It is time for a new epic card rankings for all the epic cards in Clash Royale! We will be having a power ranking, 27-1, of the epic cards in Clash Royale as of November 2018. As many of you know, I have done this ranking before, when there were 26 epic cards. The top 5 cards then, in order, were electro-dragon, barbarian barrel, PEKKA, golem, and poison. 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/2018/11/27/clash-royale-epic-card-rankings-november-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 27!

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

Epic Card Rankings

#27- Clone

The small rework that clone received in the last balance changes didn’t really do much for its place in the meta, leaving it as the worst epic card in Clash Royale. The problem with the clone is that it costs 3 elixir but can be annihilated for just 2 elixir. A lot of the time, splash damage units can take out the cloned units anyways.

#26- Mirror

I’m still waiting for some type of rework on the mirror that can make it a viable option and actually switch up play. The mirror has the potential to be one of the most deadly cards in Clash Royale, but the possibility for the negative elixir trade is a mountain too high to climb right now. Maybe a two level increase for mirrored cards would switch things up?

#25- Bowler

When is the last time you have actually seen a bowler in gameplay? After a brief comeback 6 months ago, the bowler has really died off. Most players prefer having an air splash unit (wizard, executioner, hunter) over a card that only kill ground units. Not to mention that the bowler has such a slow hit speed, which desperately needs an increase.

#24- Wall Breakers

The newest card in Clash Royale also looks like one of the worst. These three elixir wall breakers do deal a ton of damage if they reach the tower, but the problem is they have almost no health. With a big HP increase, the wall breakers could definitely become a better card, but right now, pre-release, the wall breakers are looking pretty weak.

#23- Rage

As the witch falls out of the meta a bit, so does the rage. The only combo that the rage really succeeds with are those giant/witch beatdown decks. Other tanks besides giant are at the top right now, and the witch has definitely fallen off past marks. I despise the rage spell and am happy to see it fall down the rankings a little bit.

#22- Goblin Giant

Shockingly, the goblin giant is actually going to move up in the February rankings, though it remains one of the worst win conditions in Clash Royale. This card has so much potential, but is way too weak right now to compete with PEKKA and mega knight. A buff to the actual goblin giant could go a long way in promoting the card.

#21- Cannon Cart

There is literally no card that has been buffed and nerfed more than the cannon cart. It seems like every other balance changes the cannon cart gets some sort of change, but the February buff to its hit speed didn’t matter. Clash Royale needs to find a solid place for this card and then leave it alone so that it can finally settle into the meta.

#20- Giant Skeleton

Being one of the staples of Clash Royale, it is a shame that the giant skeleton ranks this low, but right now, the defensive powers of the GS aren’t good enough to offset the offensive woes. There’s no way to really change the giant skeleton to make it better, so it is basically stuck at this spot, until the meta favors it once again.

#19- Dark Prince

The prince’s brother is going to rank pretty low in these epic cards rankings, not really making much of a splash in the meta. He is really at an all time low, as double princes are a distant memory. In a slower moving meta, the dark prince’s charge isn’t ideal, making the game speed up at a pace you might not really want.

#18- X-Bow

While the mortar is at one of the best spots it will ever see, the x-bow has suffered big time, moving down to #18. The x-bow is too expensive to have a bad place and rebound, like you can with the mortar. If your opponent plays down a PEKKA and the x-bow locked on, you are basically screwed for defense as the 6 elixir x-bow will go to waste.

#17- Witch

This is the lowest the witch has been ranked in a long time, marking a steep decline over the past few months. For whatever reason, the witch has really fallen off the peak of the meta, despite no direct nerfs to her. I’m really happy to see this though, since the witch can be one of the most annoying cards to deal with.

#16- Executioner

I think one of the main reasons behind the fall of the executioner off the very peak of the meta is the fact that the electro-dragon is just as effective with dealing with big groups of troops. Since you also get that reset from the electro, the executioner has dipped to a second tier option, though still a decent support unit behind golems, PEKKAs, and more.

#15- Freeze

Before the nerf in the February balance changes toned the freeze back a bit, it definitely would have been a top 5 epic card. Even with the nerf, the freeze is going to be one of our biggest risers, jumping up 8 spots. With the freeze rework in the December balance changes, it became a lot more effective and a ton more popular across Clash Royale.

#14- Lightning

I feel like every time I do the write up for the lightning, I say the same thing: with the popularity of the fireball and poison, its tough for the lightning to have a strong spot in the meta. Without a doubt, if your opponent is grouping several units near the tower, the lightning is one of the best ways to shut down the push before it even begins. Still a decent spell.

#13- Goblin Barrel

Even though a direct counter to the goblin barrel, the barbarian barrel, is arguably the best card in Clash Royale, the goblin barrel maintains relevancy in the meta. The reason why? There’s no card quite like the goblin barrel, placing troops directly onto the tower and demanding an instant counter or having to take hundreds of HP of damage on your tower.

#12- Prince

While there are definitely better tanks out there, the prince is great as a fast moving card that can pick up the pace of the battle a bit. Instead of building a slow push, you can use the prince to gain the advantage if your opponent plays an expensive card like a golem or PEKKA in the back of their side of the map.

#11- Electro-Dragon

Even though the electro-dragon is an amazing support card, it is going to be the biggest dropper in these epic card rankings, falling 10 spots to #11. The reason why is because it was completely OP when it was released, but after a nerf in the December balance changes, it became a much more balanced card. Right now, the electro-dragon is one of the best defensive cards.

#10- Hunter

Along with the freeze, the hunter is going to also be up 8 spots to become one of the biggest risers in these epic card rankings. The hunter has really come into his own in the last few months, offering a way to get a ton of damage at close range. Players have figured out how to use the hunter correctly which has correlated with his rise to the top.

#9- Skeleton Army

Personally, skeleton army is one of my favorite defensive swarm cards, being able to take out basically any card if no cheap spell comes out. This is one of the most powerful cards in Clash Royale and needs to be countered almost instantly in order to prevent insane damage to your troops or to your tower.

#8- Tornado

Tornado has returned to the top of the meta, after a brief sag after being nerfed a few months back. Instead of being a damage focused spell, more players are using it for the pull back, which can completely shut down a number of cards. Also, with king tower activation being so helpful for success, using the tornado against hogs and miners is a plus.

#7- Guards

The shield that the guards have are super helpful, since they aren’t able to be killed by the cheap two elixir spells for a negative elixir trade like the skeleton army and goblin gang are. This allows them to survive much longer on defense and hopefully completely take down whatever troop you are trying to kill.

#6- Balloon

Over the past couple rankings. balloon has been hovering right around the #6 spot, staying consistent in a constantly changing meta. I’m glad to see it’s not #1, but having an air win condition so high up is great for diversifying the meta. Combined with the popularity of the lava hound right now, its hard to see the balloon falling any time soon.

#5- Golem

In such a tank heavy meta, it’s surprising that the golem isn’t at a higher rank, but top 5 epic cards means top 20 overall. Without a doubt, the golem has maintained a steady place at the top, dominating at all stages and game modes in Clash Royale. Being one of my favorite win conditions, I hope that the golem can continue to rise.

#4- Baby Dragon

I believe that this is the first time that the baby dragon has ever cracked the top 5 epic cards! With a usage rate of nearly 25%, its tough to say that it doesn’t belong here. This is an ideal support unit that can’t be taken out by any spells, meaning that it is safe to play behind any tank. The splash damage it deals makes it easier to take out swarm troops as well.

#3- Poison

Poison is at a really interesting place right now, having been seen as a great spell for top players, but not really used much by your average Clasher. The usage rate for the poison in GCs is nearly 50%(!!!), while on the ladder it isn’t even above 10%. As more pros use poison, it should catch on a bit more on the ladder and for weaker players.

#2- PEKKA

Not surprisingly, the PEKKA is going to be our second ranked epic card, leading the way for win conditions across the board. I’ve never seen the PEKKA played more, being used as a defensive weapon turned offensive tank. Playing a few cards behind the PEKKA (battle ram, baby dragon, etc.) can make a push almost unstoppable.

#1- Barbarian Barrel

And of course the barbarian barrel is going to be our #1 epic card and probably #1 card overall. It is impossible to argue with the dominance of the barbarian barrel right now: 50% usage rate in grand challenges even with the popularity of zap. Lots of players are calling for a nerf, so I can almost guarantee that the BB won’t be #1 next ranking.

So that is going to wrap it up for our epic card rankings for February of 2019! 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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