Clash Royale relies on three types of cards — troops, spells, and buildings — which players can use to both defend and attack the enemy’s King’s Tower. Because Clash Royale relies so heavily on creating the best unit stack possible to protect your towers on the battlefield, it’s important to know which cards should constantly be in rotation during battle. From the Giant to The Log, here are the top Clash Royale cards available for any deck.
Related: The 10 best Clash Royale decks for Spell Valley
Best Troops in Clash Royale
Giant
By far, the Giant is the foundation behind every push to the King’s Tower. Tanky and powerful, this card simultaneously deals heavy damage while sustaining a large amount of incoming fire. After all, he’s the troop with the second-highest health in the entire game. Stack your Giant with other troops to either defend him, wipe out weak foes, or further increase your DPS while landing that final blow against the King’s Tower.
Hog Rider
Easily available from the very first Arena and onward, Hog Rider excels in battle against enemy towers. Just keep in mind that he’ll only attack buildings, meaning that he’s primarily an offensive troop—and utterly defenseless without some support. So, if you’re going to deploy a Hog Rider against your enemies, bring in some backup too to build an unbreakable offensive duo.
Ice Wizard
Costing only three Elixir, the Ice Wizard can stall an incoming offensive with his attacks, letting the player mop up incoming attackers with more powerful units. The Ice Wizard does just enough damage to kill cheaper units too, like Skeletons. Cheap, reliable, and great for counter-pushes, keep the Ice Wizard around in your deck, and he’ll cause endless grief to your opponents.
Miner
The Miner stands out compared to other troops because he can be placed anywhere in an Arena, making him great for catching your opponent by surprise. Use him to flank an enemy offensive, serve as a tank in a pinch, or wear down your opponent’s Princess Towers while they’re distracted with an offensive push of their own. Use the Miner strategically, and he can prove to be a card worth keeping in your deck.
Minion Horde
Clash Royale’s Minion Horde is an all-around upgrade to its Common sister, the Minion card. In exchange for five Elixirs, this card spawns six Minions, who can fly around the battlefield and deal damage against an enemy’s offensive tanks. While the Minion Horde is a little bit more expensive than other similar swarms, Minion Hordes do an excellent job wearing down enemy advances, protecting Giants, and helping with that final push for the King’s Tower.
Skeleton Army
Unlike other troops, the Skeleton Army provides a low-cost mob that can quickly wear down enemies, especially tanks and other offensive-based cards. While the Skeleton Army is particularly weak against Arrows, Princess Towers, and the King’s Tower, it still works well in an offensive push. Try using it to round out a tower push by dealing significant damage to cheap defensive units and protecting some of the heavy hitters leading the charge.
Best Spells in Clash Royale
Arrows
Yes, Arrows may be somewhat common, but they’re incredibly useful nonetheless. In a pinch, this spell can wipe out your enemy’s cheaper swarms, like incoming Minions or Skeletons. While you’ll mostly want to use this card to protect your towers or offensive attack, it can even be used to chip away at towers, landing that killing blow when an enemy’s King’s Tower is at its last breath.
Fireball
If Arrows are good at sweeping away weaker enemies, then the Fireball is its tower equivalent. Touting a small area of effect, this spell deals significant damage against both tankier enemies and enemy structures. It’s perfect against a swarm of enemies with higher health, too, such as a Giant with a Knight. Use the Fireball in conjunction with incoming attacks to chip away at both Princess Towers and the King’s Tower, leading to a swifter victory on the Arena.
The Log
Praised as one of the most powerful spells available in Clash Royale, The Log rolls on the ground, knocks back incoming enemies, and damages any enemies in its path. This card only costs two Elixir to use, making it an incredibly cheap way to repeatedly push back an incoming offense, buy some time to build a counter-push, or simply damage an incoming Giant or Goblins. Of course, The Log can’t deal damage to air troops, meaning you’ll want to use it wisely on the battlefield.
Zap
Like some of the other top spells in Clash Royale, Zap is an area of effect card that can be used to stun enemies and deal damage to bigger targets. This means it can simultaneously shut down incoming swarms while holding back bigger troops, giving players a spare second or two to counter an attack.
Best Buildings in Clash Royale
Elixir Collector
The Elixir Collector is a generator that provides extra Elixir in exchange for spending six to deploy it. For players that love spawning enormous armies on the fly, the Elixir Collector is a strong pick, especially for Skeleton Armies and Minion Hordes. Bear in mind though that the Elixir Collector has low HP and is better used in a support role when the enemy isn’t on its way to your King’s Tower. Otherwise, your opponent can easily shut down your Elixir boost on the way to their victory.
Tesla
Costing only four Elixir, the Tesla can kill Minions, Goblins, and other swarm-intensive troops in just one hit, and it can deal some sizable damage against units with higher health as well. Plus, when it’s done attacking, the Tesla hides underground and protects itself from ranged spells. While powerful against an incoming attack against your Princess Towers or King’s Tower, just remember to use the Tesla alongside a larger defensive army to keep enemies from quickly knocking it down.
Tombstone
Generally speaking, higher-level Clash Royale players tend to avoid troop-spawning buildings, but the Tombstone stands out thanks to its Skeleton production rate. Like the Skeleton Army, the Tombstone’s Skeletons can target offensive units and slow down an incoming assault, giving a boost to players’ defenses during tight situations. The Tombstone only costs three Elixirs and can spawn 18 Skeletons, including four upon its demise, meaning the Tombstone gives players a steady income of Skeletons as long as they’re fine collecting the units one at a time.
