Choosing your character in Slay the Spire 2 is one of the most important decisions in a run. Each character starts with a different deck and unique abilities. Every one of them requires a distinct playstyle.
When you start the game for the first time, only one character is available: The Ironclad. This does not affect the experience much, since your first few runs usually focus on learning the core mechanics and strategies. In this guide, we will cover an Slay the Spire 2 Ironclad Tier List and introduce you to some of his best cards.
Table of Contents
Disclaimer: Since the game is in Early Access phase, treat this as an early overview while we continue to learn and explore its mechanics. The list will be updated over time.
Quick Guide
| Character | Ironclad (available as default) |
| Best Cards to Choose (with + version) | Feed / Demon Form / Fiend Fire / Colossus |
| Not Recommend Cards | Sentinel / Blood for Blood / Dual Wield |
Slay the Spire 2 Ironclad Tier List
The Ironclad is one of the three returning characters in STS 2. It serves as the default character once again. You must use The Ironclad in your first run since it is the only character unlocked at the start.
This is not a drawback, though. The Ironclad is a strong character that deals heavy damage with a large sword while staying alive through high durability and self-healing relics and cards.
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Ironclad Cards Tier List in Slay the Spire 2
In this section, a complete guide for Slay the Spire 2 Ironclad Tier List is provided:
| Cards Tiers | Cards of Ironclad |
|---|---|
| S Tier | Feed, Feel No Pain, Impervious, Immolate, Conflagration, Cascade, Colossus, Corruption, Fiend Fire |
| A Tier | Breakthrough, Brand, Bloodletting, Body Slam, Barricade, Battle Trance, Bludgeon, Burning Pact, Crimson Mantle, Double Tap, Entrench, Flame Barrier, Hellraiser, Inflame, Juggernaut, Limit Break, Offering, Reaper |
| B Tier | Bash, Break, Bully, Carnage, Clothesline, Combust, Dark Embrace, Disarm, Dropkick, Ghostly Armor, Havoc, Headbutt, Hemokinesis, Demon Form |
| C Tier | Anger, Armaments, Blood Wall, Cleave, Clash, Evolve, Fire Breathing, Flex, Heavy Blade, Infernal Blade, Intimidate, Iron Wave, Metallicize, Perfected Strike, Pommel Strike, Power Through, Rage, Rampage, Reckless Charge, Rupture, Seeing Red, Sever Soul, Shockwave, Spot Weakness, Sword Boomerang, Thunderclap, True Grit, Warcry, Whirlwind |
| D Tier | Blood for Blood, Dual Wield, Sentinel, Searing Blow, Second Wind, Wild Strike |
The Ironclad tier list ranks cards based on their overall power and usefulness across different builds. S-tier cards are the strongest options and provide excellent scaling.
A-tier cards are still very strong but often require some synergy or the right deck setup to reach their full potential. B-tier cards are solid and dependable choices that can fit into many builds but usually are not game-changing.
See also: Slay the Spire 2 Howl from Beyond Guide
C-tier cards tend to be more situational or useful mainly in specific strategies. D-tier cards are the least consistent. They need very specific setups to perform well compared to other options.
Overall, the Ironclad performs best with cards that scale Strength, generate large amounts of Block or deal heavy burst damage. This allows the character to dominate longer fights and elite encounters.
