It is time for a new common card rankings for all the common cards in Clash Royale! We will be having a power ranking, #24 to #1, of the common cards in Clash Royale as of August 2018. As many of you know, I have done this ranking before, back when there were only 22 common cards. The top 5 cards then, in order, were zap, goblin gang, bats, minions, and ice spirit. Let’s see how much those rankings were shaken up over the past couple balance changes and updates!

You can view the old ranking here: https://clashfordummies.com/2018/05/15/clash-royale-common-card-rankings-may-2018/

How the Common Cards are Ranked

When ranking these cards we put a lot of thought and effort into what makes the best common card the best. We are considering a variety of different ways to rank which are order in importance as follows:

1. Versatility
2. Cost/Damage Ratio (is the card worth it?)
3. Strength on defense and offense

So now that you know what we are judging on, lets go ahead and get into the rankings, starting with number 24!

Note: Text color indicates which way the card is trending in regard to the May rankings.

Common Card Rankings

#24- Royal Giant

Once again, the royal giant returns to a spot that it is very familiar with at the bottom of the meta. Ever since Clash Royale completely killed the card, the royal giant has been one of the worst win conditions in Clash Royale. However, the Clash Royale developers have stated that they would like to buff the royal giant, so look for a rise in the next balance changes!

#23- Skeleton Barrel

The skeleton barrel was absolutely killing it a few months ago, but ever since a severe nerf back in February, it simply hasn’t been the same card as it used to be. Unfortunately, the goblin barrel is a much better alternative which leaves the skeleton barrel with an extremely niche deck range to be played in. The fall of the mega knight also took a toll on the skeleton barrel.

#22- Giant Snowball

One of the newest cards in Clash Royale, the giant snowball didn’t have quite the impact that the Clash Royale developers thought it would have. Meant to be a solid option instead of zap and log, the giant snowball simply doesn’t do enough damage to compete. Also, the giant snowball’s knockback wasn’t as effective as originally thought, which leaves it at the bottom.

#21- Barbarians

As usual, barbarians are overshadowed by way too many cards in Clash Royale, whether it be the new rascals or cheaper mass counters like skeleton army or guards. The problem with barbarians is that they don’t pack enough punch for 5 elixir compared to some other cards in the meta. Something needs a change for them to rise.

#20- Royal Recruits

As little as a month ago, there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the royal recruits would have been the #1 common card and probably the #1 card overall in Clash Royale. However, because the royal recruits were way too strong, Clash Royale did a quick fix and rose their elixir cost by 2. Expect the cost to go back down to 7 and have the royal recruits back up towards the top.

#19- Goblins

For some reason, goblins have been on a bit of a decline in the Clash Royale meta over the past few months. Some of this might be due to the valkyrie being able to wipe them out easily, while skeleton army, an alternative option to goblins, has also been rising a bit. Regardless, goblins are a bit too weak right now to really make an impact.

#18- Bomber

Finally, the bomber is getting a bit of love, with him getting a decent size buff in the July balance changes. With the increased range, the bomber can finally compete with longer units like the wizard and executioner. As a cheap unit that can be tough to counter, the bomber fits in well with a whole range of different decks.

#17- Elite Barbarians

Just like the royal giant, the elite barbarians are another hated common card that should be getting a big buff sometime soon. Even though a lot of players do hate this card, it is relatively weak and can be countered in a multitude of different ways. I’m not sure what Clash Royale can do without making them super OP, but right now they need a slight fix.

#16- Mortar

The mortar had been climbing up a bit, but now, it is going to be our biggest faller in these common card rankings, dropping 6 spots from #10 to #16. Siege decks in general have been dying off a little bit, especially mortar decks. The mortar is a bit too easy to counter, which makes it tough to get a good amount of damage onto the tower.

#15- Spear Goblins

Remember when spear goblins (along with the goblin hut) used to be completely OP? Not too much anymore. While spear goblins are still a pretty decent support option, archers continue to rank above them in the common card rankings. As a cheap two elixir card goes though, spear goblins aren’t too bad though!

#14- Rascals

For some reason, a lot of players don’t really like the rascals, but I think they are definitely one of the top heavy counters in Clash Royale. The boy rascal can allow you to tank a lot of damage cards, while the rascal girls can clean up that troop from behind. The counterpush potential from the rascals is high too, giving you a ton of options.

#13- Cannon

With the tesla excluded, the cannon is the best defensive card in Clash Royale, beating out both the inferno tower and tombstone. The cheap cost of the cannon makes it useful even against air troops. The cannon is also great for countering giant and golem decks and is perfect for taking out a solo hog heading towards your tower.

#12- Fire Spirits

As the biggest riser in these common card rankings, going up 7 spots from #19, fire spirits have really been seen a lot more frequently, in both challenges and ladder. Since there are so many swarm units in the current meta, its great to have the fire spirits thrown in behind as a support unit to help clear away some cards like guards and goblin gang.

#11- Skeletons

The main reason why skeletons are doing so well right now is because they cost 1 elixir. Cycle decks are some of the best right now in Clash Royale, which means that skeleton’s cheap cost is going to help cycle through. With a fourth skeleton, the skeletons would be one of the best cards in Clash Royale, but its still a decent card at 3.

#10- Tesla

Even with the nerf to the tesla in the August balance changes, it remains the best defense in Clash Royale far and away. The huge power that it packs, along with the ability to hide when not confronted, makes it tough to beat when it is used to counter hogs and giants. Even if the tesla has to counter huge units like the PEKKA and golem, it still gets the job done.

#9- Archers

Consistently, throughout balance changes where they get no tweaks, the archers remain in the 7-12 spots in the common card rankings. the best part about the archers is that they can’t die to either log or zap, which makes them perfect for non-bait decks. Archers can also chip away a few hundred hitpoints in damage if left untouched.

#8- Arrows

Despite the amazing popularity of zap that persists, arrows aren’t doing too bad themselves. There are a ton of cards that can’t be killed by zap, like minion horde and goblin gang, which makes the arrows still a great card to have in your back pocket. Unless minions/minion horde takes a nose dive in the power rankings, you can expect arrows to stay around for a while.

#7- Knight

We all know that the valkyrie is one of the strongest cards in Clash Royale, but the knight has remained strong. The recent buff in the August balance changes has helped a little bit, but you can never take away the power that the knight brings for only 3 elixir. With a bit more offensive power the knight could definitely crack into the top 5 common cards.

#6- Ice Spirit

Similarly to skeletons, one of the reasons the ice spirit is one of the best common cards in Clash Royale is because it can easily be cycled to reach your hog or miner. However, the ice spirit definitely provides more value than the skeletons, giving off a freeze that can reset whatever it jumped onto. Definitely worth the 1 elixir!

#5- Goblin Gang

Our first top 5 common card is going to be the goblin gang, which can counter a whole bunch of different cards for just 3 elixir. The goblin gang has long been a mainstay in the top 5, and without any buffs or nerfs in the last few balance changes, there is no reason for it to move away. Even with the popularity of the valk, its still a great defensive counter card.

#4- Minions

For as long as I can remember, the minions have been ranked #4 in our rankings, being an example of consistency in the ever-changing landscape of Clash Royale. For 3 elixir, you get a card that cannot die to zap, which is a huge advantage. Behind a tank, minions can do some major damage, making it tough to shut down your push.

#3- Minion Horde

Just ahead of their smaller brother, the minion horde slots in at the number 3 spot. Despite the ability to lead to a large elixir disadvantage, players are still using the minion horde. The MH can do enormous damage if your opponent doesn’t have a counter to it, which means that a half-dead minion horde can still take down a tower.

#2- Bats

The third flying card in the row, the bats line up as the second best common card in Clash Royale. Since the bats only cost 2 elixir, they can be used as a cheap counter to basically any ground troop and a lot of air troops. The 5th bat really helps the bats grow as a card, and hope to take the #1 spot in future common card rankings.

#1- Zap

And probably to little surprise, for the 2nd rankings in a row, the zap is going to rank as the best common card in Clash Royale. The zap has the highest usage rate in Clash Royale, coming in at 44%, which is insane for one spell. The versatility of the zap is what really sets it apart and makes it one of the best cards in Clash Royale!

So that is going to wrap it up for our common card rankings for August of 2018! Stay tuned soon to see our rare, epic, and legendary card rankings soon. Thanks for reading and comment below what you think of the rankings!

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