Welcome to the very first Meta Snapshot by clashroyaletourney.com! Meta Snapshots are a weekly analysis of which cards are hot and which cards are not. We use data from Arena 7 and 8 TV Royale, and factor in things like winrate, popularity, etc. If you would like to know more about our complex analysis process, please feel free to contact us.
We divide cards in 3 categories: tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3. Tier 1 cards are the most effective in the current meta, and are considered "Very Strong" cards. Tier 2 cards are considered "average", and tier 3 cards are "weak". Please note only impact cards will be analyzed. We define impact cards as the core of a certain deck (Hogs, Mortars, Etc), and non-impact as usual support troops (skeletons, goblins, etc) So without further ado, lets hop right in!
We divide cards in 3 categories: tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3. Tier 1 cards are the most effective in the current meta, and are considered "Very Strong" cards. Tier 2 cards are considered "average", and tier 3 cards are "weak". Please note only impact cards will be analyzed. We define impact cards as the core of a certain deck (Hogs, Mortars, Etc), and non-impact as usual support troops (skeletons, goblins, etc) So without further ado, lets hop right in!
Tier 1
Royal Giant- The recent buff to the royal giant has made this card from one of the worst to one of the best. Often played with cheap support troops like goblins, archers, and wizards, its long range allows it to hit buildings without taking damage, and its tankiness is usually some guaranteed tower damage. With a huge surge in popularity, and a good overall winrate (56.84%), the royal giant definitely takes the top spot in this weeks snapshot.
Hog Rider- The hog rider still remains a top card, especially because it wasn't nerfed in the recent update. In fact, because most other buildings were nerfed, one could argue that hogs became stronger. Hog-Freeze and Hog-Zap decks are still very popular in the higher arenas, and can lead to frustrating losses for your opponents if they do not know how to properly counter hog decks. However, it has been overshadowed by the royal giant decks, which is why it takes the #2 spot.
Zap- Zap has seen a surge in popularity as well, due to the recent addition of the sparky as well as a counter to inferno towers (due to rise in RG decks). Overall it is a very solid card, working well in almost every deck, including Hog-Zap, Royal Giant, and Pekka-Prince decks. A lot of decks, particularly in arena 8, have switched out arrow for zap. An already solid card with even more uses after the update give zap its spot in Tier One.
Tier 2
Pekka/Prince/Dark Prince- The pekka has seen a large decrease in popularity after the update. It remains a strong card, but is ineffective against the popular Royal Giant decks. At 7 elixir, it is simply too slow and too costly to deploy in the current meta. As the pekka is almost exclusively played with the princes, the popularity of the prince and dark prince have decreased as well.
Baby Dragon- The baby dragon has seen around a 16% increase in popularity post-update, and is a solid all-around card. Effective against cheap troops often used in Royal Giant decks (skeletons, goblins, etc), we are finally beginning to see it used in the higher arenas again. Still not a top card by any means, but still one of the most versatile.
Three Musketeers- The 3 musketeers has seen around the same usage levels as before (1.89% increase). It remains a very situational card, one that can either put you far ahead of your opponent, or single handedly lose the game for you. The 9 elixir cost is not very forgiving if used wrong, but can also shred your opponents tower if used correctly.
Balloon- Similar to 3 musketeers, this card remains very situational. It is very dependent on whether your opponent has a proper counter for it or not, which results in around a 50% winrate. However, balloon is being played less and less with hogs, as Royale Giant for 1 elixir more is typically the much better option.
Mini Pekka- The mini pekka is on the rise, but not enough to push it to tier 1. It is one of the best counters besides barbarians to the popular royal giant, and must be dealt with as it has one of the highest dps in the game. An interesting note is that the mini-pekka has seen a significant increase in popularity in Arena 7, but only a slight increase in Arena 8. We will definitely be keeping an eye on this card throughout next week.
Tier 3
Mortar- Mortar has gone from being one of the most popular decks to almost nonexistent after recent nerfs. 5 seconds place time is simply too much time for opponents to react (thats 5+ elixir), and the damage reduction sure doesn't help. With a tank in usage, we rarely see mortar decks in use anymore
Rage/Skele Army/Goblin Barrel- Still almost nonexistent and generally weak like before, nothing much to be said.
Rage/Skele Army/Goblin Barrel- Still almost nonexistent and generally weak like before, nothing much to be said.