How to counter every single Rare and Epic card from Arenas 1 to 4 in Clash Royale

Countering a card in Clash Royale isn't as simple as just plonking down a more powerful card and hoping for the best.

While that could help you destroy the card your opponent just dropped, it's not the optimal strategy if you plan on getting a steady stream of victories.

Instead, you're going to have to get to grips with Elixir - the rechargeable energy you use in Clash Royale. Each card costs a set amount of Elixir to activate, and that's the crux of the matter.

So, with that in mind, the most effective approach to countering a card is to use a cheaper one than your opponent, giving you an Elixir advantage.

Do this enough times and you'll be able to, effectively, play a free card and take down one of your opponent's towers.

Destroy more towers than your opponent and you're crowned the winner - so you can see how important learning to counter cards and gain an Elixir advantage is.

To help you, us helpful folk at Pocket Gamer have dropped some tips below to help you counter every single Rare and Epic card in Clash Royale.

Fireball

The Fireball can't be countered as such, as it simply goes where your opponent tells it to and deals damage. You can't destroy it.

If you're the type of player that relies on a swarm strategy, the Fireball is seriously going to rain on your parade, so you'll have to figure out the best approach to dealing with it.

We'd recommend that you try and bait it out with a cheap building like the Tombstone or Cannon, and hope your opponent tries to bring either down with the Fireball.

Then you can pounce with your enormous army of Goblins and Skeletons.

Mini P.E.K.K.A.

The Mini P.E.K.K.A. can be devastating when used appropriately. It moves quickly and deals some serious damage.

However, it is relatively slow to attack - and can only attack one unit at once. With that in mind, a swarm of Goblins or Minions can take it down quickly before it kills them.

Musketeer

The Musketeer has moderate health and can deal solid damage relatively quickly to air and ground units.

It's easily dealt with though if you can get close to it. So let it come into your half of the arena and drop a swarm of Goblins on it. See if it likes that.

Giant

The Giant's greatest asset is it's enormous health bar. It's a tank-like juggernaut that can soak up serious damage and act like a meat shield for squishier but more powerful units.

There are a few different methods to dealing with the Giant. You can use a swarm like Skeleton Army to whittle away at its health as it plods towards a tower, or use a powerful unit like the Mini P.E.K.K.A. to eat chunks of its health away if you can deploy it early enough.

Alternatively, you can buy time and lure it away from your tower with a Tesla, which will eat a huge chunk of its health away by the time it destroys it.

Prince

The Prince is fast, has a high health pool, and deals strong damage. However, his ability to charge is his greatest asset, as he'll do double damage if he can land a blow in this condition.

All that being said, his attack speed is very low, and he can only attack a single unit at a time. That makes him an incredibly easy card to exploit.

Simply drop a Skeleton Army on the Prince and he'll be eaten away in split seconds, giving you an Elixir advantage and a Skeleton Army that will continue to advance on the enemy tower.

Baby Dragon

The Baby Dragon is actually incredibly difficult to counter with a weaker card, as it can deal strong point and area damage, has a decent pool of health, and can fly.

When you see this baby drop, you're likely going to have to bite the bullet and drop a Tesla or Musketeer to bring it down quickly, or it will rain havoc on your swarms.

Skeleton Army

The Skeleton Army is very easy to counter with a cheap card. Simply drop a Bomber in safe range and watch it bring them down with ease.

Alternatively fire some Arrows just in front of them to have the entire Army eliminated in one fell swoop.

Witch

The Witch is a powerful unit that deals moderate ranged area damage and periodically spawns three skeletons which act as a shield.

To effectively deal with an attacking Witch, you have to wait until it's in your half of the arena and drop a Valkyrie or Baby Dragon right on top of it. That way spawning skeletons will instantly be eliminated.

Goblin Hut

The Goblin Hut can be a real menace if left alone, as it periodically spawns Spear Goblins which will whittle down one of your towers.

It also means that your opponent will have a steady stream of allies streaming in to help with a tower assault.

You have to be quick when you see one of these spawned, and throw a Hog Rider out to leap the river and take it down before it can deal real damage.

Alternatively, you could throw a Goblin Barrel or Fireball at it to severely reduce its health and, therefore, life cycle.

Valkyrie

Valkyrie is the master of melee area damage, so throwing down a swarm won't help you at all here.

Well, that is unless you use air swarms like Minions which can bring the Valkyrie down relatively quickly but from the complete safety of the skies.

Lightning

Lightning is an unpredictable spell that deals incredibly strong damage to up to three buildings or troops in a target area.

Against an opponent using Lightning, you'll likely want to protect your towers as much as possible.

With that in mind, you could try baiting out the Lightning with a high health unit like Prince, Giant Skeleton, or Giant, or even use a strategically-placed building like Goblin Hut.

Goblin Barrel

Goblin Barrel can be devastating when used correctly, but is also relatively easy to counter if you're prepared.

As soon as you see a Goblin Barrel come flying out of your opponent's crown tower, place Arrows over the tower or building that the Goblin Barrel is flying towards. You'll take out all Goblins before they have a chance to react.

If this approach isn't possible, you can also place Goblins or Spear Goblins right where the Goblin Barrel lands to distract the Goblins while the tower deals with them.

Tombstone

The Tombstone doesn't pose much of a threat, and is instead used as a distraction or defensive building.

It's not really worth expending the resources to deal with it, as it will spawn four Skeletons when destroyed anyway. Just leave it alone, and it will largely do the same to you.

Bomb Tower

The Bomb Tower is an excellent defence against opponents that use swarm tactics, as the housed Bomber can simply drop his explosive devices on all nearby units from the safety of a meaty tower.

Taking it down isn't particularly difficult though. Simply use a Baby Dragon to fly on over and destroy it while it's powerless to harm it.

Alternatively, you can also use a Hog Rider, Musketeer, or Mini P.E.K.K.A..

Giant Skeleton

You can take down the Giant Skeleton using the exact same methods as the Giant, except this one can actually punch back.

Still, it's not fast enough to kill a Skeleton Army swarm before it can kill it - though the bomb it drops when it dies will likely finish them off.

Balloon

The Balloon is completely harmless if dealt with immediately. Leave it too long though and it will wreak absolute havoc on your towers.

It deals insane damage, you see, and moves moderately fast. To tackle it, drop ranged units like Spear Goblins, Archers, Musketeer, or the Baby Dragon as quickly and near to it as possible to bring it down before it gets anywhere near your tower.

Alternatively, you can use a Tesla to lure it away from your tower and take a chunk of its health off to boot.

Rocket

The Rocket deals serious area damage and can finish off a tower with ease. You don't want that to happen.

Using similar tactics to the Fireball or Lightning, the best approach is to try and bait it out by placing buildings or units with high health in strategic locations.

Barbarian Hut

The Barbarian Hut is difficult to counter, as it has solid health and regularly spawns Barbarians that deal moderate damage and are difficult to take down.

It's not infallible though. In fact, its cost is its biggest letdown.

With that in mind, you can use powerful cards like the Rocket, Balloon, or X-Bow to bring it down from complete safety.

Rage

Rage can be absolutely devastating when used appropriately. It's cheap and allows your units to deploy, move, and attack 40% faster. Imagine that placed on a Prince or Hog Rider.

There's no real method to deal with it once it's been placed. Instead, you have to try and prevent the situations that its useful in as quickly as possible.

That means taking down swarms, fast moving units like Balloon, Hog Rider, and Prince, or high health units like Giant or Giant Skeleton as early and quickly as possible. Do not let them anywhere near your towers.

X-Bow

The X-Bow can whittle down a tower from the safety of your own side of the arena so, if used at the appropriate time and protected well enough, can absolutely devastate towers with ease.

However, its weakness is that it can only hit ground units, so Minion Horde or Minions will absolutely devastate it.

Inferno Tower

The Inferno Tower deals increasing damage over time to a single opponent, so the best strategy to take this down is to use a swarm like Skeleton Army before it can do any real damage.

Hog Rider

The Hog Rider could well be the card you hate the most when you've seen it used in battle.

It's fast, can jump the river, and only goes for buildings, ignoring all troops on the way.

The Hog Rider's health bar isn't very large though, so the best approach to dealing with it is drop down a small swarm of troops like Goblins to slow it down and kill it as quickly as possible.

Freeze

This card is used primarily to shutdown defensive units while your opponent's units take down a tower.

Just like Rage, there's no effective way of dealing with it after it's already been dropped. Instead, you have to try and prevent the situations that it's useful in and take down attacking opponents a little faster.

Alternatively, if you have Elixir to spare you could drop ranged defensive units outside of its radius to take down your opponent before it can deal serious damage.

P.E.K.K.A.

P.E.K.K.A. is everything you'd expect from a giant version of Mini P.E.K.K.A.. It's slow, deals insane damage,and has a high health pool.

Just like with the Giant, Giant Skeleton, and Prince though, its weakness is a swarm so drop a Skeleton Army on it early and watch as its health is whittled down to zero.