Self Forming Clay

Introduction

This happens to be a favorite of mine.  When combined well with cards or relics that do HP damage to you, it can provide a massive amount of block accumulation.

Notes

• Anything that causes the HP loss provides 3 block for NEXT round.
• Dexterity or bonuses to Block do not apply to this value.
• Self inflicted, e.g., your own cards hurt you, damage is the most controllable way to get a huge pile of block when you need it.

Card Synergy

• The Regret curse does HP damage equal to the cards in the hand at the end of the turn, providing an easy means to gain block.  Its a single HP loss, however, regardless of the card count, so it only provides 3 Block by itself.
• Brutality [Iron Clad] or Combust [Iron Clad] both cause 1 HP damage.  In combination with the relic, it would also generate 3 Block.  Keep in mind, if you have Combust stacked, it will 2, 3, 4, etc., amounts of damage equal to the times you have stacked this.  It only, however, provides the 3 Block for the total HP damage.
• Combined with the Blood for Blood card, it can rapidly drive this cost down to zero energy while providing 3 Block each time HP is lost.
• If combined with Barricade and a card like Combust that creates low level HP loss, it will provide a steady stream of Block that will not decay.
• The Offering card inflicts HP loss and trigger the effect as well.
• The J.A.X. card is a repeatable, non-exhausting card that inflicts 3 HP damage in return for 2 STR.  That also means it provides 3 Block when combined with this relic.
• The Burn card inflict 2 HP damage at the end of your turn, triggering the 3 Block effect.
• Hemokinesis card inflicts HP damage and triggers the relic.

Relic Synergy

• Runic Cube is a good match up, as it puts more cards in your hand as you take damage and stack Block.  
• Torii reduces 5 HP or less Attack damage to 1 HP.  This can greatly enable the strategy to take damage one turn to build block while minimizing the HP impact at the same time.
• Calipers relic can only reduces your accumulated Block by 15 each turn, versus losing it all.  This can help you maintain more Block across turns, especially when combined with an effect that ignores block to do HP loss.

Strategies

• Any effect that causes damage, especially those that only cause 1 HP damage can provide a high volume of continuous Block.  Combust is an excellent card to use.
• Pain Curse card with high energy can be leveraged to create a lot of Block quickly, since each card played will cause 1 HP damage and generate 3 Block accordingly.
• Can be combined with the Runic Cube to generate 1 extra card per HP loss.
• Can be massively effective against opponents who perform #x# of attacks.
• The Rupture [Iron Clad] card provides 1 STR whenever you lose HP.  Combined with another card that provides HP loss, you would gain STR and Block each time.
• The Act 4 Corrupt Heart can use the Beat of Death to inflict HP damage every time you play a card, triggering the relic.  You can use this to build up Block to balance its Blood Shot & Echo attacks, which can do 20, 40, 60 or more damage as the turns progress.  Combined with a healing strategy to regain HP, you can use this to your advantage.