Strength Build

Strength Build Overview

The Strength Build is Ironclad's most orthodox and powerful build: stack Strength with Power cards like Inflame and Demon Form to pump up every attack in the deck. As the turns go by, Strength rises, and the late game closes out with Whirlwind or Dismantle for massive AOE and single-target damage. The pieces come together reliably, and since any attack benefits from Strength buffs, your construction has enormous flexibility. The smooth turn-by-turn tempo from Act 1 onward is why this build ranks among the very best in Ironclad's kit.

Tier Rating: A

Strength scaling is Ironclad's signature strategy, and the core cards (Inflame, Demon Form) are universally strong and easy to fit in, making the build highly consistent. Combined with Whirlwind as AOE, it handles both multi-enemy and boss fights with few tough matchups, appealing to beginners and veterans alike. However, in the current meta, burst potential lags behind HP Cost Build and Exude Build - without Limit Break-style Strength doubling or a self-running engine, the ceiling is simply lower. Consistency is top-tier and it is the best first build for newcomers, but raw burst shortfalls keep it at A rank.

Key Cards (essential)

• Inflame: A 1-cost Power that permanently grants 2 Strength (3 upgraded). The foundational Strength card. Running multiple copies gets you 4-6 Strength early.
• Demon Form: A long-term scaling Power that adds 2 Strength (3 upgraded) every turn. If deployed early, every attack late in the fight rides on 20+ Strength.
• Whirlwind: An X-cost finisher dealing 5 damage x X hits (8 x X upgraded) to all enemies. With Strength stacked and extra Energy from Bonfire and Bloodletting pumped into X, one turn of Whirlwind can wipe the field.
• Bonfire: A Power that grants 1-2 Energy at the start of each turn. Pushes Whirlwind's X every turn and makes Demon Form and other high-cost cards easier to play - an essential Energy source.

Candidate Cards

• Bloodletting: A 0-cost Skill that spends 3 HP for 2-3 Energy. Combined with Whirlwind, it spikes X significantly.
• Offering: A burst card that spends 6 HP for 2 Energy and 5 draw. Starts the burst turn by digging to Whirlwind and immediately funding the play.
• Setup Strike: An attack that grants 2-3 Strength this turn. Pre-Whirlwind, it adds another Strength layer on every hit.
• Rupture: A Power that grants Strength on HP loss. Combine with Offering and Bloodletting to gain 6-12 Strength in a single turn - the star of the burst combo.
• Dismantle: An attack that hits twice against enemies with Weak. Two hits at high Strength is devastating damage.
• Bash: The attack that applies Weak, setting up Dismantle follow-ups.
• Challenge Me (Battle Taunt): An attack that also grants 3 Strength (4 upgraded). v0.103.0 buffed the Strength amount - combined with Inflame and Demon Form, it stacks Strength fast.
• Reckless Charge: v0.103.0 reduced its cost from 2 to 1 and buffed damage to 20 (30 upgraded). Despite adding two Wounds to your discard pile, the combination of big damage and Block at 1 cost meaningfully shores up Strength Build's defensive gaps.

Recommended Relics

• Akabeko (or Strength-doubling Relic): Your first Strength gain per combat is doubled. Inflame's 3 Strength becomes 6 on the opening trigger - peak synergy with this build's cornerstone card, an Ironclad-exclusive-class effect.
• Pocketwatch (or Weak-damage Relic): Damage dealt to Weak enemies rises from 50% to 70% bonus. Bash - Dismantle lands a 2-hit combo under the boost, and at high Strength the output gap exceeds 100 damage per combo.
• Vajra: Gain 1 Strength at the start of combat. Permanent +1 on every opening hand Strength - boosts early damage before Inflame and Demon Form arrive, and continues to add to every attack later.
• Mummified Hand: Every time you play a Power, a random card in hand costs 0 this turn. With many Powers (Inflame, Demon Form, Bonfire), Power-deployment turns often include free attacks or Skills, easing the deployment cost.
• Red Skull: At 50% HP or below, gain 3 extra Strength. When Bloodletting or Offering drops your HP, Strength auto-increases on top of Inflame and Demon Form, accelerating scaling further.
• Burning Blood (starting Relic): Heal 6 HP after combat. Refunds Bloodletting and Offering's HP costs every fight, keeping long runs sustainable.

How to Play

Act 1

Early on, prioritize picking up either Inflame or Demon Form. Inflame's immediate Strength raises early-fight survival, while Demon Form guarantees long-term scaling. Picking up Bonfire in Act 1 too generates early synergy with Whirlwind and gives you a big edge. Do not remove starter Strikes and Defends at this stage - they double as fodder for Primal Power conversion later. For the Act 1 boss (Black Star etc.), deploy Inflame over multiple turns, then close with a high-Strength Whirlwind or heavy attack.

Act 2

In Act 2, once Demon Form is online you are in permanent Strength accumulation. Grab Offering and Bloodletting here and practice the Whirlwind burst combo. Break Elites' HP quickly with a high-Strength Whirlwind. With multiple Bonfires, per-turn Energy reaches 4-5 and Whirlwind's single-turn damage explodes. Make active use of the Dismantle + Bash combo for big Weak-boosted 2-hit damage. Once Rupture is acquired, cycle Offering - Rupture + Bloodletting - Whirlwind.

Act 3

In Act 3 the deck nears completion, and Demon Form's per-turn Strength lets you melt even bosses in a few turns. For boss fights, hold Whirlwind with Demon Form on the field, build Energy with Offering or Bloodletting, then dump maximum X into Whirlwind. If defense feels thin, add Shrug It Off or Crimson Garb in Act 2-3 to stabilize HP. For the final boss (Heart, etc.), the extended fight magnifies Demon Form's compound scaling to its peak, and late-game single Whirlwinds can exceed hundreds of damage.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

• Strength buffs every attack, so any attack card works and deck construction is flexible
• Scaling is extremely strong, with damage that unilaterally increases as the fight drags on
• Whirlwind handles both single-target and AOE, offering great versatility
• Inflame alone gives immediate impact from Act 1, delivering strong early-game consistency

Weaknesses

• Damage can feel underwhelming until Demon Form and other Powers are online
• When leaning on HP costs (Bloodletting, Offering), miscalculated HP management can result in death with no Block
• Enemies with Strength-reduction debuffs or infinite Block regen become harder to handle
• Compared to HP Cost Build and Exude Build, the burst ceiling is lower