guide Mar 30, 2026 9 min STS2.GG Editorial

Ironclad Guide: Stable Wins Through Damage, Vulnerable, and Exhaust

How Ironclad actually converts early HP advantage into winning decks, and why his best lists mix front-load, Vulnerable pressure, and selective Exhaust.

Ironclad wins by cashing in his life total

Burning Blood changes how aggressively you can route Act 1. Because you heal after combat, Ironclad can take cleaner elite lines than most characters as long as he drafts enough front-loaded damage to punish them.

Community character guides also emphasize that Ironclad no longer needs to lock himself into one archetype. Vulnerable pressure, Body Slam payoffs, and Exhaust packages all overlap surprisingly well.

Draft priorities: front-load first, engines second

Your first job is surviving Act 1 elites. Efficient attacks, Vulnerable support, and a few high-value defensive tools matter more than chasing a late-game demon-card too early.

Once the deck already beats hallway fights, you can start adding draw and Exhaust payoffs that convert dead cards into consistency.

Take early cards that solve immediate damage checks.
Do not force pure Exhaust before you have draw or payoff relics.
Use upgrades on cards that improve elite turns, not just boss fantasies.

Common mistakes with Ironclad

The most common Ironclad trap is over-drafting expensive attacks that look powerful but clog your hand on bad turns. The second is assuming healing makes block optional. The third is forcing one archetype so hard that your deck stops answering real enemies.

The best Ironclad decks stay brutally practical: enough damage to keep tempo, enough block to survive spikes, and just enough scaling to close bosses.