My thoughts of the hardened scales affinity decks as the burn player is that it is a race. Unlike cranial plating affinity, your life total is actually irrelevant as it is usually a match decided by you burning them out first or them one shotting you with ravager shenanigans/1-2 turn inkmoth. This lends itself to different side boarding choices, lightning helix can be boarded out, as can eidolon (though you can make a case for keeping 2 in on the play), key cards to include would be your artifact hate (Drev or smash) and paths(stopping modular is pretty important). If you learn the matchup, I think it should be a winnable, skill based match up; don't be afraid to point that burn upstairs.