Introduction to the Tesla
The Tesla is a powerful defensive building card in Clash Royale, notable for its unique underground retraction mechanic. As a Common rarity card, the Clash Royale Tesla costs 4 Elixir to deploy in battle and is available to players once they reach Arena 11. It has a distinctive ability to retract underground when not actively engaging enemy troops, rendering it untargetable and invulnerable to most damage-dealing spells, such as Rocket and Lightning.
However, it remains susceptible to Earthquake and Freeze spells even while underground. Additionally, the Tesla’s hitpoints continue to deplete over time while submerged, meaning that its underground phase is not a guaranteed protection. The Tesla’s retreat is not instantaneous, so fast-moving units like Spear Goblins can potentially land a hit before it fully submerges. If hit by a Freeze spell, the Tesla’s retreat can be delayed, leaving it vulnerable even while underground until it unfreezes.
One of the Tesla’s key features is its relatively short lifetime, which lasts for 30 seconds at Level 11 (or 35-40 seconds depending on the level and balancing updates). The Tesla’s hitpoints and other stats can vary depending on its level. For example, at Level 11, the Tesla deals 90 damage with a Damage Per Second of 75, and it has 450 hitpoints.
It targets both Air and Ground units, with a maximum attack range of 5.5 tiles. Its hit speed is approximately 1.2 seconds, though this can vary slightly by level. The Tesla has a small hitbox with a 0.5 tile radius, making it more difficult for certain cards, like the Miner, to target it compared to larger defensive buildings. It occupies a 2×2 tile space, which is smaller than the typical 3×3 tile footprint of most other defensive buildings, allowing for more strategic placement on the battlefield.
Understanding Tesla’s Mechanics in Detail
The Tesla is a versatile defensive building that targets both air and ground units, making it effective against a wide variety of enemy threats. Its ability to engage air units like Balloons and Lava Hounds, alongside ground-based tanks, adds to its value in defending against diverse enemy compositions. One of the Tesla’s defining mechanics is its ability to retract underground when not attacking. While underground, it becomes invulnerable to most damage-dealing spells such as Rocket, Lightning, and Fireball, and cannot be targeted by enemy troops.
However, it remains vulnerable to the Earthquake and Freeze spells, the latter of which can also prevent the Tesla from retreating or keep it frozen underground, delaying its return to the battlefield. Despite being invulnerable to most attacks while underground, the Tesla’s hitpoints continue to decrease over time, and the retreat underground is not instant, meaning quick troops like Spear Goblins can potentially land a hit before the Tesla fully submerges.
When it comes to placement, the Tesla tends to be more effective when placed reactively in response to the opponent’s troop movements. By placing it in the center of the arena, players can draw in threatening units like Hog Riders or Giants, taking full advantage of its defensive capabilities. However, in certain situations, proactive placement can also be effective, particularly when anticipating the path of units like the Royal Giant or when setting up a defensive structure early in a lane. It’s important to note that a proactively placed Tesla may stay underground, potentially allowing certain units like a Hog Rider to bypass it if the placement isn’t precise.
The Tesla’s retargeting speed is relatively slow, meaning that when dealing with swarms of troops, it may take some time to switch targets, allowing some units to slip through. To support the Tesla, pairing it with splash damage cards can be helpful in countering large groups of weaker troops. Additionally, the Tesla has a faster first attack, which allows it to engage threats quickly as they enter its range, dealing damage before they can reach your towers or other defenses.
The Tesla can also act as a timer for the opponent. As its lifetime nears its end, opponents may see it as an opportunity to launch an attack, knowing the defensive building will soon expire. Therefore, it’s crucial to be prepared for a potential post-Tesla response attack as the Tesla’s time on the battlefield comes to an end.
Strategic Uses and General Placement Principles
The Tesla is a highly versatile defensive building that offers various strategic applications when placed correctly. Its unique mechanics and ability to retract underground make it effective against a wide range of threats. Understanding the principles of placement is key to maximizing its utility in battle.
One of the most common placements for the Tesla is in the middle of your side of the arena, typically 3 tiles away from the river. This placement draws building-targeting troops, such as the Giant and Hog Rider, toward the Tesla instead of your Crown Towers, provided the Tesla is not frozen. Moving the Tesla 1 tile further from the river (4 tiles) can still attract these troops but reduces the risk of it tanking hits for the Crown Towers against regular troops.
For a deeper pull, placing the Tesla 2 tiles from the river can draw Hog Riders and Ram Riders, though this position is more vulnerable to being targeted by enemy troops. When you need a deeper pull, placing the Tesla 4 tiles from the river can also be effective, but support troops may fall out of range.
While the Tesla can be placed proactively, it is generally more effective reactively, responding to the opponent’s troop deployments. A reactive placement ensures that the Tesla targets the right threats at the right time. However, proactive placements can be useful to anticipate pushes, such as the Royal Giant, but they require precise positioning to avoid being bypassed by fast-moving units like the Hog Rider.
The Tesla’s underground invulnerability provides a tactical advantage when placed in anticipation of Fireball or Rocket spells, allowing it to avoid damage while hidden. This invulnerability also makes the Tesla an excellent counter to the Miner. By placing the Tesla slightly in front of and to the side of your tower, it can both target the Miner and tank damage for the tower. Its 2×2 size allows it to fit in the gap between your tower and the edge of the arena, limiting the Miner’s placement options.
For specific troop counters, reactive placement is often preferred. For example, placing the Tesla 3 tiles from the bridge will reliably pull a Hog Rider, while a 5-3 placement (5 tiles from the river, 3 from the Princess Tower) can pull a centrally placed Hog Rider. Against Giants, placing the Tesla 4 tiles from the river and 3 tiles from the Princess Tower is effective, while for a Golem, placing the Tesla 4 tiles from the defending Crown Tower and 4 tiles from the river will distract it.
When defending against Balloon pushes, placing the Tesla 3 tiles from the river and 2 tiles from the Princess Tower can distract the Balloon without pulling the Lava Hound, which is useful in LavaLoon pushes.
To avoid being targeted by spells like Lightning, Poison, and Earthquake, place the Tesla 1 tile from the river, though this leaves it more vulnerable to ranged units. For deeper spell avoidance, placing the Tesla 4 tiles from the bridge can protect it from direct spell damage.
When defending siege cards like X-Bow or Mortar, place the Tesla beside and slightly behind the siege card to protect it from enemy units while supporting the siege card’s offensive power. If you’ve lost a tower, avoid placing a defensive building in the middle of your side of the arena. Instead, position the Tesla in the lane where enemy troops are coming, pulling threats toward your remaining Crown Tower.
In situations where multiple threats need to be handled, double Tesla placements can be effective. Against Graveyard, placing the Tesla in a specific spot can help eliminate distracting troops, while two Teslas placed next to each other can counter Balloon Freeze decks. For a Goblin Giant Sparky push, positioning two Teslas correctly can cause each building to target different threats.
The Tesla’s limited lifespan can also act as a timer for your opponent. As it nears expiration, they may look for an opportunity to launch an aggressive attack, so be prepared for a response as the Tesla’s time on the battlefield comes to an end. Understanding these strategic uses and placement principles will allow you to use the Tesla effectively in a variety of situations, enhancing your defensive strategy and providing you with the tools needed to outsmart your opponents.
Tesla vs. Other Defensive Buildings
The Tesla is a versatile and unique defensive building in Clash Royale, distinguished by its ability to target both air and ground troops and its invulnerability to most spells when underground. Here’s how it compares to other common defensive buildings:
Tesla vs. Cannon
The Tesla costs 4 Elixir, while the Cannon is cheaper at 3 Elixir, making the Cannon more cycle-friendly. The main difference is that the Tesla can target both air and ground units, whereas the Cannon only targets ground troops. This makes the Tesla more versatile, especially against air-heavy decks. The Tesla also has higher damage and DPS, which allows it to deal with a wider range of threats more effectively. Additionally, the Tesla has more hitpoints than the Cannon, making it more durable and able to withstand additional damage from support troops after dealing with a primary threat.
The Tesla has a longer lifetime (35-40 seconds), compared to the Cannon, which generally has a shorter lifespan. The Tesla’s 2×2 size is smaller than the Cannon’s implied 3×3 size, which can slightly affect its pulling capabilities. While the Tesla is more versatile, the Cannon may still be favored in cycle decks focused on ground defense, particularly against units like the Hog Rider.
Tesla vs. Inferno Tower
The Tesla is cheaper at 4 Elixir, while the Inferno Tower costs 5 Elixir, making the Tesla more efficient in terms of cycle and supporting troop deployment. Both buildings target both air and ground troops, but the Inferno Tower excels at dealing with high hitpoint tank units like Giants and Golems due to its ramping damage over time. However, the Tesla’s consistent damage and invulnerability to most spells (except Earthquake and Freeze) when underground give it a strategic edge, especially against spells like Zap or Freeze, which can reset the Inferno Tower’s damage ramp-up.
While the Inferno Tower is more specialized for dealing with high-health tanks, the Tesla’s versatility makes it effective against a broader range of threats. The Tesla is also a Common card, making it more accessible and easier to level up than the Inferno Tower, which is a Rare card.
Other Defensive Buildings
The Tesla can support siege buildings like Mortar and X-Bow by providing a reliable defense against enemy troops. It can also be placed one tile away from the bridge to counter X-Bow or Mortar at maximum range, though it is vulnerable to supporting troops. Against spawner buildings like Furnace and Goblin Hut, placing the Tesla four tiles from the river is an effective strategy to maximize its lifespan against the first wave of spawned troops, while still being able to target air units. However, unlike Tombstone, the Tesla doesn’t enable a counter-push.
The Bomb Tower, similar to the Cannon, is primarily a ground-targeting defense that offers splash damage against groups of units, a role distinct from the Tesla’s single-target focus with air targeting. The Elixir Collector, while not a direct defensive building, can occasionally distract troops but doesn’t offer active defense like the Tesla.
Tesla in Deck Building
Here’s a deck built around the Tesla that focuses on solid defense and effective counterplay while using spells to control the board. This deck relies on strong defensive units like Valkyrie, Ice Wizard, and Tesla to handle various threats, and spells like Rocket, Poison, and The Log to clear out support troops and control the tempo of the game. Here’s a breakdown of the deck:
Tesla: Your main defensive building. Use it to defend against ground and air threats, especially against Hog Rider, Royal Giant, Balloon, and other tanks. It’s also great for pulling troops off-target and disrupting your opponent’s pushes.
Skeletons: A low-cost cycle card that helps with quick card rotation and can be used to distract or chip away at enemy troops. It also works well to activate your King Tower when placed correctly against certain units.
Valkyrie: A solid defensive troop that can handle swarms and tanks. Valkyrie is excellent against ground units like Hog Rider, Battle Ram, and Goblin Barrel, while also providing support to your other troops.
Rocket: A heavy spell to clear out high-value targets such as a combo of tanks and support units (e.g., a Giant + Musketeer). Use it carefully to avoid wasting elixir, but it can serve as a great counter-push tool.
Tornado: A versatile spell that synergizes well with your other splash-damaging units (like Valkyrie and Ice Wizard). You can use it to pull troops together for the Valkyrie and Ice Wizard to finish off, or use it to activate your King Tower by pulling enemy troops into the middle.
Poison: Another area-of-effect spell that helps you deal with enemy swarms or control the opponent’s troops, especially when paired with your other defensive troops. It also helps with chip damage over time when your opponent places units in a specific area.
The Log: A great spell to clear low-health swarms like Goblin Gang, Princess, or Skeleton Army. It provides both offensive and defensive value, especially when used to clear out pesky support troops behind tanks.
Ice Wizard: A support unit that can slow down enemy pushes and provides consistent damage against both air and ground units. It synergizes well with your defensive strategy, particularly when paired with Tornado to slow enemy troops for longer.
This deck excels in controlling the pace of the match through defense, utilizing your spells and defensive units to keep pressure on your opponent while maintaining a solid defensive setup.
Synergies
The Tesla is a versatile defensive building in Clash Royale that pairs well with a wide variety of cards and deck strategies, offering strong synergies across multiple archetypes. It is commonly found in decks that prioritize efficient defense and air control, particularly in siege-based strategies like X-Bow and Mortar decks. In these setups, the Tesla can effectively support siege buildings by dealing with enemy troops and providing additional coverage. The X-Bow Tesla Valkyrie and X-Bow Tesla Fireball decks are just a few examples where Tesla plays a key role in controlling the battlefield while defending against opposing pushes.
Additionally, the Tesla is often included in cycle decks such as X-Bow cycle with Tesla, Miner Rocket cycle, and Graveyard cycle with Tesla, where its low elixir cost and strong damage output help manage enemy threats and support quick counterattacks. Tesla is also a valuable card in Zap Bait decks, where it serves as a cost-effective alternative to the Inferno Tower, dealing significant damage at a lower elixir cost. It fits well into decks that rely on Miner or Royal Giant as win conditions, providing reliable defense against swarms and heavy units.
Tesla’s ability to target both air and ground units makes it especially useful in defending against Graveyard pushes, Golem pushes, and air threats like Balloon or Lava Hound. It can also be a part of siege decks designed to deal with enemy tanks while maintaining pressure, such as X-Bow Rocket with Tesla or Hog Monk cycle. Moreover, Tesla synergizes with cards like Electro Spirit, Valkyrie, and Fireball, providing a solid defensive backbone while clearing the way for offensive plays.
Its flexible placement and versatility make Tesla a strong option in decks across all elixir ranges and game modes. Whether paired with tanks, siege units, or cycle cards, the Tesla can be a critical asset in almost any deck, offering both defensive stability and adaptability.
Advanced Tips and Tricks
To master the Tesla in Clash Royale, it’s important to understand its advanced placements, tactical uses, and synergy with other cards. Tesla’s unique ability to retract underground and avoid most damage spells (except Earthquake and Freeze) makes it an exceptional defensive building when used correctly. When strategically placed, it can counter a variety of threats.
For optimal placement against common troops, position the Tesla in specific ways based on the enemy’s unit. For example, against a Hog Rider, placing the Tesla with the top of its radius over the river or two Teslas slightly touching the river can help pull the Hog Rider towards the center of the arena. For Royal Giant, place the Tesla four tiles from the river and two tiles from your Princess Tower to outrange the Royal Giant. A 4-3 placement can pull it effectively if the Giant is placed closer to the center.
Against Golem, a proactive placement four tiles from the edge of the map can pull it before it reaches your towers. For Balloon, a 3-2 placement can reliably pull the Balloon, even if it’s placed at the farthest edge of the arena.
When dealing with air troops like Flying Machine, Inferno Dragon, or Baby Dragon, place the Tesla one tile off-center, and three tiles from the bridge. The Tesla can also be a good response against Graveyard or Miner, where its re-targeting speed and ability to hide underground make it an effective defense. Tesla can also deal with spawners like the Furnace by placing it four tiles from the river, maximizing its lifespan against the first wave of spawned units.
Understanding when to use proactive versus reactive placement is crucial. The Tesla is typically more effective when placed reactively, as it can respond to enemy units as they deploy. However, proactive placement can be useful in specific scenarios like when anticipating a Royal Giant or Golem push. The key to effective defense lies in anticipating the opponent’s moves and placing the Tesla at the right time.
Utilizing Tesla’s underground ability is another powerful tactic. When retracted underground, the Tesla is invulnerable to most spells and untargetable by troops. This can be used to absorb damage and survive spell cycles. Keep in mind that quick troops like Spear Goblins can still deal damage before the Tesla retracts completely.
In addition to single Tesla placements, double Tesla placements can be extremely useful when defending against powerful pushes like Balloon Freeze. Positioning two Teslas side by side allows them to target separate threats. Tesla also works well with siege cards like X-Bow or Mortar, where it can protect the siege units from enemy troops. It can even be swapped with Inferno Tower in Log Bait decks to provide solid defense.
Elixir management is another important consideration. Avoid placing Teslas at both bridges at the start of the match when running siege decks like X-Bow, as this can waste valuable elixir before the opponent reveals their counters. After losing a tower, place the Tesla on the side of the remaining tower to defend against pocket troops or lane troops, but shift it further towards the lane if a big push is incoming.
Finally, using Tesla in combination with King Tower activation can be a game-changer. If Tesla is placed at the right time, it can activate the King Tower by luring in units like the Bandit, adding extra damage to incoming pushes.
By mastering these advanced tips, you’ll increase your effectiveness with Tesla in Clash Royale. Keep practicing and adapt to your opponent’s strategies to use Tesla to its full potential.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Tesla is a unique and versatile defensive building in Clash Royale with several key characteristics that set it apart. Its ability to retract underground when not attacking makes it invulnerable to most spells, except Earthquake and Freeze, providing a strategic advantage by absorbing damage and surviving spell cycles. This unique mechanic also means it can’t be targeted by troops while underground, influencing enemy troop pathing and requiring precise placement to effectively lure attackers.
The Tesla offers several strengths that make it a valuable defensive tool. Its versatility in targeting both ground and air units makes it effective against a wide range of threats, especially compared to the Cannon, which only targets ground units. It can counter air threats like Lava Hound, Balloon, Flying Machine, Inferno Dragon, and Baby Dragon with the right positioning. Additionally, the Tesla boasts competitive stats, often offering better damage and hitpoints than the Cannon. The Tesla can be used both reactively and proactively, though reactive placement is often recommended for fast-moving troops like the Hog Rider. Proactive placement at specific tile distances can be an effective way to deal with Royal Giants and Golems.
Strategic placement is crucial to maximize the Tesla’s effectiveness against different win conditions. Mastering specific tile placements for troops like the Hog Rider, Royal Giant, Golem, Lava Hound, and Balloon can make the difference between a successful defense and failure. Its smaller 2×2 hitbox and underground ability can also be used for unique defensive maneuvers, such as activating the King Tower against a Bandit or creating anti-spell placements. In some cases, double Tesla placements can serve as a powerful strategy to defend against pushes like Balloon Freeze or Goblin Giant Sparky.
However, there are considerations when using the Tesla. It may not be able to pull troops as far as the Cannon due to its smaller size, and its re-targeting speed can be slower, leaving it vulnerable to swarms of units. Precise placement is often required, and the unique interaction with “true red” and “true blue” player perspectives can affect placement accuracy. Some players also find it harder to place effectively compared to other defensive buildings like the Cannon. While versatile, the Tesla might not always be the best option against every single threat, as the Inferno Tower, for example, excels at dealing with high-health tanks like Giant and Golem in some situations.
Ultimately, the Tesla is a skill-dependent card that rewards players who take the time to learn its various placements and strategic applications. While some players might prefer the lower cost of the Cannon or the high damage output of the Inferno Tower against tanks, the Tesla’s ability to evade spells and target both ground and air units makes it a viable and often underestimated defensive option. Its effectiveness relies heavily on the player’s ability to adapt their placements based on the opponent’s strategy and their own deck goals.
