Summary
With over a hundred cards,Clash Royaleboasts one of the most extensive rosters among similar games. While this variety enhances the game’s engagement and fun, it can be overwhelming for newcomers. One common question among beginners is:Which cards are ideal for a starter deck? To address this, let’s go through the nine most effective beginner cards across Common and Rare categories that players can unlock early in the game.
Clash Royale Beginner Card Tier List
The following table is a quicker way to find the best beginner cards inClash Royale. It divides the most beginner-friendly cards into four tiers: S+, S, A, and B.
9Fireball
Best Property: Knockback and Versatility
Fireball is an iconic card inClash Royale, one that most beginners tend to spam during their early days. However,there’s a reason why this spell remains popular, even among veteran players. Fireball provides consistent utility in several strategic maneuvers:
While Fireball might eventually be overshadowed by more powerful cards unlocked at higher levels, it remains a versatile and reliable option. Despite being a low-tier beginner card, Fireball is still a solid addition to most decks, regardless of their archetype or play style.
8Zap
Best Property: Agility and Cost-effectiveness
Zap is like a mini version of Arrows, offering a quick, instant effect that beginners will find invaluable. Its immediate stun, combined with moderate area-of-effect (AoE) damage, can hold back enemy troops, soften them up, and set them up to be finished off by other offensive units. Moreover, Zap is cheaper to deploy than comparable cards like Arrows, making it an affordable and efficient tech option.
What sets Zap apart is its consistent synergy with other spell cards like Fireball and Poison, making it astrong candidate for beginner decks. Additionally, Zap serves as a reliable reinforcement for low-HP, high-damage troops, giving them the buffer they need to land a decisive blow.
7Arrows
Best Property: Area of Effect
Arrows might be replaceable with better spell cards at higher ranks, but for abeginner inClash Royale, it’s an essential deck component. This card offers powerful area-of-effect (AoE) damage, capable of wiping out both aerial and ground swarms. To highlight its effectiveness, Arrows can eliminate Minions that are five levels higher—a significant advantage in many situations.
However, Arrows come with a few drawbacks, which is why they don’t rank higher on the list. The card is relatively slow and costly. When summoned, Arrows take a few seconds to reach their target, requiring the player to anticipate the enemy’s movement—a skill that may not come naturally to beginners. Additionally, Arrows demand more Elixir than similar options like Zap, which can make them a less economical choice for some decks.
6Bomber
Best Property: Destructibility
The Bomber might not be perceived as a deadly drop due to his limited area of effect, but he stands out as one of the most effective early-game units. His high damage output allows him to neutralize enemy solo attackers with ease, making him a reliable choice for beginners.
Bomber excels at taking down ground swarms on his own, effortlessly clearing the battlefield of weaker units. When paired withcards like Ice Golem, he transforms into a formidable secondary damage dealer, significantly boosting the deck’s overall destructibility.
However, Bomber’s downside — and the reason he’s not ranked higher — is his vulnerability. He’s easy to counter, as most single-target drops with moderate damage can eliminate him with minimal risk, making it crucial to deploy him strategically to maximize his impact.
5Archers
Best Property: Versatile Synergies
Archers are a staple in many beginner decks, and for good reason. They offer valuable aerial support and deal solid damage to ground troops. For new players, Archers are particularly essential as they effectively counter one of the early metagame’s biggest threats: the Balloon. By deploying Archers, players can protect their troops from the Balloon’s air-to-ground assault, which can significantly impact the outcome of a match.
For those aiming to maintain an offensive strategy, pairing Archers with tank cards is a strategic choice. The tank absorbs the initial damage, allowing Archers to focus on eliminating key targets without taking too much damage themselves.
4Mini P.E.K.K.A.
Best Property: Defense-Offense Balance
Utilized as a budget tank, Mini P.E.K.K.A. is one ofthe most versatile cards inClash Royale. It excels as both a tank counter and a solo destroyer. Mini P.E.K.K.A. is agile, durable, and highly effective against heavy troops like the Giant. When paired with support cards that provide large-area damage, Mini P.E.K.K.A. can become a formidable force on the battlefield.
However, Mini P.E.K.K.A.’s primary drawback is its vulnerability to swarms. Without any area-of-effect attacks, it struggles against groups of enemies such as Skeleton Army or Royal Recruits, making it easy to counter with these types of cards.
3Giant
Best Property: Targeted DMG
NobeginnerClash Royaledeckis complete without the Giant. This tanky unit serves as a reliable win condition when used offensively, but it also has defensive utility. What makes the Giant a solid card is his targeted damage: he specifically attacks buildings. With this ability, the Giant becomes a primary tower damage dealer. Additionally, players can deploy the Giant near their own towers to distract enemy units and draw them away from the Crown Tower.
2Musketeer
Best Property: Long-range DMG
An often overlooked unit in many beginner decks, the Musketeer is actually one of the best cards inClash Royale. She offers excellent synergy with most ground-to-ground offensive strategies and provides reliable firepower from a safe distance. The Musketeer is invaluable for protecting friendly ground troops from aerial counterattacks, as she can hit targets from six tiles away.
What makes the Musketeer a highly strategic card is her ability to chip away at the opponent’s HP without being directly engaged in the battle. Pro players often place her away from the crowded bridge, allowing her to provide supportive cannonball-like firepower to the units actively engaging the enemy.
1Knight
Best Property: Cost-Effective Tank Stats
The Knight is thebest beginner cardin Clash Royaledue to its sheer utility. Whether used as a frontline offense unit or a backline defense option, the Knight is a versatile and reliable choice. As a low-cost tank, he can effectively shield ranged attackers, giving them time to inflict more damage. Additionally, he excels in one-on-one combat, capable of taking down formidable foes like the Prince and Giant Skeleton.
While the Knight is highly effective overall, there are a few scenarios where his utility may be limited. Despite his strength as a solo attacker—where he can chip away at half of an enemy’s Crown Tower HP—he is somewhat vulnerable to horde attackers. Swarms can overwhelm and take down the Knight relatively quickly, althoughhe can still one-shot Goblins of his level.
