Goblinstein

What it looks like

The Goblinstein is a Champion card that is unlocked from the Silent Sanctuary (Arena 18). It spawns a single-target, air-targeting, medium-ranged, ground troop with moderate hitpoints and low damage, and a single target, building-targeting, melee, ground troop with high hitpoints and low damage. The Goblinstein’s attacks will stun a targeted unit for 0.5 seconds. Being a Champion card, they will stay out of the player's card cycle, and only return once they are defeated. The Goblinstein's ability has him shoot an electric spark towards an antenna that is typically located on the Monster's head. The Goblinstein Doctor resembles a Goblin with white hair, wearing a silver-rimmed team-colored goggles with glowing orange lens, a satellite dish on his head with a team-colored strap, a white coat with three large buttons, tan gloves, and brown boots, and wields a control device with red and cyan buttons and metal parts. The Monster is a large, green Goblin with a square head with an antenna on top, with some of its body being darker and red and having gold stitches and bolts on them, and wears team-colored pants. A Goblinstein card costs 5 Elixir to deploy and his ability costs an additional 2 Elixir to activate.

Trivia

• Goblins are small, grotesque, monstrous creatures that appear in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearances depending on the story and country of origin, ranging from mischievous household spirits to malicious, bestial thieves. They often have magical abilities similar to a fairy or demon, such as the ability to shapeshift. Similar creatures include duendes, kobolds, leprechauns, and ghouls. The Goblinstein is 1 of 17 cards associated with Goblins, with the others being Spear Goblins, Goblin Gang, Baby Goblins, Dart Goblin, Goblin Demolisher, Suspicious Bush, Goblin Cage, Goblin Hut, Goblin Giant, Goblin Barrel, Goblin Curse, Goblin Drill, Goblin Machine, Party Rocket, Party Hut, and of course, Goblins.
• In the German language settings of the game, the Goblinstein's name translates to "Dr. Frankobold".
• The card is a reference to the science fiction novel "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley.
• Electricity was first detected through electric fish from as far back as 2750 BCE where Ancient Egyptian texts described them as the "protectors" of all other fish. At around 600 BCE, Thales of Miletus made a series of observations on static electricity, from which he believed that friction rendered amber magnetic, in contrast to minerals such as magnetite, which needed no rubbing. Thales was incorrect in believing the attraction was due to a magnetic effect, but later science would prove a link between magnetism and electricity. Electricity would remain little more than an intellectual curiosity for millennia until 1600, when the English scientist William Gilbert wrote De Magnete, in which he made a careful study of electricity and magnetism, distinguishing the lodestone effect from static electricity produced by rubbing amber. The Goblinstein is 1 of 11 cards associated with electricity, with the others being Electro Spirit, Zap, Tesla, Zappies, Electro Dragon, Electro Giant, Lightning, Electro Wizard, Wizard Trio, and Sparky.
• An alternate version of the Goblinstein's card image can be seen in its trailer, resembling the same art but zoomed in on the Doctor's face.
• Along with the Boss Bandit, the Goblinstein has the most expensive combined Elixir cost of Champion and ability, costing 7 Elixir.
• It is 1 of 4 cards that spawns different troops at once, the others being Goblin Gang, Rascals, and Wizard Trio.
• The Goblinstein and his Monster are the subject of 4 Emotes.
• The Goblinstein was featured in the winning deck of the Clash Royale League 2024 Tournament, by a player called Mohamed Light.
• After the September 2025 update, a player can have multiple copies of the same Champion with the current active Champion having a crown symbol. However, the active Monster currently has no indicator. Also, in 2v2, if both players of one team use Goblinstein, there is no indicator about which Monster is associated to which Doctor.