Clash Royale is one of the most unique games on the market with millions of monthly players. As a card game centered around an eight count deck, you need to build a deck that is adaptable and effective, with the ability to counter the decks of your enemies with finesse. At a current card count of 111, there are quite literally millions of combinations a player may create and with the occasional balance change, you’ll need to stay on top of the meta.
Every card is unique and has no specific play style as they can be played in a variety of ways. However, while each card has its own strengths and weaknesses, you’ll still need to synergize your deck to lead yourself to victory. The following decks have stood the test of time throughout Clash Royale’s many balances and will spice up the battle arena.
12 Ice Bow Twister Rocket
An explosive twist on a classic deck
The X-Bow is a card not seen much in the game but when used skillfully, your opponent will have a hard time breaking through the defenses. Since Tesla and X-Bow go together like peanut butter and chocolate, your opponents will need therapy after trying to break through. In the current meta, you may switch evolutions between Evo-Skeletons, Evo-Knight and Evo-Tesla. This is your choice to switch between the available evolutions should you possess them. However, for Level 15 players, you can have double evolutions.
Depending on your playstyle, Evo-Skeletons and Evo-Tesla would be an excellent choice as you can guide cards such as Golem towards the Evo-Tesla and in one spot while Evo-Skeletons work the health of said troop in no time, gathering more and more as they attack. If you prefer a defensive style and an extra defense troop, Evo-Knight is your best bet. An Evo-Knight can tank a Sparky shot and if you place him with your defended X-Bow with a Tesla, evolved or base, your opponent will be pressed to break through.
Using the Tesla to defend either your X-Bow or your tower for double usage and then spawn the Tornado to pull away heavy and light troops alike before you target those same troops for an easy counter on any opponent's push. And if all else fails, just cycle a bunch of Rockets onto the enemy tower. Nothing says "I'm done with you" like classic Rocket spam.
11 Spicy Jelly Spam
Push your opponents to the limit of their tolerance with this Elixir Golem spam deck
As the arguably the most fascinating card in the game, the Elixir Golem has the potential to either be your opponents worst nightmare or a care package for them that hands them victory. This is because when destroyed, E-Golem hands the opponent a free four Elixir after being fully defeated, giving the opponent a seven Elixir advantage. But with an added Battle Healer to help keep your E-Golem from breaking into the second stage and with Zap and Firecracker, your opponents splash counters such as Bats or Minions are out of the equation.
Even splash damage dealers like Wizard, Magic Archer, and Hunter can be roasted with a single Fireball or the classic Fireball-Zap combo. But what if your opponent drops a Mega Knight or P.E.K.K.A.? Use that Tornado to pull the danger away and have Sparky wipe the enemy off the face of the earth. The Electro Wizard giving you a headache? Pull E-Wizard away from Sparky and he’ll target E-Golem, Battle Healer or your Firecracker if you’ve placed her down. In double elixir or sudden death, you’ll be able to spam these cards to overwhelm your opponent with ease.
Spicy Jelly also contains a potential three evolutions, Firecracker, Zap and Tesla. The best possible build would be with Evo-Firecracker for players under Level 15. For the Level 15 elite, throw in Evo-Tesla to your second slot for good measure. An Evolved Firecracker has the potential to DEVASTATE your opponent from across the bridge, similar to the Magic Archer. However, Evo-Firecracker adds damage over time and splash damage. Mix this with Tornado to line up enemy troops on their tower while your E-Golem, Sparky and Battle Healer on the floor and your opponent will be dealing with a push that’s nearly impossible to defend.
10 Haunted Royal Giant Spam
Your opponent has never dealt with so many Royal Giants
If you’ve just unlocked the Royal Giant’s evolution, you’re probably itching to unleash this behemoth on the battlefield. And why wouldn't you? With this deck, it's like having a wrecking ball at your command, ready to turn your opponent’s defenses into rubble in just one cycle. The Royal Giant has been haunting the middle ladder for years, and with its shiny new evolution, it’s now more terrifying than ever. With a well timed lightning, you’ll also be able to defeat troops like Wizard and Hunter, while also being able to destroy buildings like Inferno Tower and Furnace.
In the chance an opponent has a P.E.K.K.A or a high damage troop, Fisherman will be able to pull the danger away from your Royal Giant with Inferno Dragon melting those threats like butter. But Fisherman isn't just for show; he’s your go-to guy for pulling Hog Riders, Lumberjacks, and even Golems to your king tower for an instant activation. Of course, the trusty Firecracker is here to keep those pesky swarms at bay.
You may have noticed, this spam deck contains three evolution possibilities. Royal Giant, Firecracker and Ice Spirit. For this deck, the Ice Spirit evolution is absolutely useless when in comparison to Royal Giant’s evolution or the Firecracker evolution. Royal Giant’s evolution requires only one cycle while the Ice Spirit’s two-cycle evolution, on the other hand, is just a less fancy Evo-Zap that freezes a target for half a second. Yawn. The Evo-Royal Giant also has the ability to stomp as he shoots at a target, rendering ground swarms such as Skeleton Army or Goblin Gang completely useless.
If you’re lucky enough to be Level 15 with both evolved Royal Giant and Firecracker, you’ll be sitting pretty. These two will handle air and ground swarms with ease, while your Fisherman can reel in anything too heavy for your Royal Giant, letting Inferno Dragon clean up the rest.
9 Hot Lava Barb Furnace
The arena is about to get even hotter
When it comes to heavy cards in Clash Royale, the Lava Hound often feels like the neglected middle child. Sure, Golem and Giant hog the spotlight, but in the right hands, Lavaloon can absolutely dominate the top ladder. You might see Barbarians and think, "Easy pickings for a Mega Knight," but here’s the big secret: stop the Mega Knight from jumping, and he’s just a big guy with a fancy suit of armor.
Even Wizard has no chance at stopping this deck since you’ll have Fireball and Zap in your arsenal. Meanwhile, the Furnace will be chipping away at your opponent’s patience, dealing splash damage and keeping the Elixir advantage firmly in your corner.
This deck comes with three evolution options: Barbarians, Archers, and Zap. Evolved Barbarians are a must-have, easily flattening cards like Golem, Goblin Giant, P.E.K.K.A, or any other heavy troop threatening you. As for the Evo-Zap and Evo-Archers, that’s all about personal flair.
Evolved Archers get a serious buff with increased damage and range, turning them into sharpshooters with attitude. Evo-Zap, on the other hand, unleashes multiple strikes in one, perfect for when you want to fry a larger area. Both require two cycles to activate, so the choice boils down to whether you prefer your Archers to hit harder or your Zap to linger longer. It’s all about your playstyle and how you like to dish out the punishment.
8 Poisonous Splash Yard
The classic deadly combo that punishes any lapse in defense
Ah, the Splash Yard deck, a classic combination with thousands of variations and is a deck that is as satisfying to play as it is to win with. This deck stars the Skeleton King, one of the three original champions. If you don’t have Skeleton King, the Giant Skeleton is a worthy understudy, but trust me, it’s a lot more hilarious with the Skeleton King once you finally break through!
Now, fair warning: You’ll have to be cautious with this deck as you won’t have access to any strong ground troops like Knight or Valkyrie but you will be able to use your Barbarian Barrel for a cheap response to a heavy push while you set up an Ice Wizard and Skeleton King defense. Getting your opponent low on elixir is key, as once Graveyard is placed, it’s almost game over at that point.
If your opponent has Dagger Duchess, you’ll need to get her knives down before placing Graveyard. Doing so is quite easy once you have a big enough push. Once you can get your push of Skeleton King and Dragon, toss a Goblin Barrel to bait out any Logs or Arrows, then activate your Graveyard. If you’ve got the elixir, add a splash of poison and build up Skeleton King’s undead ability for two elixir and watch as your opponent's towers crumble under the relentless assault of the undead. You’ll also be able to pull cards like Valkyrie or Wizard away from the Graveyard to keep them from taking out your Skeletons.
While this deck doesn’t have any built-in evolutions, there’s always room for customization. Swap out Ice Wizard for the newly evolved Wizard, who now sports a fiery blast shield. He’s great for countering swarms like Barbarians and Minions.
7 Elite Goblin Giant Sparky Beatdown
Who doesn't love the sight of a Sparky charging up, ready to blast anything in its path?
With the many giants within Clash Royale, Goblin Giant is the most underestimated. It’s a mystery why, considering the big guy has an ability similar to the Electro Giant, attacking anything that gets too close. Plus, the Goblins hitching a ride on his back can take out air troops like Balloon or Dragon.
This beatdown deck is perfect for those who are all defense and part offense. Elite Barbarians and Lumberjack are a deadly duo of destruction that can counter most ground troops such as Valkyrie, Knight, Mini-P.E.K.K.A and even Mega-Knight and P.E.K.K.A.
With a Sparky backing them up, they’re near undefendable, with the only counter being a well timed Rocket. Even if they attempt Skeleton Army, Zap has you covered. Minion Horde and Minions might also be a challenge to overcome, but you’ll have access to Ice Spirit, your own Minions and since Tornado does damage, Zap and Tornado will take care of most air swarms. You’ll want to place the big green guy in the back and charge up that Sparky as soon as you can. Or you can test the waters with a Lumberjack racing towards the tower of your choice.
Once you get Sparky and Goblin Giant down, or even a second Sparky (because why not?), your opponent will have a rough time resisting throwing their phone. You can also deploy Elite Barbarians in the opposite lane for double trouble or pile them on with your Goblin Giant for a harder push. And don’t forget, Lumberjack is a ticking time bomb!
This deck features two evolutions, Ice Spirit and Zap. If you’re Level 15 and have these cards, there’s no reason not to use them. More stun time per evolution means more opportunities to make your opponent’s life miserable. For those below Level 15, it’s really a matter of personal preference. However, the Evolved Zap is a great choice since you can place it anywhere on the map, while Ice Spirit needs to hit its target to activate.
6 Royal Giant Furnace
The fiery duo marching towards victory
The Royal Giant continues to reign supreme, especially when paired with the relentless pressure of the Furnace. You’ll have to watch your elixir when playing this deck as capitalizing on your Lightning is the difference between victory and defeat. Lightning easily takes care of Wizards, Musketeers and Mini-P.E.K.K.A as well as severely damaging any buildings your opponent may be wielding. It also has the potential to reset the Inferno Tower to keep it from burning though your Giant.
The majestic Phoenix is also here to keep Balloons and Dragons at bay and you’ll be able to capitalize on your Goblins to soak up Prince charge damage or distract cards like P.E.K.K.A or Mega-Knight, as well as Lumberjack acting like a deadly martyr. Once that rage is dropped, your opponent will only be able to watch in horror as their tower is reduced to rubble.
This deck features two potential evolutions, Royal Giant and Ice Spirit. If you have both evolutions and are Level 15, then there is no reason not to play them both. But if you’re a mere mortal at Level 14 or lower, prioritizing the Royal Giant evolution is the way to go. Sure, Ice Spirit’s evolution is cool (pun intended), but it’s still a terrible evolution. Playing without evolutions is possible, but don’t make things harder on yourself and just use the Evo-RG if you have him.
5 P.E.K.K.A Bridge Spam
Nothing strikes fear into the hearts of opponents quite like a sudden onslaught of P.E.K.K.A Bridge Spam
A classic deck that’s just as iconic as Hog 2.6, P.E.K.K.A Bridge Spam is a deck that was practically engineered for double lane carnage and rage quits. Seriously, this deck will have your opponents smashing their devices in frustration. With air and ground defense on your side, any opponents running Lumberloon, Golem Clone or swarm decks are going to have a near impossible time breaking through your defenses. The key to success is spamming both lanes of your opponent's towers.
Should your opponent have buildings such as Bomb Tower or Inferno Tower, they may have an advantage over you. If this becomes consistent, consider swapping your Poison for Earthquake to specialize against buildings. But remember, you'll be losing a fantastic spell against air and ground swarms, so choose wisely based on your personal preference.
Your P.E.K.K.A is going to provide most of the pressure, especially with a Battle Ram behind her. You will also be able to get sharp Magic Archer shots on the enemy tower should you place him correctly, such as lining up your P.E.K.K.A straight down the enemy lane as she battles another troop, allowing your Magic Archer to gain free damage on the enemy tower. Royal Ghost is here to help against ground swarms such as Goblin Gang or Skeleton Army while also providing a cheap alternative to deal with Knights and Valkyrie. While you have a P.E.K.K.A-Battle Ram push on a lane, you’ll have an opportunity to place a Bandit on the opposite lane with the possibility of gaining a second Battle Ram for a double push. Make sure to keep Magic Archer and Electric Wizard at the ready for any air defense your opponent may have.
P.E.K.K.A Bridge Spam has two available evolutions at your disposal, Battle Ram and Zap. If you're under Level 14 and have to pick one, go for the Battle Ram evolution. You'll need to cycle twice to activate either evolution, but the evolved Battle Ram tramples through swarms and smashes buildings multiple times, dropping two evolved Barbarians upon destruction. For Level 15 players with both evolutions, you can have your cake and eat it too… An evolved Zap is always better than a regular Zap.
4 Ice Twister Spell Cycle
Destroy your opponent's towers without having a troop crossing the bridge
If you’ve been raging and trying to make Ice-Bow Rocket work, drop the X-Bow and embrace the dark side of spell cycling. Swap it for Poison, the newly released Void, Earthquake, or even Mirror for some spell spam shenanigans. This deck is all about management, you might feel like you have infinite elixir, but to hit you with the cold water, you don’t. Master the art of elixir management, and you'll be top ladder in no time.
By taking advantage of your Ice Wizard, Tesla and Tornado, you’ll be able to defend against the heaviest cards and combos in the game, including Golem, Mega-Knight, P.E.K.K.A, Electro Giant, Lumberloon, Goblin Giant-Sparky and much more if you utilize your Rocket.
You’ll notice you won’t have any push cards so you’ll have to utilize your Poison and Rocket for your pushes and damage on your opponents tower. However, you must play your hand carefully as more experienced players will capitalize on a careless Rocket spammer. If they get the upper hand, you’re as good as toast. But, should you play your hand carefully and patiently, you’ll be hard pressed to find a player able to break through your defenses.
This spell cycle deck has a surprisingly large amount of potential evolutions. Evolved Knight, Skeletons and Tesla. Evolved Knight would most likely be your best bet as he is tough to take down and dishes out solid damage. Evolved Skeletons, while a bit fragile, can turn into a terrifying force of infinite damage if left unchecked but they are defeated quite easily with Arrows or Zap. Evolved Tesla also has the ability to stop even the most destructive pushes. Each evolution requires two cycles to activate and each offers something different.
For players Level 14 and below, it’s all about personal preference. Pick the evolution that feels right to you, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Level 15 players with double card options can mix and match for even more spell-casting fun. Each of these available evolutions offer a new playstyle and experience so feel free to play the evolutions you’ve found the most success with or have the most fun with.
3 Mirror Bait
Let the Goblins fly
A great twist on Log, in this deck, you'll have access to Goblin Gang, Princess, and Mirror, all working together to bait out Logs and Arrows to help Goblin Barrel deal as much damage on your opponent's towers.
It’s important to note that there are plenty of swaps available in this deck. For example, if you’d like to use an evolved Tesla, swap out the Inferno Tower or if you prefer Valkyrie over Knight, you can swap them out and gain access to evolved Valkyrie if you have access to her. Some players even swap Rocket for Lightning or Princess for Firecracker! That being said, let’s discuss some of the many evolutions possible with this deck.
The most important tip to remember is that Mirror can’t redeploy an evolved card; it’ll only spit out the base form. With that being said, if you decide to swap Princess for Firecracker and Inferno Tower for Tesla, you suddenly have three potential evolutions at your fingertips.
Let's start off with the obvious! Evolved Firecracker is a great choice for a Princess replacement. She's just too good to pass up, essentially a mobile Poison-shooting monster. As for the Inferno Tower versus Tesla debate, it’s ultimately your preference. The Inferno Tower can melt the heaviest troops just like ice cream, while the Tesla requires its evolution to achieve the same level of defense. Defending your Firecracker/Princess is crucial, though, and an evolved Knight is your best option for that job. But remember, swapping back to Inferno Tower means losing Tesla's evolution and forking over extra elixir.
If you like the evolved Valkyrie, you'll be spending four elixir instead of three, but she'll make quick work of any swarms that dare cross her path. But you'll lose the extra health and damage that evolved Knight has. Though there is a lot of thought that goes into the evolved part and even the base form swaps. Knight for Valkyrie, Inferno Tower for Tesla, Princess for Firecracker or Goblin Gang for Skeleton Army, it’s all up to what you enjoy playing the most and what brings you the most success, since no matter what you play, you can still find success.
2 Hog 2.6
Sometimes, simplicity is key
The most frustrating deck to go up against is now up is now the power under your command. This deck has been annoying both midladder and competitive players alike and for good reason. In the hands of a skilled player and even a newcomer to the deck, you have the ability to stop the heaviest pushes, Electro Giant, Golem Clone, and anything else you can imagine, Hog 2.6 has the ability to stop it if you play your hands right and keep a cool head. The key to this deck's power lies in its cheap cards, allowing you to out-cycle your opponent's defenses like buildings or mini tanks such as Valkyrie or Mini-P.E.K.K.A.
Fireball and Musketeer also have the potential to keep Minion Hordes and Dragons at bay and Log is here to squash any ground swarms around your Hog Rider. You can also use Ice Golem to distract heavy hitters like P.E.K.K.A and Mega-Knight. By having Ice Golem walk away to the opposite lane, you can place a Musketeer or Cannon while the enemy troop is distracted.
In classic Hog 2.6, you have access to two potential evolutions: Ice Spirit and Skeletons. If you’re under level 15 and have both, go with Skeletons. Though both require two cycles to activate, evolved Skeletons offer infinite damage potential. Just one Skeleton surviving a Zap or Arrows can spawn a never-ending horse that might just take down a tower or even hand over a free three-crown victory. However, if you’re level 15, there’s no reason not to use both evolutions. Double the trouble, double the fun.
1 Golem Clone Spam
The heaviest contender
When it comes to playing Golem, you’ll need to be as patient as possible in order to achieve success. Play your Golem too early or too aggressively and your opponent will easily be able to capitalize on your carelessness. Elite Barbarians with Rage or a Lumberjack Balloon combo will end you before you can even get started. You’ll have to keep your Knight at hand the moment you drop your Golem. So, just take a deep breath, summon your inner monk, and prepare to play the waiting game.
Your biggest threat are Arrows so you’ll have to bait out your opponents counters. Consider having your Night Witch with Bats push the bridge to bait out a counter, then place your Skeleton Barrel along with your Flying Machine before using Clone for maximum damage. With so many small spam cards like Bats, Night Witch continuously spawning her own Bats and with Skeleton Barrel as well as Clone, your Golem will be able to avoid any buildings like Inferno Tower, Tesla or Bomb Tower. Even spawners like Barbarian/Goblin Hut or Furnace won’t stand a chance with your spam cards and Flying Machine continuously attacking everything in its path. Even P.E.K.K.A is defeated under the pressure of so many Bats attacking her.
You’ll have two opportunities for evolutions with this deck, Knight and Bats. For those under Level 15, Knight would most likely be your best bet. He is to be your heavy lifter and the card to deal with any pushes your opponent might push you with. Vampire Bats will also give you an edge as they gain more health and deal more damage the more they attack troops, even being able to withstand Arrows if at full potential.
Both options are quite powerful and it really depends on what brings you the most success. But for those less experienced with playing Golem, evolved Knight would be your best bet for a tankier troop. But if you prefer your Bats to pack a bigger punch with more health, opt for those Evo-Bats. Ultimately, a good Golem player has the potential to top even the best players in Clash Royale.
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