Spire Codex (game data, v0.107.1), read Oct 26, 2026; ratings from PCGamesN (Apr 8, 2026), Mobalytics' card tier list (Aug 12, 2026) and Pocket Tactics' best cards (Jun 29, 2026).

The public beta has changed several of these cards, but none of those changes is on the main branch. Mega Crit's v0.109.0 beta notes (Jul 17, 2026) raise Demon Form to 3(4) Strength, lower Taunt to 6(7) Block and make it Common, and move Bloodletting to Uncommon and Cruelty to Uncommon. The v0.108.0 beta notes (Jul 3, 2026) lower Crimson Mantle to 7(10).

The tier lists disagree sharply on the old Ironclad staples. PCGamesN puts Body Slam, Demon Form and Barricade in S tier; Mobalytics puts Body Slam and Demon Form in C and Barricade in D. Compare more on the Card Tier List.

Relics

The Ironclad has seven relics of his own on the main branch:

Relic Rarity Effect
Red Skull Common 3 extra Strength while at or below 50% HP
Paper Phrog Uncommon Vulnerable enemies take 75% more damage instead of 50%
Self-Forming Clay Uncommon 3 Block next turn whenever you lose HP
Charon's Ashes Rare 3 damage to ALL enemies whenever you Exhaust a card
Demon Tongue Rare The first HP you lose on your turn is healed
Ruined Helmet Rare The first Strength gain each combat is doubled
Brimstone Shop 2 Strength each turn; enemies gain 1 Strength

Source: Spire Codex (game data, v0.107.1), read Oct 26, 2026.

Relics often decide which build a run follows. Untapped.gg's Dillon Skiffington (Apr 2026) treats Red Skull, Vajra, Self-Forming Clay and Demon Tongue as signals toward self-damage cards such as Offering, Breakthrough, Hemokinesis and Rupture, and calls Brimstone a trap unless fights end fast. Mobalytics notes that Ruined Helmet turns Inflame's 2 Strength into 4. The full list is on Relics.

Ancient blessings

Few guides name Ancient blessings for the Ironclad in particular; these are the ones that do, or that change his starting kit. Orobas' Touch of Orobas replaces Burning Blood with Black Blood, which heals 12 HP at the end of combat, and Orobas' Archaic Tooth turns a starter card into an Ancient version; his Ancient cards are Break and Corruption. JapaneseExport points out that Corruption is Ancient-only in this game.

Game Rant's Ancients guide (Mar 11, 2026) singles out Darv's Runic Pyramid, which keeps your hand at the end of the turn, as especially valuable for Ironclad Strength or Block builds. Pocket Tactics' Block build uses Pael's Legion, which doubles the Block from a card and then sleeps for 2 turns (OP.GG, beta v0.111.0 data). At Neow, Austin Wood says Act 1 pushes picks toward explosive relics such as Silver Crucible. See Neow and the Ancients.

Bosses and fights that trouble him

The Ironclad's hard fights are the ones that punish slow damage or a lack of Weak. PC Gamer's Abigail Shannon calls Vantom the toughest Act 1 boss (Mar 13, 2026): it starts with Slippery, so each hit deals only 1 until the stacks run out, and she recommends many small hits such as Twin Strike over a few big ones. Game Rant (Mar 12, 2026) warns that the Lagavulin Matriarch drains your Strength and Dexterity while building its own Strength, which works against a Strength deck.

Act 3's Aeonglass is a damage race. PC Gamer (Jun 19, 2026) describes it "pumping Wither curses into your hand that deal damage to you", and Austin Wood calls it "markedly harder" than the other two Act 3 bosses. Since your Act 3 boss is shown on the map, Randall says every boss can be prepared for. See Bosses.

Ascension 10

At Ascension 10, guides push the Ironclad toward survival and value. Mega Crit added Not Yet (cost 2, heal 10 (13) HP, Exhaust) in beta v0.103.0 "directly aimed at improving Ironclad's survivability", and it reached the main branch with Major Update #1 on Apr 17, 2026, which said his changes aimed at "better survivability and Exhaust synergies". Pocket Tactics warns his low ceiling may struggle at that level, and Randall's advice is energy and value over set builds. The Ascension Guide covers each level.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Ironclad build in Slay the Spire 2? PCGamesN calls Vulnerable the easiest Ironclad build in Slay the Spire 2 and Exhaust the one with the highest skill ceiling, with Body Slam Block as a "very forgiving" third. TheGamer builds Strength, and Pocket Tactics lists Demon Form and Block builds.

Is the Ironclad good in Slay the Spire 2? The Ironclad is the easiest Slay the Spire 2 character for Game Rant and TheGamer, but the tier lists rate him low: C on PCGamesN's (Apr 28, 2026) and B on Pocket Tactics' (Oct 5, 2026). Both say he has a lower ceiling than the Silent or the Defect.

What are the best Ironclad cards in Slay the Spire 2? Offering, Battle Trance, Dark Embrace and Fiend Fire appear high on several Slay the Spire 2 lists, and Mobalytics' JapaneseExport calls Bloodletting "probably the single most important card" in his kit. PCGamesN and Mobalytics disagree on Body Slam, Demon Form and Barricade.

Should you remove Bash in Slay the Spire 2? Mobalytics' JapaneseExport advises replacing the Ironclad's Bash early in Slay the Spire 2 with Uppercut or an upgraded Taunt, both of which apply Vulnerable. PCGamesN's Vulnerable build instead upgrades Bash.

Is Demon Form still good in Slay the Spire 2? Opinions split on Demon Form in Slay the Spire 2: PCGamesN ranks it S tier and Pocket Tactics lists it among his best cards, while Mobalytics ranks it C and PC Gamer's Harvey Randall says it "now just isn't very good". On the main branch it gives 2 (3) Strength a turn; the public beta raised that to 3 (4) in v0.109.0.

How much HP does the Ironclad have in Slay the Spire 2? The Ironclad starts with 80 HP in Slay the Spire 2, the most of the five characters, and Burning Blood heals 6 HP after every combat. Black Blood, his Ancient relic from Touch of Orobas, heals 12.

Sources

Moments

How To Win With the Ironclad | Slay the Spire 2 Guide

Caleb Gannon Gaming

  1. To play the Ironclad well in Slay the Spire 2, guides say to fix his starting deck's damage in Act 1, then build…
  2. The Ironclad's strength is that he forgives mistakes and has fast access to energy and draw. Mobalytics' Ironclad…
  3. Early damage picks recur across guides. JapaneseExport lists Pommel Strike, Whirlwind (much stronger upgraded early)…
  4. Act 2 is where the Ironclad needs scaling. JapaneseExport names Dominate ("the premium Strength scaling option")…
  5. Late in a run, some Ironclad decks become loops. JapaneseExport describes exhausting a 30-plus card deck down to a…
  6. Six Ironclad builds appear in the guides, and PCGamesN says its own three blend into one deck.

Every Ironclad Card in Slay the Spire 2! (Tier List)

Baalorlord

  1. Bash is a card to replace, not to keep. JapaneseExport says Vulnerable is a 1.5x damage multiplier and suggests…
  2. The tier lists disagree sharply on the old Ironclad staples. PCGamesN puts Body Slam, Demon Form and Barricade in S…

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See also

Last updated Oct 26, 2026 by the Vi.ki team. Page text CC BY-SA 4.0.

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