Clash Royale Lightning Guide

Type	Level/Tier	Objective	Reward
Damage Dealer	1	Deal a total of 77,500 Damage to enemy Troops or buildings	20 Lightning Cards 75
	2	Deal a total of 230,000 Damage to enemy Troops or buildings	6,000 75
	3	Deal a total of 385,000 damage to enemy Troops or buildings	150 75
Arena Destroyer	1	Destroy 180 enemy Troops or buildings	9,000 125
	2	Destroy 520 enemy Troops or buildings	20 125
	3	Destroy 920 enemy Troops or buildings	15,000 125

Decks

Electro Giant + Lightning Control Deck
This deck focuses on controlling the battlefield with Bowler and Tornado to clear swarms and support units. The Electro Giant serves as a tank, while Lightning is used to eliminate key threats like Musketeer or Archer Queen.

Golden Knight Electro Giant Bridge Push
Utilizes the Golden Knight’s dash ability to accelerate the Electro Giant’s advance, creating formidable bridge pushes. Lightning clears defending support units, allowing the Electro Giant to deal significant damage.

Electro Giant Beatdown Deck
Employs a slow but powerful push with the Electro Giant, supported by Baby Dragon and Tornado to clear swarms. Goblin Cage provides reliable defense, while Lightning removes high-value enemy troops.

Hog Rider Lightning Cycle Deck
A fast cycle deck that applies constant pressure with Hog Rider. Lightning is used to clear defensive units, enabling the Hog Rider to reach the tower more effectively.

How Lightning Works

The Lightning spell is a powerful and strategic tool that targets up to three enemy units or buildings with the highest hit points within its radius. With a radius of 3.5 tiles, the spell prioritizes targets based on their health, ensuring that it strikes the three units or buildings with the most HP within that range.

The Lightning spell lasts for 1.5 seconds, and it’s crucial that all three targets remain within this radius for the spell to hit them. If any of the targets move out of range during this time, they will not be struck. This characteristic makes precise placement and timing important when using Lightning. The spell can be used both offensively and defensively.

On offense, Lightning is highly effective at finishing off Crown Towers that have low health, or it can eliminate high-value troops that are threatening a push. The spell also serves a defensive purpose by dealing with powerful enemy units, such as tanks or support troops, that are strategically placed near other threats. An additional benefit is the stun effect, which disables the struck targets for 0.5 seconds, providing extra time to deal with them before they can react.

However, it’s important to note that while Lightning deals significant damage to most units, it deals reduced damage to Crown Towers compared to other targets. Lightning will only strike fewer than three targets if there aren’t enough units or buildings within its radius, so it’s most effective when used against multiple threats. The damage location is not random—Lightning always targets the units or buildings with the highest HP in the radius, making it a focused and reliable tool for taking down key threats. If a troop enters the area of effect just before Lightning strikes, it will be hit as long as it’s one of the highest health targets, adding an element of flexibility to the spell’s usage.

Overall, understanding how to time and position the Lightning spell correctly can be the difference between a successful push or defense and a missed opportunity.

Strategy

When using the Lightning spell, it’s essential to carefully consider several strategic elements to maximize its effectiveness. One of the most critical aspects is designating the targets within its radius. You should wait for the perfect opportunity to strike, aiming for the highest Elixir advantage by hitting multiple key targets at once, such as high-HP tanks, support units, or swarms of glass cannons.

It’s best to avoid using Lightning on a large group of weak units or a single target, as its true power shines when hitting multiple significant threats in a concentrated area. Lightning can be a game-changer when used to weaken or eliminate several powerful units simultaneously, disrupting your opponent’s plans and forcing them to adapt quickly to the situation.

Additionally, if you’re targeting a Crown Tower, make sure to aim for the corner to prevent hitting any surrounding troops or buildings, which would reduce the spell’s value. The spell’s ability to reset the target lock of units like the Inferno Tower or Inferno Dragon is another valuable feature, allowing you to gain control over the battlefield and stall your opponent’s push. Spacing your units effectively is crucial as it minimizes the risk of your opponent gaining good value from their Lightning, which can quickly turn the tide in their favor.

Also, units with higher health, such as Royal Hogs, can act as shields, absorbing the damage from the Lightning and protecting more fragile units like Three Musketeers. By keeping these strategic considerations in mind, you can use Lightning to deal devastating damage to key targets, turn the tide of battle, and make it a powerful tool that puts you in control of the game.

How to Use Lightning on Offense

On offense, the Lightning spell serves three key functions that can turn the tide of battle in your favor. First, it’s incredibly effective for finishing off troublesome units like Musketeer, Cannon, Witch, and Wizards, especially when they are positioned near enemy Crown Towers. The Lightning spell deals significant damage to these troops, ensuring that they are removed quickly, allowing your push to continue unimpeded.

Second, Lightning can be used to reset the attack of high-damage units like the Inferno Tower, Inferno Dragon, and Sparky. When used on these units, Lightning not only deals substantial damage but also resets their target lock on your tank or other units, preventing them from dealing prolonged damage and buying you valuable time to deal with them.

Lastly, Lightning can be used to shred and stun mini tanks like Valkyrie, which might otherwise cause problems for your push. By using the Lightning spell at the right moment, you can stun these troops while dealing significant damage, making it easier for your tank or other units to take them down.

Overall, Lightning works exceptionally well with tank units like Giant or Golem, as it can neutralize some of their biggest counters, allowing your tank to push deeper into the enemy’s territory and apply more pressure on the tower.

How to Use Lightning on Defense

On defense, the Lightning spell is highly effective for dealing with glass cannon units and high-damage threats like Sparky and Princes. When facing tank decks, it’s best to save your Lightning for the support troops, such as Musketeer, Wizard, or Witch, as these are the units that can deal the most damage to your defenses. If the opponent pushes with fewer than three troops, you can also consider targeting the tank, but avoid using Lightning to solely deal with tanks or to counter Double Prince pushes. While the Lightning can reset the Princes’ charge, it won’t eliminate them, as they will survive the attack.

Against Sparky decks, Lightning is especially useful, as it not only resets Sparky’s charge but also eliminates the glass cannon units supporting it, such as Musketeer, Wizard, or Witch. When defending, it’s important to avoid using Lightning on tanks, and instead, focus on hitting the support troops behind them. Additionally, the Lightning spell is effective at resetting the charge of troops like Prince, Dark Prince, Battle Ram, or Ram Rider, buying time to counter their advances. By strategically using Lightning on defense, you can make valuable trades and counter key threats, giving you the upper hand in critical situations.

Cards That Synergize with Lightning

The Lightning spell synergizes well with a variety of cards, enhancing the effectiveness of many strategies. It works particularly well with Golem decks, as it helps eliminate high-HP support troops and buildings, clearing the path for the Golem to deal damage. Bomber, Baby Dragon, and Night Witch all complement Lightning by providing support while the spell clears out enemy units. Skeleton King and Tombstone also pair effectively with Lightning, as they help create pressure and control the battlefield. Additionally, Tornado can be used to group enemy units together, making it easier for Lightning to hit multiple high-HP targets at once.

Prince and Royal Giant (RG) decks benefit from Lightning by clearing support troops and buildings that could otherwise hinder their attacks. Lava Hound decks are another good match, as Lightning can quickly deal with ranged threats like Musketeer or Princess that might be positioned behind the Lava Hound. Miner and Hog Rider decks can also use Lightning to eliminate threats like Inferno Tower or Musketeer, allowing these win conditions to deal more damage. Elixir Collector is a prime target for Lightning, especially if your opponent is trying to build an Elixir advantage. Beatdown decks in general synergize with Lightning, helping to clear the way for powerful tanks like Giant.

Graveyard decks benefit from Lightning by dealing with any defending troops or buildings that might interfere with the swarm of Skeletons. Ram and Barbarians can be used after the Lightning spell to absorb the damage and keep up the offensive pressure. Lastly, Sparky is a notable target for Lightning, as it not only resets Sparky’s charge but also deals significant damage, while simultaneously taking out supporting troops. By pairing Lightning with these cards, you can strengthen your offensive and defensive strategies, making it easier to gain control of the battlefield.

Cards to Counter With Lightning

The Lightning spell is a powerful tool for countering various high-value targets and troublesome units. It is especially effective against glass cannons, such as Musketeer, Wizard, and Witch, particularly when they are positioned near enemy Crown Towers, where the Lightning can eliminate them quickly. Additionally, Inferno Tower and Inferno Dragon are vulnerable to Lightning, as the spell not only deals significant damage but also resets their target lock, making it more difficult for them to focus on your troops. Sparky is another prime target, as Lightning can reset Sparky’s charge and deal substantial damage to it, preventing it from firing.

Lightning also excels at resetting charging troops, including Prince, Dark Prince, and Battle Ram, by stunning them and stopping their charge, which can be crucial for preventing these units from reaching your tower. For Three Musketeers, Lightning can be used effectively to counter all three, but it’s important to avoid hitting the Tower if you want to target all three Musketeers. Mortar and X-Bow setups can also be disrupted by Lightning, as it can cripple both buildings and force them to retarget if distracted.

The Elixir Collector is another key target for Lightning, as the spell can deny the opponent any Elixir generation from it. Cannon Cart is similarly vulnerable, as Lightning can render it useless by disabling it, causing it to despawn after 30 seconds. The Archer Queen can be destroyed by Lightning, even if her ability is active, making her a prime target, though this is typically a negative Elixir trade. Lastly, Furnace and Goblin Hut are buildings that have relatively low hitpoints and can be taken out by Lightning in a single strike, making them an easy elimination for this spell.

Conclusion

The Lightning spell is a versatile and powerful tool that can greatly influence the outcome of battles. As an Epic card unlocked in Arena 8, Lightning provides a unique combination of high damage and utility, making it a valuable asset in many deck strategies. Whether used offensively or defensively, Lightning’s impact is significant when utilized correctly. On offense, the spell can help eliminate key defensive units, such as Musketeers, Wizards, or Witch, that might be positioned near the enemy Crown Tower, dealing substantial damage while allowing for further pushes.

It can also reset the attacks of powerful troops like the Inferno Tower and Inferno Dragon, slowing their damage output and giving your tank units more time to survive. In addition to its offensive capabilities, Lightning can be used defensively to neutralize glass cannon units, like the Musketeer or Archer Queen, or reset charging troops such as the Prince or Dark Prince, stalling their advances and keeping your defenses intact.

Lightning is particularly useful in countering dangerous cards like Sparky, as it can not only deal significant damage but also reset her attack, making her less of a threat. Furthermore, it can handle buildings like the Inferno Tower or X-Bow, potentially disrupting their targeting when placed correctly. Synergistically, Lightning pairs well with high-health tank cards like Golem, Royal Giant, and Lava Hound, enhancing their effectiveness by clearing out key defensive threats that could slow down or stop these powerful units. Cards like Hog Rider and Miner also benefit from Lightning’s ability to eliminate back-end support troops, allowing them to deal more damage to the enemy towers.

By carefully considering Lightning’s role in your deck and how it interacts with various cards, you can create devastating combinations and effectively handle your opponent’s threats. Mastering the strategic use of Lightning can give you a significant advantage in both offensive pushes and defensive plays, providing an edge in many matchups across different arenas

Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q)