The strongest cr cards are the ones that survive every balance patch: Archer Queen, Golden Knight, Hog Rider, Miner, The Log, Fireball, Skeletons and Ice Spirit sit at the top because they do more per elixir than anything else in the game. This ranking sorts every Clash Royale card, plus the tower troops, into tiers based on how often they win, how many decks they fit and how much they cost to run. You get the full list, the reasoning behind each placement and a plan for which cards to upgrade first.
How this ranking works
Tier lists for cards in Clash Royale usually fail for one reason. They rank cards by raw stats or by how fun they are to play, and neither predicts wins.
This list uses four tests, in order of weight:
- Elixir efficiency. Does the card trade positively against what it is meant to stop? Skeletons cost 1 and routinely stop a 5-elixir Prince. That is the standard.
- Deck flexibility. How many archetypes want the card? Fireball fits beatdown, control, cycle and bait. Three Musketeers fits one deck.
- Counter count. How many cheap answers exist? Cards with few counters, such as Archer Queen, rise. Cards every deck counters by accident, such as Minion Horde, fall.
- Ladder reality. Mega Knight is far better in Arena 10 than in top 1,000 ladder. Where a card splits, the entry says so.
Tiers are relative to the current rarity and level system. Supercell has balanced the game monthly for years, so treat exact positions as a snapshot. The gaps between S, A and B are real. The gaps inside a tier are small.
Card basics you need before reading the tiers
Clash Royale card types break down into troops, spells, buildings and, since December 2023, tower troops. Each card has a rarity: Common, Rare, Epic, Legendary and Champion. Rarity affects how fast you can level a card, not how good it is. Knight is a Common and belongs in more decks than most Legendaries.
Every card costs elixir, from 1 (Skeletons, Ice Spirit, Electro Spirit, Heal Spirit, Fire Spirit) up to 9 (Three Musketeers). You regenerate elixir at a fixed rate, doubled in the last minute and tripled in overtime. The whole game is deciding how to spend that bar better than your opponent.
Cards level from 1 to 15. Champions start at level 11 and still climb to 15. Level gaps matter: a card one level higher than its counter often changes which unit survives an interaction. This is why tier placement assumes equal levels.
Card Evolutions, added in 2023, give selected cards a stronger form after they cycle a set number of times. An evolution can lift a card a full tier, so the evolution section below is part of the ranking, not an add-on.
S tier: the best cr cards in the game
These cards show up in winning decks season after season. If you are deciding what to level, start here.
Archer Queen (5 elixir, Champion)
The Queen is a ranged DPS unit with an ability that turns her invisible and boosts her attack speed. She kills Minions, shreds a Giant and survives Fireball at equal level. Her only real weaknesses are Lightning and Rocket, and spending 6 elixir to answer a 5-elixir card is a bad trade for your opponent if she has already done work. She slots into Hog, Mortar, Royal Giant and Graveyard decks without changing their plan.
Golden Knight (4 elixir, Champion)
A mid-cost melee troop with a dash that chains through up to ten small units. He clears Skeleton Army, Goblin Gang and Bats in one ability, then keeps walking. In Hog Cycle and Wall Breaker decks he replaces Knight at the cost of one extra elixir and gives you an offensive tool you cannot get elsewhere. Zap and Log do not stop the dash, which is why bait decks dislike him.
Hog Rider (4 elixir, Rare)
The most reliable win condition in the game. Hog targets buildings, jumps the river and reaches the tower in a few seconds. Four elixir means you can pressure every time your opponent overcommits. Cannon and Tesla counter him, but a well-timed Earthquake, Fireball or Ice Spirit freeze turns a full counter into a 300-damage connection. Hog has been meta-relevant since 2016, which no other win condition can claim.
Miner (3 elixir, Legendary)
Miner goes anywhere on the map and arrives in about two seconds. He is a win condition, a tank for Wall Breakers or Balloon, a Princess killer and a tower chip tool. In Miner Poison and Miner Wall Breakers he carries the deck. Three elixir for a card with that many jobs is why he never leaves the top tier.
The Log (2 elixir, Legendary)
Log kills Skeletons, Goblins, Spear Goblins, Princess and Dart Goblin, knocks back everything on the ground and chips the tower. It cannot hit air, which is the only reason Zap still exists. Two elixir for a rolling ground clear with knockback is the best spell value in the game.
Fireball (4 elixir, Rare)
Fireball kills Electro Wizard at equal level, kills Musketeer and Wizard when it is one level higher, pushes back Hog and Royal Hogs, and finishes low towers. Every archetype runs a medium spell and Fireball is the default because Poison needs the target to stay put and Lightning costs 6. If you only level one spell, this is it.
Skeletons (1 elixir, Common)
Three skeletons for one elixir. They distract a Prince, Mini PEKKA or Mega Knight long enough for your tower to deal damage, they cycle your deck and they tank a Sparky shot. The Evolved Skeletons spawn more skeletons every time one dies, which is why bait decks fear it. Learning to place Skeletons correctly is worth more than most card upgrades.
Ice Spirit (1 elixir, Common)
Ice Spirit freezes everything in a small radius for a moment and deals splash. It stops a Hog for one extra tower shot, resets an Inferno Dragon charge and clears low-health swarms. In 2.6 Hog Cycle it has been a permanent slot for years. The Evolved Ice Spirit freezes longer and comes back once, which is close to a free second card.
Firecracker (3 elixir, Common)
A ranged splash unit that jumps back after each shot. Her Evolution adds sparks that linger and burn units walking through. Even the base form clears Bats, Minions and Goblin Gang from across the arena and chips a tank. She dies to Log, Arrows and Barbarian Barrel, but she forces a spell every time, which is the whole point of a bait card.
Phoenix (4 elixir, Legendary)
Phoenix is a flying melee unit that drops an egg on death. If you do not kill the egg fast, it rebirths with full health. Against beatdown decks it is a defensive wall that then becomes a counter-push. Against cycle decks it absorbs a spell and comes back. Few 4-elixir cards generate this many awkward decisions for an opponent.
Mighty Miner (4 elixir, Champion)
A ground unit whose damage ramps up the longer it stays on a target, with an ability that tunnels to the opposite lane and drops a bomb. He kills a Golem on defense and then threatens the other tower. His ramp-up punishes slow tanks and his ability punishes split pushes. He is the best defensive Champion in the game.
Analyst note
2.6 Hog Cycle averages exactly 2.625 elixir: Hog Rider, Ice Golem, Skeletons, Ice Spirit, Cannon, Musketeer, Fireball, The Log. Four of its eight cards are in S tier here, and the deck has been playable at the top of ladder for more than seven years. Cheap, flexible cards age better than big ones.
A tier: strong cards that define archetypes
A-tier cards win games and anchor decks. They sit below S tier because they have more counters, fit fewer decks or need a specific support cast.
Win conditions
- Royal Giant (6 elixir, Common). Long-range building targeter. Hard to stop once it locks on. The Evolved Royal Giant pushes back nearby units with each shot, which makes it one of the best evolutions available. Without evolution it is A; with it, S.
- Mortar (4 elixir, Common). A siege building that out-ranges towers. World champion Mohamed Light built his reputation on Mortar cycle. It needs skill, but a Mortar lock is hard to break without a tank.
- Balloon (5 elixir, Epic). Flying building targeter with a death bomb. One connection is a tower, two is a win. Lava Loon, Lumber Loon and Miner Loon all exist because Balloon pressure is so hard to ignore.
- Lava Hound (7 elixir, Legendary). Slow air tank that splits into Lava Pups. The pups do the damage. Lava Hound forces your opponent to carry two air answers or lose.
- Goblin Drill (4 elixir, Epic). Burrows anywhere and spawns Goblins at the tower. It punishes decks without a reliable spell and chips relentlessly. Nerfs have pulled it out of S, but it still carries drill decks.
- Graveyard (5 elixir, Legendary). Spawns Skeletons over time on the tower. Paired with Poison or a tank it forces a response every time. Weak only when your opponent has Valkyrie, Bowler or Baby Dragon in hand.
- Wall Breakers (2 elixir, Epic). Two bombers that sprint at buildings. Two elixir for a tower hit if they connect. Evolved Wall Breakers deal area damage on death, which makes them an answer to swarms as well as a threat.
- Ram Rider (5 elixir, Legendary). A Battle Ram that also snares a troop with a bola. The rider stops Hog, Royal Hogs and support troops in place. She is a win condition and a defensive card in one slot.
- Royal Hogs (5 elixir, Rare). Four building-targeting hogs you can split across both lanes. They punish Fireball-less decks and pair well with Earthquake.
- X-Bow (6 elixir, Epic). The other siege building. Stronger than Mortar when it locks, far more punishing when it does not. Expert-only.
- Golem (8 elixir, Epic). The biggest tank in the game, with death damage and two Golemites. Golem Night Witch and Golem Lightning are perennial ladder decks because few players defend 8 elixir of tank correctly.
Spells
- Zap (2 elixir, Common). Resets Inferno Dragon, Inferno Tower and Sparky, kills Skeletons and Bats, stuns for a moment. Not as strong as Log on ground, but it hits air.
- Arrows (3 elixir, Common). Kills Minions, Minion Horde, Goblin Gang and Firecracker in one cast. The best counter to bait.
- Poison (4 elixir, Epic). Area damage over time plus a slow. The best spell against Graveyard, Goblin Hut and spawner decks. Needs the target to stand still, which is why Fireball ranks above it.
- Tornado (3 elixir, Epic). Pulls troops to a point. Pulls Hog into the King Tower to activate it, groups swarms for Baby Dragon, pulls Balloon away from the tower. Low damage, high skill, huge upside.
- Lightning (6 elixir, Epic). Hits the three highest-health units in range and stuns. Kills Archer Queen, Electro Wizard and Musketeer, and resets Inferno Dragon. Expensive, which keeps it out of cycle decks.
- Earthquake (3 elixir, Rare). Damage over time that hits buildings hardest and slows troops. Kills Cannon and Tesla, which makes Hog and Royal Hogs connect. Cannot hit air.
- Barbarian Barrel (2 elixir, Epic). A rolling barrel that spawns a Barbarian. It clears Skeletons and Goblins like Log and leaves a troop behind. Weaker knockback than Log, more defensive value.
- Rocket (6 elixir, Rare). The highest single-target spell damage. Kills Sparky, Three Musketeers and Elixir Collector. In Rocket cycle decks it finishes games. Too expensive for most lists.
- Void (3 elixir, Epic). A newer spell that deals more damage the fewer units it hits. Strong against single Champions and support troops, weak against swarms. It has found homes in control decks.
Defensive buildings
- Cannon (3 elixir, Common). The cheapest building that fully stops Hog. The Evolved Cannon fires bouncing shots that chain through troops. Cycle decks run it for a reason.
- Tesla (4 elixir, Common). Hides underground when idle, which makes it immune to spells while hidden. It hits air and ground and stops Hog, Balloon and Royal Hogs. Evolved Tesla deals electric damage when it surfaces.
- Inferno Tower (5 elixir, Rare). Ramping damage melts Golem, Giant, Electro Giant and PEKKA. Zap, Electro Wizard and Lightning reset it, which is why beatdown decks carry those.
- Bomb Tower (4 elixir, Rare). Splash damage and a death bomb. The best building against Royal Hogs, Goblin Gang and Wall Breakers. Does not hit air.
- Goblin Cage (4 elixir, Rare). A building that spawns a Goblin Brawler when destroyed. It distracts Hog, then the Brawler kills Skeletons or Spear Goblins on the counter-push. Evolved Goblin Cage spawns a stronger Brawler earlier.
Troops
- Musketeer (4 elixir, Rare). Ranged, single target, hits air. She is the generic ranged support that every deck can use. Evolved Musketeer fires a sniper shot with extra range and damage.
- Knight (3 elixir, Common). The best mini-tank per elixir. Tanks Prince hits, kills Musketeer and survives Fireball. Evolved Knight takes reduced damage while moving.
- Valkyrie (4 elixir, Rare). Ground splash with high health. Kills Goblin Gang, Skeleton Army and Graveyard Skeletons. Evolved Valkyrie spins a tornado that pulls units in.
- Electro Wizard (4 elixir, Legendary). Stuns two targets, spawn-zaps on arrival, resets Inferno Dragon and Sparky. Weaker since Zap-on-spawn nerfs, still a top support.
- Bandit (3 elixir, Legendary). Dashes and is invulnerable during the dash. Kills Musketeer, Wizard and Dart Goblin if you dash correctly. A core PEKKA Bridge Spam card.
- Mega Minion (3 elixir, Rare). Air unit with high damage per hit. Kills Baby Dragon and Balloon and survives Arrows. Boring and effective.
- Baby Dragon (4 elixir, Epic). Air splash that survives Fireball. The standard anti-swarm support in Golem, Graveyard and Lava Hound decks.
- Ice Golem (2 elixir, Rare). Two elixir of tank with a death slow. Kites Mega Knight, Prince and Elite Barbarians into the other lane. The Evolved Ice Golem freezes on death.
- Dart Goblin (3 elixir, Rare). Long range, fast attack. Chips tanks from safety and punishes Fireball-less decks. The Evolved Dart Goblin fires poison darts.
- Goblin Gang (3 elixir, Common). Three Goblins and three Spear Goblins. The core bait card. Dies to Log, Arrows and Barbarian Barrel, which is the point.
- Bats (2 elixir, Common). Five fast air units. Kills Musketeer if it reaches her and shreds Balloon on defense. Evolved Bats heal when they hit.
- Spear Goblins (2 elixir, Common). Cheap air-targeting ranged unit. Mostly a cycle card that also chips. Good in bait, filler elsewhere.
- Goblins (2 elixir, Common). High DPS for the cost. Evolved Goblins get faster and leave a decoy, which pushed the card from B into A.
- Royal Ghost (3 elixir, Legendary). Invisible until it attacks. Kills Skeletons and Goblins and tanks for a Miner push. Strong in Bridge Spam and Graveyard.
- Lumberjack (4 elixir, Legendary). Fast melee with a Rage on death. Lumber Loon exists because a raged Balloon reaches the tower before most players react.
- Night Witch (4 elixir, Legendary). Spawns Bats and hits hard. Golem Night Witch stays relevant because her Bats shred any defender that locks on the Golem.
- Magic Archer (4 elixir, Legendary). Piercing shots that hit the tower from the river if placed well. High skill, high ceiling.
- Hunter (4 elixir, Epic). Shotgun with close-range burst. Kills Balloon, Lava Hound, PEKKA and Mega Knight when placed in their path. Weak at range, which Evolved Hunter partly fixes with a wider spread.
- Inferno Dragon (4 elixir, Legendary). A flying Inferno Tower. Melts Golem, Electro Giant and Mega Knight. Zap and Electro Wizard reset it, which is why its placement matters.
- Electro Dragon (5 elixir, Epic). Chain lightning that hits three targets and stuns. Counters Sparky, Inferno Dragon and swarms. Evolved Electro Dragon chains more targets.
- Fisherman (3 elixir, Legendary). Hooks a troop toward him. Pulls Hog away from the tower, pulls support troops into your King Tower activation, pulls Balloon off its path. One of the highest-skill defensive cards.
- Giant Skeleton (6 elixir, Epic). Tanks and drops a bomb on death that nearly deletes a tower if it reaches it. Evolved Giant Skeleton drops bombs while walking. It swings between B and A depending on the patch.
- PEKKA (7 elixir, Epic). The single-target melee king. Kills Golem, Mega Knight and Giant on defense, then counter-pushes. Weak to swarms and Inferno Tower.
- Mega Knight (7 elixir, Legendary). Jumps in with splash damage, keeps jumping. Below 6,000 trophies it is close to S tier because players do not kite it. At the top, Ice Golem kiting and Inferno Dragon make it a liability.
- Skeleton King (4 elixir, Champion). A ground tank that collects souls and summons a Skeleton swarm. Strong against bait, strong as a tank for Graveyard. Falls to air-heavy decks.
- Monk (5 elixir, Champion). His ability reflects projectiles and reduces damage. He stops Sparky, Rocket on a push and Magic Archer chip. Expensive and situational, which keeps him in A.
- Little Prince (3 elixir, Champion). Ranged unit with an ability that spawns a Guardian with a knockback. He was the best card in the game on release, took repeated nerfs, and settled into A tier.
- Goblinstein (5 elixir, Champion). A Monster and a Doctor in one card. The ability chains lightning between them. Strong on defense against medium pushes, awkward when split.
- Electro Spirit (1 elixir, Common). Chains a stun through up to nine targets. Resets Inferno Dragon and Sparky for one elixir. Ties with Ice Spirit as the best cycle card.
B tier: playable, deck-dependent
B-tier cards work in the right deck and nowhere else. If a B card is already high level on your account, keep playing it. Do not spend gold to get one here from scratch.
| Card | Cost | Why it is B |
|---|---|---|
| Giant | 5 | Solid tank, but Royal Giant and Golem do the job better |
| Electro Giant | 7 | Punishes melee defenders, folds to Inferno Tower and ranged units |
| Sparky | 6 | One-shots most things, resets to Zap, Electro Spirit and Electro Wizard |
| Goblin Giant | 6 | Tank with Spear Goblins on his back; Evolution makes him A in Sparky decks |
| Prince | 5 | Charge damage is big, but Skeletons stop him every time |
| Dark Prince | 4 | Shield and splash; fine in Bridge Spam, filler elsewhere |
| Battle Ram | 4 | Two Barbarians plus a charge; Evolution helps, still Skeleton-bait |
| Mini PEKKA | 4 | Big hits, no splash, no air; outclassed by PEKKA and Golden Knight |
| Wizard | 5 | Air and ground splash, dies to Fireball; Evolution gives a shield |
| Witch | 5 | Spawns Skeletons; Evolved Witch spawns more, still dies to Fireball |
| Executioner | 5 | Boomerang axe hits air; slow attack speed |
| Bowler | 5 | Knockback bowling ball stalls pushes; no air |
| Bomber | 2 | Cheap ground splash; Evolution adds a bouncing bomb that makes it A in bait |
| Skeleton Army | 3 | Fifteen Skeletons; dies to every spell in the game |
| Guards | 3 | Shielded Skeletons that survive Zap and Log; niche |
| Goblin Barrel | 3 | Classic bait win condition; Evolution adds a decoy barrel |
| Skeleton Barrel | 3 | Air balloon that drops Skeletons; mostly a bait card |
| Minions | 3 | Three air units; fine, dies to Arrows |
| Tombstone | 3 | Spawns Skeletons, distracts Hog; Bomb Tower and Cannon are better |
| Fire Spirit | 1 | Single spirit with a fire burst; the 2021 rework made it a worse Ice Spirit |
| Heal Spirit | 1 | Heals on contact; only in Royal Hogs and Three Musketeer decks |
| Giant Snowball | 2 | Knockback plus slow; a Log substitute for decks that need an air hit |
| Ice Wizard | 3 | Slows and chips; outclassed by Firecracker and Dart Goblin |
| Princess | 3 | Long-range splash; dies to Log, which every deck runs |
| Mother Witch | 4 | Turns dead units into Hogs; strong against swarm decks only |
| Freeze | 4 | Wins games with Balloon or Graveyard, dead weight elsewhere |
| Elixir Golem | 3 | Cheap tank that gives your opponent elixir; only works in Battle Healer decks |
| Cannon Cart | 5 | Mobile Cannon; awkward in every deck |
| Flying Machine | 4 | Air Musketeer with less health; occasionally meta |
| Zappies | 4 | Three stunning carts; strong against Sparky, weak otherwise |
| Rascals | 5 | Shielded boy plus two girls; falls to Fireball and Valkyrie |
| Royal Recruits | 7 | Six shielded recruits across both lanes; Evolution lets them charge |
| Furnace | 4 | Fire Spirit spawner after the rework; niche chip tool |
| Goblin Hut | 6 | Spawner that dies to Poison; Goblin Drill does the job for less |
| Three Musketeers | 9 | Overwhelming when split correctly; one Fireball or Rocket ends it |
| Mirror | ? | Repeats your last card for one more elixir; only in specific bait and Golem lists |
| Rage | 2 | Speeds up a push; strong only with Balloon, Golem or Elite Barbarians |
| Clone | 3 | Doubles a push with 1-health copies; Lava Hound and Golem gimmick |
| Barbarians | 5 | Five swordsmen; Evolved Barbarians rage when hit, which pushes them to A |
| Elite Barbarians | 6 | Ladder bully below 5,000 trophies, kited to death above it |
C and D tier: avoid unless the deck demands it
These cards have specific jobs and lose value fast outside them.
- Elixir Collector (6 elixir, Rare). Pays back more elixir than it costs if it survives. Rocket, Earthquake and Miner punish it hard, and modern decks apply so much early pressure that you rarely get the full return. It belongs in Three Musketeers and some Golem lists and nowhere else.
- Barbarian Hut (7 elixir, Rare). Seven elixir for a slow spawner. Poison and Fireball ruin it. Even after reworks it stays out of competitive play.
- Minion Horde (5 elixir, Common). Six Minions. It shreds anything if ignored. Arrows, Fireball, Wizard, Firecracker and Baby Dragon all clear it for a positive trade, and every deck has at least one of those.
- Goblin Demolisher (4 elixir, Rare). A 2024 card with a self-destruct explosion. It has flickered into the meta after buffs, then faded after nerfs. Situational in Goblin decks.
- Suspicious Bush (2 elixir, Rare). Hides two Goblins that pop out on contact. Fun, cheap, mostly a gimmick.
- Goblin Curse (2 elixir, Epic). Turns enemy troops into Goblins when they die inside the area and amplifies damage taken. It has moments in Goblin synergy decks. Outside those it is a weak Poison.
Stay safe
Sites that sell Clash Royale cards, maxed accounts or gold break Supercell’s Terms of Service and get accounts banned. They are also a common scam: you pay, the seller recovers the account through Supercell ID, and you lose both. Earn cards in game and share deck advice on legitimate Discord communities instead.
F tier: cards that cost you games
No card in Clash Royale is unplayable at low trophies, where level advantage decides everything. These are the cards that actively lose games once your opponent knows what they do.
- Elite Barbarians above 5,000 trophies. Ice Golem kiting, Skeletons and Tornado into the King Tower turn 6 elixir into nothing.
- Clone in a cycle deck. Three elixir for 1-health copies of Skeletons is a wasted slot.
- Mirror without a plan. Mirror is strong in exactly two situations: double Goblin Barrel and double Lightning. Outside those it is a dead card for two turns of your cycle.
- Rage with no fast win condition. Rage on a Giant does nothing a Fireball would not undo.
Tower troops ranked
Tower troops replaced the fixed Princess Tower in December 2023. You choose one per deck, and it changes how your defenses work.
- Dagger Duchess. She throws daggers quickly from a stockpile, then slows down once the stockpile empties until it recharges. The burst kills Skeletons, Goblin Gang and Wall Breakers before they reach the tower. She is the strongest tower troop against bait and cycle, and has been nerfed more than once because of it.
- Royal Chef. He levels up your troops as they pass, which is a steady damage boost for beatdown and Royal Hogs decks. His own attack is moderate. Strong in slower decks, weaker against fast chip.
- Cannoneer. Slow, high-damage shots. He deals with tanks well and whiffs on swarms. Golem and Giant players like him; Goblin Gang players love facing him.
- Tower Princess. The baseline. Fast attack, moderate damage, no gimmick. She is never a mistake, which is why she still appears in competitive decks that want predictable defense.
Pick your tower troop after you pick your deck. Dagger Duchess with a swarm-weak deck such as Golem Lightning fixes a hole. Cannoneer with 2.6 Hog Cycle makes a tight deck tighter.
Evolutions that move a card up a tier
Evolutions are the biggest ranking variable in the modern game. A card evolves after it cycles a set number of times, which the card shows as a counter. Only cards in your evolution slots count. The evolutions that change a card’s placement most:
| Evolution | Base tier | Evolved tier | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Giant | A | S | Each shot knocks back nearby units, so defenders never lock on |
| Skeletons | S | S | Every death spawns a new Skeleton, making it a swarm engine |
| Firecracker | S | S | Lingering sparks turn a bait card into a lane-denial tool |
| Knight | A | S | Damage reduction while moving makes him a 3-elixir tank |
| Goblins | A | A | Speed and decoy make them a real pressure tool |
| Bomber | B | A | A bouncing bomb clears two waves of a push |
| Barbarians | B | A | Rage when hit turns a bad card into a counter-push threat |
| Goblin Giant | B | A | Spear Goblins become Sparky-protecting bodyguards |
| Mortar | A | A | Extra range and a Goblin spawn make locks harder to break |
| Wall Breakers | A | A | Death splash makes them useful on defense |
| Valkyrie | A | S | The tornado pulls Graveyard skeletons and Goblin Gang into her swing |
| Wizard | B | A | A shield lets him survive Fireball, which was his only problem |
| Witch | B | A | More Skeleton spawns make her a real Golem support |
Evolution shards come slowly, so pick your first evolution for the card you already play in every deck. Royal Giant, Knight and Skeletons are the safest choices because they stay in the meta regardless of patch.
Best cr cards by role
You build a deck by role, not by tier. A deck of eight S-tier cards with no win condition loses. Here is the top pick for each role, with the backup if you lack the card or the levels.
| Role | Best pick | Backup | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win condition | Hog Rider | Royal Giant | Cheapest reliable tower damage; RG is easier at low skill |
| Tank | Golem | Giant | Highest health per elixir; Giant is cheaper to level as a Rare |
| Small spell | The Log | Zap | Log beats Zap on ground, Zap hits air |
| Medium spell | Fireball | Poison | Fireball needs no setup |
| Big spell | Lightning | Rocket | Lightning stuns and resets; Rocket just deals damage |
| Cycle card | Skeletons | Ice Spirit | Skeletons distract longer, Ice Spirit freezes air too |
| Ranged support | Musketeer | Archer Queen | Musketeer is a Rare you can level early; Queen is better if you have her |
| Mini-tank | Knight | Valkyrie | Knight is 3 elixir and a Common |
| Air defense | Mega Minion | Bats | Mega Minion survives Arrows and Zap |
| Building | Tesla | Cannon | Tesla hits air; Cannon is cheaper |
| Splash | Baby Dragon | Valkyrie | Baby Dragon hits air and survives Fireball |
| Reset | Electro Spirit | Zap | One elixir to reset Inferno Dragon is absurd value |
Which cards to upgrade first
Gold is the real bottleneck in Clash Royale. Taking a card from level 13 to 14 costs 100,000 gold, and the step to 15 costs more again on top of Elite Wild Cards. You cannot level everything, so upgrade order decides your ladder progress.
Quick steps: choose your upgrade order
- Pick one deck and commit to it for the season.
- Level the win condition first; it decides whether you can take towers.
- Level the medium spell second, because spell level sets which support troops it kills.
- Level the two most-played defensive cards third.
- Leave cycle cards last; Skeletons and Ice Spirit work at one level below the rest.
A few rules that save gold:
- Commons and Rares level faster. Hog Rider, Musketeer, Knight, Cannon, Fireball and Skeletons are all Common or Rare. A deck built from them maxes months earlier than a Legendary-heavy deck.
- Spell levels are non-negotiable. A Fireball one level under your opponent’s Musketeer leaves her alive. Level the spell before the troop it supports.
- Champions are an investment. You need the card itself first, then the same gold as any Legendary. Archer Queen is worth it. Monk is not, unless your deck is built around him.
- Do not upgrade B-tier cards for one meta. The meta shifts monthly. Your gold does not come back.
If you want a second opinion on an upgrade path, the deck-building channels on larger Clash Royale Discord servers are more useful than any tier list, and several of them run deck-check bots. The right “discord bots for gaming” setup will pull your profile, show card levels and flag the cheapest upgrades, which beats guessing.
How card value changes by trophy range
The same card ranks differently at different trophy counts, and most tier lists ignore this. Three examples:
Below 4,000 trophies. Level gaps dominate. Mega Knight, Elite Barbarians, Witch and Wizard win games because opponents do not kite or spell them correctly. Play a deck with a splash troop and a tank and you climb.
4,000 to 7,000 trophies. Players start reading pushes and saving spells. Bait decks, Hog Cycle and Royal Giant rise because they punish overcommitment. Mega Knight begins to fall because Ice Golem kiting is common.
Above 7,000 trophies and in Path of Legends. Elixir efficiency decides everything. Cycle decks, Archer Queen, Golden Knight, Mortar and Graveyard control the meta. A single misplaced Skeletons loses a tower. Elite Barbarians and Minion Horde disappear.
This is why the S tier above weights top-ladder performance. If a card only works because your opponent plays badly, it does not belong at the top.
Reading a card’s stats properly
Clash Royale shows you hitpoints, damage, hit speed, range and speed on every card. Three stats matter more than the rest for ranking purposes:
Damage per second per elixir. Divide a card’s DPS by its cost. Goblins and Mini PEKKA score highly. Giant scores terribly, and that is fine because Giant is not there to deal damage.
Hitpoints per elixir. Knight, Ice Golem and Golem lead. This number tells you how long the card buys for your tower to work.
Spell breakpoints. Whether a card survives Fireball, Arrows or Log at equal level is often the single most important fact about it. Musketeer dies to Fireball plus any chip. Knight survives Fireball. Wizard died to Fireball for years, which is why his evolution gives him a shield.
Check these three before you trust a card’s in-game stat screen. The raw numbers do not tell you that Bats die to Zap or that Princess dies to Log, and those interactions decide the tier.
Cards that could move next
Every balance patch shifts a few cards. Based on how Supercell has handled the game, three patterns are reliable:
- New cards launch strong and get nerfed within two to three months. Little Prince, Goblin Drill, Phoenix and Dagger Duchess all followed this path. Do not spend heavily on a card in its first month.
- Evolutions get buffed when their base card falls out of the meta. If a card you play has a weak evolution, expect it to improve eventually.
- Cards that are unpopular but not weak get buffed. Giant Skeleton, Bowler and Elixir Golem have each been buffed into brief relevance this way.
Treat this ranking as the baseline. Check the patch notes every month, then adjust one or two placements rather than throwing the whole list out.
FAQ
What are the best cr cards for beginners?
Knight, Musketeer, Hog Rider, Fireball, Arrows, Cannon, Skeletons and Baby Dragon. All of them are Common, Rare or early Epic, all of them stay in the meta, and together they form a workable Hog deck. You unlock most of them in the first few arenas.
How many cards are in Clash Royale?
More than 120 as of 2025, plus four tower troops. Supercell adds new cards a few times a year, so the exact count changes. The in-game Collection screen shows the current total.
Is Mega Knight a good card?
Below 5,000 trophies, yes. Above that, it is a 7-elixir liability against anyone who kites it with Ice Golem or places Inferno Dragon correctly. It ranks A for mid ladder and B at the top.
Which Champion should I unlock first?
Archer Queen. She fits the most decks, has the fewest hard counters and has stayed top-tier through more patches than any other Champion. Golden Knight is second if you play Hog Cycle or Wall Breakers.
Does card rarity affect strength?
No. Rarity sets how quickly you can collect and level a card. Knight is a Common and ranks above most Legendaries. Three Musketeers is a Rare and ranks near the bottom.
Which evolution should I get first?
Royal Giant if you play it, otherwise Knight or Skeletons. Those three evolutions have stayed strong through multiple balance patches and fit many decks, so the shards never go to waste.
What is the best tower troop?
Dagger Duchess for most decks because her burst damage kills swarms before they reach the tower. Royal Chef is close in slow beatdown decks. Cannoneer is only worth it if you struggle against tanks and already handle swarms well.