How to build a deck in clash royale?
Quick Answer
Building a Clash Royale deck involves selecting eight cards that form a balanced strategy, typically including one main win condition, 2-3 defensive units, 2-3 support troops, and 1-2 spells, all while maintaining an average elixir cost between 3.0 and 4.5 to ensure effective offense and defense.
Understanding Clash Royale Deck Building
Building a functional and competitive deck in Clash Royale is fundamental to consistent victory, as your eight chosen cards dictate your entire strategy, whether it's aggressive beatdown, defensive control, fast cycle, or long-range siege. A well-constructed deck isn't just a random assortment of powerful cards; it's a synergistic combination designed to counter common threats, establish a clear win condition, and manage elixir effectively throughout a three-minute match, potentially extending to five minutes in overtime.
Every effective deck typically consists of a few critical components: a primary win condition, which is the card or combination that consistently deals damage to opponent's towers (e.g., Hog Rider, Golem, X-Bow); 2-3 strong defensive units to stop enemy pushes (e.g., Mini P.E.K.K.A, Inferno Tower, Valkyrie); 2-3 support cards that enhance offense or defense with their unique abilities (e.g., Musketeer, Electro Wizard, Baby Dragon); and 1-2 spells to provide direct damage, crowd control, or reset effects (e.g., Fireball, The Log, Zap, Poison). The average elixir cost of your deck is also a crucial factor, with most competitive decks falling within the 3.0 to 4.5 elixir range, allowing for both powerful pushes and quick defensive cycles.
For example, a classic Hog Rider cycle deck might feature the Hog Rider as its win condition, complemented by cheap cards like Skeletons, Ice Spirit, and The Log for quick cycling and defense, alongside stronger defensive options such as Musketeer and Valkyrie. This balance allows for rapid offensive pressure while maintaining solid defense against ground and air threats, illustrating the importance of understanding each card's role and its interaction with the others in your arsenal.
How to Build a Deck Specifically
First, you need to identify your primary win condition, which is the card or combination that will consistently deal damage to the opponent's towers. Choose one from categories like heavy beatdown (Golem, Lava Hound, Electro Giant), medium siege (X-Bow, Mortar), fast cycle (Hog Rider, Battle Ram, Royal Giant), or spell cycle (Rocket, Poison). For instance, if you choose Hog Rider, your deck will lean towards a faster cycle, typically aiming for an average elixir cost around 3.0.
Then, proceed to select 2-3 strong defensive cards to counter common threats. This includes a ground tank killer like Mini P.E.K.K.A or Prince, an area-of-effect (AoE) troop like Valkyrie or Mega Knight for swarms, and potentially an air defense specialist such as Musketeer, Electro Wizard, or Inferno Dragon. A good defensive core for a Hog Rider deck might include Valkyrie for ground swarms and a Musketeer for air and single-target damage.
Next, incorporate 2-3 support cards that complement your win condition and defensive units. These cards can provide additional damage, utility, or cycle potential. Examples include cards like Ice Golem for kiting and tanking, Skeletons or Goblins for cheap cycle and distraction, or a ranged troop like Archer Queen for high damage output. For a Hog Rider deck, Ice Spirit and Skeletons are excellent choices for their low elixir cost and utility, allowing for quick cycles back to your Hog Rider.
After that, choose 1-2 spells to round out your deck. You typically want one small spell for crowd control and cheap damage (e.g., The Log, Zap, Barbarian Barrel) and one medium to large spell for heavier damage or specific interactions (e.g., Fireball, Poison, Lightning). A Hog Rider deck often utilizes The Log to clear swarms and Fireball for medium health troops and tower damage, providing crucial finishing power or defensive resets.
Finally, assess your average elixir cost and ensure strong card synergy. Most competitive decks have an average elixir cost between 3.0 and 4.5. If your deck is above 4.5, it will likely be too slow, and if it's below 2.8, it might lack sufficient offensive power. Test your newly built deck by playing 10-20 ladder or challenge matches over a 2-3 hour period, paying close attention to which cards feel clunky, which interactions consistently fail, and where your deck struggles against common archetypes like beatdown or siege. Adjust cards one by one based on this feedback, swapping out a weak link for a card that addresses a specific vulnerability, such as replacing a ground-only defense with an air-and-ground option if you consistently lose to Lava Hound decks.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
One frequent error is having an imbalanced average elixir cost. Many players build decks with an average elixir cost above 4.5, which makes the deck too slow to cycle to key cards and vulnerable to faster, more aggressive opponents. To avoid this, always aim for an average cost between 3.0 and 4.5 by incorporating 2-3 cheap cards costing 1-2 elixir, such as Skeletons, Ice Spirit, or The Log.
Another common mistake is lacking a clear win condition. Some players simply pick eight powerful individual cards without a defined strategy for taking down towers, leading to decks that struggle to convert defensive successes into offensive pressure. To prevent this, ensure at least one of your eight cards is a dedicated tower-targeting unit like Hog Rider, Golem, or X-Bow, and build the rest of your deck around supporting that card.
Failure to include adequate air defense is a significant pitfall. Decks often get overwhelmed by air-based pushes featuring cards like Lava Hound, Balloon, or Minion Horde because they only have ground-targeting units or insufficient anti-air capabilities. To counter this, always include at least two cards capable of reliably targeting air troops, such as Musketeer, Electro Wizard, Inferno Dragon, or even archers, to cover different elixir costs and roles.
Choosing too many spells or too few defensive units can severely weaken your deck. A deck with 3-4 spells might struggle to defend against sustained pushes, while a deck with only one defensive card will quickly be overrun. The ideal setup typically includes 1-2 spells for utility and 2-3 dedicated defensive troops to handle various threats effectively, ensuring you have enough units on the field to stop an enemy push and counter-push.
Finally, neglecting specific counter-cards for prevalent threats is a common oversight. For example, not having a strong tank killer like Mini P.E.K.K.A or Inferno Tower can make you vulnerable to heavy tanks like Golem or Mega Knight. Similarly, lacking an area-of-effect card like Valkyrie or Baby Dragon can leave you exposed to swarm cards like Skeleton Army or Goblin Gang. Always consider the current meta and include cards that can effectively deal with popular win conditions and support troops.
Expert Tips for Best Results
Mastering one or two deck archetypes is far more effective than trying to play every deck. Focus on understanding the nuances of a specific playstyle, whether it's Beatdown (e.g., Golem, Lava Hound), Siege (e.g., X-Bow, Mortar), Cycle (e.g., Hog Rider, Miner Wall Breakers), or Control (e.g., P.E.K.K.A Bridge Spam), and learn the specific card interactions and optimal placements for those cards. For example, if you play Golem Beatdown, practice precise Golem placement behind the King Tower at 1:00 remaining to build a massive push, knowing exactly when to drop support like Night Witch or Baby Dragon.
Always aim for positive elixir trades whenever possible. This means using a lower elixir cost card to counter a higher elixir cost card, for example, using a 3-elixir Knight to fully counter a 4-elixir Musketeer, giving you a 1-elixir advantage. Consistently making positive elixir trades throughout a match accumulates an elixir lead, allowing you to launch more powerful pushes or defend more effectively, ultimately leading to tower damage and victory. This requires deep knowledge of card interactions and damage outputs.
Actively counter the current meta by including specific cards that are strong against popular archetypes. If you notice a high prevalence of Lava Hound decks on the ladder, incorporating an Inferno Dragon or Inferno Tower into your deck will give you a significant advantage. Similarly, if X-Bow is common, a tanky unit like Knight or Barbarian Barrel can serve as a reliable counter. Regularly check top player decks or community tier lists to understand what's strong and what needs to be countered.
Focus on deck synergy beyond individual card strength. A great deck isn't just about having powerful cards; it's about how those cards work together to create unstoppable combinations or impenetrable defenses. For instance, pairing a tank like Giant with a ranged support unit like Sparky creates a powerful offensive duo that's hard to stop without specific counters. Similarly, using Ice Golem to kite enemy troops into the range of your tower and a Musketeer creates an effective, low-elixir defense. Think about 2-3 card combos that form the backbone of your strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good average elixir cost for a Clash Royale deck?
A good average elixir cost for a Clash Royale deck typically ranges between 3.0 and 4.5. Decks below 3.0 often lack sufficient offensive power, while decks above 4.5 are usually too slow and vulnerable to faster cycle decks, making it difficult to defend and cycle back to key cards efficiently during a match.
How many spells should I include in my Clash Royale deck?
You should generally include 1-2 spells in your Clash Royale deck. A common setup is one small spell like The Log or Zap for cheap crowd control and one medium spell such as Fireball or Poison for heavier damage, area denial, or specific interactions, allowing for versatility in both offense and defense.
What are some common win conditions in Clash Royale decks?
Common win conditions in Clash Royale decks include Hog Rider for fast cycle pressure, Golem or Lava Hound for heavy beatdown pushes, X-Bow or Mortar for siege strategies, and Royal Giant for ranged tank pushes. Each win condition requires specific support cards and a particular playstyle to be effective.
How do I ensure my deck has enough air defense?
To ensure your deck has enough air defense, include at least two reliable anti-air cards. Good options include single-target damage dealers like Musketeer or Electro Wizard, building targeting cards like Inferno Tower or Tesla, or area-of-effect troops like Baby Dragon or Wizard, to cover various air threats and elixir costs effectively.
How long should I test a new Clash Royale deck before making changes?
You should test a new Clash Royale deck for at least 10-20 ladder or challenge matches over a 2-3 hour period before making significant changes. This allows you to gain sufficient experience with its matchups against different archetypes and identify consistent weaknesses or strong points, rather than reacting to just a few bad games.