The Best Ways To Use Mirror (Updated)

Hello guys, I am here with a short guide on how to use mirror, the highly unused yet underrated card!

This is technically a repost of an older one that didn’t really get seen to be honest, but this time there is more info and its reworded to be more interesting!

Let’s get right into it, shall we?

What is the significance of Mirror?

The Mirror

First off, Mirror is a card that plays the last card you played for +1 level, but +1 elixir.

The biggest factor of Mirror and why it is a good choice is because of these things:

1. As an Epic, mirroring a Legendary card is the best way to see a level 5 legendary or even a level 6 legendary come from your hands as an F2P. Nothing is more satisfying.
2. If you overlevel this card, you overlevel all your cards. So, if you like to play with Mirror, you can have fun playing almost ANY deck you want, even if the card you want to mirror is low leveled, giving you many more fun options to play with. As a F2P, I personally am maxing this card out ASAP and have it at level 6 already, my highest level, and I can try out any deck I want and maintain a pretty good 2v2 winrate at the same time.
3. It is fun. Trust me, if you are a F2P up at 4K, this card is your Lord and Savior for 2v2s and maybe even 1v1s, since you can play nearly any deck you want with much less punishment from your other cards being underleveled.

How to use the Mirror

There are actually certain ways you use Mirror, and most people use it in the worst way, sadly, so buckle up, you will see a new Mirror after this!

Here are the ways you should be using Mirror:

Defensive Counterpush/Split push/Offensive Swap

This would be the most recommended case to do. Low risk, moderate reward.

Generally the card you Mirror in this case is the win condition or a valuable counterpusher that unfortunately died in defense.

⭐ For the Defensive Counterpush, you use the first troop card to get a positive trade, and you counterpush, putting a mirrored version in front of the one that defended.

⭐ For the Split push, you do the same thing as the counterpush, but put them on opposite sides. Can really catch the opponent off-guard.

⭐ For the Offensive swap, if the original died or was crippled after getting that defensive positive trade to the point where making a push with them is pointless, you would Mirror it for a new, better version, wherever you want: in the back, at the bridge, etc. to make a new push.

Note: with the more expensive cards like Giant Skeleton and higher, generally you will want to do a Defensive-Offensive swap, sacrificing the first card while getting an even or better elixir trade with it, and then placing the second one as you wish, because placing a second card of them is very expensive and can lead to big negative trades if you use the Mirrored version for a Counterpush or Split push.

Pure Defense

This is a so-so case to use it for. Moderate risk, hardly any offensive reward, but a solid defense.

Basically a back-up defense if the original dies, so do NOT overlap them by predictions of any sort.

Works best with swarms and a glass cannon that was taken by a spell.

Note: this is not meant to get the best trades possible as there are usually cheaper alternatives, but they still stop pushes really well and it applies more synergies to Mirror.

Pure Offense

Not recommended, but this is how most people use it, unfortunately. High risk, moderate to low reward.

Basically 0 defense and straight-up spamming.

Basically, work up a big elixir lead first, then send them in the offensive.

Damaging Spells

This is also a so-so case.

Highly dependent, risk and reward varies, but generally the higher the cost, the higher the risk, but higher the reward, and the lower the cost, the lower the risk, but lower the reward, to an extent.

Mainly you would do this case to counter Spell Bait pretty hard, so mirroring a vital spell can hurt all forms of bait: Zap bait, Log bait, Fireball bait, Poison bait, etc.

Importance of and Required Synergies for Mirror

This is a very important thing to remember.

Don’t make a deck where only 1 card synergises with Mirror, for example Royal Ghost and no other synergies.

You need good synergies or else you will just have 2 of the same win con in your hand and a 3 hand cycle for the majority of the game, and unless you have played a 3 Musketeer or even a Golem deck, you don’t want to know how that will feel unless you are great with working with 3 cards at a time instead of 4.

You need multiple cards in your deck to have synergies with Mirror, preferably 3 troop cards for great freedom, but 2 troops and 1+ damage spell is fine.

For what I would call a good synergy deck is with 1+ Pure Offense/DA troop (if you missed what the meaning of “DA” is, refer back to “How to use Mirror” section), 1+ Pure Defense troop, and 1+ damage spell.

Just showing some examples: in 2v2s, an all-spell deck almost requires Mirror, if you may not have seen it or used it before.

Mirror enables the deck to win because of the heavy amount of synergies with it, because if they baited a certain spell or you just had to use it elsewhere, you will suffer not being able to use the damage or stun or whatever it might be that you used previously.

Another example: say you played a Bandit (DA), Skeleton Army (Pure defense) and Fireball (Damage Spell) with Mirror, and a cheap cycle of Skeletons, Ice Spirit, Bats and Zap (Damage Spell).

The deck may not have the best in terms of offense or defense, but with Mirror, the deck can withstand much more from many more decks and can pose double the threat, overall giving it a much bigger chance to succeed in winning than if you were to go without it, as you can successfully mirror 2 vital push killers (Skeleton Army and Fireball) when the first dies to a pesky spell or is used elsewhere, and you can Mirror Bandit for a double-power threat.

Best cards to pair with Mirror

I will list my Top 5 for each.

I will show some honorable mentions as well.

There is more for sure, but these are the best I think is possible.

Defensive Counterpush

Cannon Cart

Weird one, right?

Well, after playing with a Cannon Cart Mirror cycle deck in 2v2, I was pretty proud of what it could do.

On defense, the original one can do some sweet work against siege, bridge spam, beatdown, you name it. Value can be easy, but know when and where to use it.

Afterwards, if your original is still mobile and is heading for the crown tower, feel free to push the other lane or the same one with a mirrored one.

If it is not mobile, feel free to push same lane, as the leftover, grounded cannon cart can clean the mess afterward.

Royal Ghost

Legendary cards are hard to level. Mirror breaks that wall easy.

Despite how offensive he can be, he is a pretty good defender against swarms and knights.

Simply get a 3 or better positive trade on defense and boom, send a mirror down the other way.

Bandit

Simply get at least 3 elixir or more out of the first, and mirror, same as RGh.

Mega Knight

Defensive value of the original can be hard to get at times but mirroring this card is a GOD.

He had great offensive capabilities before the nerf, and bringing him up to a higher level is a great way to bring him back to the old days. Definitely worth a try.

Giant Skeleton

His bomb is POWERFUL. It cleans up nearly any push with ease.

The problem? He almost needs to be the win con with his cost.

Look no further! Mirroring him to a high level after the first is sacrificed is a really good choice if you want to make a Giant Skeleton beatdown!

Honorable mentions

X-Bow and Mortar

Both can do good work on both defense AND offense, countering bait and other decks fairly well from your side of the map.

Why not have two of the same thing at a time?

With a Defensive Mortar/X-Bow, you can chip away any bridge spam easy, getting good trades.

With a Mirror, you can play a second X-Bow/Mortar on offense while the defending Mortar/X-Bow helps defend it!

Sweet, right?

P.E.K.K.A

The offense with her is hard, but if you play your cards right, mirroring this card is easy and can reward you plenty.

Pure Defense

Skeleton Army

They can devastate pushes for a big positive trade. The problem? Fragile. A Zap can kill them.

Well, what if that zap is gone? Boom, recovery made.

Bats

Again, great defensive value. Mirror it when it is zapped, done.

Spear Goblins

Good at defending, but by themselves it is not so good. Spelled down? Mirror.

Support with a tank first, though.

Minions

Same case as bats, but this would replace the bats card if Ice Wizard, Witch, etc. become too much of a problem.

Cannon

Odd, right? Ensures a solid defense against Hog Spam and lures Giant like a boss.

With the cheap cost it is something worth mirroring.

Other buildings, not so much unless played reactively.

Honorable mentions

Hunter – He is a great card, but his problem is that he dies a bit too easy to spells.

(He is kind of UP, IMO) Mirror him and you can say bye-bye to any tank in his way!

Dart Goblin – A fragile little pest.

Takes forever to kill if you don’t have the proper card to kill it.

Usually a spell ends up killing him, so Mirror him and you are gold on defense.

Pure Offense

Goblin Gang

In the already-bait form they are, they are hard to leave alone, and seeing a second coming for your tower is pretty bad.

They can be somewhat defensive, though, so I will give them that and put it on the top of this list since he didn’t make the top 5 Defensive Counterpushers.

Goblin Barrel

That’s right. Your log just went useless and now you are almost guaranteed damage. For 7 elixir, however.

Princess

I know, not the best example at first, but putting them in opposite lanes is very pesky to deal with, and don’t forget the level advantage.

Royal Ghost

Yes, he is back again. He can be used either way.

Freeze

Wow. Surprised? Don’t be.

With the limited elixir flow, placing a second freeze is likely to be placed close to the end of the first.

Very risky, but very, very rewarding, surprisingly.

Froze a skeleton army from your hog. Oh no, now there is a minion horde! Mirror, boom, caught them in time, tower gone.

Honorable mentions

Don’t have any, not enough good cards to try it out for the job

Damaging Spells

I will do a top 3 since there is only 7(?) damaging spells, and no honorable mentions for the same reason.

The Log.

1 log is a lot, but what about 2? For 5 elixir you can cripple a row of glass cannons, knock down bait, everything.

Fireball

That’s right, the one card that gets the biggest positive trades ever. Jk, that is the Rocket’s job, but Fireball competes well.

If you had to use a Fireball on an elixir collector, and they place 3 Musketeers, boom, 2 gone, 1 to go.

Zap

Ol’ zap. Mirroring it finishes minion hordes for an even trade. Double the time it takes for infernos to melt your tank.

Zap bait? They don’t have mirror bait.

What to Not use with Mirror

These cards are fairly useless when Mirrored.

I am not saying they can’t get value, but there are much better options that have much better outcomes.

Golem

Too expensive, doesn’t get his own positive trades easy, although he can, so mirroring him would be a hassle.

Giant

Rarely gets positive trades by himself, requires a REALLY good reason to do so.

If you stick him in front of a counterpush and then mirror him to start another push, that is a good reason, but it is still hard and probably not completely worth it.

Hog Rider

As good as he is being Mirrored and the amount of carnage he can bring because of it, just don’t. You will be asking for a relentless counterpush, and unless you can handle that, you will not be happy.

Rage

Just, no. Waste of 3 elixir, what could you possibly rage after the first rage?

Royal Giant

People actually do this one, believe it or not, but you will almost guarantee get 3-crowned unless you absolutely know what the shit to do or you end up 3-crowning them yourself.

Written by SparkynadoMeisterBro