Contents
Intro / What does it do?
Inflame is an interesting card that can be powerful in some decks, but can also be quite weak in certain circumstances. This article will explore how good Inflame is in Slay the Spire, and whether or not it is a good card to include in your deck.
Before we continue, it is good to keep in mind that no build is perfect and you cannot get your desired build each run in Slay the Spire. Card mastery and familiarity will be the key ingredient as you Ascend.
Known as full-frontal damage dealers, the Ironclad’s Inflame is a 1-energy cost uncommon Power card that makes you gain 2 Strength. It retains the cost and gets bumped up to 3 Strength once upgraded.
That 1 Strength might not be too significant, drawing and playing it will snowball the extra damage moving forward. It is a decent-to-good pick for scaling strength that will always be valuable for each Ironclad player. Grabbing it early on can be a good idea with the right cards and build.
How good is Inflame?
It can be very good if used correctly. It can easily take down bosses or large groups of enemies. It will always be a good pick when you have multiple attack cards and AOE attack cards, due to the value it brings with the added damage.
Which cards does it work well with?
Twin Strike (Deal 5 damage twice) for single monsters, Cleave (Deal 8 damage to ALL enemies.) for mobs, and Heavy Blade (Deal 14 damage. Strength affects Heavy Blade 3 times.) with its Strength multiplier can easily dispatch almost anything during your climb. Along with the damage cards above, a High Strength build that focuses on gaining Strength through cards like Demon Form (At the start of each turn, gain 2 Strength.) and Spot Weakness (If the enemy intends to attack, gain 3 Strength.) along with Limit Break (Double your Strength. Exhaust.) will be good for Inflame.
When not to pick Inflame?
Not that it will be a totally bad pick, but if your deck focus will be on building an offensive block build or a strike build, its value may fall off as you climb.
As much as any form of Attack will benefit from the Strength gained, single-strike attacks like Pommel Strike (Deal 9 damage. Draw 1 card.) or block cards like Shrug It Off (Gain 8 Block. Draw 1 card) will not maximize Inflame’s value. You will be better off pivoting that card slot into something that would truly help your build as you climb.
When to Use Inflame?
There are a few times when you think you should use Inflame, but you should always use it when you want to deal as much damage as possible in mind.
Within the Ironclad arsenal, Inflame may not be as strong as cards like Feed (Deal 10 damage. If this kills a non-minion enemy, gain 3 permanent Max HP. Exhaust.) or Immolate (Deal 21 damage to ALL enemies. Add a Burn into your discard pile.), but it has the versatility to fit in most decks without a drastic drawback.
Which relics does it work well with?
These are some relics that work really well with Inflame:
- Vajra (At the start of each combat, gain 1 Strength)
- Girya (You can now gain Strength at Rest Sites. (3 times max)
- Shuriken (Every time you play 3 Attacks in a single turn, gain 1 Strength)
You cannot go wrong with having too much Strength when it comes to being an Ironclad. Inflame along with these relics will juice you easily for some formidable attack damage.
Which relics does it work poorly with?
These are not the best relics to have with inflame:
- Bronze Scales (Start each combat with 3 Thorns.)
Unless you have a pretty defensive build, the thought of getting damaged under any circumstance is not going to go well while you try and build Strength.
- Snecko Eye (Draw 2 additional cards each turn. Start each combat Confused.)
Card draw is nice, but the random energy costs from Sneako Eye can be your success of downfall.
- Art of War (If you do not play any Attacks during your turn, gain an extra Energy next turn.)
Not playing an attack if with all the hypothetical strength gain will not be worth the energy gain for next turn.
Conclusion: Is inflame a good card?
All in all, Inflame is a good card. It is just a matter of how good will it be, better or best? The added Strength gain may feel small in terms of damage in the beginning, but as you continue to build on it you will notice monsters drop like flies. It shines best when it is played at the beginning or along with Strength gain Relics and cards.
Compared to other Strength gain cards, it is a good card. It may be outshined by Flex (Gain 2 Strength. At the end of your turn, lose 2 Strength.) and Spot Weakness (If the enemy intends to attack, gain 3 Strength.) in certain situations, but instead of thinking of swapping out one for another, having these three will be better for the climb. Inflame will never be the trump card in your Ironclad deck. It is either you consistently build on it or with it as you progress.
Whether a newbie or a master of the Spire, you will appreciate the value, utility, and flexibility of this card whenever you have the chance to play it. Have no second thoughts in picking it up as you go through floors.