Ashen Strike

Ashen Strike is a 1-cost Uncommon Attack card for the Ironclad that deals 6 base damage plus 3 additional damage for each card in your Exhaust Pile. In a deck that Exhausts heavily, this can easily deal 20-30 or more damage for just 1 energy, scaling throughout the fight.

Ashen Strike is the premier damage payoff for Exhaust decks. Fiend Fire, Second Wind, and Conflagration all dump large numbers of cards into the Exhaust Pile in a single turn, immediately boosting Ashen Strike's damage. Burning Pact and Stoke provide steady Exhaust pile growth while maintaining hand quality. Dark Embrace and Feel No Pain keep you alive and drawing while the Exhaust pile grows. Drum of Battle passively grows the pile each turn.

Pick Ashen Strike when your Ironclad deck is committed to the Exhaust archetype. It starts weak but becomes one of the highest damage-per-energy cards in the game as the fight progresses. Against long fights like Kaiser Crab and Doormaker, the scaling is extraordinary. It is weak in decks without Exhaust synergy, where it deals only 6 damage. Time your Exhaust cards to maximize the pile before playing Ashen Strike for the kill shot.