AI Overview: Prince costs 5 elixir and hits twice as hard once he charges. The best answers are cheap swarms that waste the charge: Goblin Gang, Skeleton Army and Guards. Big troops work too, at a cost. Each answer below has its elixir trade and a 2026 check. Two old numbers on the page are flagged as errors, so check the notes.
Last Updated: October 2026
Key Points:
- Prince costs 5 elixir and unlocks in Royal Arena (Arena 7). His charge deals double damage.
- Double of 392 is 784, so one figure has a typo.
- Mega Knight costs 6. The site’s Mega Knight guide says 7. This is flagged.
- SeeMeta lists no 2026 balance change for Prince. The best Prince deck won 52.5% over 1,300 battles, and six of seven printed decks won under 50%.
- Three-elixir swarms (Goblin Gang, Skeleton Army, Guards) win 2 elixir on the trade.
Why Prince Is a Threat
Here’s the thing: any plan for how to counter Prince starts with the card text, which says it plainly: once he gets a running start, you will be trampled. The charge doubles his damage.
The catch: 392 doubled is 784, so the old charge number is off by 10. Treat the idea, not the digit. Prince is a melee troop and unlocks in Royal Arena, Arena 7.
| Answer | Cost | Trade vs Prince (5) |
| Goblin Gang | 3 | +2 |
| Skeleton Army | 3 | +2 |
| Guards | 3 | +2 |
| Lumberjack | 4 | +1 |
| Prince | 5 | 0 |
| P.E.K.K.A | 7 | -2, but she survives |
| Mega Knight |
What it means: cheap swarms win the elixir. Heavy troops lose elixir but keep a unit alive. See the Prince guide.
Prince has no 2026 change and a modest record, so a small buff is a fair guess to bring him back into lists. The negative effect: a buff would make swarm answers even more important, and decks without Goblin Gang or Skeleton Army would suffer.
Answers 1 to 3: The Cheap Swarms
- Goblin Gang (3): they hit fast, and with the Princess Tower they kill him. Watch for a Log or an over-levelled Zap, which clear the goblins.
- Skeleton Army (3): the most seen answer in mid-ladder. The charge hits one skeleton and is wasted. Make sure the rival has already used Zap or Log.
- Guards (3): skeletons with shields. The shield soaks the charge, and Zap does not work on them. The spells to watch are Log and Fireball.
The takeaway: make the charge hit something cheap. See the Goblin Gang guide, the Skeleton Army guide and the Guards guide.
Skeleton Army’s Evolution lists reached 65.1% in the data, so the best Prince answer may become a more expensive and stronger card. The negative effect: Evolution slots are limited, and players who skip it may find their old cheap answer one step behind.
Answers 4 and 5: Mega Knight and Prince
Mega Knight: when nothing else works, drop him on the charging Prince. His hitpoints absorb the charge and he keeps fighting. But he will be hurt, and may not reach the tower.
The site’s Mega Knight guide says 7. At 7, the trade is minus 2. See the Mega Knight guide and the Mega Knight counter tips.
Prince: diamond cuts diamond. A Prince kills a Prince. Place him behind the Princess Tower, so that when he meets the other Prince he is already charging. After the fight he usually dies to a tower arrow or two. A neutral trade.
Answers 6 and 7: P.E.K.K.A and Lumberjack
P.E.K.K.A: she is slow, but she takes the hits and kills Prince with one swing. She survives and walks toward the tower, which makes the rival defend. The catch: if the rival pairs Prince with a support, she dies faster and you spend another card.
Lumberjack: not one of the best, but he does the job. He takes the lance and his fast attack cuts the Prince’s health. Pair him with Log or Zap to save him, and check that the rival has no Log Bait cards.
2026 check: P.E.K.K.A damage rose from 816 to 842 on July 6, and Lumberjack has no 2026 change. See the P.E.K.K.A guide and the Lumberjack guide.
P.E.K.K.A got a small buff in July and sits in the top lists, so more decks will use her as a general answer to heavy ground troops. The negative effect: Prince players may switch to fast cycle plays, and the slow P.E.K.K.A answer would become less useful.
Other Answers and What to Avoid
Each can work in a deck that already has them. Do not add a card only for Prince. A good answer fits the rest of the deck and also handles other threats.
- Pull him: a building in the middle makes the charge stop and restart.
- Count spells: a swarm answer works only if the rival’s Log or Zap is spent.
- Do not over-spend: use a 3-elixir answer, not a 7-elixir one, when you can.
What it means: the cheapest working answer is the best. Still unknown: how much the Evolution cards change these trades. Test a swap in the Deck Builder. For another Hog-style charger, see the Hog cycle mistakes page.
If more decks swap Prince for cards with Evolutions, the old answers may matter less in the data, even if they stay correct on the field. The negative effect: players could drop an answer they still need, and a surprise Prince could punish them.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you counter Prince?
Use a cheap swarm such as Goblin Gang, Skeleton Army or Guards so the charge is wasted.
How much does Prince cost?
5 elixir. He is an Epic unlocked in Royal Arena, Arena 7.
Does Mega Knight counter Prince?
Yes, but it costs 7 elixir on the site’s guide, so the trade is minus 2. 6.
Did Prince change in 2026?
SeeMeta lists no 2026 balance change for Prince.
Do Guards stop Prince?
Yes. The shield soaks the charge. Zap does not work on them, which was not retested.
Sources
Researched from the following (no links, listed for transparency):
- CryptoAIMeta card guides for these cards, built from RoyaleTracker October 2026 samples and SeeMeta 2026 balance changes
- SeeMeta, Clash Royale balance changes 2026 (page updated October 2026), read through search summaries
- Supercell official Clash Royale API, card list (elixir cost, rarity)