Evolutions are Clash Royale’s newest and most creative addition with new evolutions being added every other month. As new cards are given an evolution, the meta is constantly changing with new balance changes on top of that as well. Some evolutions are hardly worth those hard earned and valuable shards so you’ll need to know what to spend them on. Each evolution ranges in cycles, from one to two cycles in order to activate their abilities.

Evolved cards offer a spin on already established cards, such as double freeze from Ice Spirit or a Tornado-esk effect on Valkyrie. Each evolution requires six “Evolution Shards” and to get them, you’ll need to get them from the following; Pass Royale at King Level 7, the Season Shop at King Level 8, Special Challenges, Shop Offers and Super Chests such as the Legendary or Lightning Chest. It is also important to note that each evolution offers something different or unique and no evolution is hardly ever the same.

The last thing to note is that for those beneath King Level 15, you’ll only be able to equip ONE evolution in any deck and for those at Level 15, the world becomes your oyster and you’ll be able to equip two. Just remember to slot your evolutions into the designated purple-neon "evolved" slot, where purple neon eclipses any evolved card and ensuring that your deck is ready for battle. If you don’t place your cards in the evolved variant, the game will register your deck as a non-evolved deck and you will play matches without an evolution. With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the best evolutions Clash Royale has to offer.

18 Evolved Ice Spirit

A frozen attack that offers few benefits

My God is this evolution useless. Ice Spirit is a shining example of upgrading gone wrong. For the low, low cost of two cycles and your precious and limited evolution spot, you get… A slightly longer freeze effect… That’s it. No upgraded health or speed. Just… An upgraded freeze effect for around 3.6 seconds.

Now hold on just one second! You might be thinking, "Wow, that sounds... Worthless." And you know what, you’re absolutely right, this thing is just straight trash. At a cost of two cycles, six shards and an evolution spot, this evolution isn’t even worth the shards, considering how rare they are and how difficult they can be to obtain. If you factor in the possibility that your Ice Spirit can be defeated before even getting its special ability off, say with Log or Arrows or a Mega-Knight deploy, there’s just nothing redeemable here! 

But there is hope. Yes there is absolutely hope for the Ice Spirit. Because there is a deck this card could shine in and that’s Hog 2.6! Why? Because it's one of the only decks that could be desperate enough to entertain the idea of using the evolved Ice Spirit, because it’s the ONLY available evolution! But even that’s questionable if you put Zap in your deck. But let’s cut the Ice Spirit some slack, surely most will opt for it over the Zap evolution, right? Probably not. But hey, a Hog can dream.

Just when it couldn’t possibly get worse, this card was made WORSE due to the fact that at launch, this card required three cycles instead of the “bargain” it has now of two cycles. Over all, the only thing this evolution is good for is for Clash fans to point at and laugh.

17 Evolved Goblin Barrel 

Pointless after a taken tower

Goblin Barrel, oh, Goblin Barrel, a fan favorite and a great cheap card to play and spam. So when it was announced that it was getting its own evolution, there was a ton of both hype and backlash for giving an already annoying card an even more obnoxious upgrade. But let me tell you, Goblin Barrel’s evolution may seem like an annoying and overpowered upgrade but in reality, it’s about as disappointing as the Clan Wars II update.

Sure, the idea of launching two barrels, one being full of one shot Goblin dolls and the other carrying the real Goblins, all for only three elixir sounds broken as hell and might seem good but in reality, it’s absolutely pointless. But let’s actually discuss WHY these barrels suck. Well, for starters, you have absolutely zero control over where the decoy barrel lands, only the real one. Unless you’re aiming for a King Tower activation, the Goblin Barrels will always land away from each other on the other lane.

And it doesn’t get any better, so let’s talk about the decoy Goblins for a moment. Bless their little green hearts because these Goblin dolls don’t put any pressure on the opponent since they die in one shot and then the opponent doesn’t even bother dealing with them because they’re so non-threatening. As for the real Goblins?  Would you like to know that they don’t even have a Raged version, upgraded health or at LEAST an extra Goblin? You know what you get for landing the real barrel? Nothing. No that’s not entirely true, you get to watch them get logged and then you get emoted on with a crying king emote. There is nothing special that would make them worth a two cycle evolution. Oh yeah, it costs two cycles to unlock them by the way.

Lastly, the biggest sin this evolution commits is that it doesn’t even trick your opponent like it’s supposed to do. Every competent player in this game that has even half a working brain cell will always know which are the real Goblins and which is the one to counter. It’s made even more worthless once you take a tower and send a decoy Goblin straight to a destroyed tower. Of COURSE they’re gonna know which one to counter! It’s a pointless card just as worthless as the Ice Spirit evolution with the only reason it is above it being that it can at least still function as a Goblin Barrel. Sure, the evolution is horrible but the card is still good. 

16 Evolved Zap

An electric bonus to a great card

Being so low on this list, you may think this card is useless just like the Goblin Barrel orlIce Spirit. Surprisingly, it’s quite good and packs quite the punch! Unlike the Ice Spirit where it needs to jump on a target in order to activate, Zap doesn't need to leap onto troops. No, sir! Because it’s a Spell, that means that with a simple flick of your finger, you can summon stun whenever you please and whenever you need it. Sure, that 0.5-second stun might seem short, but in the heat of battle, every split second counts.

Is there more? Absolutely! At a cost of two cycles in order to activate, Evo-Zap can take out cards a normal Zap could only dream of such as as Minions and Minion Horde and has the potential to even counter cards like Inferno Tower, nullifying it for three turns before allowing your push card, for example a Golem push with Bats or Minions, breaking through like they own the place.

So, is evolved Zap worth a spot in your deck? Well, it’s certainly not terrible and a great addition to your team, but that limited slot in your deck costs this card. Compared to some of the better cards like Evolved Firecracker or Evolved Knight, it’s just not worth the spot in your deck. It’s only recommended to use if your deck has Zap as its sole evolution or if you’re a King Level 15 player with two available slots. But hey, sometimes the smallest cards pack the biggest punch.

15 Evolved Valkyrie

A swirling upgrade for a powerful warrior

Ah, yes, the beautiful Valkyrie, now with a new ability and a new haircut. She is indeed a card seen everywhere in lower and mid-ladder, even seeing action in competitive play. Now she’s been given the destructive power of a Tornado!

This unique twist gives her the ability to counter cards like Hog Rider and prevent hits on your tower. At the cost of two cycles to gain access to her, you’ll find she can be very good, even able to take out air troops like Minions and Bats when she swirls! Like most things in life, however, there is a catch. For all her newfound power, the Valkyrie is not without her weaknesses. She can still be overwhelmed if placed in the center of big pushes and can even die faster than a normal Valkyrie.

So, is the evolved Valkyrie worth the six shards and two cycles it takes to unlock her? Well, that depends on your preference and the way you like to play. For Valk veterans, you’ll find the upgrade to be monstrous but for those new to her, maybe try using the Evo-Knight, you’ll thank yourself in the long run.

14 Evolved Bats

Bats gone vampiric

The tiny purple winged warriors have gotten a vampiric upgrade! Being some of the best cards in Clash Royale, able to take out Balloon Lava Hound or ground troops such as Giant. Being so fragile though, they die pretty easily to Snowballs and Zaps.

These bloodthirsty Vamp Bats have a new trick up their wings, a new healing effect kicking in every time they sink their fangs into a troop. But doesn’t Battle Healer heal herself AND friendly troops around her? What makes a simple healing ability so special? Well, because it takes their greatest weakness, their low health, and completely eliminates it. Sure, they’re not exactly Golem level of health but they now survive Zaps and Snowballs and God help your opponent if you place them with Miner! You could even push with Bats at full blood since it’ll take a Princess three shots to kill them. Even Dagger Duchess and Cannoneer are helpless against these nocturnal buggers. 

Spawning with five Bats, each capable of healing up to eight hit points per second, these Vampiric Bats work best in the obvious. Golem Clone decks, E-Golem Healer, Golem Spam, these guys are absolutely deadly and as terrifying as Dracula himself. If you’re after some gothic chaos, it wouldn’t hurt to give Evolved Bats a chance.

13 Evolved Wall Breakers

Skeletons with an explosive personality!

The best thing about this evolution is that traditional counters for Wall Breakers are no longer viable! That’s right, Evolved Wall Breakers are here to blow expectations out of the water and, of course, bomb those towers. The best thing about the Evolved Wallbreakers is that no matter how you play them, you’ll either be racking up tower damage or reaping positive elixir trades.

Log and Arrows will not stop these monsters as they’ll just break into their base form upon defeat and keep trucking. It's like trying to swat away a mosquito only to realize it's turned into a super mosquito and out for blood. Your opponent's blood! The only counter for Evolved Wall Breakers are buildings or heavy cards like Mega-Knight and even then you’ll be given an elixir advantage. It’s a win-win for you no matter what. Although they require two cycles in order to activate, if played in a cycle deck like Miner Control, you’ll be cycling to them like crazy and keep your opponent pressed for any sort of offensive attack. 

But like all good things in life, it’s not all fireworks and TNT. Evolved Wall Breakers can still be countered with any building, and even with your opponent at an elixir disadvantage, you’re not guaranteed a win. Either way, these little demolition experts are a great addition to your deck, especially if you're a Level 15 player with an extra slot at your disposal.

12 Evolved Tesla

A shocking evolution 

As it’s already one of the best defensive buildings in the game, Tesla’s evolution made it far more popular than it already is. The base Tesla is already a menace in popular push decks like Lumberloon and Hog Rider, but the Evolved Tesla? It's a whole new level of terror.

The Evolved Tesla has a unique ability where it sends a unique air and ground wave every time it engages an enemy troop that is in its range, freezing troops for a second while it does massive damage to the area. At a required two cycles to gain its evolved form, Evolved Tesla is a great addition to your deck and is near impossible to break through when placed correctly, especially in X-Bow decks. 

Don’t get carried through, you’re not invincible here. Tesla is still easily taken out with the Earthquake Spell, which can destroy an idle Evolved Tesla, even in the ground. Lightning and Fireball also destroy the Evolved Tesla quite easily and in a heavy push, if your opponent manages to take out your Tesla, it may be the difference between victory and defeat. For Level 14 players and below, it’s a great choice if it is the only possible evolution in your deck. For Level 15 King players, Evolved Tesla is a great and powerful choice to help you march to victory. 

11 Evolved Barbarians

A mean card with a meaner upgrade

Barbarians are often underestimated, dismissed as easy prey for a well-placed Fireball or a Mega-Knight drop and mostly being played as a defensive card against Giant or Golem and can even defeat a Mega-Knight should you deploy your Barbarians before he gets a jump and avoid his deployment.  But with their evolution, Barbarians transform into a dual-threat, enhancing both their offensive and defensive capabilities.

Seriously, the only thing holding Barbarians back has been their hefty five elixir cost and their susceptibility to splash damage. However, with their evolution costing just one cycle, you can unleash Evo-Barians carefree, especially if you’re running a fast cycle deck. The key is to deploy these golden warriors as frequently as possible to really capitalize their evolved form's potential. Evo-Barians come with a fearsome new ability in that every time they land a hit, similar to Evo-Bats, they rage, doubling their attack speed and damage.

And God help your opponent should two of these guys start raging on your opponents tower, they’ll lose it quicker than they can deploy a counter, or at the very least, lose a large amount of health. Your biggest counter will be splash damage, think Baby Dragon, Wizard, Mega-Knight’s deploy/jump, etc. Overall, these are a top pick for both Level 14 and Level 15 players and offer a great defensive and offensive addition to your deck.

10 Evolved Mortar

It’s a bird! A plane! A… Goblin? 

The first considered win condition is a great one! In the hands of a skilled player, Mortar is a formidable building that can absolutely devastate your defenses if left alone or dealt with poorly. This is because of its tendency to ‘ignore’ any troops that get within its range.

Unlike the X-Bow, which requires a clear path by eliminating approaching troops, Mortar will retarget to enemy structures within its range without needing to clear the battlefield first. This means you can essentially get free damage on a tower so long as a building is not placed. With an elixir cost of just four and a two-cycle requirement to evolve, the Goblin Mortar lets you deliver consistent pressure, combining Goblin shenanigans with Mortar bombardment on your opponent's tower.

However, you’ll need to get some practice with Mortar and find a good Mortar deck in order to build an unstoppable team because Mortar, while frustrating to go against, can be defeated and countered easily in the hands of a skilled player. You’ll need to strategize and make a game plan if you want to soar just like these flying Goblins. 

For Level 14 and Level 15 players alike, the Goblin Mortar is a great addition to any deck. Pair it with an Evolved Tesla or Zap to create a truly annoying defense and offense combination! With the right support, your Goblin Mortar can become a nightmare for your opponents.

9 Evolved Royal Giant

The Royal Giant just got a royal evolution

The Royal Giant is a card that has been terrorizing midladder players for years at this point and for good reason. Now, he has a horrifying new ability in that his main counter, ground swarms, are now helpless against him.

For every shot that the Evolved Royal Giant gets off, he stomps the ground, releasing a sort of Earthquake-like wave on the ground, destroying ground swarms and pushing mini units like Knight and Mini-P.E.K.K.A away from him. He also enjoys a one cycle requirement in order to activate. 

However, not everything halts before the might of the Evo-Royal Giant. Heavy hitters like P.E.K.K.A and buildings such as Inferno Tower can still talk him out quite easily. But for those battling in the lower mid ladder and are Level 14 or below, the Evolved Royal Giant is a fantastic choice for your evolution slot. For players with access to double evolutions, pairing the Evolved Royal Giant with the Evolved Firecracker creates a formidable duo. The Firecracker’s constant bombardments combined with the Royal Giant’s seismic ability can overwhelm even the most seasoned of players.

8 Evolved Royal Recruits

The spam will not stop

For most every card in the game, yes, including Elixir Golem, a sort of skill is required to use them efficiently. If any card would be considered a “No-Skill” card, it’s these bucket heads. Balancing on the edge of absurdity with a seven elixir cost and a glaring vulnerability to splash damage, Royal Recruits are the definition of bridge spam annoyance. They spread across both lanes like a plague, opening up opportunities for a Hog Rider or Giant to sneak in and wreak a tower, all while your opponent scrambles to manage the spam. 

It gets even better! The evolution of Royal Recruits cranks it up to eleven. Enjoying the luxury of a mere one cycle requirement, this evolution ensures that whenever a Royal Recruit loses their shield, they enter Prince-like charge after a few seconds and charge towers or troops for an attack as terrifying as Evolved Wall Breakers.

However, casual and seasoned players alike will seize the elixir advantage the moment you drop these recruits. A Wizard or Mega-Knight can swiftly take out your push, and some might even throw down a Golem if you’ve placed your recruits behind your towers. For those lost in mid ladder purgatory or who want to annoy your opponent to death, try giving this evolution a shot and you’ll be surprised at just how effective evolved Royal Recruits can be.

7 Evolved Bomber

This evolution is absolutely dynamite!

If you’re ready for more explosive fun then Bomber is your skeleton! Already a staple in many decks, Bomber’s evolution turns him into a long-range menace with a two-cycle upgrade that lets him target the opponent’s Princess Tower from across the river just like an Evolved Firecracker.

Seriously, if Log Bait has been annoying you then just put in the Evolved Bomber. Seriously, this little guy is akin to a Magic Archer in which if you line up his position, he can get shots off on the enemy tower. Combine him with Tornado to maximize his potential, dragging enemy troops into the blast radius of his bouncing bombs. Of course, there’s yet another con to these evolutions. For Bomber, it’s the fact he has durability of a wet paper bag, so it’s very VERY important to protect him!

It’s also important to note that he does require two cycles in order to activate so make sure your deck is a nice, effective and inexpensive deck in order to deploy him as much as possible. For Level 14 players, Bomber might not be the top pick as you’d be sacrificing a spot that could go to a more significant push evolution. For Level 15 players, this is a perfect compliment for your double evolutions, especially cards like Royal Giant or Battle Ram.

6 Evolved Wizard

This evolution just got a lot more intense

A mid ladder menace for sure, Wizard is practically expected within the mid to lower levels of Clash Royale, practically expected.  But his evolution? It's going to make him even more popular and powerful. Gaining a new shield ability, you can essentially turn Wizard into a deployable bomb by placing him in large pushes or swarm attacks. 

The key to using Evolved Wizard is to rethink how you use him. Don’t just plop him down like a regular Wizard, use that shield! That fiery barrier, when destroyed, erupts into an inferno wave that incinerates both air and ground units alike. Boom! Instant barbecue. Fried Minions, anyone? 

The trade off is that Evo-Wiz does shoot fireballs slower than his base form but the good news is that he only requires one cycle to activate his fiery shield ability. Either way, this is a great card for both Level 14 and Level 15 players alike and is made better knowing you can still have a powerful push without an offensive evolution on your side. Overall, for anyone who wants to unleash fiery carnage, this is one of your best options. 

5 Evolved Battle Ram

Upgraded Barbarians deserve upgraded equipment!

Enter the Evolved Battle Ram! Honestly the most hilarious evolution, the Evolved Battle Ram is also the best building assault troop in the game, able to constantly bounce off a building or a tower while continuously getting damage. Evo-Ram also has the ability to level through any ground swarms during its charge. Skeleton Army and Goblin Gang are no match for the charge of the upgraded Battle Ram! 

At the second stage, it unleashes two Evolved Barbarians to continue the chaos. At just four elixir and a two-cycle cost, this Evo-Ram is a bargain for the amount of value you get from it. But the best part? It pairs perfectly with P.E.K.K.A bridge spam decks! You might also consider Earthquake to ensure your Evo-Ram keeps bouncing off the Princess Tower in a hilarious onslaught. However, you’ll need to keep in mind that any stuns such as Zap or an Electro-Ice Spirit can rudely interrupt your ram’s relentless charge.

But the Evolved Battle Ram’s true nemesis is the Bowler. This oversized bowling enthusiast will continuously reset the Evo-Ram’s charge and then embarrass the two Evo-Barbs with ease. Mega-Knight can also spoil the fun with his deploy or jump. However, if just dealing with a Mega-Knight and no other troops or buildings, Battle Ram will still be able to get a new charge and gain a confirmed hit on the enemy tower. Despite being easy prey for non-ground swarms, the Evolved Battle Ram is perhaps the funniest evolution and one of the most effective push evolutions out there. Whether you’re using it as a solo deck evolution or as part of a double evolution strategy, both Level 14 and 15 players will love this addition! 

4 Evolved Archers

Trained by the Archer Queen herself

Behold the supercharged Archers! One of the most underestimated cards in all of Clash Royale, Archers are a card most gain access to and never use in battle and are often overlooked and relegated to the sidelines. Now with a shiny new evolution, they have suddenly stepped back into the limelight with their evolved form, capturing the attention of top players and rising in popularity! 

It’s truly baffling why these magnificent marks women weren’t adored sooner because the Evolved Archers are absolute monsters. Evolved Archer can absolutely melt tanks like Golem and even Mega-Knight. You can also split them down each lane, however, they are best paired together at a distance and with support like Knight or cover like Ice Golem. At a modest cycle cost of two and an elixir cost of three, these Archers are quite easy to cycle to whether you’re commanding a low elixir deck or a heavy Golem deck.

Just when it couldn’t get better, you’ll notice that the Evolved Archers aren’t just your ordinary arrow-slingers. Oh no, they’ve received a boost in range, stretching from five to six tiles, and a considerable bump in damage output. Over all, Evolved Archers counter a lot of meta decks, including Lumberjack Balloon decks, and are a great addition to both Level 14 and 15 decks, paired best with Evolved Knight and low elixir cycle decks.

3 Evolved Skeletons

The never ending horde

The evolution many considered trash is easily one of the most overpowered abilities in the game when used properly. At a one elixir cost and two required cycles, Evo-Skeletons can be played multiple times in a match for constant spam and so long as just one of them gets a hit, a new swarm will spawn in less than the blink of an eye.

Seriously, all it takes is your opponent to screw up their Arrows, Zap or Log and your Evolved Skeletons can easily take a tower and even a King Tower if not properly handled! Think about it, a one elixir card that has the potential to three crown any opponent as well as being able to be used both defensively and offensively on top of being easy to fail defending against, allowing them to get some hits on the enemy tower and if they do, God help your opponent because they’ll be dealing a literal endless Graveyard! Even Log or Zap can miss a few of them, allowing them to continue getting hits and spawning more of their kin. 

In a sole evolution deck, they may not be worth swapping for a push evolution like Battle Ram or Royal Giant but they are excellent in Hog 2.6, Log Bait or any deck that uses a push that can deal the most damage without an evolution. As for Level 15 players, Evolved Skeletons are a perfect addition to almost any deck looking to cheapen its elixir cost, adding a new deadly ability to your arsenal. 

2 Evolved Firecracker

What happens when Archers get bored!

Prepare for a fireworks display like no other, courtesy of the Evolved Firecracker! The absolute bane of every swarm deck, the sole counter to Golem Clone and any spam deck, Evolved Firecracker is easily the most popular of the current available evolutions. When Firecracker was first released, it was an apocalypse of Firecracker in every single match. Now, with her evolved form, that fiery frenzy is back with a vengeance!

Upon reaching high ladder and mid ladder, you’ll be pressed to play through a handful of matches without running into this card and it’s easy to see why. She has increased range and can target a Princess Tower from across the bridge, just like Magic Archer, which makes Tornado a great spell to keep with your Evolved Firecracker. 

She’s a three elixir spell for two cycles and a great trade off. She can easily destroy a bridge push like P.E.K.K.A Bridge Spam or E-Golem Healer Spam, E-Barbs Rage and any other push with multiple cards can easily be countered by Evolved Firecracker, all by herself.

Plus, every time she takes a shot, she is pushed back nearly two tiles, slowly but surely getting out of the line of fire. However, if put in danger, she is still quite fragile and easily defeated. For both Level 14 and 15 players, she’s a great addition to practically any deck that needs a swarm counter and an even better addition to a duo evolution card, pairing perfectly with cards like Evolved Royale Giant, Knight or Battle Ram.

1 Evolved Knight

Debatably the most versatile evolution, Evolved Knight is easily one of the most desired evolutions in the entire game. It can be played in practically any deck, even able to replace Ice Golem in Hog 2.6 or add a deadly new ability to Miner Control. Three elixir and two cycles brings you an upgraded Knight with upgraded health and a damage boost. His special ability revolves around his movement.

So long as he is moving forward, Evolved Knight can tank a magnitude of damage, including multiple shots from a Sparky or tanking the heaviest spells in the game such as Lightning and Rocket. He’s also able to be played as an offensive card, adding to his defensive ability. You can play Evolved Knight as cover, defense, offense, you can use him as a support card or your main push and he excels in practically every deck he battles in. The only counter to Evolved Knight are flying troops. 

Seriously, not buildings or heavy troops, just flying troops. Because he’s so cheap, you can easily use Arrows, Wizard or any cards that can deal with air danger. Overall, he’s one of the best evolutions you can get just for how versatile and powerful he can be, great for Level 14 and Level 15 players alike, made better due to how inexpensive and versatile he is. He is a great addition to any deck and has proven himself as a one of the most desired evolutions currently available. 

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