4 Elixir
Overview
Dark Prince is a splashing mini-tank with a shield that makes him one of the most versatile support cards in Clash Royale. At 4 elixir, he brings area damage, a charge attack that doubles his first hit, and a shield that absorbs one lethal hit before he takes real damage. Dark Prince excels in Giant Beatdown and Double Prince archetypes where his splash clears the swarms that would otherwise distract your tank. His charge mechanic adds burst damage on offense, and his shield makes him uniquely resilient against spells - surviving Fireball + Log that would kill any other 4-elixir support troop. Dark Prince fills the role of anti-swarm splasher and secondary tank simultaneously.
Strategy
When to Play
Deploy Dark Prince behind your Giant to clear swarms (Skeleton Army, Goblin Gang, Minion Horde) that opponents use to distract your tank. His splash wipes out clumped defenders while Giant absorbs all incoming damage. On defense, Dark Prince handles ground swarm pushes efficiently: his splash and shield let him absorb and kill Goblin Gang, Skeleton Army, or Barbarians for positive trades.
Use Dark Prince's charge to punish overcommitments. When an opponent drops Golem or Lava Hound at the back, rush the opposite lane with Dark Prince at the bridge - his charge hit deals 478 damage to the tower immediately, forcing a response.
Placement
Place Dark Prince 2-3 tiles behind Giant on offense so his charge activates before reaching the bridge. A fully charged Dark Prince behind Giant deals splash damage to clumped defenders and pushes through swarms. On defense, drop Dark Prince centrally to pull troops into both towers' range while his splash clears clusters.
Against bridge spam, place Dark Prince at the bridge to intercept Bandit, Battle Ram, or Ghost. His shield absorbs Bandit's dash and charge hit kills most bridge spam troops. For split-lane defense, Dark Prince can handle one lane solo while your other troops defend the opposite lane.
Synergies
Dark Prince + Prince (Double Prince) is a classic bridge rush combination. Dark Prince clears swarms in front while Prince charges through to deal massive single-target damage. Giant + Dark Prince covers the tank's biggest weakness - swarm troops - while adding splash pressure that opponents cannot ignore.
Pair Dark Prince with Fireball to clear medium-health troops (Musketeer, Wizard) that survive his splash. In Golem decks, Dark Prince behind Golem clears the path while the baby Golemites tank after death - creating an unstoppable splash wave.
Matchups
Strong Against
- Skeleton Army: Charge hit + splash kills entire Skeleton Army instantly. Dark Prince makes Skeleton Army defense worthless.
- Goblin Gang: Splash clears all Goblins in 1-2 swings. Shield absorbs Spear Goblin poke while he closes distance.
- Princess: Charge hit one-shots Princess from across the bridge. Dark Prince is one of the best Princess counters.
- Witch: Shield absorbs initial hits while Dark Prince kills Witch and her skeleton spawns with splash. Clean trade.
- Barbarians: Splash damage kills clumped Barbarians faster than any single-target troop. Shield extends his survival.
Countered By
- Mega Knight: Jump damage breaks shield, then Mega Knight kills Dark Prince. Do not engage Mega Knight 1v1.
- P.E.K.K.A: Two hits break shield and kill Dark Prince. Avoid direct confrontation - use Dark Prince for splash, not tanking P.E.K.K.A.
- Valkyrie: Higher HP and similar splash damage. Valkyrie wins the 1v1 fight consistently with health to spare.
- Air troops: Dark Prince cannot hit air units. Balloon, Minions, and Lava Hound fly over him completely.
- Tornado: Pulls Dark Prince away from his target and resets his charge. Wastes his offensive potential entirely.
Tips
Charge distance: Dark Prince needs 3.5 tiles of running distance to activate his charge. Place him far enough behind your tank so he arrives at the bridge fully charged.
Shield baiting: Dark Prince's shield absorbs any single hit regardless of damage. Use this to tank a P.E.K.K.A hit, Sparky blast, or Rocket - the shield breaks but Dark Prince survives.
Opposite lane punish: When opponent commits 7+ elixir to one lane, rush the other with Dark Prince at the bridge. His charge deals 478 tower damage before they can respond.
Splash positioning: Place Dark Prince slightly to the side of clumped defenders so his splash hits all of them. Direct center placement may only hit the front troop.
Double Prince combo: Deploy Prince behind Dark Prince so Dark Prince's splash clears swarms while Prince's charge connects on tower. This dual-charge rush deals 1500+ damage.
Spell resilience: Dark Prince survives Fireball + Log thanks to his shield. Bait opponents into wasting spells on him, then push with unspelled glass cannons.
Common Mistakes
Solo bridge rush: Dark Prince alone at bridge in single elixir is easily countered by any mini-tank or building. Only rush when opponent is low on elixir.
Fighting tanks head-on: Using Dark Prince to kill Giant or Golem wastes his splash ability. Let tower or single-target troops handle tanks while Dark Prince clears support.
Ignoring air weakness: Committing Dark Prince into a lane where opponent has Balloon or Minion Horde leaves you exposed. Always have air defense ready.
Wasted charge: Placing Dark Prince directly on top of enemy troops cancels his charge. Keep distance so the charge activates for double damage.
Grouping with support: Stacking Dark Prince directly on top of your other support troop gives Fireball or Poison massive value. Spread your troops behind the tank.