Ironclad usually wins by turning health and cards into tempo. He can take hits better than most characters, but only when those hits buy a faster kill or a stronger engine.
Start with damage
Ironclad wants early attacks so hallway fights do not drag. Once damage is stable, add block and a scaling plan rather than taking every attack reward.
Exhaust is a feature
Exhaust can remove weak cards during combat and make later draws cleaner. Treat it as deck control, not as a downside by default.
Strength needs hit count
Strength is strongest when paired with multi-hit or repeatable attacks. If your deck mostly plays one large hit per turn, strength scaling is slower.