Clash Royale Skeletons Evolution Guide

Introduction

Evolved Skeletons

Elixir Cost1

Cycle Cost2

RarityCommon

TypeTroop

ArenaBone Pit

Release Date19 June 2023

The Card Evolution update has introduced exciting changes to Clash Royale, with the fourth and final evolution event focusing on the Skeletons. In this event, players can choose the Skeletons as their evolution card, alongside the Giant, in the Skeletons Evolution Challenge. While the Skeletons might not seem like the most exciting evolution option at first glance, they can be surprisingly disruptive for your opponents in Clash Royale Skeletons Evolution.

This challenge allows players to experiment with the Evolved Skeletons, offering opportunities to either build decks to support their use or counter the opponent’s strategies effectively. Whether players opt to utilize the Evolved Skeletons or focus on countering them, finding the right balance in deck composition is key to mastering the challenge and securing victory.

Card Statistic

Statistics

Cost	Hit Speed	First Hit	Speed	Deploy	Range	Target	Count	Transport	Type	Rarity
5	1.3 sec	0.4 sec	Medium (60)	1 sec	Melee: Short (0.7)	Ground	x5	Ground	Troop	Common

Evolution Attributes

Cycles	Max Count
2	8

Card Statistics

Level	Hitpoints	Damage	Damage per second

Overview

The Skeleton Evolution in Clash Royale, introduced on June 19, 2023, brings a dynamic twist to the classic 1-Elixir Skeletons card. Once unlocked using 6 Evolution Shards, the card spawns three Skeletons in a square formation with the same base stats as the original. However, the evolved form introduces a unique mechanic called “Never-ending Horde,” which generates an additional Evolved Skeleton with each attack, allowing up to eight Evolved Skeletons on the field at once. This ability makes them a potent swarm force capable of overwhelming opponents if not dealt with quickly.

The Skeleton Evolution card costs 1 Elixir and becomes available in Bone Pit. Its evolution cycle activates after playing the standard Skeletons card twice, with the third deployment being the Evolved version. This cycle-based mechanic adds a layer of strategy, as players must carefully plan their card rotations to utilize the Evolved Skeletons effectively. These evolved troops are especially strong due to their high damage output relative to cost, making them ideal for countering high-health tanks like the Giant or Royal Giant.

Deck Building

GobDrill MA Nado 3.0 Cycle:

Is a fast-paced cycle deck that thrives on pressure and control. It features Skeletons Evolution for both offensive swarming and defensive utility. The Valkyrie Evolution and Magic Archer form the backbone of swarm and splash control, while the Goblin Drill acts as the primary win condition, tunneling directly to enemy towers. Bomb Tower serves as a sturdy structure to handle tanks, and the Tornado-Log combo clears out swarms effectively. This deck is designed for quick elixir cycling, allowing you to get back to your evolved cards quickly and maintain consistent pressure.

EGolem SK NW Rage:

Centers around massive, overwhelming pushes. Elixir Golem leads the charge as a tank, supported by heavy hitters like Goblin Drill and Wizard Evolution. Night Witch and Void back up the push with swarm generation and crowd control. Skeletons Evolution enhances the pressure with its multiplying ability, especially dangerous behind a Rage spell. The synergy between Rage and the high-attack-speed troops creates an avalanche that’s difficult to stop, especially when supported by Arrows for anti-swarm.

Strategies and How to Play Evolved Skeletons

The Evolved Skeletons excel in both defense and offense, making them a versatile card in many situations. On the defensive side, they are especially effective against tank units like the Giant or Royal Giant, as their ability to multiply allows them to quickly surround and overwhelm these high-health troops. They can also stall slow-moving troops such as the P.E.K.K.A, offering a significant positive Elixir trade as they continuously summon new skeletons with each attack.

Their respawning mechanic functions like a perpetual Tombstone, stalling most ground units unless countered by a spell or troops with 360° splash damage, like the Mega Knight or Valkyrie. In tight situations, using cheap, low-Elixir cycle cards to quickly get back to the Evolved Skeletons can be a lifesaver, enabling faster deployment. A good placement strategy is to split the Evolved Skeletons behind the King Tower, which helps shuffle your deck faster and forces the opponent to decide which lane to attack, as multiplying skeletons can quickly shut down pushes in either lane.

Offensively, while Evolved Skeletons on their own are unlikely to connect to a Princess Tower, they can be dangerous if allowed to spawn up to 8 skeletons. If they manage to touch a tower and your opponent has no spells ready, the tower can quickly be overwhelmed due to the rapid multiplication of skeletons. This makes the Evolved Skeletons a significant damage threat if they’re left unchecked. They can also serve as a damage boost to an existing attack, adding pressure to your opponent’s defenses.

Placement is crucial to maximizing the effectiveness of the Evolved Skeletons. To counter ranged troops like the Musketeer, place the Evolved Skeletons directly on top of them to negate their advantage. Against area damage ranged units like the Baby Dragon, place the skeletons in a way that surrounds the troop, preventing immediate destruction and allowing for the skeletons to start multiplying.

They are also effective at countering Goblin Barrels by positioning them under the bottom Goblin, allowing the Evolved Skeletons to target it while others multiply and distract the remaining Goblins. For Bandit or Prince encounters, positioning the Evolved Skeletons a few tiles away from the opponent’s attack path can prevent them from being wiped out quickly, allowing the skeletons to continue multiplying and taking down the enemy.

In terms of synergies, Evolved Skeletons work well with swarm cards, as they can bait out spells, allowing other units to deal more damage. Pairing them with Royal Hogs creates split-lane pressure, forcing the opponent to use spells on one lane while the skeletons multiply on the other. Stun effects from cards like Ice Spirit or Freeze give the Evolved Skeletons more time to attack and multiply, making them even more dangerous.

Using an Ice Golem to distract an attacker while the Evolved Skeletons follow up behind is a strong defensive tactic, quickly dealing high damage for a low Elixir cost. The Little Prince pairs well with Evolved Skeletons in fast-cycle decks, complementing their offensive potential and helping cycle back to the Evolved Skeletons faster.

The key to using Evolved Skeletons effectively lies in exploiting their multiplication ability. After their recent buff, the speed at which they multiply can overwhelm opponents rapidly if not dealt with promptly. Even a single Evolved Skeleton can cause significant damage to a tower if left unchecked, making them a dangerous tool for capitalizing on opponent mistakes and potentially securing a win with just one Elixir.

Counters to Evolved Skeletons

The Evolved Skeletons, while powerful due to their multiplying ability, can be effectively countered using the right cards and strategies. One of the most straightforward ways to deal with them is through spells. The Log is a cheap and effective option, especially when the skeletons haven’t fully multiplied, as it clears out a large number of them. Fireball and Zap are also strong counters, with the Fireball clearing a significant group, and Zap instantly eliminating multiple skeletons, even when they’ve multiplied.

Giant Snowball can knock the skeletons back while dealing area damage, disrupting their attack and multiplication. Arrows and Earthquake are also useful, with Arrows clearing a large group before they multiply too much, and Earthquake providing damage, especially when the skeletons are spread out. Tornado can pull the skeletons toward the King Tower, where they can be more easily dealt with or clumped together for easier elimination, while Poison can slowly damage and prevent their multiplication.

Troops with area-of-effect (splash) damage are highly effective against the Evolved Skeletons. Valkyrie excels with her spinning attack, hitting multiple skeletons at once. The Mega Knight and Dark Prince both deal area damage on landing and with their charge attacks, respectively, making them great counters to swarms. The Baby Dragon can target the group with its splash attack, and both the Electro Wizard and Ice Wizard can disrupt their multiplication with their area damage and slowing effects. Other splash damage units like the Bomber, Executioner, and Bowler can also clear out or disrupt the skeletons. Mother Witch is particularly troublesome, as she will destroy each Evolved Skeleton and spawn Cursed Hogs, which can apply pressure on your towers.

For single-target troops, the Electro Spirit stands out as an excellent counter, with its ability to chain onto all the skeletons, even when they’ve multiplied. Ice Golem is also effective, as its death damage will wipe out many surrounding skeletons. Bandit can dash through and eliminate several before they multiply, while Prince and Mini P.E.K.K.A can charge through and quickly take out a portion of the swarm. Musketeer and Archer Queen can handle the Evolved Skeletons from a distance, although they may struggle against larger numbers. The Royal Ghost can deal area damage with each hit while staying hidden, and Cannoneer can target them effectively if within range.

Buildings can also be helpful in countering the Evolved Skeletons. The Bomb Tower is effective for dealing with ground troops, including the Evolved Skeletons, especially when placed to target them as they approach. Tesla can target them and absorb some damage, allowing your towers to assist in dealing with the swarm. Similarly, Cannon can be cycled to help pull and eliminate the skeletons, especially when used near your towers for additional support.

Strategic placement and timing play a significant role in dealing with the Evolved Skeletons. Proper troop placement can prevent the initial skeletons from reaching key units or towers, giving you more time to react to their multiplication. It’s important to anticipate when your opponent has cycled to their Evolved Skeletons and be ready with a counter, knowing it takes two cycles for them to evolve after the card appears in hand. Princess Towers and the King Tower can assist in defense, especially if you use Tornado to pull the skeletons toward the King Tower, activating its defensive power.

Lastly, understanding the evolution cycle of the Evolved Skeletons can help you apply pressure. Since it takes two cycles to deploy the evolved form, you can force your opponent to use regular Skeletons defensively or risk taking damage, preventing them from reaching their full potential. Combining spells with troops or splash damage units is often the most reliable way to handle the Evolved Skeletons before they can overwhelm your defenses.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Evolved Skeletons have undergone a significant transformation in Clash Royale, evolving from a card initially considered underwhelming to a potent force capable of swinging matches. Their core mechanic involves spawning four skeletons for just one Elixir, with the unique ability to summon an additional Evolved Skeleton with each attack, up to a maximum of eight. This multiplying nature, especially after receiving an attack speed buff, can quickly overwhelm opponents if not dealt with promptly.

The Evolved Skeletons have found a strong niche in fast cycle decks with low average Elixir costs, allowing players to reach their evolved form frequently and apply constant pressure. While not always a central win condition, they can become one if they lock onto a tower and are left unanswered. Defensively, their respawning ability makes them act like a “perpetual Tombstone,” effectively stalling many units.

Despite their strength, it’s important to remember that the Evolved Skeletons require two cycles to deploy in their evolved form after appearing in hand. Skilled players can exploit this by tracking the opponent’s cycle. Furthermore, they have several effective counters, including spells like The Log, Zap, and Fireball, as well as troops with splash damage. The Mother Witch remains a particularly strong counter.

Initially, the Skeleton Evolution was met with criticism, with some players finding it ineffective due to the number of cycles required for evolution and its seemingly situational value. However, subsequent buffs have clearly shifted their position in the meta, making them a card that demands respect and a strategic response.

Ultimately, whether using or facing the Evolved Skeletons, strategic play is crucial. Understanding cycle management, spell baiting, predictive placement, and knowing when and how to deploy counters are key to maximizing their potential or neutralizing their threat. The Evolved Skeletons exemplify how a seemingly simple and inexpensive card can, with an impactful evolution, become a significant factor in the ever-evolving landscape of Clash Royale.

Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q)