It is time for a new epic card rankings for all the epic cards in Clash Royale! We will be having a power ranking, 24-1, of the epic cards in Clash Royale as of May 2018. As many of you know, I have done this ranking before, when there were still 24 epic cards. The top 5 cards then, in order, were prince, golem, dark prince, executioner, and balloon. 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/2018/05/30/clash-royale-epic-card-rankings-may-2018/

How the Epic Cards are Ranked

When ranking these cards we put a lot of thought and effort into what makes the best epic 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.

Epic Card Rankings

#24- Clone

In these epic card rankings, the clone is going to remain at the very bottom of the list. There really is just no great use for the clone spell, since it can lead to an easy negative elixir trade because of the mass of cheap spells currently in the meta. The clone desperately needs some sort of rework in order to be relevant, but not OP.

#23- Barbarian Barrel

Even with a slight buff in the June balance changes, the barbarian barrel has failed to compete with the log for popularity. A lot of players out there don’t think that the extra one elixir for the barb barrel is worth the barbarian, which is probably true, considering that a single barbarian can’t do much damage. The BB needs to be heavier than the log to impact the meta.

#22- Lightning

Since the popularity of the fireball, rocket, and poison are so high right now, there isn’t really a lot of space for the lightning to have a spot in the meta. There are a few great places to use lightning, but the 6 elixir cost is what ultimately makes it fall victim to the supremacy of the fireball, which can basically take out the same units when overleveled.

#21- Mirror

It’s been a while since the mirror has really seen a lot of use, but the reason why, is that, like most low ranked cards, its use becomes extremely niche and there isn’t a lot of chances for play in a normal match. Sometimes though, the mirror can come in a lot of handy if you bait out your opponent’s counter and then punish them with the same card.

#20- Freeze

Don’t get me wrong, freeze can be extremely devastating if used correctly, in the exact right scenario. For example, a half-dead minion horde that your opponent is hoping their tower takes out, is the perfect play for a freeze. You can only also use the freeze if your opponent is low on elixir, or else you’ll be wrecked by the counterpush.

#19- Bowler

With the graveyard coming back into the meta a little bit more, the bowler is also going to start to rise, as one of the best cards that synergizes with the graveyard. Even with the graveyard surge, the bowler still needs a little bit more to truly become mainstream in Clash Royale. I’d suggest an attack speed increase as a serious buff.

#18- Hunter

Personally, I think that the hunter has such a high ceiling and that he can eventually be one of the best support cards in the game. However, right now, with the wizard and musketeer staying at the top, no one really wants to give the hunter a try. The meta can flip around in a second though, so look for the hunter soon!

#17- X-Bow

As with the mortar, the x-bow is falling as well as siege decks prove to no longer be as effective as they used to be. Of course, every few months the x-bow and mortar fall off the meta a little bit, only to be revived another few months later. However, at this moment at time, I would advise against siege deck and try some other deck archetype.

#16- Rage

I’m actually pretty happy to see an overall drop in the rage spell, as it proved to be one of the more annoying cards to play against in Clash Royale. Still, the rage spell can be an effective 2 elixir card, to be combined with the witch and giant combinations. Rage is probably a little underrated, but its tough to be at the top for a non-damage dealing spell.

#15- Giant Skeleton

Despite falling in the rankings a few spots, the giant skeleton is still at one of the best spots in Clash Royale that it has ever been at. As a defensive clearer as well as a great offensive tank, it can actually be a pretty versatile 6 elixir card. With the PEKKA being pretty popular and the mega knight on the rise, it might be tough to see much more rise though.

#14- Dark Prince

In the epic rankings, the dark prince is going to be one of our biggest droppers, falling 11 spots from #3 all the way down to #14. Unfortunately, the dark prince got absolutely annihilated by the valkyrie, with the valk being able to counter and be a better defensive option than the dark prince. Lots of players are calling for another buff!

#13- Tornado

Ever since the April balance changes, the tornado has not been as great of a card as it used to be. I’m happy to see this and I think right at this ranking is where the tornado should be. It still has enough power to activate the king’s tower if needed, while its pull strength can definitely get large pushes at bay until you can cycle to a counter.

#12- Prince

The charge distance nerf really did it in for the prince, dropping him from the #1 epic card down to barely cracking it into the top half of all epic cards. The prince is still a great card though, being a pretty decent tank that forces you to make a counter almost immediately. Hopefully a small buff is applied to the prince to get him back to the top.

#11- Skeleton Army

Right now, skeleton army sits at #11, but given another couple weeks, my bet is that the skeleton army could rise up to at least #8. It is the hottest defensive card in Clash Royale right now, used as a very risky counter to the royal hogs. It is just such a devastating card if it goes uncountered, which is why it is pushing back up in the meta.

#10- Guards

Just like skeleton army, guards have also been rising up through the meta as a powerful defensive card. In the current meta, spells are completely dominating, so it pays off to have a card like the guards that a spell can’t annihilate. Even with the skeleton army posed to overtake it, expect the guards to maintain their top 10 ranking.

#9- Goblin Barrel

It seems that no matter how popular the zap and log get, the goblin barrel will never fade completely away. The cheap cost of the goblin barrel makes it ok if you lose 1 elixir, especially if it means punishing your opponent with another bait card. With more bait cards coming out, the goblin barrel will only get stronger.

#8- Baby Dragon

As one of the strongest air troops in the game, the baby dragon has risen to the top, being a great support unit behind the golem and in front of the graveyard. With so much health, the baby dragon can’t be taken out by a spell which is very useful for any support or defensive card. If LavaLoon makes a comeback, the baby dragon will only get better.

#7- Executioner

I think this is the first time we have seen the executioner out of the top 5 since the epic card rankings have come out! While the executioner is still an outstanding card to use, there seems to be some lapse in recent usage. He fits in perfectly in giant and hog decks, but with golem decks on the come-up, the executioner is falling back a bit.

#6- Cannon Cart

Based on recent trends, the cannon cart is honestly the #1 epic card in Clash Royale, but, like the royal hogs, its rise is too recent to put it all the way up. Instead the cannon cart will have to rely on jumping up sixteen spots from #22 to falling just short up the #6 spot. Don’t expect this to last long though; most of the community is calling for a big nerf.

#5- Balloon

In these epic rankings, the balloon is going to maintain its #5 ranking, definitely being a top 10, if not top 5 win condition in Clash Royale. If the lava hound does make the comeback it seems to be making, you can be sure that the balloon will continue its domination as a great air threat, combining with some other card for a killer push.

#4- Poison

Even though fireball is more popular and similar, the poison spell is still a great option for big beatdown pushes looking to clear a whole bunch of cheap units at once. As we have mentioned many times, the rise of the graveyard means that poison is going to be coming back strong as well. Basically, poison being a good card is a result of the meta.

#3- PEKKA

Definitely one of the best tank cards in Clash Royale, the PEKKA is going to crack into the top 3 here, making big moves. The biggest problem with the PEKKA right now is that it cannot one shot royal hogs, which is a huge drawback. Still the PEKKA one shots about everything else, which makes it key for defense turned to offense.

#2- Golem

The golem again is going to be right at the peak of the epic rankings, really starting to be the best win condition in Clash Royale, with the hog and royal hogs. It is carrying other cards to the top like the baby dragon and night witch, which is the sign of a top card. This card is one of the best in the game and will continue to be at the top.

#1- Witch

And the card that has made a ton of leeway over the past couple months is the witch, which has moved all the way up to our number 1 spot in the epic card rankings. There is no doubt whatsoever that the witch should be #1, with the rework that came in the July balance changes making her double as good as a card.

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

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