The summary of ‘Why Were Three Musketeers Added To Clash Royale?’

00:00:00

In this part of the video, the discussion revolves around the Three Musketeers card in Clash Royale, highlighting its historical significance and unique nature. It is noted as the most expensive card in the game and has caused significant balancing challenges for Supercell since its introduction. The Three Musketeers were added as a reference to Alexandre Dumas’ “The Three Musketeers,” released just before the game’s global launch. Initially, the musketeer troop cost five elixir, but was reduced to four elixir, making it possible to justify the Three Musketeers’ cost of 10 elixir. This change prompts speculation on whether the Three Musketeers concept was influenced by the necessity to balance the single musketeer against other troops like the wizard.

00:03:00

In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the history and adjustments made to the “Three Musketeers” card in Clash Royale. Initially vital to split due to their vulnerability to spells, the card had a low one percent use rate in top ladder play. A significant change on March 23, 2016, reduced their Elixir cost from 10 to 9 without any stat nerf. This unusual buff led to a temporary increase in usage rates, spurring debates within the community about their effectiveness. Subsequent adjustments in May reduced their range, which did not significantly impact their performance. As usage rates fluctuated, a popular “P.E.K.K.A Three Musketeers” deck emerged, demonstrating the card’s potential. However, by July, decks featuring a single Musketeer became more dominant, overshadowing the Three Musketeers’ brief resurgence.

00:06:00

In this part of the video, the use rate of the Three Musketeers card fluctuated significantly. Initially, the card was not defining the meta, but its viability increased, especially with the introduction of new Three Musketeer minor decks that relied heavily on the Elixir pump for extra Elixir. The Elixir pump was crucial for any deck with expensive cards, serving both to generate Elixir and bait large spells. However, a significant nerf to the Elixir pump in October drastically affected its use and the viability of the Three Musketeers. Although the Elixir pump received a buff later in November, it did not fully regain its former strength nor reconnect effectively with the Three Musketeers. By January, the use of the Elixir pump and Three Musketeers saw a slight resurgence. However, the decks incorporating them were short-lived, and the Three Musketeer use rate fell again as the lightning card re-entered the meta. The pattern of reliance on the Elixir pump and vulnerability to lightning persisted. A new card, the Battle Ram, released in February 2017, would soon change the meta significantly.

00:09:00

In this part of the video, the focus is on the evolving strategies and popularity of the Three Musketeers deck in a particular game. Initially, the Battle Ram was paired with the Three Musketeers, serving as a good defense against lightning and making a powerful combo. Over time, some players replaced the Battle Ram with the Hog Rider, debating which was better. In May, the Heal spell was introduced, which synergized well with Three Musketeers by countering poison damage, leading to a rock-paper-scissors dynamic in the meta. The Battle Ram-Three Musketeers combo became dominant in June, especially with the powerful Night Witch reinforcing Golem decks. By July, the Three Musketeers deck was highly popular, augmented by buffs to Inferno Dragon and Bandit, leading to strategies like Bridge Spam. Additionally, the use of the Heal spell increased significantly, making Three Musketeers even more formidable by mitigating spell damage and causing significant shifts in game dynamics.

00:12:00

In this part of the video, the focus is on the shifting meta within the game, particularly how certain deck types and strategies evolved over time. Supercell initially nerfed the Heal spell, resulting in a decline of Three Musketeers and Battle Ram decks in competitive play. Despite a subsequent nerf to the Elixir Collector, Three Musketeers remained popular by adapting to new strategies, such as the Giant Battle Ram deck, especially in early 2018. This period also saw the introduction of counters like Mega Knight, Valkyrie, and Wizard, but the Three Musketeers continued to dominate. Fireball bait decks also gained popularity, some including Three Musketeers. Additionally, a strategy emerged where players would preemptively cast spells in anticipation of the Three Musketeers, illustrating the card’s persistent impact on gameplay mechanics.

00:15:00

In this segment of the video, the discussion centers around the Three Musketeers card in Clash Royale, highlighting its historical performance and the significant balance changes it underwent. The card initially had a high usage rate and win rate, remaining a dominant force in the meta for several years. However, due to its overpowering nature, the balancing team decided to make a major change: in February 2019, the card’s Elixir cost was reverted to 10 but received a minor damage buff. This adjustment rendered the card ineffective, marking a significant moment in Clash Royale history.

As a result, the Three Musketeers’ dominance ended, leading to one of the most diverse metas in the game’s history. Players no longer had to design their decks specifically to counter the Three Musketeers, which introduced new opportunities and strategies. Although this shift was welcomed by some players, others found it disappointing. The video also explains that the increased Elixir cost made it difficult to play the card efficiently, ultimately leading to its decline in popularity.

00:18:00

In this segment of the video, the discussion revolves around the fluctuating Elixir cost and deployment timings of the Three Musketeers card in Clash Royale. Initially, the Three Musketeers were played often during double Elixir due to their high cost. A 2016 glitch allowed Elixir generation to continue past 10, which mitigated some of the cost issues, but this glitch was patched by 2019, making the card less viable. Despite the weakening of the card with additional updates, Supercell reverted the Elixir cost back to nine but increased the deployment time, hoping to re-balance the card. Despite these changes, the card performed poorly according to limited stats. Subsequent adjustments were made to deployment times, first to three seconds with a staggered deployment but later reduced. These changes moderately improved the card’s usage, culminating in a notable appearance in top-tier decks by mid-2020, though its use rate remained relatively low.

00:21:00

In this segment of the video, the discussion centers around the balance changes affecting the Musketeer troops in the game. Initially, the single Musketeer saw a significant rise in usage, leading to a hit speed nerf. This nerf also adversely affected the Three Musketeers troop, causing fluctuations in their usage and win rates. Various balance adjustments were made, including changes to their deployment times and buffs to hit speeds and associated troops like the Elixir Collector. These changes intermittently revived and then diminished their effectiveness. As of May 2023, the Three Musketeers have maintained a modest usage rate, often appearing in strategies involving the Golden Knight and Elite Barbarians.

00:24:00

In this part of the video, the creator discusses the current state of the Three Musketeers card in Clash Royale. They note that while the card isn’t the worst in the game, it is no longer as dominant as it once was and remains a niche choice. Buffing the card could make it too powerful given that individual Musketeer troops are already strong. They speculate that Three Musketeers could become more viable if the meta shifts in their favor but suggest no immediate changes to their deployment time or elixir cost, as these are balanced to prevent overpowering. The uniqueness of the card as a reference to a novel and its historical impact on the game is appreciated, acknowledging its contentious yet special place in Clash Royale’s history.