Summary
Spells inClash Royaleare essential to maintaining balance on the battlefield and dealing with swarms of troops. Sometimes they’re used for quickly ending or helping end a push by your opponent, which can usually be a positive elixir trade.
Other times, spells like the Goblin Barrel or Rocket prioritize damaging the crown towers as much as possible to gain a significant health advantage over your opponent. Using these spells, they can deal small amounts of damage, cycle through their defensive cards, and repeat until they win. With so many spells in the game, there’s a lot of gameplay variety, and some outperform others in the meta.
10Rocket
The Original High-Skill Spell
The Rocket is one of the few OG spells that’s been aroundsince the game’s inception. It’s cemented its place as the highest-cost spell in the game that deals the most damage. You can practically stop any push with the Rocket, but because of its small radius, it’s really difficult to aim sometimes.
The Rocket takes a long time to fire, too, and the difference in time between you casting the spell and it landing can cost the game. It’s often used to destroy your opponent’s crown tower during the last few seconds of the game when you’ve just barely won.
9Void
Do High Damage To One Target Or Less Damage To Multiple Targets
The Void is a relatively new card that has already reached most player’s decks thanks to the versatility it offers for any play style. The spell summons a void in which any troop entering will be damaged significantly and shot thrice, similar to how the lightning spell operates.
It only costs three elixir, but there is a downside: the more troops in the radius of the Void, the less it damages per troop. This causes unique interactions when using the Void, making it the only spell that gets worse when your troops are grouped together.
8Goblin Barrel
A Spell Win Condition That Takes A Lot Of Skill To Play Well
The Goblin Barrel is another unique spell that can essentially summon three goblins anywhere in the arena. Since it’s a good card and is considered a win condition by some, the Goblin Barrel sees a lot of play in mid-ladder, often in Log Bait decks.
It’s really easy to counter the Goblin Barrel, the best counter being the Log. However, there is one strength to a Goblin Barrel. If you have a fast cycle deck with cheap cards, you can get back to your Goblin Barrel before your opponent cycles to their counter, allowing you to get a lot of damage for just a three elixir spell.
7Graveyard
Spawn A Bunch Of Skeletons Anywhere In The Arena
A spell that deserves its legendary rarity, the Graveyard is a unique one. It’s a win condition that’s similar to how the Goblin Barrel operates, allowing you to summon skeletons anywhere in the arena, even directly at your opponent’s crown towers.
With the advent of tower troops, the Cannoneer and the Dagger Duchess are both extra vulnerable to the Graveyard if played well, making Giant Graveyard decks flourish in the meta. There are a lot of ways to play the Graveyard. Using it offensively gets the most value out of it, especially if you pair it with a tank for your Skeletons to spawn freely.
6Arrows
Ol' Reliable With Its Splash Damage
Arrows are probably the most reliable spell in Clash Royale, dealing enough damage to delete certain troops like the Firecracker or the Evolved Bomber and more than enough for other swarm troops.
Arrows are a counter to the Goblin Barrel and can deal a sufficient amount of splash damage for just three elixir. It doesn’t even require special skills like timing or aim. With its huge radius, you can’t even miss on purpose. As a support spell, the Arrows are great for dealing with some Evolutions, and find a place on most decks these days.
5Fireball
The Perfect Middle Ground For Arrows And Rocket
The Fireball was one of the first spells in Clash Royale, and the principle of the spell is simple and effective. For four elixir, you can deal with swarms of troops, push back cards like the Balloon or the Hog, deal sufficient damage to crown towers, and much more.
Perhaps the best use of the Fireball is to get rid of troops designated as the Fireballies, where the Fireball either finishes or almost finishes a troop’s HP. Cards like the Musketeer, the Wizard, and the Magic Archer fall into this category, and since they’re widely used, the Fireball is also found in most mid-ladder and top-ladder decks.
4Poison
Damage Overtime Is More Efficient In Most Scenarios
The Poison is essentially a better Fireball, having a higher damage radius, higher damage over time, and slowing down troops caught in the Poison.Ever since cards like the Little Princeand the Evolved Firecracker were introduced, Poison has stayed in the meta as a reliable counter for both these troops.
However, the Poison can be easily misplaced, and you can lose a lot of value as a result. The Poison’s best purpose in the meta is perhaps the way it almost nullifies the Graveyard, resulting in a positive elixir trade for you.
3Tornado
The Key Is Placement
The Tornado is perhaps the highest skill spell in the game, and its effectiveness is greatly determined by how you play it in combination with other cards. Besides being a brilliant counter for cards like Hog Rider and Miner that can activate your king tower, the Tornado serves other practical purposes as well.
If you pair the Tornado with a splash damage card like the Firecracker or the Executioner, the Tornado will help delete a strong push and add a lot of value to your defense. It can save your towers and clutch a victory, but it all really depends on how well you place it.
2The Log
The Only Card To Be In The Meta Since Its Inception
The Log has been the best spell in the game for a whileand is one of the highest used spells in Clash Royale, even after multiple nerfs and changes. The Log is a benchmark for other cards in the meta, if their use rate goes beyond the Log, then it needs a nerf.
The reason for the Log’s effectiveness is that it can hard counter a lot of cards like the Goblin Barrel, Skeleton Army, and Goblin Gang for a positive elixir trade. The Log is able to buy you some extra time beyond just decent damage, thanks to its pushback effect as well. It’s always going to be a staple of the meta because of how versatile the card is.
1Zap
The Evolution Has Made It So Much More Viable
The Zap just barely outperforms the Log because it’s essentially better, especially with its evolution that elevated it to the next level. The Zap doesn’t deal as much damage as the Log, but unlike the Log, it can also attack air troops.
It can also freeze or reset a troop like the Sparky and buy you more time to react to certain threats. Thanks to its evolution, which is essentially the damage of a fireball with the radius of the arrows, for just two elixir, the Zap has never been in a better state and is considered the best spell in the game.
