Clash Royale is a mobile strategy game that reached the height of its revival a few months ago. Its popularity, combined with the nostalgia factor for seniors who played the game in middle school, inspired the senior class officers to host a Boston Latin School fundraising tournament.
Since the game is easily accessible to anyone who owns a phone, Clash Royale reaches a plethora of people while still being entertaining and challenging. It features two players competing against each other with a previously chosen deck of character cards, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The goal of the game is to take down more of the opponent’s three towers than they do within the time limit. Elixir, the game’s energy resource and currency used to place cards must be rationed or calculated to efficiently deploy cards defensively or offensively, adding to the strategy aspect. Trophies gained from each game can be used to measure the player’s proficiency and dedication.
The senior class officers spent several months planning the logistics of this exciting debut competition. They needed to figure out how to turn a one versus one game into a full tournament while allowing everyone an equal opportunity to participate and show off their skills, which they accomplished by placing restrictions on the game to prevent those who spend money on in-game purchases from having an unfair advantage over others. The tournament featured around 40 players competing for first place through a series of brackets.
Senior class president Jacob Shi (I), who plays as “watermeloooon” says, “We settled on making this a very hype event, especially for the finals.” The competition began on January 22 and culminated in an epic final. They broadcasted the finals in the Black Box on January 23 to an audience of over 60 people.
The promotion for the tournament began in late November 2025 by Charles Ellrodt (I), a Clash Royale enthusiast, who made the poster using Photoshop to promote the idea of a tournament.
One of the requirements for the tournament was recruiting a commentator to add to the excitement of the event. Daryl Cashman (I), an avid player of five years under the name “CheeseCurds,” was invited to commentate. Cashman expresses excitement at this opportunity, noting, “I have a lot of experience with the game, and I think it would be a great experience to connect with an audience over it.” Since then, he has been brushing up on the cards and different combinations, or decks, that people might use in an effort to familiarize himself with the varying playstyles he may see in the tournament.
The final outcome of the tournament was based on strategy as well as a touch of luck, depending on the matchups and if one player’s deck counters that of the other. According to Cashman, the result is impossible to predict because it is possible that the brackets may put “[one player] against [another player] that [they] either really counter or get countered by.”
While trophies might measure a player’s skill, there are many additional variables involved. Shi adds that there is potential for an underdog story if “a certain deck archetype gets countered by [an opponent’s] deck archetype.” The winner is therefore based mostly on strategy; trophies will be irrelevant in truly determining the strongest competitors.
Players expect to encounter many common decks, such as the 2.6 Hog Cycle, Double Prince, Lumberloon Bait Cycle or Piggies Earthquake. Marcus Michaud (I), a competitor under the alias “Bobsta,” mentions that his current favorite card to use is Firecracker. Shi enjoys using Rocket, Cashman likes Barbarian Barrel and Ellrodt currently uses Berserker the most.
For those who wish to begin playing, it is important to learn strategies before starting. Cashman suggests watching a video on the basics so that new players can learn how to make a deck and play the cards to their fullest potential. Players should “find some favorite cards and build [their] deck around those cards,” as it is crucial to have a balanced deck. Beginners should be well-rounded in all fields of cards with card types varying between swarms, troops, tanks, spells, buildings and many more. The game itself is very beginner-friendly, with the difficulty slowly increasing as the player gains more experience and trophies. Since Clash Royale is an accessible mobile game, it is extremely straightforward to pick up if you have been inspired by the tournament’s players.
The senior class’s Clash Royale tournament took place after school across two days with the preliminary matches on January 22 and the finals on January 23. The tournament consisted of many intense matchups that went down to sudden death and even tiebreakers, with some winning by margins of as low as three health. The finals featured Ultimate Champion Alan “214263849” Zhao (I) and globally-ranked Ultimate Champion Carl “CG F2P🖤FC” Gehring (II). Zhao ultimately came out on top as the first BLS Clash Royale champion after an extremely high-energy and high-level match against Gehring. Shi, along with many others who spectated, believes that the competition may have been the “highlight of the year.”