Best Clash Royale decks (part-2)
Clash Royale looks like a simple game from the outside. Two players drop units onto the battlefield, and watch as they try to destroy the opponent’s towers. But Clash Royale decks are surprisingly complicated. There may only be eight unit cards in each, but in many ways this actually requires your deck synergy to be more focused and precise. There’s little room for error in good Clash Royale decks.
Some of these decks focus around bridge spamming, whereas others try to bait enemy units. But whatever strategy they utilize, each one has its own strength, and should serve you well in competitive play.
Graveyard Deck
How to use the graveyard deck
- Targets : ground
- Cost : 5 elixirs
The graveyard is the only legendary spell with the log. It’s unlocked from Arena 12. It works as follows: it generates 20 skeletons for 10 seconds in the area where it is deployed. The first skeleton appears 1.5 seconds after the spell is cast.
The graveyard deck is a very strong counter-attacking composition. It is played passively at the beginning of the game in order to identify the opponent’s counters. In transition phase, after a successful defense, take advantage of the hit points of your troops in counter-attack to launch a graveyard.
Your goal is to maximize the damage you can deal with a graveyard. It is thus necessary to be able to support the graveyard either with a tank or with other spells like poison or freeze. If your opponent has effective counters in hand and is not behind in elixir, wait. Above all do not force a graveyard which could put you at risk in defense.
The graveyard’s deployment must respect certain rules. Never launch the cemetery in the center of the opponent’s tower, it may activate the enemy king’s tower! The optimal placement is two squares to the left of the center of the opponent’s tower.
How to counter the graveyard?
The graveyard is very vulnerable to poison. This spell will indeed neutralize the skeletons for a cost of 4 elixirs when the graveyard will cost you 5 elixirs. You can use other spells such as zap or log but you will have to wait for the skeletons to start accumulating.
Generally speaking, in order to minimize damage of the graveyard deck, you will have to stop enemy tanks from crossing the bridge. If you can’t do this, you can deploy light troops such as bats, minions or goblins. However, this strategy is risky if your opponent has the poison in hand. The latter will eliminate swarm troops easily.
Archers remove skeletons in one shot with a fast shooting frequency, which makes them very good counters, but they are also vulnerable to poison.
Valkyrie is also very effective when deployed in the centre of the graveyard. Moreover, she is resistant to poison which makes her a very good card to counter a graveyard deck!
By activating your king’s tower, your opponent’s graveyard will be much less effective. Your king’s tower will indeed assist your other towers, making your opponent’s task more difficult.
Supporting cards in the graveyard deck
There are two very popular spells with graveyard decks:
- The poison that prevents your opponent from defending with swarm troops. It can force less effective troops to counter the graveyard. In this way, you will increase your elixir lead.
- The freeze neutralizes opponents’ counters with more hit points like valkyrie, making it a very effective spell combined with the graveyard. On the other hand, you will benefit from the surprise effect on the first push which can allow you to take a tower quickly.
We find in the graveyard decks, units with many hit points and effective in defense. One will think in particular of the baby dragon as well as the bowler. These troops can take the aggro of the enemy tower and thus support your graveyard in counter-attack. The ice golem is also a good alternative because it costs only 2 elexir and can support a fast graveyard push if your opponent is behind in elixir.
| STRENGTHS | WEAKNESSES |
|---|---|
| Very good defense | Hard match-up if your opponent activates king’s tower |
| One push can win it all | Vulnerable to poison |
| No bad match-ups | Graveyard poison push is expansive |
Best graveyard decks
Source : Royale API
Graveyard freeze deck
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| Average cost in elixir : 3.6 | Code name : Graveyard freeze | ||
In this graveyard deck, it’s the freeze spell that comes with your win condition. Wait for the right moment before using your freeze. Analyze your opponent’s counters and if your opponent has the poison wait until he plays it in attack before casting the graveyard. With good timing you can take the opponent’s tower without a tank in one push! Your defense will be ensured by the super combo executioner + tornado with cards like the barbarian barrel and goblins to cycle. With an average cost of 3.6 you can quickly get the graveyard back in hand if necessary.
Graveyard poison deck
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| Average cost in elixir : 3.4 | Code name : Graveyare ice wiz tornado | ||
This time the defense will be ensured by the ice wizard + tornado combo. Together these two cards can stop a golem deck easily with the tombstone to keep the enemy tank away from your tower. The graveyard will be here with the poison in attack. It will have to be used when your opponent decides to defend with small troops such as archers or bats. With a tank like the knight or the baby dragon you will be able to put pressure on the opponent’s tower. Wait until you have enough elixir to launch the graveyard!
Giant graveyard deck
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| Average cost in elixir : 3.1 | Code name : Giant graveyard bait | ||
This graveyard deck cycles very fast with an average cost in elixir of only 3.1! It plays much more aggressively than the other two. The giant + graveyard combo can be devastating because the giant can tank the graveyard for a long time. Another important aspect of this deck: the bait. With the bats, goblins and the skeleton army, you can bait small enemy spells such as zap and log. So you can also overwhelm your opponent with your small troops! The giant snowball and arrows can clear the way against minions and goblins!
Princess Deck
How to use the princess deck
- Targets : ground and air
- Cost : 3 elixirs
The princess is first and foremost a passive card. She can be deployed at the beginning of the game behind the king’s tower because it allows you to delay and wait for your opponent. The princess is the only card in the game that can inflict damage to your opponent’s towers by staying out of reach. It is therefore possible to deploy her directly at the bridge in order to inflict damage.
The princess deck is inseparable from the log bait. Since she can be eliminated with a log for a cost of 2 elixirs, it is better to include in the princess deck other cards that will “bait” the log. These include the goblin barrel, the goblin gang, the rascals and the dart goblin! Be careful never to deploy cards that can be eliminated by a log in the same area.
In defense, the princess is very useful against a horde, a skeleton army or witches. Her range allows her to stay out of reach of these troops. If your opponent fails to eliminate her, you can deploy other princesses at the same time and control the entire battle area! The longer she stays in play, the more your elixir lead increases!
The knight also fits very well in a princess deck because he will be able to protect her from ground troops for only 3 of elixir. He has enough hit points to eliminate a miner or a bandit.
How to counter princess?
Two spells counter the princess: the log and the giant snowball. The use of the snowball, however, is technical: you have to target behind the princess to push her towards your tower. The log instantly eliminates the princess, but it’s better to preserve it for the goblin barrel!
If you also play a princess deck, you can win the duel with an ice spirit. The ice spirit will absorb shots from your opponent’s princess, leaving the field open for your own princess to eliminate her!
The magical archer totally counters a deployed princess at the bridge and also inflicts significant damage to the opponent’s tower.
The miner can be deployed directly on the princess to eliminate her, however he can be blocked by a knight or a goblin gang. In this case he will have to be used in combination with poison to eliminate the princess.
The match-up against a mortar deck is very hard to win. With its zone damage and long range, the mortar completely neutralizes the princess and the goblin gang. Defensive mortars are particularly effective in neutralizing the bait. In addition, the barbarian barrel is often found in this deck to counter the goblin barrel.
Supporting cards in the princess deck
The most played cards with the princess are the following:
- The goblin barrel because it baits your opponent’s log, leaving the field clear for your princess.
- The knight or valkyrie, to protect the princess in hand-to-hand combat and eliminate the supporting troops behind a tank on an enemy push.
- The goblin gang who will also have the field clear in front of the enemy log.
- The inferno tower, indispensable in defense to push back a tank like the golem or the giant or to counter a hog rider as well as the balloon.
- The rocket to finish the opponent’s tower in double elixir.
| STRENGTHS | WEAKNESSES |
|---|---|
| Map control with princesses | No big spell to counter golem or lava hound |
| Complete and versatile defense | Hard against two small spells |
| Fast cycle and low average elixir cost | Hard against faster cycles (x-bow 2.9 and hog 2.6) |
Best princess decks
Source : Royale API
Log bait princess deck
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| Average cost in elixir : 3.25 | Code name : Log Bait | ||
One of the first popular decks in clash royale. With this composition your objective is simple: cheap at the opponent towers with the goblin barrel and the princess. If necessary you can finish the tower in double elixir by cycling rockets. Your defense must be perfect because if you lose a tower, you will have to use the barrel with the opponent’s tower activated, which will complicate your task. Analyze your opponent’s card cycle carefully: if he doesn’t have his log in his hand, don’t hesitate to send your barrel. You can also use the knight to take the aggro from the tower while the barrel devastates the opponent’s tower!
Prince log bait deck
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| Average cost in elixir : 3.8 | Code name : Prince log bait | ||
This deck is full of cards to bait enemy spells: the dart goblin, the barrel, the rascals, the princess and the goblin gang. More expensive in elixir than the classic log bait, you will be able to mount bigger pushes with the prince and the rascals. You will have to harass your opponent with all the goblins present in the deck. You can also split the rascals behind the king’s tower in order to put pressure on the two opposing towers. Be careful in defense not to concentrate all your troops in the same place: they are vulnerable to poison.
Princess hog rider Deck
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| Average cost in elixir : 3 | Code name : Hog 3.0 | ||
With this hog rider deck, you have the hog as a win condition. Its low elixir cost will allow you to cycle quickly and play your hog when your opponent doesn’t have his counter in hand. The ice golem can be placed in front of the hog in order to tank. The bats and the ice spirit will be able to bring an additional support in your pushes. The princess and the mini pekka will have here a defensive role and can be used in counter-attack.
Ram Rider Deck
How to use the ram rider deck
- Targets : buildings, ground and air
- Cost : 5 elixirs
The ram rider is a very versatile card that targets both buildings and enemy troops. By default, she targets the 2 closest units but prefers those that have not yet been hit by her damage. The ram rider has the same number of hit points as a hog rider. However, unlike her cousin, the ram rider uses the same charge mechanism as the battle ram and the prince after she has covered 3.5 tiles!
The ram rider stops the charge of the opponent’s units with her bola (ranged throwing weapon) with a range of 5.5 tiles identical to the electro-wizard. This mechanism will totally counter a balloon, a battle ram or a hog rider that will be immobilized by her throwing weapon! When an opposing unit is hit by her bola, it is immobilized for 2 seconds. A target stopped by this mechanism can’t move but can still continue to attack!
Like the hog rider, the ram rider can jump over the central river. Be careful however, the ram rider will not target an elixir collector positioned in front of the opponent king’s tower like the hog rider!
The ram rider deck totally counters the witches played alone by preventing them from generating bats / skeletons! The ram rider can also be used to stop a graveyard played alone.
How to counter ram rider ?
The ram rider can be stopped by the following troops:
- She is completely stopped by a bowler placed in front of your tower or zappies placed on the side.
- The mega knight resets her charging mechanism with its jump and totally prevents her from connecting with your tower.
- A pekka or mini pekka can stop her but you must absolutely place it close enough to your tower otherwise it will be immobilized by her bola and useless in defense!
- The electro wizard can also totally counter the ram rider deck when he is placed directly on top of her between the river and your tower. He totally blocks her charging mechanism.
- The skeleton army and the horde prevent her from reaching your tower, but not the goblin gang or the tombstone. Watch out for the zap!
- A tornado can also activate your king’s tower. Pay attention to the timing, which must be executed just before connecting with your tower.
- Defensive buildings such as cannon and mortar work very well against the ram rider deck for a positive elixir trade in your favor!
- The best way to counter her: by playing a defensive ram rider who will totally block her charge and then counter-attack!
Best ram rider decks
Source : Royale API
Ram rider 2.8 deck
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| Average cost in elixir : 2.8 | Code name : Ram rider 2.8 Cycle | ||
Just like the 2.6 hog rider deck, this ram rider deck relies on the card cycle speed. Use the ice spirit, cannon, skeletons and ice golem to get the ram rider back in your hand. You will have to keep your musketeer alive as long as possible by protecting her. The Ram Rider will be able to assist you in your defense by stopping the troops played alone and then counterattack! If your opponent has a hard counter in his hand (bowler, mega knight or ram rider!), make sure you cycle faster than him in order to play your ram rider when he doesn’t have his defensive card in hand.
Ram rider freeze deck
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| Average cost in elixir : 3.25 | Code name : Log Bait Freeze | ||
This deck mixes two archetypes : the log bait and the rider + freeze. You thus have two win conditions, which allows you to adapt your strategy according to the opponent’s defenses. The goblin barrel is not present but you can bait the log with the princess, the gang or the dart goblin. You will therefore have embarrassing cards to support the ram rider. The mini-pekka is to be used in defense against the opponent ground tanks (giant, golem or goblin giant) and can surprise your opponent if you play it with a freeze in attack!
Ram rider three musketeers deck
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| Average cost in elixir : 4.5 | Code name : 3M Bandit Barbarians Ram Rider | ||
This deck is much more expensive in elxir than the previous ones, it is based on the control of the opponent. The barbarian hut is coming back in force in the current meta because it has many hit points and spawns two additional barbarians when destroyed. Once placed, wait and see what your opponent does. You will be able to easily control him with your bats and the barbarian barrel in defense. If you are full elixir, now is the time to support your barbarians with a flying machine or a ram rider or put pressure on the opposite lane with a bandit. In double elixir, it’s time to make the powder talk by deploying the three musketeers in support behind the hut!
Building decks for yourself to try out different combinations is super useful when it comes to deciding what to bring to battle. If you’re looking for a useful tool for online deck-building, deckshop.pro has a great one, along with a full card list.
And that’s our list of the best Clash Royale decks. If you want to play the game for yourself, you can download Clash Royale on Google Play and the App Store.
Reference:
- Sean M. (March, 2021), Clash Royale decks – all of the best picks, Retrieved from: https://tinyurl.com/35dthwb4
- Katakuri87, (April, 2020), Clash Royale Decks: Techniques and Tips, Retrieved from: https://tinyurl.com/87tb4kd8
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