Clash Royale is a game that has 121 cards used to build a battle deck and includes synergies of cards to create an 8-card deck to defeat your opponent. This game involves strategy and many counters to your opponent’s deck. In Clash Royale, you battle against another player in a small arena with two towers and a king tower each. Your deck can contain spells, towers, and troops. Every card has an elixir cost which represents how much “game currency” you need to deploy that card. 1 elixir generates every 2.8 seconds and every 1.4 seconds during double elixir time. The goal is to destroy your enemy’s tower while defending your own as well. If you destroy your opponent’s king tower, you automatically win the game. Clash Royale is a game mixed with cards, tower defense, and strategy in battle.
There are a total of 13 different types of goblin cards, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Some cost more than others, some are win conditions, and some are buildings. Each goblin card can be used in any deck, depending on its synergy with that specific deck. Our goal is to figure out which goblin card is the best by running surveys and interviewing some of the top players at Elmwood Park High School. From a poll sent out by me and my partner, with 72 responses, the dart goblin got voted as the best goblin card with 37.5% of the votes. The goblin barrel came in second with 23.6% of the votes. Finally, the goblin machine came in third with 15.3% of the votes. The dart goblin is a fan favorite among students at EPHS. One of EPHS’s students with a high trophy count, Mel Anthony Rubio, has a personal opinion on which his favorite goblin card is. Mel has earned 15,000 trophies before and has had six years of experience with the game. He states, “I picked Goblins because it’s an amazing replacement for skeletons for just one more elixir. For example, you get three skeletons for one elixir, but for one more elixir, you get an extra troop with more health which does more damage. Goblins are also faster and an amazing replacement for a cycle card.”
Looking back on the most voted card among EPHS students, the Dart Goblin is considered the best goblin card because of its long range and high attack speed. Unlike most goblin cards that need to get close to the enemy to deal damage, the Dart Goblin can sit behind your troops or even across the river and chip away at enemy towers or defenses safely. Its fast attack rate means it can shred through swarms of small troops, like Skeleton Army, Bats, or Minions, making it useful in both offense and defense.
Another advantage of the Dart Goblin is its low elixir cost of three, which makes it a very efficient card in the game. Players can cycle it quickly, meaning they can place it multiple times in one match to apply constant pressure. Its low cost also makes it easy to fit into any type of deck, whether it’s cycle decks, control decks, or heavy beat down decks.
The Dart Goblin also provides chip damage on towers if left alone. Your opponent will be forced to use a card or spell to counter it, which makes the Dart Goblin an excellent card for forcing out enemy responses. If the Dart Goblin is left alone, it can do hundreds of damage to a tower in just a few seconds. On defense, it can deal with strong pushes from the back line by targeting air and ground units, making it versatile and very useful in almost every situation.
Overall, the Dart Goblin’s combination of range, speed, and efficiency explains why so many Clash Royale players, including those at Elmwood Park High School, ranked it as the best goblin card. It is a card that can be used in nearly any deck and consistently provides value throughout a match.
Works Cited:
Supercell. (n.d.). https://supercell.com/
Best Goblin Card in Clash Royale, 09, 2024
M. Rubio, personal communication, September 23, 2025
