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 May 2019. As many of you know, I have done this ranking before, back in February when there were 24 common cards. The top 5 cards then, in order, were zap, skeletons, bats, mortar, 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/2019/02/05/clash-royale-common-card-rankings-february-2019/

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 February rankings.

Common Card Rankings

#24- Royal Recruits

I really hate to see royal recruits at the bottom of the list, especially since they have so much potential to be a game-changing card, but the truth is, there just isn’t a lot of use for the recruits at 7 elixir. I think the RR should get a slight nerf and then have their elixir bumped down to 6 elixir to make them a viable dual lane threat on both offense and defense.

#23- Goblins

It is also unfortunate to keep seeing goblins consistently at the bottom of the common cards. Over the last few months, things have gotten out of hand for goblins, who desperately need a buff in order to keep competing with the stronger support/defensive cards. A bit higher DPS would go a long ways towards helping goblins return to the meta.

#22- Skeleton Barrel

With the mega knight falling back in the meta a little bit, the skeleton barrel likewise is going to suffer. This card hasn’t been heavily used in almost a year, slowing falling back into a spot that’s largely ignored in Clash Royale. With the popularity of zap, giant snowball, barbarian barrel, and log, there are multiple ways to easily clear away the spawned skeletons.

#21- Elite Barbarians

Though it’s unlikely that elite barbarians will ever be in a good spot in the meta without being OP, it’s nice to see them rise up from the last rankings. At 6 elixir, it is tough to see the elite barbarians become a good defensive card, so without a decent buff, they will stay towards the bottom. It’s either OP or garbage for this card, with no real in between.

#20- Bomber

In the May balance changes, the bomber got a pretty big buff, with an unexpected 28% HP buff. This has definitely helped the bomber a little bit, but the bomber is still far from the top. With so many flying units in the game, not being able to kill air troops will severely impact any card. Still, this buff is still early, so we might see the bomber rise even more over the next week.

#19- Fire Spirits

The lesser of the two spirits in the game stay at the #19 spot, sitting at a dismal .6% usage rate in grand challenges. There are better ways to get splash damage than fire spirits, which will disappear immediately after deployment. They can also be one shot by many different units, which means that sometimes they don’t get any damage off at all.

#18- Mortar

Remember a few months ago when everyone was screaming for a mortar nerf? It never happened, but the mortar faded hard from the meta, dropping 14 spots to the #18 spot in our rankings. The mortar just isn’t effective anymore, partly because of the rise of the royal giant as a prime win condition. An increase in damage per shot might help.

#17- Arrows

As I mentioned above with the skeleton barrel, the 2 elixir spells (zap, giant snowball, log, and barbarian barrel) are on another level when it comes to usage in Clash Royale right now. Thus, arrows aren’t really going to get the same use as those spells, since they do cost 1 elixir more and can only kill minions in addition.

#16- Cannon

I really love the cannon as a cheap defense, so it pains me to see it fall a little bit in these rankings. Unfortunately, it’s better to use a troop card instead of a building since it forces your opponent to defend. There is still a place for the cannon though, since it is an amazing defense for cheaper offensive cards like the hog rider.

#15- Barbarians

With the buff in the March balance changes, barbarians really got a whole new look and changed their spot in the meta. Having 5 barbarians makes the card much more powerful and really makes it a great defender for heavy troops like giant and PEKKA. Though it still can’t match the skeleton army and guards, this buff was a place to start.

#14- Tesla

In general, all defenses are slipping in the meta, which means the tesla drops just like the rest. There’s no doubt that the tesla is still a top defense in Clash Royale, but as I mentioned with the cannon, more players are opting for a troop to defend with. That being said, there are still a number of ways to utilize the tesla, making it a decent common card.

#13- Archers

I’ve never been too much of a fan of archers, but in these rankings they are going to slot in almost perfectly in the middle. That seems to situate the archers well, since they never have been a top tier option, nor have they ever been sitting towards the bottom of the meta. If you want a decent air shooting troop, archers are the card for you.

#12- Spear Goblins

For a while now, I’ve felt like spear goblins are definitely worth their 2 elixir cost, since they do offer air support as a cheap “swarm” card. Now they have finally reached the top half of all common cards, coming in at a respectable 12th. These guys are great as a cheap defense for any left over troops coming down a lane.

#11- Knight

The knight has been bouncing around A LOT the last few months, going from unused to one of the best ground defense units. Now, the knight is sitting just outside the top 10, used a solid option, but not quite in the peak of defense right now. He still is a great tank card to soak up some damage that would be on your tower otherwise.

#10- Minions

This has been a long time coming, but with the popularity of bats, there is really just no need for minions as a top 5 common card. If you want more power from your bats, you can always go with the minion horde. While a lot of players are still using minions (as seen by their top 10 ranking), they aren’t at the power position that they used to be.

#9- Skeletons

It’s really crazy that with only 3 skeletons, this card is still so high up in the meta. Imagine if skeletons still featured that fourth skeleton! This is a great cycle card, used as an extremely cheap card to briefly counter anything. I love playing skeletons in my decks because it gives so much flexibility. Even though its not powerful, it is still an amazing cycle/defensive card for 1 elixir.

#8- Royal Giant

It is safe to say that the royal giant is officially a top tier win condition. I have been playing the royal giant for YEARS now and it is definitely at the best spot it has ever been at right now. The damage it deals with each spot is unbeatable. Combine that with the 6 elixir cost which gives you enough elixir left over to support it and the royal giant can be used to easily take down towers.

#7- Ice Spirit

Like skeletons, the one elixir ice spirit is falling a bit, but there is no denying that the ice spirit is an elite defensive card. For only one elixir, you can buy yourself a whole lot of time and deal splash damage to every card within the area. Honestly, I don’t think there is any card in Clash Royale that gives as much value per elixir as the ice spirit.

#6- Minion Horde

The power of the minion horde has slowly made it a better option than the minions. If you don’t have an answer to the minion horde, your tower is gone, simple as that. This card can eat away so many different cards which makes it one of the more popular support cards in Clash Royale. This is all despite the popularity of 2 elixir spells.

#5- Rascals

For the last couple rankings, rascals have slowly been rising up, and in these May rankings, they finally are able to get their first top 5 ranking. This card is an ELITE defensive unit, giving you a tank combined with two air support units. The 3 rascals together is too much for many offensive cards to make it through.

#4- Bats

Having 5 flying bats for only two elixir is one of the best things you can spend elixir on in Clash Royale. This card has become a dominant defensive card, being a cheap counter to LavaLoon and generally any type of push. It isn’t powerful enough to waste a two elixir spell on, so usually these guys will go undefended.

#3- Goblin Gang

As always, the goblin gang stays a top 3 defensive card in Clash Royale, offering swarm attacks to complement its ability to kill both air and ground units. The goblin gang is a solid defensive answer to literally any card in Clash Royale, which is why it continuously maintains its spot in the top 5 of these common card rankings.

#2- Zap

For the first time in 4 straight rankings, the zap is not the #1 common card. Don’t get me wrong, the zap is still an amazing card and spell, but there is another spell that has slowly overtaken it. Lots of players still love the zap and the stun/reset that it offers, which is why it remains one of the most popular cards in all of Clash Royale.

#1- Giant Snowball

The giant snowball is going to be the biggest riser in these rankings, going up 15 spots to the #1 ranking! There hasn’t been a direct buff to the snowball, but players are finally realizing the potential of the slowdown + knockback effect that the giant snowball brings. I assume a slight nerf will be coming soon 😦

So that is going to wrap it up for our common card rankings for May of 2019! 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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