Have you ever used up all your elixir attacking and then been left stunned?

Have you ever poured all your units into attacking the opponent's tower, only to have no cards left to defend when they counter-attack? It's an experience everyone who plays Clash Royale has had at least once. This is actually the most common pattern that beginners repeat. The key concept here is 'elixir advantage'. If you spent 8 elixir on an attack and barely scratched the opponent's tower, and they defended with a 4-elixir card, you've essentially lost 4 elixir. Conversely, if they send a 5-elixir unit and you defend with a 3-elixir one, you can immediately counter-attack with the remaining 2 elixir. The more successfully you defend with less elixir, the more opportunities you naturally create for offense. So, there are two important things in actual gameplay: First, don't just stare blankly when your elixir bar is full. Doing nothing when your elixir is full is the same as wasting resources. Second, don't spend all your elixir on offense. If you use it all at once, you'll be easily broken through on the counter-attack, so it's good to always keep about 3-5 elixir in hand for defense. That's all!