Mortar

Mortar is a Common building that costs 4 elixir. In the current meta, it holds a 53.8% win rate with a 4.6% usage rate across ranked ladder battles above 6000 trophies. This card is viable and balanced in competitive play. Costing 4 elixir, Mortar sits in the mid-range bracket where versatility matters most. This cost allows it to fit into both cycle-oriented and heavier deck compositions. While Mortar is not the most common pick at 4.6% usage, players who do run it tend to know its matchups well, so being prepared for it gives you an advantage.

As a building, Mortar serves a primarily defensive role by pulling enemy troops toward the center of the arena, buying time for your towers and other units to deal damage. Buildings like Mortar are essential for kiting tank-based pushes and disrupting pathing. Place it proactively to redirect incoming threats, or reactively to counter specific win conditions like Hog Rider or Giant. Proper tile placement is critical — a single tile of difference can mean pulling a troop to both towers or letting it lock onto one. Practice the standard 4-3 and 4-2 building placements to master Mortar.

Mortar performs especially well against Royal Ghost (59.8% win rate) and Wizard (51.3% win rate). It also holds favorable matchups against Rocket, Goblin Hut. These strong matchups mean Mortar thrives in metas where these cards are popular, giving you a natural advantage on ladder.

Watch out for Goblin Barrel (62.4% loss rate) and Goblin Hut (53.8% loss rate) — these are Mortar's toughest matchups. Cards like Rocket, Royal Ghost also pose significant threats. To play around these counters, adjust your placement and timing, and consider carrying support cards that cover Mortar's weaknesses.