The Princess – The Oldest Playable Clash Royale Card
With the recent introduction of level 14 cards and new Champions, it‘s easy to overlook the game‘s roots. But a few pieces of "vintage" Clash Royale live on from the very beginning. Chief among them is The Princess – the oldest playable card in Clash Royale released back in February 2016.
Why This Legendary Has Endured Over 6 Years
As an original Legendary card, The Princess pioneered a couple of novel mechanics still intrinsic to her identity today.
- Extreme Range – Her 35 tile reach allows attacking from the bridge to the opposite Princess Tower
- Precision Area Damage – Each arrow splinters to hit nearby targets for small splash effect
These traits enable unique styles of play focused on relentless chip damage from range.
And players have continued taking advantage of her specialty:
| Year | Usage Rate |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 13% |
| 2017 | 12% |
| 2018 | 10% |
| 2019 | 11% |
| 2020 | 9% |
| 2021 | 7% |
Ranging between 7-13% usage means The Princess has proven herself as highly viable over the years, even in an expanding pool of 95+ card options today.
Her novelty may have worn off a bit as more precision ranged troops (Dart Goblin, Firecracker) fill niche roles and bait decks shift strategies. But The Princess still brings unique map pressure that veterans and casual players appreciate alike.
More Cards From the Clash Royale Launch Roster
Beyond her highness, Clash Royale kicked off with a host of cards that still impact matches today. A few other trip down memory lane include:
| Card | Type | Elixir | Key Attributes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giant | Tank | 5 | Big distraction unit |
| Skeletons | Swarm | 1 | Cheap cycle/distraction |
| Goblin Barrel | Swarm | 3 | Tricky damage source |
| Spear Goblins | Swarm/Ranged | 2 | Cheap distraction + DPS |
As iconic Commons and Epics, these established the early archetypes centered around tank support, cheap cycle potential, and relentless chip damage from annoying sources (here‘s looking at your Barrel + Princess!).
Analyzing Their Staying Power Across 6 Years
What gives these early cards such impressive staying power even with 100+ additions providing players more options?
- Unique Abilities – Spear Goblins long range poke or Giant Skeleton bomb mechanics provide differentiated value
- Archetypal Core – Giant and Hog form essential tank roles, Goblin Barrel cemented "bait"
- Easy to Level Up as Commons/Rares, especially for casual players
- Nostalgia Bias – Veterans fondly remember their first maxed card
Reflecting on their initial utility shows how even simple tools like Skeletons form the basis for kiting techniques critical today. And learning matchups, interactions, and placements for these classics represents a rite of passage for new players.
Maintaining Relevance Over the Years
If we analyze theEvolution of some of the launch legendaries, their ongoing viability stems from small reworks adjusting stats rather than fundamentally altering core functionality:
- Giant – Hit speed tweaked in 2017, Hitpoints boosted in 2018 and 2021 for more tank value
- Goblin Barrel – Spawn time standardization in 2018, brief Barb Barrel crimping its style in 2019
- The Princess – Vision/range adjustments in 2016, 2017 and 2021 to normalize interactions
Contrast attempts at major reworks for cards added after launch – Battle Healer in 2020, Witch 2021 – which struggled to keep these newer options playable.
Meanwhile cards from that initial batch tend to see careful stat nudges or spawn pattern shifts. Preserving strengths while gently rotating them in and out of peak viability.
The Verdict on Vintage Cards Staying Viable
As legends of previous metagames, can these elderly Clash Royale cards keep pace as power creep introduces scary new threats and mechanics?
In my opinion as a long-time player: the vintage launch collection should maintain niche roles due to their uniqueness. My experience suggests the Clash Royale team seems committed to ensuring cards from 2016 avoid fading away into obscurity through minor adjustments. Sparing these classics the rule-bending effects and phase-shifting properties defining recent additions (I see you, Mighty Miner!)
That staying power stems from specialized utility serving as the backbone of trio combinations we still see today – Giant Prince Wizard was nasty back then and remains dangerous now!
I believe their established identities provide enduring utility you can‘t quite replicate with new Champions. So expect a healthy mix of these OG‘s in ladder and challenges for years to come thanks to their legendary beginnings!
