Updated November 2, 2026 · win rates from RoyaleTracker's Evolution tier list dated November 1. The list covers the last three weeks of Ranked, so it likely includes games from before the October 19 balance update and predates the King vs. King season (Season 89), which starts November 2.
Quick answer: The highest win rate belongs to Evo Mortar at 53.1%, but the best Clash Royale Evolution to unlock first for most players is Evo Zap (52.5%). It costs 2 Elixir, fits many deck types, and took no Evolution-specific nerf in 2026. Evo Battle Ram (52.5%) and Evo Royal Ghost (52.4%) complete S tier. Keep your Wild Shards until Evo Giant and Evo Mirror have real data.
This list has changed a lot since September. We put Evo Firecracker first back then, and she now sits near the bottom at 47.7%. Evo Royal Giant and Evo Wall Breakers, our other two top picks, sit below the average too.
The numbers come from RoyaleTracker's Evolution tier list: 43 Evolutions, Ranked only, the last three weeks, from a sample of 12,062,650 battles, with an Evolution average of 50.27%. The tiers are RoyaleTracker's: S is 2 or more points above the average, D is 2 or more below. The first-unlock order and reasoning are ours. Win rate tells you how an Evolution does across every deck that runs it, not whether it suits yours.
What is the best Evolution in Clash Royale right now?
Here is the short version, with the cost of reaching each evolved play. "Elixir to first Evo" is the base cost multiplied by cycles plus one, using the wiki's cycle counts.
| Evolution | Tier | Win rate | Use rate | Elixir | Cycles | Elixir to first Evo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evo Mortar | S | 53.1% | 5.0% | 4 | 2 | 12 |
| Evo Zap | S | 52.5% | 7.1% | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Evo Battle Ram | S | 52.5% | 7.2% | 4 | 2 | 12 |
| Evo Royal Ghost | S | 52.4% | 6.7% | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| Evo Goblin Cage | A | 52.2% | 2.8% | 4 | 2 | 12 |
| Evo Skeleton Barrel | A | 51.7% | 7.8% | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| Evo Baby Dragon | A | 51.7% | 7.2% | 4 | 2 | 12 |
| Evo Elite Barbarians | A | 51.2% | 7.0% | 6 | 1 | 12 |
| Evo Mega Knight | C | 48.3% | 8.9% | 7 | 1 | 14 |
| Evo Witch | D | 48.2% | 10.0% | 5 | 1 | 10 |
| Evo Firecracker | D | 47.7% | 7.2% | 3 | 2 | 9 |
Why is Evo Zap the best first unlock?
Evo Zap is the cheapest S-tier Evolution to reach: 6 Elixir through the first evolved cast, half of Evo Mortar or Evo Battle Ram. The evolved version hits twice, and the wiki says the second hit keeps the same damage and stun over a slightly larger area.
That second hit matters. At Level 11, Zap deals 192 damage, which doesn't kill a 202-HP Goblin. Two hits total 384, enough for Goblins or 230-HP Minions that stay in the area.
It also travels well. RoyaleTracker's Evo Zap page tracks 30 lists across Golem, Lava Hound, Giant and Miner shells. Among its better-tested lists, the strongest is a Golem build at 69.4% over 2.0K battles. The most played is an Evo Goblin Giant and Sparky list at 54.5% over 2.4K. These deck pages publish no date window and move daily, so don't compare them directly with the 52.5% card-wide figure.
Across all ten of Supercell's monthly 2026 balance posts we read, Evo Zap has no line of its own. Base Zap lost Crown Tower damage on June 1, 58 to 48, and that carries over. Zap unlocks at Arena 5, so most players can use it early.
Why is Evo Mortar first on the list but not the first unlock?
Because it mostly works in one archetype. Evo Mortar's 53.1% is the best on the list across 600,804 battles, while base Mortar sits at 47.0% and only 0.3% use. The two numbers come from different decks, so the 6.1-point gap isn't a clean measure of what the Evolution adds. It does show how few players run Mortar without it.
It leads the list despite two direct nerfs. June 1 slowed its Goblin deploy from 0.2s to 0.5s, and August 4 slowed the evolved hit speed from 4s to 4.7s while base Mortar sped up to the same 4.7s.
The Mortar shell has also been targeted. On October 19, Supercell wrote: "Mortar decks are often impossible to break through, so we're targeting Cannon Cart to reduce the archetype's defensive potential." The source is the official October balance notes. RoyaleTracker publishes no exact dates, but a three-week window ending November 1 reaches back to about October 11, so the sample likely includes games from before that nerf.
Evo Skeleton Barrel appears in 18 of the 30 lists on RoyaleTracker's Evo Mortar page. The most tested of those is Evo Skeleton Barrel, Evo Mortar, Hero Ice Wizard, Goblin Gang, Rascals, Cannon Cart, Fireball and Barbarian Barrel, at 64.9% over 3.7K. If you want to play siege, this is the Evolution to take. If you don't, skip it.
Are Evo Battle Ram and Evo Royal Ghost still worth it?
Yes, if you play bridge pressure. Evo Battle Ram holds 52.5% across 863,729 battles even after the September 8 knockback nerf, 2.5 to 2 tiles. The newest risk is a Season 89 bug fix: its charge "is now interrupted by Zap and similar interactions when pushing itself back before its next charge". That change isn't reflected in the current numbers, so recheck it in a week.
Evo Royal Ghost sits at 52.4% across 804,498 battles despite nerfs in April and October. Its Souldier spawn damage fell from 204 to 81 on April 6, and base Royal Ghost dropped from 1,210 to 1,152 HP on October 6. It unlocks at Arena 12, so it's out of reach for many lower-ladder accounts. Both Evolutions pair well in P.E.K.K.A Bridge Spam.
Which Evolutions are safe but not essential?
A tier is where "does it fit my deck?" decides the pick. RoyaleTracker's A tier has 11 Evolutions. We cover these four because Evo Goblin Cage leads the tier and the other three are among the most used:
- Evo Skeleton Barrel (51.7%, 7.8% use): the most used Evolution above average. Supercell cut its death damage from 192 to 163 on October 19, so watch whether this number holds.
- Evo Baby Dragon (51.7%, 7.2% use): a strong choice in heavier decks. Its base damage rose from 161 to 168 in July.
- Evo Elite Barbarians (51.2%, 7.0% use): still above average after the September 8 spear and Rage nerfs. It's good, just no longer free wins.
- Evo Goblin Cage (52.2%, 2.8% use): high win rate but low use. August 4 raised its cycles from 1 to 2 and added damage.
Which popular Evolutions are below average?
This is the group that surprises people. High use doesn't mean strong:
- Evo Witch: the most used Evolution at 10.0%, across 1,210,859 battles, with a 48.2% win rate.
- Evo Mega Knight: second in use at 8.9%, at 48.3%.
- Evo Tesla: 48.0% at 7.2% use. Its pulse damage fell from 174 to 148 in May.
- Evo Firecracker: 47.7% at 7.2% use.
- Evo Valkyrie: 47.2% at 4.3% use, after August 4 halved her tornado damage from 84 to 42.
Evo Firecracker is the clearest correction to our old list. We read no direct 2026 nerf to her Evolution, but two cards got better at removing her. The September 8 Wizard change lets him "take out Firecracker and Archers with a single fireball", and on October 19 a 2-4 target Void hit began killing her too. Win rates alone can't tell us how much those changes cost her.
A low card-wide number doesn't sink every list. The top list on RoyaleTracker's Giant page still runs Evo Witch: Evo Witch, Evo Giant Snowball, Hero Bowler, Giant, Minions, Zappies, Arrows and Graveyard, at 69.6% over 1.5K. If your list wins with one of these, keep playing it. Just don't spend fresh shards to copy one because it's everywhere.
Should you save shards for Evo Giant and Evo Mirror?
Yes, for about a week. RoyaleTracker says its Evo Giant data will appear once "real battles start landing", so nobody has a real number yet.
Evo Giant comes through Pass Royale or Wild Shards. Supercell's Season 89 notes say he becomes enraged after taking enough damage and leaves a Rage trail that grows with each attack. Base Giant is already A tier on the win condition list at 51.4%. If you're buying the pass anyway, you get him without spending shards. If you're not, wait. Supercell also says Giant and Mirror will be "boosted for the full season" in its King of Cards event without defining the boost, so treat early win rates for both with caution.
Evo Mirror reaches the Shop from the second week of the season, November 9, or you can use Wild Shards. Supercell says the mirrored card "doesn't have to be in an Evo Slot or in your Collection". It needs an Evolution to exist, otherwise you get the normal Mirror result: same card, one level higher.
Base Mirror gives less reason for optimism, at 43.4% and D tier on the card list. Some players aren't sold either. One reply in an r/ClashRoyale deck thread simply says: "Evo mirror is gonna be so mid". Our Evo Mirror guide covers how the copy works. The Season 89 hub has the dates.
No balance pass is planned for the start of the season. Supercell says it "may make further adjustments after the Clash Royale League World Finals", which run November 6 to 8, so the tiers could move after that.
How many Evolutions can you run in one deck?
Two at most. A deck has three special slots: one Evolution slot, one Hero slot and one Wild slot. The Wild slot takes an Evolution, a Hero or a Champion, and Champions also use the Hero slot.
That gives you two common setups: two Evolutions plus one Hero or Champion, or one Evolution plus two from the Hero and Champion group. The Giant Graveyard list above shows the first one. The Evolution slot opens at Arena 3, the Hero slot at Arena 5 and the Wild slot at Arena 10. Evo Mirror is the exception, because it can produce an evolved copy outside your slots.
How should you spend Evolution Shards?
Each Evolution takes 6 shards, per the wiki. Card-specific Evolution Shards only work on their own card, while Wild Shards work on any card with an Evolution. Sources include Shop offers, events, challenges, Pass Royale and Lucky Chests.
Three rules keep you from wasting them:
- Start with the card you already play. Win rate only helps if the base card is in your main deck.
- Spend card-specific shards first, Wild Shards last. Wild Shards are the ones you'll want for Evo Giant or Evo Mirror.
- Don't pick from popularity alone. Five of the ten most used Evolutions are below average right now, including the top two.
New accounts get a free start. Trophy Road pays 3 Evo Archers shards at 2,250 trophies and 3 more at 2,950. That's a full Evo Archers (50.1%) before Arena 10. For a full budget plan, see our free-to-play deck guide.
Is a Shop offer worth Gems? On November 1, a player asked whether Evo Electro Giant was worth 1,300 Gems. It's B tier at 50.3%, so it's only worth it if Electro Giant is your main win condition.
FAQ
What is the best Evolution in Clash Royale in November 2026? Evo Mortar has the highest win rate at 53.1%, followed by Evo Zap and Evo Battle Ram at 52.5%. For most players, Evo Zap is the better first unlock because it costs 2 Elixir and fits far more deck types.
Is Evo Firecracker still good? Not as a general pick. She's D tier at 47.7% in Ranked, and Wizard and Void can now both remove her in one hit. Keep her only if she's working in a deck you already play.
Which Evolution should a free-to-play player unlock first? Unlock Evo Archers through Trophy Road, then spend shards on a card already in your main deck. If you have no preference, Evo Zap is the safest pick on current numbers.
Should I use Wild Shards on Evo Giant? Not yet. Wait about a week for battle data, unless you're already buying Pass Royale, which also unlocks him.
How many Evolutions can you have in one deck? Two, using the Evolution slot and the Wild slot. You can still run a Hero or Champion in the Hero slot alongside them.
Can you buy Evolution Shards? Only through official offers, such as the in-game Shop. Avoid third-party sites selling shards, Gems or accounts, because they risk your account and your payment.
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