The latest Clash Royale update will go live on January 13, with plenty of new features to entice players. These features include a new arena, the Jungle Arena, and four new cards. As always, the update always affects the meta, and I will be going over how I think it will affect the gameplay. Supercell’s updates are always entertaining, and they provide plenty of new things to keep the game from getting stale.

New Arena:   

The new arena will be released on January 13^th. It will occupy the 2600-3000 trophies range and give these players an added 10% boost on chests and gold obtained from winning battles.

The arena will be called the jungle arena, providing players with a nice change in landscape from the typical “Frozen Peak” Arena or “Legendary” Arena. Cards could also be unlocked here such as the new dart goblin or the executioner.

New Cards:

The update will come with four new cards, one common, two rares, and one epic.

Goblin Gang: (Common)

 

Description: “Spawns six Goblins – three with knives, three with spears – at a discounted Elixir cost. It’s like a Goblin Value Pack!”

 

Stats at Tournament Level:

• Goblin Level: 9
• Spear Goblin Level: 9
• Deploy Time: 1 Second
• Goblin Count: 3
• Spear Goblin Count: 3

Conclusion:

This new card seems like a nice addition to the game, providing the user with a discounted six goblins for only three elixir. It could be used as an excellent support troop, or as a counter to single-target troops. It will be susceptible to a zap, and it will also be harder to cycle with due to the extra elixir.

Battle Ram: (Rare)

 

Description: “Two Barbarians holding a big log charge at the nearest building, dealing significant damage if they connect; then they go to town with their swords!”

Stats at Tournament Level:

• Hit-points: 756
• Damage: 246
• Barbarian Level: 9
• Targets: Buildings
• Speed: Medium
• Range: Melee
• Deploy Time: 1 Second

Conclusion:

A sort of prince, the battle ram will devastate a tower if it is allowed to hit. It provides great value for four elixir, two level nine barbarians spawning when it is destroyed. This could find its own niche in the meta.

Dart Goblin: (Rare)

 

Description: “Runs fast, shoots far, and chew gum. How does he blow darts with a mouth full of gum? Years of didgeridoo lessons.”

Stats at Tournament Level:

• Hit-points: 216
• Damage per second: 132
• Damage: 93
• Hit Speed: 0.7 Seconds
• Targets: Air & Ground
• Speed: Very Fast
• Range: 6.5
• Deploy Time: 1 Second

Conclusion:

The dart goblin is very weak, acting as a sort of ranged glass cannon. It has the same range as a Royal Giant, and it will act as an excellent support troop, chipping down enemies from long range.

Executioner: (Epic)

 

Description: “He throws his axe like a boomerang, striking all enemies on the way out AND back. It’s a miracle he doesn’t lose an arm.

Stats at Tournament Level:

• Hitpoints: 1010
• Damage per second: 58 x2
• Area Damage: 140 x2
• Hit Speed: 2.4 Seconds
• Targets: Air & Ground
• Speed: Medium
• Range: 5
• Deploy Time: 1 Second

Conclusion:

The Executioner serves as a sort of long range Valkyrie, dealing area damage as his axe boomerangs between enemy troops. At only five elixir, he is great value, capable of killing minions alongside small enemy troops.

I definitely see the executioner coming into the meta when the update is released.

Jan 2017 Update Speculation:

While we know most of the details about the game, there’s a fair bit of speculation about what else Supercell might decide to throw our way. Here are a couple of the ideas:

• New Chest – This one sounds interesting. Maybe a sort of chest that gives you gold.
• Expanded Shop – While this sounds great, I don’t think it will happen.
• End-game – This one is probably the most interesting of the three. Supercell have recently said that they don’t want to keep adding arenas, instead preferring to add an end game. Whatever this may mean, whether it be an an end to Arena 9 or something different, whatever happens could be very important for the future of the game.

Conclusion: This update figures to be one of the best yet, providing plenty of new content and a refreshing new change from Frozen Peak and Legendary Arena. As always, these cards will be hard to get, and you will probably not be able to use them until you reach tournament level.

The common card – Goblin Gang, will be easier to get. However the 2 rare and one epic will be hard to come by. Still its not impossible! So – Keep on fighting!