Elite Barbarians

"Spawns a pair of leveled up Barbarians. They're like regular Barbarians, only harder, better, faster and stronger."

Summary

 * The Elite Barbarians are unlocked from the Royal Arena (Arena 7).
 * It spawns two single-target, melee, stronger Barbarians with both high hitpoints and damage.
 * An Elite Barbarians card costs 6 Elixir to deploy.

Strategy

 * Compared to the regular Barbarians, they have higher stats and much more capabilities. However, they only come in 1 pair, while the Barbarians comes in 2 pairs. In total, they do less damage than regular Barbarians and are less effective for defending. However, they are capable of withstanding area damage cards regular Barbarians cannot (Fireball, Zap, Ice and Fire Spirits). They also aren't as good as Barbarians in swarming high damaging single target troops like the P.E.K.K.A. even if they can withstand one hit from these troops.
 * They also have to be acquired in Royal Arena, which means that the Barbarians are much easier to obtain. They cost 1 more Elixir than the Barbarians.
 * Their speed and health allow them to be better than regular Barbarians on offense but their lower numbers and damage make them less effective on defense, though they are more reliable and less vulnerable.
 * For example, they can easily take down a tank such as the Royal Giant or Giant Skeleton in seconds (although still somewhat slower than regular Barbarians), then make for a powerful counter-push.
 * Due to their fast move speed the Elite Barbarians can be paired with other very fast units like Hog Rider.
 * Raging the Elite Barbarians is a deadly combo as the Elite Barbarians will hit faster and run faster which can demolish a tower in seconds, but make sure to bring a cheap spell as a Skeleton Army can shut down this combo.
 * Since they spawn in pairs they are useful for split pushing, with one Elite Barbarian down each lane.
 * You can use the Elite Barbarian's fast speed to your advantage by having them push a slow unit, such as the Valkyrie or Ice Golem.
 * Although Elite Barbarians have very high damage per second their health is only mediocre, so an Ice Golem + any other high damage support card e.g. Minions can easily take down the Elite Barbarians.
 * If the opponent is low on Elixir or the player knows that the opponent's counter for the Elite Barbarians is out of rotation, the player can rush a lane with Elite Barbarians. Their very fast move speed allows them to reach the Crown Tower very quickly and gives little time for the opponent to react. However, it is advised to have a damaging spell ready since swarms will make short work of the Elite Barbarians.
 * You can use a Rocket to completely destroy Elite Barbarians for an even Elixir trade. However, due to their very fast movement, coupled with the time it takes for the Rocket to make impact, it can be difficult and risky to use it successfully.
 * Alternatively, you can use Lightning to get rid of the Elite Barbarians and 1 supporting card.
 * Pairing the Elite Barbarians with the Lumberjack is a good idea since the Lumberjack's fast hit speed will help the Elite Barbarians take care of small swarms, and when the Lumberjack dies, his Rage effect will make the Elite Barbarians far more dangerous.

History

 * The Elite Barbarians card was added to the game on 25/11/16.
 * On 15/12/16, a Balance Update increased the Elite Barbarians' hitpoints by 19%, damage by 14% and hit speed to 1.4 sec (from 1.5 sec).
 * On 23/1/17, a Balance Update decreased the Elite Barbarians' hitpoints by 4%, damage by 4% and hit speed to 1.5 sec (from 1.4 sec).

Trivia

 * The Elite Barbarians resemble level 6 Barbarians in Clash of Clans.
 * It is tied with the Royal Giant as the most expensive common card. Coincidentally, both are found at Royal Arena.
 * It is one of the two cards that come in pairs, the other being the Archers.
 * The sound they make when they attack is like that of regular Barbarians but with a deeper pitch.
 * The helmet that the Elite Barbarians wear may be a reference to the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Iron Helmet, which is one of the most iconic helmets in the game.
 * Its description is a reference to Daft Punk's song, "Harder Better Faster".
 * It's one of the 4 cards associated with Barbarians, the others being Barbarians, Battle Ram, and Barbarian Hut.

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