We can all agree that Elite Barbarians need some buffs in order to be fully effective in the current meta but what appears to be an innate "weakness" may actually be ascribed to misusage. Today, we're going to tackle about Elite Barbarians, its strengths and the common misconception about the card.
Clash Royale: Elite Barbarians Overview
Before we delve further into the proper usage of the card, let's first analyze the main strengths and weaknesses of the card. First and foremost, Elite Barbarians, overall, fails in comparison to the normal barbarians when it comes to total damage output and health. The strength of the card relies on the increased health of each barbarian which enables it to withstand AoE damaging spells and effects that would otherwise wipe the normal barbarians. To learn more about in-depth analysis of Elite Barbarians, click here.
Now, the weaknesses of this card, however, is the fact that they cost 1 more Elixir from the normal barbarians - making the card on par with the Royal Giant when it comes to its Elixir cost. In most cases, normal barbarians are also much more effective when taking down pushes and tanks such as Mini P.E.K.K.A and also, Elite Barbarians are weak against swarm troops (Skeletons, etc.) due to its mediocre attack speed. Now that we know the cards' basic strengths and weaknesses, let's now move forward as to why and how you're going to use the Elite Barbarians.
Clash Royale Strategy: Elite Barbarians
The common misconception about the Elite Barbarians is that people think they function the same as the normal barbarians - only a bit buffer. But this isn't the case as the Elite Barbarians should not serve as a support troops in a small counter-push but rather, should serve as a win condition - a combo that would strategically win you crowns. Due to its high Elixir cost, you'd want it to be used as a means to finish off your opponent's Tower. As such, here's how you can maximize your efficiency and usage of the Elite Barbarians:
Pushes - Elite Barbarians should come with a heavy push just like how you use Hogs. They shouldn't be deployed in the other lane as there are numerous counters to them (e.g. swarm troops), which will lead to a bad Elixir trade on your end. So to make full use of this card, drop them together with your troops as it'll give them a higher chance of reaching the Tower; where it'll shine effectively.
Drop - Utilize the speed of this card. They can out speed almost any troops in the game and as such, you'll usually want to deploy them near the bridge where your opponent will have lesser time to counter them.
Spells - Due to the cards' weakness against swarm troops, you'd always want to reserve Arrows, Fireball, Zap or Log in order to clear your opponent's counter play. It's good to note that the Elite Barbarians can 1 shot squishy troops (Musketeers, etc.).
