Hey fellow Clashers! The Season 10 update is near, and this time the Supercell Team is looking at balance changes to 3 new cards, a new arena, and the REMOVAL OF HEAL! Let’s get into it.
Clash Royale Season 10 Update (April 2020)
Balances to Cards
Magic Archer
The big loser here is definitely the Magic Archer. For a while now, over the last few seasons, the Magic Archer has been rampant in many different kinds of decks including Ram Rider Bridge Spam, Hog Cycle, Pekka, Miner Wall Breakers, and more.
It is incredibly versatile and its uniqueness in being able to hit the tower from the other side of the arena has made it very, very strong and almost too overpowered for just 4 elixirs, with its only weakness being Fireball + Poison.
In the nerf, his range has been decreased from 7 to 6 tiles. Despite this only seeming to be a minor blow to the card, it decreases his usability as a ‘win condition’ (if you’d call him that) by reducing his power of GEOMETRY!
This makes him less of a threat on offense, and usage rates could drop a lot, only finding a home in Fireball Bait because of his other stats being untouched, hence the Archer still being useful on defense to bait out spells.
I feel like this could possibly be too much of a nerf, and rework of the card could have been better, such as an increase in damage by a slight amount. A health buff would not be popular, however, because he might not die to Fireball!
Goblin Hut
I wonder if Supercell is trying to bring Spawners back? First Barb Hut, now this!
Despite this not seeming like a nerf or a buff, the addition of a death spawn of 3 spear goblins is good value, even if the building’s lifetime has decreased from 50 to 40 seconds.
With a usage rate of 1% on ladder and a near 0% on Grand Challenges (source: RoyaleAPI), the time has finally come for a revival.
This ‘buff’ is similar to that of the Barb Hut, which succeeded in bringing Barb Hut to certain decks in the meta, namely Splashyard and Elixir Golem decks.
Therefore, Goblin Hut could find its place in the meta, maybe even bringing back Spawner decks (we all love that don’t we).
Skeleton Barrel
The Skeleton Barrel was once popular, a staple of Mega Knight Bait especially, along with the likes of Inferno Dragon.
However, with the increased viability of splashers and its very low health, plus the ineffectiveness of the death damage, it has become very unpopular and fallen out of the meta.
It now has given a speed boost (medium to fast) and will probably be used in Miner decks due to its increased pressuring ability.
However, the usage of the card as an investment in the back will not be so effective. The only deck I can really see Skeleton Barrel is with Miner Wall Breakers, potentially, because of the Log/Arrow bait potential.
Its decrease in health by 15% means it will not be able to get as much damage without a tank shielding it.
I don’t see Skeleton Barrel coming back into the meta in any way, unfortunately.
First-Ever Card Replacement – The Evolution of Heal!
Heal Spirit is the first-ever card to replace an old one, Heal. We won’t miss you, Heal. Even Supercell says so, just check the Heal Spirit’s description.
Heal was once popular in 3M decks, but not much else. Its extremely weak healing capacity and just general uselessness meant that there was not really any way that Heal could be used in a viable deck, even being 1 elixir.
With the complete revamp into a troop, plus a huge healing amount boost, now +181% (130 with old Heal to 366 with new Spirit) will make the card very useful, while still staying at one elixir.
It could possibly replace the Ice Spirit in Bait decks, perhaps if the opponent has Snowball or Zap, the Heal Spirit will be able to heal the Goblins in the Barrel when used together in a push! I can see Log being used much more in the new meta.
It would probably be used more offensive together with other small troops in a bait deck, while also still being useful on defence, but enough troops would have to be in the AoE in order to gain value. But keep in mind that the Spirit is still 1 elixir so it can simply be used for cycling! It could also work very well with Hog Rider to keep the Hog alive for a few more hits, or behind something like an Elixir Golem where lots of troops will have built up behind.
Players should keep in mind that they actually have to hit an opposing troop for the healing effect to work (that is, you need to place it correctly and use it along with other things!)
Overall, the card would be very versatile and usable in many different kinds of decks, especially Cycle.
Buffs/Nerfs I would have liked to see
Buffs
Royal Recruits
The Royal Recruits have been basically forgotten and obsolete in the current state of the game, and they have been for a long time.
Because of the prevalence of Bomb Tower and Baby Dragon and other splashy units, their 7 elixir cost is completely unjustifiable, plus their inability to be cast anywhere else other than in a line across the arena is incredibly limiting.
The Recruits themselves have very low health so they are not very useful on defence when lots of support troops are behind.
Perhaps the only saving grace of this card is their usability in certain split lane push decks, such as Royal Hogs or 3M.
Possibly, with the Heal Spirit being essentially a huge buff of Heal, 3M might come back into the meta and Royal Recruits might find their place.
However, they are still very weak overall.
Lumberjack
Mini Pekka has been insanely strong in the last few metas, with a 26% use rate on Grand Challenges clearly proving this. However, its strengths have hampered the Lumberjack.
Golem Lumberjack used to be very good, as did Bridge Spam and even in Hog decks in some instances. It is all but gone now, because of Mini Pekka’s superior damage and having greater health.
With the focus on strong ground troops/buildings, the Lumberjack’s very fast speed is no longer that advantageous.
I would like to see Lumberjack at the same strength as the Mini Pekka, or at least similar.
It doesn’t make much sense for two cards of the same elixir and which fill the same role in a deck (cheap tank buster) to have such a great difference in usage and strength. What do you guys think?
Nerfs
Mini P.E.K.K.A
We were all expecting the Mini Pekka to get a nerf. However, no it didn’t! Supercell, you son of a witch.
It can basically fit in any deck, including Golem, Hog, Miner, Royal Hogs, Giant…you name it, Mini Pekka will slot right in that deck. As per my previous section on Lumberjack, Mini Pekka is much too strong, being so easy to use (just plop it down anywhere right on that big troop) and so easy to make positive elixir trades with.
It is extremely strong on both offence and defence which makes it an annoying troop to deal with if there’s a tank in front of it.
Hence, the little Pekka should get a nerf, which could bring Pekka back into contention as well as certain decks which have been pretty dead due to the strength of Mini Pekka (like Giant.)
Bomb Tower
Bomb Tower fulfils a similar role in decks to the Mini Pekka, being 4 elixir and very good against tanks and big groups of medium health cards, but just being a building.
Just like the Mini Pekka, it can slot into many decks, like Miner Balloon Cycle, Hog Cycle, and Miner Wall Breakers. It can kill almost any ground troop, with the help of distractions.
Its use rate has been through the roof and its ability to still hold up well against Earthquake due to its high HP.
The prevalence of Bomb Tower has basically killed off all the other buildings apart from if they were already in a long-time meta deck like 2.9 XBow (Tesla) and 2.6 Hog (Cannon).
Inferno Tower has been killed off completely.
It would be nice to see more buildings come to back into the meta with a Bomb Tower nerf.
Baby Dragon
As the only air-based splasher, and just 4 elixir, it can provide lots of utility to a deck.
Used frequently in Splashyard and Golem, it is deadly combined with Tornado. 2nd on the Grand Challenge usage rate list shows how popular it is.
It can shut down Lava Hound decks combined with a Tornado and a building, and is very good with Ice Wizard especially for a cheap defence.
It is good vs. Mortar Bait and can absolutely destroy all the ground-based units which seem to be dominating the meta these days, combined with distraction.
I hope you enjoyed my lengthy post, feel free to comment/criticise me below if you think I’m wrong in any way!
