'Dead Branch' archetype for Ironclad

Archetype summary

Pull dozens of free cards out of thin air with a Dead Branch and Corruption combo.

When to pivot to 'Dead Branch' archetype

If you find Dead Branch on Ironclad, pick up Corruption at the earlier opportunity. You can pick Corruption first, but without Dead Branch it requires a different strategy (see the Corruption archetype).

Star items

power

Corruption

A+

Skills cost 0.
Whenever you play a Skill, Exhaust it.

Dead Branch

rare

Whenever you Exhaust a card, add a random card to your hand.

S+

B-

One of Ironclad's strongest decks, but hardest to force since it relies entirely on a rare relic - Dead Branch. When combined with Corruption, all skills cost 0, exhaust, AND create new cards - potentially new skills that repeat the process. This can therefore theoretically create infinite combos on any turn. This usually creates so much effective free energy and so many options that you steamroll most encounters. To maximize this deck's potential, focus on drafting draw cards and keep your deck size small; a large deck can delay drawing Corruption, unless you have Bottled Lightning to guarantee its early use. Corruption usually require you to draft a large deck of skills but this isn't the case when you have Dead Branch. It can be useful to include cards like Fiend Fire and Second Wind which can exhaust and refill your hand if the generated cards aren’t suitable (like expensive powers, or attacks that don’t exhaust). One particular flavor of this build uses Feel No Pain and Juggernaut, chipping foes to death over time - though this is usually very hard to pull off due to the rarity of the pieces required.