Burning Blood

Burning Blood is the Ironclad's starting relic, obtained at the beginning of every run. At the end of each combat, it heals 6 HP, making it one of the most reliable sources of sustain in the game. Because it triggers after every fight — not just elites and bosses — it accumulates a substantial amount of healing over the course of a run, often negating the chip damage taken during normal encounters.

Burning Blood strongly rewards an aggressive, high-damage playstyle. The faster you end combats, the less damage you take, and the relic then tops you back up afterward. It synergizes well with the Ironclad's many exhaust and self-damage mechanics because even when you pay HP costs, the post-combat heal partially offsets them. The relic becomes comparatively weaker if you find yourself taking large amounts of damage in drawn-out fights, since 6 HP may not fully recover what was lost. It is replaced by Black Blood upon defeating the first boss.