Clash Royale's History of the Mirror
Gratz・44 minutes read
The Mirror card in Clash Royale has undergone numerous changes and balance adjustments over the years, with recent updates making it less viable in-game. Suggestions have been proposed to potentially fix the Mirror card by adjusting Elixir generation speed, card prices, and overall balance.
Insights
- The Mirror card in Clash Royale has a tumultuous history, from a bug that made it overpowered to multiple balance changes and buffs, reflecting the game's evolving design and understanding of Elixir value.
- Despite various adjustments and buffs over the years, the Mirror card has struggled to find a consistent place in the game meta, facing challenges in balancing its unique mechanics and relevance, leading to ongoing discussions about its potential fixes and future within Clash Royale.
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Recent questions
What is the Mirror card in Clash Royale?
A card that copies other cards.
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Summary
00:00
Evolution of Mirror Card in Clash Royale
- Clash Royale, upon its launch, introduced mechanics from Clash of Clans, leading to issues in fitting into the game's landscape.
- The Mirror card, unique in its ability to copy other cards, was released on January 4th, 2016, during a time of game experimentation.
- At the game's inception, there were only 42 cards, with Epics having an advantage due to their higher levels.
- The Mirror card's mechanics initially mirrored cards at the same level, making it less advantageous due to Elixir costs.
- A bug in the Mirror card allowed players to use it without the intended Elixir penalty, making it more powerful than perceived.
- The Mirror card's bug was fixed in February 2016, altering its strength significantly.
- The introduction of the Legendary Rarity in March 2016 impacted the Mirror card, allowing it to spawn higher-level Legendaries.
- Despite the Legendary advantage, the Mirror card's one Elixir cost made it less appealing for competitive play.
- In May 2016, the Mirror card was adjusted to properly spawn level 13 cards, enhancing its consistency.
- The Mirror card's history reflects early game design flaws and the evolving understanding of Elixir value in Clash Royale.
11:37
Mirror Card Buffed to Add Two Levels
- Level 6 legendaries were removed in an update, possibly due to consistency with the mirror card.
- Adding level 14 Commons, level 12 rares, and level 9 epics to maintain mirror consistency was deemed undesirable.
- The mirror card was considered practically useless in the summer of 2016.
- In September 2016, the mirror received a significant buff, spawning mirrored cards one level higher.
- This unique buff allowed for special interactions, like mirrored goblins surviving a zap.
- The buff enabled a maxed mirror to spawn unattainable levels of common, rare, and epic cards.
- Supercell accidentally removed level 14 troops in November 2016, indicating they were added with the mirror buff in September 2016.
- The mirror faced seven balance changes in 2016 alone, indicating its struggle for balance.
- Supercell ruled out a mirror rework in May 2017, acknowledging its weakness.
- In April 2022, the mirror received a significant buff, now adding two levels to the mirrored card, sparking excitement in the community.
23:52
"Mirror Nerf Shifts Meta Dynamics in Clash"
- Clash Royale was testing potential synergies, leading to excitement over the versatility of the Mirror card.
- A major exploit called the three-card cycle emerged due to a Champion being in the arena, allowing for quick cycling of powerful cards like Earthquake and Mirror.
- An emergency nerf was implemented on Earthquake after four days to reduce its damage to Crown Towers.
- Mirror's usage rate increased to 20% with a decent win rate, often paired with bait decks and Giant Skeleton decks.
- Electro Giant received a rework, making a mirrored Electro Giant essentially a pre-balance buffed version, leading to a dominant strategy.
- Electro Giant received a health buff in June 2022, making it popular and enabling the Electro Giant Mirror strategy.
- The Mirror was reverted to its pre-April state in September 2022 due to its overpowering synergy with Electro Giant and Giant Skeleton.
- The Mirror was nerfed again in October 2022, preventing it from mirroring cards played before a Champion, leading to a significant increase in usage and win rate.
- The release of the Phoenix and Monk cards in October 2022 led to the Mirror's preemptive nerf to reduce its toxicity when paired with these powerful cards.
- Supercell's decision to nerf the Mirror was likely to shift focus to the new overpowered cards, the Phoenix and Monk, indicating a strategic move to control the game's meta.
36:18
"Mirror Card Challenges and Potential Fixes"
- The mirror card in Clash Royale has undergone changes over the years, with recent adjustments making it less viable in the game. Suggestions have been made to potentially fix the mirror by doubling the Elixir generation speed, doubling card prices, capping the Elixir Bar at 20, and adjusting the mirror's cost to be more balanced.
- The mirror was initially introduced as a fun concept in Clash Royale but has faced challenges in maintaining relevance due to game dynamics. Despite brief periods of popularity, the mirror's future in the game remains uncertain, with potential updates to its card art and ongoing discussions about its viability.
