It is time for a new rare card rankings for all the rare cards in Clash Royale! We will be having a power ranking, 26-1, of the rare 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 only 24 cards. The top 5 cards then, in order, were battle ram, fireball, ice golem, hog rider, and musketeer. 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/2019/02/12/clash-royale-rare-card-rankings-february-2019/

How the Rare Cards are Ranked

When ranking these cards we put a lot of thought and effort into what makes the best rare 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 26!

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

Rare Card Rankings

#26- Heal

What an absolute failure the one elixir heal has turned out to be. Honestly, I feel like there’s no real way to have the heal in Clash Royale without making it completely OP or one of the worst cards in the game. Unfortunately for the heal, it turns out to be one of the worst cards, with no real value or reason to play it during a battle.

#25- Bomb Tower

With the buff to the bomb tower in the March balance changes which added a death damage bomb, I had hope that the bomb tower would be pulled out of the basement. However, the bomb tower remained one of the worst defenses and cards in Clash Royale, with no real vision on how to become meta. I think a full rework is the only option here.

#24- Barbarian Hut

It’s honestly a good thing that the barbarian hut is sitting this low in the current meta. Spawners are known as the cancer of Clash Royale, which means we should be thankful when they appear outside of the top 20 rare cards. The health of the barbarian hut makes it tough to take down, meaning it will continue to provide a constant stream of barbarians.

#23- Goblin Hut

Likewise with the barbarian hut, I think we should all be thankful that the goblin hut is far removed from the meta. It is a nightmare scenario to have this card in the top 10 of rare cards, as it just lowers the skill cap of Clash Royale. Here’s to hoping that spawners will never again be at the top of the rare card rankings.

#22- Mini-PEKKA

I’m really sad about this one, since the mini-PEKKA is one of my favorite cards in Clash Royale. The real issue is the swing time, which makes it almost impossible for the mini-PEKKA to get through multiple swarm units. The damage it deals is unparalleled, but the fact that it can be overwhelmed so easily makes it a tough card to play reliably.

#21- Zappies

Zappies have really been back and forth the last few rare card rankings, but they are going to fall out of the top 20 in these rankings. These guys have never really been balanced over the course of their career in Clash Royale, which MUST happen at some point. A slight buff to damage could go a long way to bringing these to the top.

#20- Flying Machine

The flying machine is going to be absolutely destroyed in these rankings, dropping 14 spots to the #20 slot. The nerf in the April balance changes proved to be too much, as hit speed was a pretty important part of what made the flying machine so great. I’m glad it got toned back a bit, but now there’s a need to bring it back up a little bit.

#19- Royal Hogs

I miss the royal hogs as an elite win condition, especially because it brought out some bomb tower use. The royal hogs are such a unique card and I honestly feel like it is better to have them OP than rarely used in any decks. Just for the sake of deck variance, I pray that Clash Royale buffs the hogs to bring back the old split lane deck archetype.

#18- Wizard

Over the last couple balance changes, the wizard has been falling more and more. The five elixir cost can really hurt, especially when there are cards that can bring almost the same value for less elixir. I think the wizard needs a slight damage buff, to move it away from being a pure splash damage unit to a card that can face down some tankier cards 1 on 1.

#17- Dart Goblin

Just like the flying machine, it seems that the cards with long range are falling back a bit. The real issue with the dart goblin right now is that it can be killed too easily, making some other three elixir support cards the preference over it. Still, the dart goblin is a fair support card, providing some great relief from a distance if necessary.

#16- Tombstone

I’m still a huge fan of the tombstone and I honestly think it should be used a lot more than it is. It is so versatile, being able to be used in so many different circumstances. Unfortunately, most players only use it as a hard counter to a hog rider or a stream of skeletons under a lava hound. Use this thing to counter everything from a mini-PEKKA to a golem.

#15- Elixir Collector

It’s interesting to see the elixir collector move up a few spots in these rankings. I love the idea of the elixir collector, but sometimes it has fallen short of where it needs to be. I feel like at its current spot it is at a good spot in the meta, providing a fireball/lightning/rocket bait or a way to gain elixir quickly for heavy decks.

#14- Goblin Cage

The goblin cage is BRAND new, so it is really tough to decide where exactly to put it. I think it actually seems like a pretty decent card, but it could turn out to be terrible in a few weeks. So therefore, I’m going to error on the side of caution and pop it right in the middle of the rare card rankings, and hope to God it turns out to be a balanced card.

#13- Furnace

I really don’t like the furnace, but right now, I’m kind of enjoying it shaking up the meta. The furnace is far and away the best spawner in Clash Royale right now, and with the constant stream of fire spirit, you can almost bank on getting at least a little bit of damage on the tower. I kind of hope it remains here, but also hope it drops into the basement.

#12- Valkyrie

Despite coming in at #12, I think that the valkyrie remains one of the elite pure defensive cards in Clash Royale. This card can shut down more expensive cards in an instant and disrupt multiple troops coming to your side. The valkyrie just needs a little bit more of an offensive edge and she could be one of the best cards in Clash Royale.

#11- Earthquake

Out of any card ever added into Clash Royale, I think the earthquake might be the most balanced. This card fits perfectly into the meta, giving a way to knock down buildings with ease. This earthquake spell is like a hyped up version of the poison, perfect for large pushes to damage a large area and avoid whatever building is played in the center of the map.

#10- Rocket

The rocket is going to crack into the top 10 in these rare card rankings. I’ve said it a couple times before and I’ll say it again: there is simply no way to match the rocket’s pure damage. Even with fireball and lightning being as popular as they are, the rocket still finds a way to exist, being a great way to be positive that you are taking down an executioner/witch in the back.

#9- Giant

After a brief hiatus, the giant is back baby! It would take a lot to ever really push the giant out of the top half of rare cards, but it’s good to see him back at #9. This card is a great cheap tank, and, with so many support cards in the game now, is perfect for soaking up damage to allow your support cards to damage the tower. It’s always worth it for 5 elixir!

#8- Battle Ram

In the last rare card rankings, the battle ram was ranked #1 with ease. With the nerf to the barbarians in the March balance changes, the battle ram has fallen a little bit, but it remains a top tier offensive weapon in Clash Royale. If you manage to get the charge off, we are talking about hundreds, if not thousands of HP in damage, all for 4 elixir.

#7- Musketeer

I have long been a huge fan of the musketeer, mostly because of its cheap four elixir cost providing so much value. The musketeer can provide a counter to pretty much every card in the Clash Royale and it also has the great ability to provide stellar support on offense, with it synergizing well with almost every win condition in CR.

#6- Three Musketeers

I honestly have no idea what is going on with the three musketeers. After the terrible nerf in the February balance changes, the nerf was reverted in May, putting the three musketeers back to 9 elixir. It’s tough to nerf the three musketeers without also nerfing the regular musketeer, so hopefully CR is done tinkering with this card for a bit.

#5- Inferno Tower

It’s been a long, long time since we’ve had a defense in the top 5 of any of our rankings, which shows you how dominant the inferno tower is right now. In a very tank heavy meta, its a good idea to bring along the 5 elixir inferno tower, which can pretty much negate any tank card that might be leading a charge towards your tower.

#4- Ice Golem

Forever and always the ice golem will remain the best kiting unit in Clash Royale. It is impossible to overstate the value of the ice golem, which for 2 elixir, gives off a great slowing effect that can affect a wide range of troops. Also, this can be used a mini-tank on offense, whether it is for a graveyard, goblin barrel, or a half-dead musketeer.

#3- Fireball

While the fireball has dropped to the #3 spot, it is definitely still one of the best spells in Clash Royale. While all the two elixir spells have to compete among themselves for use, there’s no card that stacks up to the fireball. As long as it is a level overleveled, it can take down wizards, e-wizes, and musketeers, which is a trade you have to be happy with.

#2- Hog Rider

I absolutely love the hog rider, so it is nice to see it back up in the top. The hog is such a fun win condition to play with, since you try to squeeze it through to get a hit or two on the tower. Since it only costs 4 elixir, it is such a great cycle card to play around with. Here’s to a meta with many different hog decks in it.

#1- Mega Minion

There is no denying the power of the mega minion in Clash Royale right now. With a lot of support units able to be fireballed down, the mega minion CAN’T and it only costs 3 elixir. Being a flying unit only makes it that much more valuable. I’d say right now, the mega minion is the number one support card in Clash Royale.

So that is going to wrap it up for our rare card rankings for May of 2019! Stay tuned soon to see our epic and legendary card rankings soon. Thanks for reading and comment below what you think of the rankings!

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