Merge Tactics Best Cards List after Season 1 (Update1)

The September 2025 update for Merge Tactics has completely reshaped the meta, introducing new traits, reworking old synergies, and drastically shifting the power level of many cards that dominated the previous season. If you’re coming from the Clan + Avengers meta, things are going to look very different this time around.

One of the biggest changes is the rework to the Juggernaut trait, which now grants CC immunity (crowd control immunity) to shielded Juggernaut units. This single buff has pushed Juggernaut-based comps to the top of the meta, as they can now completely ignore stuns and disables that previously defined high-level play.

At the same time, the Assassin trait was revamped, now activating at just two units instead of three, making it far easier to splash into any comp. This change alone has made Assassins one of the most dangerous and accessible traits this season, and cards like Golden Knight and Royal Ghost have benefited immensely.

The patch also introduced three new traits — Blaster, Electric, and Fire — with several newly added or reworked cards supporting them. Blaster, in particular, has become a core trait for backline nukers like Baby Dragon and Musketeer, while Electric synergy enables powerful chain-stunning control with cards like Electro Wizard and Electro Giant.

Several formerly top-tier strategies have either fallen off or disappeared altogether. The Clan + Avengers combo, once considered the best comp in the game, has been dismantled due to trait swaps (like Valkyrie losing Avenger) and nerfs to the Clan trait overall. Similarly, Rangers, a trait that once defined ranged-heavy builds, has been overshadowed by Fire and Blaster alternatives that offer better scaling and synergy.

In this new landscape, successful builds revolve around:

• 4 Juggernaut + 2 Assassin comps (near-invincible frontlines with fast backline picks)
• 4 Brawler tanks with units like Mega Knight and Prince
• 2 Blaster cores centred on Baby Dragon and Musketeer
• Economy rush starts using Goblin units like Spear Goblin or Goblin Machine

This Merge Tactics Best Cards guide after Season 1 ranks all 26 cards in the current patch from worst to best, based not just on their raw stats, but also on trait value, meta synergy, and practical usage in high-level matches. Whether you’re a casual player trying to build better comps or a competitive grinder looking to optimize every elixir spent, this guide breaks down exactly which cards to focus on—and which ones to avoid.

Merge Tactics Best Cards List after Season 1

26. Barbarian

Barbarian comes in at the bottom of the list this season. Despite having solid traits like Clan and Brawler, his overall stat line is very underwhelming. In the previous season, he found a place simply because the Clan + Avengers comp was dominating the meta, and he was a necessary piece to activate the trait. However, with the recent Clan nerfs, the entire synergy has dropped significantly in popularity, which means Barbarian no longer has a reason to be in top builds. Outside of trying to activate 4 Brawlers or a situational Clan comp, there’s very little reason to ever run him.

25. Archer

Archer suffers from a similar problem to Barbarian. She previously had strong viability thanks to Rangers and Clan, but both traits have lost power this season. With Rangers being overshadowed by newer traits like Blaster and Fire, and with Assassins now activating at just 2 cards, the need for weaker backline units like Archer has dropped off sharply. Her own stats aren’t strong enough to justify inclusion without trait synergy, and with better ranged damage dealers available, she simply can’t keep up in this meta.

24. Pekka

While Pekka has always been a tanky frontline bruiser with decent early-game utility, this season she just doesn’t have the traits or power to compete long-term. She carries Ace and Avenger, which are both serviceable but not dominant traits in the current patch. Pekka does okay in the very early rounds due to her durability and damage, but once the match progresses and players start building around Juggernaut, Assassin, or Blaster synergies, she quickly falls off in value. She’s a decent round one pick—but usually not worth holding beyond that.

23. Executioner

Executioner benefits from having Ace and Blaster, and Blaster is actually a great trait this season due to units like Musketeer and Baby Dragon being highly effective. However, Executioner’s own stats are quite average, and he gets outclassed by nearly every other ranged card in his role. In a trait vacuum, he’s fine—but this season is filled with powerful ranged options, especially ones that contribute to elite synergies. Executioner just doesn’t do enough damage or provide enough pressure to justify his elixir cost unless you’re really forcing Blaster.

22. Princess

The Princess was extremely dominant last season, primarily due to the strength of the Rangers synergy and her ability to work with Clan or Noble. But this season, she’s taken a hard fall. Rangers as a trait no longer holds up against the meta’s top threats, and other ranged units like Wizard, Musketeer, or Baby Dragon do her job better. On top of that, Assassins are much more efficient now that they activate at just two cards, making it risky to field fragile units like Princess. She’s too expensive and too easily countered in today’s meta to be reliable.

21. Dark Goblin

Dark Goblin, like Princess, mainly existed to help support Rangers comps, and unfortunately, Rangers are not favored this season. While he did receive a slight stat buff recently, it hasn’t moved the needle much. His damage is still low, and his Goblin trait offers more value early on than in later rounds. You’re better off running Spear Goblin or Stab Goblin if you’re trying to go for goblin economy, and even in late game, his fragility and lack of burst make him a weak option in most matchups.

20. Skeleton Dragons

Skeleton Dragons initially seemed promising, especially with their duplication mechanic, which in theory could overwhelm enemies if left unchecked. However, in practice, they are very inconsistent. They belong to Rangers, a trait that’s no longer reliable, and they get hard countered by splash damage and Assassins, both of which are everywhere in the current meta. Against a comp with Baby Dragon, Wizard, or Golden Knight, Skeleton Dragons often end up feeding enemy abilities instead of applying pressure.

19. Witch

Witch is one of the most matchup-dependent units in the game right now. On paper, she’s incredibly strong. She spawns a steady stream of skeletons, has decent ranged damage, and scales well if protected. But in practice, many of the most popular cards directly counter her. Units like Golden Knight, Skeleton King, and Valkyrie benefit from killing her skeletons or dealing splash damage to remove them instantly. In the wrong matchup, she can actually empower the enemy rather than help you, making her a risky pick in serious builds.

18. Wizard

Wizard is a solid unit with two good traits—Fire and Mage. His Fire trait is very relevant this patch, and his splash attack makes him excellent against clustered backlines or swarm units. That said, Wizard doesn’t have the highest impact unless you’re pairing him with Baby Dragon for a Blaster/Fire comp. He’s very much a support unit rather than a win condition. If you’re relying on Wizard to carry rounds, you’re probably behind, but if you use him to back up stronger units, he can be a valuable piece.

17. Electro Giant

The Electro Giant is completely dependent on the Electric trait to be viable. Without it, he’s mediocre at best, lacking the raw stats or utility to carry on his own. But when you activate the 2‑Electric synergy, his potential skyrockets—dealing chain damage, pressuring multiple targets, and forcing opponents to spread out. He’s also bulky and can act as a mid-field disruptor. However, he doesn’t contribute to many of the most dominant comps this patch, so he lands near the middle of the rankings.

16. Prince

The Prince received a rework this patch that boosted his damage but slowed his hit speed, making him more of a bursty frontliner. His traits—Noble and Brawler—are solid, especially since the 4‑Brawler comp is very strong this season. Inside that comp, Prince is nearly unkillable. But outside of it, he’s too slow and lacks utility. He also struggles against Juggernauts, whose shield negates his knockback, limiting his disruptive value.

15. Royal Ghost

Royal Ghost has quietly become one of the more reliable Assassins in the game. He benefits from the Assassin trait, which now activates at just two cards, and Undead, which is a meta-favored trait. Ghost also performs well in comps like 4‑Juggernaut + 2‑Assassin, helping take out key backline threats early. He’s tanky enough to survive initial hits, and when placed right, he can swing games by disrupting the enemy backline.

14. Knight

Knight is an incredible utility frontliner. He’s cheap, only costs 2 elixir, and gives access to Noble and Juggernaut traits. With Juggernauts now gaining CC immunity through their shields, Knight is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to activate the trait early. His stats are respectable for his cost, and he consistently delivers value as a tank, shield-giver, and trait activator. He doesn’t win games by himself, but he’s foundational to a lot of meta builds.

13. Bandit

Bandit was once arguably the strongest unit in the entire game, due to her near-permanent stun chains. But after the ability rework, her stuns no longer fire as frequently, even at 3 stars. That said, she’s still quite strong thanks to her Assassin and Ace traits. She’s far more balanced now—still a threat if she gets to the backline, but not game-breaking. You can safely run her in most Assassin-based comps, but she’s no longer the win-button she once was.

12. Spear Goblin

Spear Goblin is a phenomenal early game unit thanks to his low elixir cost and ability to farm the Goblin trait, which helps with elixir snowball. His stats are weak in late game, but he often pays for himself in the first few rounds. If the Empress +3 elixir per merge bug gets patched, his value will increase even more. He’s not a carry, but he fuels the engine that lets carries shine.

11. Stab Goblin

Stab Goblin is similar to Spear Goblin in that he’s strong early, but he has more late-game potential because he carries the Assassin trait. That alone puts him above his ranged cousin. In some builds, especially where you’re running two Assassins and want to save elixir, Stab Goblin can become a surprisingly impactful unit. At 4 stars, he can even deal respectable damage.

10. Musketeer

Musketeer is one of the best support ranged units this season. She brings Blaster and Noble, both top-tier traits, and her knockback ability can be clutch when facing melee pressure. She pairs beautifully with Baby Dragon, often enabling that devastating 2‑Blaster synergy. While her base attack is a bit weak, her ability is impactful enough to make her a consistent presence in high-level decks.

9. Electro Wizard

The Electro Wizard, or E-Wiz, is a strong control mage that gains immense value when you activate 2‑Electric. His multi-shot and stun can stall entire enemy waves, and his Mage trait lets him polymorph high-star units in clutch moments. Without the trait activation, he’s decent but not game-breaking. With it, he becomes one of the most annoying cards to deal with.

8. Archer Queen

The Archer Queen was a top-tier unit in the previous season, thanks to her place in the deadly Clan + Avengers comp, which was arguably the best build of the patch. However, after the recent update, the Avenger trait was removed from Valkyrie, effectively dismantling that synergy. As a result, Clan comps lost their top carry synergy, and Archer Queen no longer has the same guaranteed support system. That said, she’s still a strong standalone card. Her stats are solid, her ability is dangerous, and Clan is still usable even in weaker builds. While she’s not a must-include anymore, she’s far from weak and still slots into several secondary comp options that rely on Clan or mixed synergy.

7. Goblin Machine

Goblin Machine is one of the most oppressive and disruptive cards when used correctly. Its strength lies in both traits: Goblin, which helps in farming elixir early, and Juggernaut, which is incredibly valuable this patch due to the recent buff giving CC immunity to shielded Juggernauts. Goblin Machine’s ability to continuously fire stun missiles allows it to lock down enemy troops, especially fragile backliners. The one downside is that its stuns do nothing to Juggernauts with active shields, so it’s not as universally oppressive as it used to be. Still, if you’re running 4 Juggernaut or Goblin control, this card remains a crucial piece and can provide game-winning crowd control when timed well.

6. Giant Skeleton

The Giant Skeleton saw a huge spike in power this patch thanks to a 50% damage buff. His bomb was always dangerous, but now it hits harder and makes him a serious threat to stacked enemy units. He also has two extremely relevant traits in this meta: Undead and Brawler. These two synergize well with top comps like 4‑Brawler and 4‑Undead/Juggernaut builds. The only situation where his value drops is when facing Juggernauts, since his bomb’s stun effect gets nullified by their CC immunity, but the raw damage is still very impactful. He functions as both a zone-control threat and a deterrent, making him a strong pick even when not fully synergized.

5. Mega Knight

Mega Knight is a staple of the 4-Brawler comp, which has become one of the most dominant strategies this patch due to the massive HP buff to Brawler trait (doubling their health at full synergy). When used in that comp, Mega Knight becomes nearly unkillable, with health values that can exceed 10,000 at higher merge levels. On top of that, his jumping slam ability was reworked to deal consistent AoE control damage, functioning like an earthquake-style stun each time he jumps—especially deadly at 3 stars. While his damage isn’t burst-level, his survivability and crowd control make him the perfect centerpiece of Brawler teams, capable of soaking, stalling, and disrupting enemy frontlines for ages.

4. Skeleton King

Skeleton King is arguably the most well-rounded tank in the game right now, with a perfect combination of survivability, synergy, and utility. He possesses Juggernaut and Undead, two of the strongest traits in the meta, and fits beautifully into both the 4-Juggernaut and Undead-based comp variants. What makes Skeleton King especially powerful is his splash damage combined with his ability to summon skeletons on kills. This makes him a direct counter to cards like Witch, who spawns multiple minions that he can convert into his own army. He’s also great in anti-assassin comps, where his splash hits punish players who try to isolate backliners. His sheer versatility and synergy in top comps justify his high placement.

3. Valkyrie

Valkyrie may not have the flashiest design or abilities, but she’s incredibly efficient, cheap, and flexible. After her trait changed from Avenger to Juggernaut, she lost some synergy with Clan decks but gained massive viability thanks to the Juggernaut trait being one of the most broken this patch. She only costs 3 elixir, has strong base stats, and her wide splash attack makes her excellent against swarm units and assassins alike. She fits into Juggernaut comps, Brawler comps, and even mixed frontlines that need both tankiness and anti-swarm. Because she’s easy to slot into almost any comp and synergizes with the most dominant trait this patch, Valkyrie comfortably holds the number three spot.

2. Baby Dragon

Baby Dragon was a surprise hit this patch. At first glance, players weren’t sure how strong his ability would be, but once they saw the numbers, he quickly became one of the most feared ranged carries in the game. Every time he gets a kill, his damage increases by 40%, which stacks quickly and turns him into a monster. He has a huge splash radius, high attack speed, and starts dealing massive damage after only a few kills. His Blaster trait is also extremely relevant, especially when paired with Musketeer or Wizard to activate the synergy. Baby Dragon is a carry in the truest sense, capable of solo-winning rounds if protected. Pair him with support, and he will melt entire squads.

1. Golden Knight

Golden Knight is without question the strongest card in the game right now. He embodies everything you want from a frontliner with Assassin and Noble traits—both of which are very viable this patch. The major reason for his dominance, though, is that the Assassin trait now activates at just two cards, making him less of a commitment and much easier to splash into comps. On top of that, the meta is full of vulnerable ranged units—like Witch, Musketeer, Wizard, Princess, and more—which makes it extremely easy for Golden Knight to find early kills. Once he gets one kill, his dash chains often snowball into a full-team wipe. He’s consistent, he’s flexible, and he hard counters most backline-focused builds. That level of reliability makes him the top card of the season.