3 Elixir
Overview
Royal Ghost dominates the current meta with a 56.2% win rate and 18.43% usage (+1.05% this week). This 3-elixir Legendary combines splash damage with unique invisibility mechanics that make him incredibly versatile. After 1.2 seconds without attacking, Royal Ghost turns invisible and untargetable, allowing him to slip past defenses and pressure towers unexpectedly. His splash damage wipes out swarms while his tankiness (1100+ HP at tournament standard) lets him survive most light defenses. Royal Ghost excels in Royal Giant, Three Musketeers, and Graveyard decks where his ability to apply pressure while being difficult to address creates constant dilemmas for opponents.
Strategy
When to Play
Royal Ghost thrives as a lane pressure card that forces awkward responses. Drop him at the bridge when your opponent is low on elixir or has just played their counter (Valkyrie, Dark Prince). His 1.2-second invisibility delay means he'll turn invisible before reaching the tower if played from the bridge, forcing blind defensive placements. Use him to punish heavy elixir investments in the opposite laneāhis 3 elixir cost means you can pressure while still defending. Against swarm-heavy decks, Royal Ghost's splash damage clears Goblins, Guards, and Skeleton Army efficiently while staying alive for tower damage.
Placement
For offensive pressure, place Royal Ghost at the bridgeāhe'll walk a few tiles, turn invisible, then cross into tower range undetected. Opponents must predict his path or waste elixir on blind placements. For defensive value, place him in the center to intercept ground pushesāhis splash damage handles support troops while tanking hits from tanks. Against Hog Rider, a well-timed Royal Ghost in the center forces Hog to retarget while Ghost's splash damages any supporting troops. When defending Graveyard, place Ghost directly on the spawn zoneāhis splash clears Skeletons while surviving longer than most counters.
Synergies
Royal Ghost + Royal Giant is devastatingāGhost applies invisible pressure while RG demands defensive attention, splitting your opponent's focus. Royal Ghost + Three Musketeers works because Ghost tanks tower shots and forces early defensive commitment before you split Musketeers. Royal Ghost + Miner creates dual-threat pressureāboth require different counters, and Ghost's invisibility makes prediction harder. Royal Ghost + Graveyard pairs splash defense with win condition pressureāGhost handles opposing swarm counters while Graveyard spawns Skeletons.
Matchups
Strong Against
Swarm decks - Royal Ghost's splash damage efficiently clears Goblin Gang, Skeleton Army, and Guards for positive trades while staying alive for counterpush value.
Cycle decks - His invisibility makes him difficult to counter with cheap cards like Ice Spirit or Skeletons. Cycle decks must overcommit to stop Ghost's chip damage.
Glass cannon support - Ghost one-shots Archers, Dart Goblin, Princess, and damages Musketeer significantly. His invisibility lets him reach backline troops unpredictably.
Prediction-based defenses - Players who pre-place defenses struggle against Ghost's invisibility. He slips past Cannon, Tesla, and building placements when invisible.
Hog Rider - Placed correctly, Ghost kites Hog while dealing splash to supporting troops, making him an efficient defensive option.
Countered By
Valkyrie - Her 360-degree splash and tankiness hard-counter Ghost. She survives his attacks and eliminates him efficiently for a neutral trade.
Dark Prince - Shield absorbs Ghost's first hit, and his charge + splash counter Ghost effectively. DP dominates this 1v1 matchup.
Mega Knight - Jump damage and splash overwhelm Ghost. Never commit Ghost into Mega Knightāhe gets zero value.
Guards - Their shields absorb Ghost's splash attacks, requiring multiple hits to clear. Guards trade efficiently against Ghost.
Electro Wizard - Stun prevents Ghost from attacking, and E-Wiz survives long enough to eliminate him with tower help. Ghost rarely gets value against E-Wiz placements.
Tips
Invisibility timing: Royal Ghost turns invisible after 1.2 seconds without attacking. Place him at the bridge so he goes invisible BEFORE entering tower rangeāforces blind defensive placements.
Split-lane pressure: Drop Ghost in one lane while pushing the other. His 3-elixir cost means you can apply dual-lane pressure without overcommitting elixir.
Swarm clearing: Use Ghost's splash to clear Goblin Gang, Skeleton Army, and Guards. Position him so splash hits the maximum number of troops per attack.
Prediction dodging: Because Ghost goes invisible, opponents must predict his path. Vary your placement (inside, outside, center) to make predictions harder.
Tank support: Behind Royal Giant or Giant, Ghost provides splash coverage against swarms trying to distract your tank. His invisibility also makes him harder to pre-log.
Graveyard defense: Place Ghost directly on Graveyard spawn zones. His splash clears Skeletons efficiently while his HP outlasts most cheap counters.
Kiting mechanics: Against melee troops, place Ghost in the opposite lane to pull them across the arena. His tankiness means he survives long enough to be effective.
Counterpush value: After defending, support Ghost with Miner or another tank. His remaining HP translates to chip damage when opponents are low on elixir.
Common Mistakes
Revealing too early: Attacking with Ghost before crossing the bridge removes his invisibility advantage. Let him go invisible first, then attack for surprise value.
Solo offensive plays: Dropping Ghost alone against full-elixir opponents lets them counter easily. Use him as lane pressure when they're distracted or low on elixir.
Ignoring splash positioning: Placing Ghost where his splash only hits one troop wastes his AoE potential. Position for maximum splash coverage against swarms.
Fighting counters: Committing Ghost into Valkyrie, Dark Prince, or Mega Knight guarantees negative trades. Save Ghost for favorable matchups.
Predictable placement: Always placing Ghost in the same lane/position lets opponents pre-place counters. Vary placements to exploit his invisibility.
Defensive overcommitment: Using Ghost to defend when cheaper options work wastes his offensive potential. Save him for counterpush opportunities.
Ignoring tower targeting: Ghost targets buildings first. Against defensive buildings, he'll attack the building instead of going for tower damageāaccount for this.
Late-game cycling: In overtime, Ghost's 3-elixir cost matters less than direct damage spells. Don't cycle Ghost when Fireball or Poison would secure the win faster.