Best Clash Royale decks in 2025

Supercell’s Clash Royale is chock full of unique cards to collect (which we’ve ranked in our Clash Royale tier list), but knowing which of them to use together, with so many potential deck combinations, can be a little overwhelming at first. 

What’s more, the meta is also constantly shifting, so it’s important to stay on top of it to keep securing those wins. If you don’t feel up to experimenting with builds, however, we’ve got some recommendations for the best and most popular decks in Clash Royale right now.

Best decks in Clash Royale right now

Miner Poison

supercell

Deck composition:

• Skeleton King
• Miner
• Barbarian Barrel
• Poison
• Minions
• Wall Breakers
• Skeleton Army
• Bomb Tower

Average Elixir: 3.1

If you want to annoy your enemies, you can never go wrong with a Miner Poison deck. Miner’s already super reliable, as you can drop it on troops or sneak it onto the tower for easy chip damage. Then add Poison, which slowly melts anything nearby, especially glass-cannon troops. Together, they’re a nightmare to deal with and constantly pressure your opponent.

What makes this deck stand out is its flexibility. You’ve got strong control, consistent chip damage, and a defense that’s hard to break through. Skeleton King and Skeleton Army keep ground pushes in check, Bomb Tower handles tanks, and Minions cover the air. Even if your Miner gets taken out, Poison keeps ticking away, making sure you’re always doing damage.

Log Bait

Dexerto

Deck composition:

• Knight
• Goblin Barrel
• Princess
• Goblin Gang
• Ice Spirit
• Inferno Tower
• Rocket
• The Log

Average Elixir: 3.25

Bait decks exist in many forms in Clash Royale, but Log Bait has remained one of the most popular over the years. 

With Log Bait, you’ll want to have multiple cards in your deck are are all weak to The Log that you can play with the intention of baiting your opponent into using it. If you successfully trick them into using it, you’ll be free to deal some heavy damage after. Once their Log is out of rotation, use Goblin Barrel to deal some good damage. 

You can also slowly chip away at the enemy’s towers before your weaker units are taken out by The Log.

Miner Balloon Cycle 

supercell

Deck composition:

• Barbarian Barrel
• Snowball
• Musketeer
• Skeletons
• Miner
• Ice Golem
• Bomber
• Balloon

Average Elixir: 2.6

A Balloon on its own is usually pretty easy to take down, but pair it with a Miner and it’s a whole different story. The Miner acts as a mini tank, distracting enemy troops and buildings so your Balloon can float right to the tower. It’s a classic combo that’s still super strong in the meta.

For defense, you’ve got Musketeer to cover the air, Bomber for splash damage, and Ice Golem for kiting and slowing down pushes. And to top it off, both Barbarian Barrel and Snowball give you great control against bait decks and swarms. With an average cost of just 2.6 Elixir, this deck cycles fast, defends well, and can pressure your opponent non-stop.

Hog 2.6 Cycle

Deck composition:

• Cannon
• Fireball
• Hog Rider
• Ice Golem
• Ice Spirit
• Musketeer
• Skeletons
• The Log

Average Elixir: 2.75

The Hog 2.6 Cycle is one of the most elixir-efficient decks in Clash Royale and has remained extremely popular for quite some time.

By holding onto your big hitters until after your opponent has used their elixir, you can deliver notable damage to the enemy’s towers regularly with this mixture of cards. 

If you master the deployment time of your troops, this deck is truly a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

Hoq Eq

supercell

Deck composition:

• Cannon
• Electro Spirit
• Earthquake
• Skeletons
• Mighty Miner
• Hog Rider
• Cannon Evo
• Furnace Evo

Average Elixir: 3.25

This deck revolves around the classic Hog Rider and Earthquake combo. It’s simple, fast, and super satisfying to play. The Hog Rider’s speed already makes him hard to stop. With Earthquake, a spell that clears out buildings thrown into the mix, he can dash straight to the tower for easy chip damage.

When it comes to defense, you’ve got cheap cards like Skeletons and Electro Spirit to cycle quickly, while Cannon, Cannon Evo, and Furnace Evo handle tanks and pushes with ease. Mighty Miner ties it all together, giving you both a solid defense and a sneaky counterpush option. Overall, this deck is all about timing and keeping that constant pressure going.

E-Giant

supercell

Deck composition:

• Electro Giant
• Baby Dragon
• Dark Prince
• Bomber
• Goblin Hut
• Tornado
• Barbarian Barrel
• Bowler

Average Elixir: 4.1

E-Giant decks remain some of the hardest to counter, and this version makes great use of his combo potential. The main win condition, Electro Giant, reflects damage back at anything that attacks him and even stuns them for a moment, making him a nightmare in almost any matchup.

He’s a bit slow and can get distracted by swarms, but once you back him up with splash support like Baby Dragon, Bowler, or Bomber, he becomes way harder to stop. Tornado ties everything together, literally, by pulling troops into his range so he can zap multiple targets at once.

Add in strong defense from Dark Prince, Barbarian Barrel, and Goblin Hut, and you’ve got a deck that controls the field and punishes your opponent the second they overcommit.

Mortar (bait)

supercell

Deck composition:

• Mortar
• Miner
• Archers
• Barbarian Barrel
• Skeletons
• Fireball
• Goblin Gang
• Ice Spirit

Average Elixir: 2.6

This Mortar deck is easy to learn, effective, and consistently strong in the current meta. The main idea is to keep up constant pressure and place your Mortar smartly, instead of going all-in with big pushes.

In this deck, your Mortar does it all: it can defend against pushes or chip away at towers when your opponent slips up, while the Miner tanks for it and chips away at the tower. Fireball takes care of support troops, and cheap cards like Skeletons, Ice Spirit, and Barbarian Barrel keep your cycle fast so you can outpace your opponent. 

Goblin Gang and Archers round things out, giving you solid defense against both air and ground pushes. With an average Elixir cost of just 2.6, this deck is fast, flexible, and perfect for players who like to stay in control the whole match.

Lumberloon Freeze

Dexerto

Deck composition:

• Lumberjack
• Balloon
• Baby or Electro Dragon
• Inferno Dragon
• Bowler
• Freeze
• Tornado
• Barbarian Barrell

Average Elixir: 3.9

This is one of the most infamous decks in Clash Royale history as Mugi took home a $200,000 prize playing with it in the 2021 World Finals. It’s still a solid deck in 2025, and even though Balloons aren’t quite as powerful as they once were, Lumberloon Freeze is still pretty tough in the right hands. 

You’ll want to hold off on aggressive play with this deck until you reach Double Elixir, but once you do, aim to combine a Balloon hit with executing a Freeze on the Princess Tower. Freezing your enemy’s air defense will also put you in a safer position, so stay aggressive to try and force them to use all of their air defense. 

Overall, the combined power of Lumberjack, Balloon, and the Freeze spell can be a formidable combination in Clash Royale. 

Splashyard with Barbarian Barrel

Supercell

Deck composition:

• Knight
• Graveyard
• Ice Wizard
• Baby Dragon
• Tombstone
• Poison
• Tornado
• Barbarian Barrel

Average Elixir: 3.3

This is a variant on the Splashyard deck that utilizes the Barbarian Barrel. This deck is centered around Graveyard but relies largely on its fantastic defense as opposed to its mediocre attacking prowess. 

Ice Wizard and Tombstone are your main defensive cards. Graveyard and Poison have excellent singers that can be used to take out ranged attackers and chip away damage at the enemy Tower. The Barbarian Barrel can also send out a Barbarian to deal more damage, or you can use him as an easy distraction for enemy troops. 

Royal Hogs Royal Recruits (Fireball)

Dexerto / Supercell

Deck composition:

• Royal Recruits
• Royal Hogs
• Zappies
• Fireball
• Flying Machine
• Goblin Cage
• Arrows
• Barbarian Barrel

Average Elixir: 4.1

This is one of many decks built around the Royal Hog and Royal Recruits. Counter-pushing is the main way you’ll deal damage here, so aside from Royal Recruits, Royal Hogs, and your basic troops, it’s made up of great defensive cards.

Royal Recruits are the most vital part of this deck, used for both counter-pushing and defending. The Royal Hog can join the attack to put additional pressure on the enemy. Zappies, Fireball, and Arrows will be the pillars of your defense. This is an easier deck to pick up, but it’s tricky to master. If you can, it’s well worth the investment.

Ram Rider P.E.K.K.A Ghost

Dexerto

Deck composition:

• P.E.K.K.A
• Ram Rider
• Royal Ghost
• Bandit
• Electro Spirit
• Zap Evolution
• Wizard Evolution
• Void

Average Elixir: 3.7

Putting Ram Rider and P.E.K.K.A together as the foundation for decks has been popular in the Clash Royale community for quite some time now. PEKKA is a powerful card in its own right due to its big damage output and high hit points. Pairing it with the Ram Rider can make it even stronger, however.

This deck sees PEKKA and Ram Rider attacking alongside Royal Ghost and Bandit. Their combined strength is ideal for both destroying enemy towers and fending off any army swarms that your opponent deploys. 

If pure strength sounds up your alley, then this deck is a great choice.

Lava Hound Balloon Deck

Deck composition:

• Balloon
• Fireball
• Guards
• Lava Hound
• Mega Minion
• Skeleton Dragons
• Tombstone
• Zap

Average Elixir: 3.9

You’re primarily relying on Lava Hound to get the job done with this one, but the supporting cards make a huge difference in how effective this strategy turns out to be.

While it’s relatively easy to figure out how to play LavaLoon, mastering the timing of Fireball and Lightning will determine your skill level when using this deck.

Royal Giant Ghost

Deck composition:

• Electro Spirit
• Fisherman
• Hunter
• Lightning
• Royal Ghost
• Royal Giant
• Skeletons
• The Log

Average Elixir: 3.4

The Royal Giant Ghost is a balanced deck in Clash Royale, focusing on both attacking and defensive playstyles. The main objective of this deck is to overwhelm your opponent with massive numbers and hitpoints combined with a rock-solid defense. 

The Log and Lightning can quickly push back and fry opponent cards. On the other hand, the Royal Giant acts as a tank, while the Royal Ghost, Fisherman, and Electro Spirit can wreck both opponent cards and towers.

Royal Hogs Royal Recruits

Dexerto

Deck composition:

• Royal Recruits
• Royal Hogs
• Flying Machine
• Goblin Cage
• Zappies
• Fireball
• Arrows
• Barbarian Barrel

Average Elixir: 3.8

This deck is all about counter-pushing to deal damage. Royal Recruits act as your main counter-push card, and the Royal Hogs are additional support and can help pressure your opponent. 

Defending with Zappies and Fireball is essential, and you’ve got Barbarian Barrel to deal with ground swarms. Overall, it’s got a lower skill floor, so it’s easy to pick up and learn, but takes time to really master. 

Legendary Roster

Dexerto

Deck composition:

• Mega Knight
• Sparky
• Royal Ghost
• Princess
• Fisherman
• The Log
• Electro Wizard
• Tornado

Average Elixir: 4.0

According to the creator, DepthCharge, this is a meme deck that works surprisingly well. It’s made up completely of Legendaries (aside from Tornado).

If you’re running this one, you’ll want to chip away at your opponent’s towers with Princess and draw them out with Royal Ghost. 

If you find yourself up against the Hog 2.6 deck mentioned above, this combination of cards can easily beat it. Be mindful of air-focused decks, however, including Lumberloon and Lavaloon combinations. 

Overall, this is a unique, fun deck with a relatively straightforward play style.

Giant Sparky Triple Spell

Dexerto / SP|Fabian

Deck composition:

• Knight
• Goblin Giant
• Zap
• Sparky
• Mega Minion
• Mini P.E.K.K.A
• Arrows
• Rage

Average Elixir: 3.6

This creative deck revolves around the offensive duo of Sparky and Goblin Giant. Your Goblin Giant can focus on dealing damage, and if needed, lure enemy troops away from their tower. Sparky can also deal plenty of damage, and with Goblin Giant for extra protection, you should be able to keep her safe.

On the defensive end, the Knight will be soaking up damage and distracting enemy troops, and you can use Mega Minion to counter specific cards, including Balloons.

Ultimately, this is a tanky deck with a high damage output that can easily catch your opponent off guard. 

Those are our picks for the best Clash Royale decks in 2025. For more, check out the game’s creator codes, Star Points explained, how to add friends, and the best mobile games in 2025.