Best Clash Royale decks in 2025

Supercell’s Clash Royale is chock full of unique cards to collect (which we’ve ranked in our best cards tier list), but knowing which of them to use, 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

Deck	Requirements
Log Bait	Knight (3 Elixir)Goblin Barrel (3 Elixir)Princess (3 Elixir)Goblin Gang (3 Elixir)Ice Spirit (1 Elixir)Inferno Tower (5 Elixir)Rocket (6 Elixir)The Log (2 Elixir)
Splashyard with Barbarian Barrel	Knight (3 Elixir)Graveyard (5 Elixir)Ice Wizard (3 Elixir)Baby Dragon (4 Elixir)Tombstone (3 Elixir)Poison (4 Elixir)Tornado (3 Elixir)Barbarian Barrel (2 Elixir)
Royal Hogs Royal Recruits (Fireball)	Royal Recruits (7 Elixir)Royal Hogs (5 Elixir)Zappies (4 Elixir)Fireball (4 Elixir)Flying Machine (4 Elixir)Goblin Cage (4 Elixir)Arrows (3 Elixir)Barbarian Barrel (Elixir)
Hog-Quake Super-Control	Hog Rider (4 Elixir)Earthquake (3 Elixir)Firecracker (3 Elixir)The Log (2 Elixir)Knight (3 Elixir)Royal Delivery (3 Elixir)Inferno Tower (5 Elixir)Cannon (3 Elixir)
Ultimate Punisher	P.E.K.K.A (7 Elixir)Royal Hogs (5 Elixir)Magic Archer (4 Elixir)Hunter (4 Elixir)Knight (3 Elixir)Guards (3 Elixir)Arrows (3 Elixir)Zap (2 Elixir)
Hog 2.6 Cycle	Cannon (4 Elixir)Fireball (4 Elixir)Hog Rider (4 Elixir)Ice Golem (2 Elixir)Ice Spirit (1 Elixir)Musketeer (4 Elixir)Skeletons (1 Elixir)The Log (2 Elixir)
“Pocket” Golem	Firecracker (3 Elixir)Wall Breakers (2 Elixir)Hunter (4 Elixir)Lumberjack (4 Elixir)Furnace (4 Elixir)Bandit (3 Elixir)Skeleton Army (3 Elixir)Golem (8 Elixir)
Lumberloon Freeze	Lumberjack (4 Elixir)Balloon (5 Elixir)Baby or Electro Dragon (4 or 5 Elixir)Inferno Dragon (4 Elixir)Bowler (5 Elixir)Freeze (4 Elixir)Tornado (3 Elixir)Barbarian Barrell (2 Elixir)
Ram Rider P.E.K.K.A Ghost	P.E.K.K.A (7 Elixir)Ram Rider (5 Elixir)Royal Ghost (4 Elixir)Bandit (3 Elixir)Electro Spirit (1 Elixir)Zap Evolution (2 Elixir)Wizard Evolution (5 Elixir)Void (3 Elixir)
Lava Hound Balloon Deck	Balloon (5 Elixir)Fireball (4 Elixir)Guards (3 Elixir)Lava Hound (7 Elixir)Mega Minion (3 Elixir)Skeleton Dragons (4 Elixir)Tombstone (3 Elixir) Zap (2 Elixir)
Royal Giant Ghost	Electro Spirit (1 Elixir)Fisherman (3 Elixir)Hunter (4 Elixir)Lightning (6 Elixir)Royal Ghost (4 Elixir)Royal Giant (6 Elixir) Skeletons (1 Elixir)The Log (2 Elixir)
Royal Hogs Royal Recruits	Royal Recruits (7 Elixir)Royal Hogs (2 Elixir)Flying Machine (4 Elixir)Goblin Cage (4 Elixir)Zappies (4 Elixir)Fireball (4 Elixir)Arrows (3 Elixir)Barbarian Barrel (2 Elixir)
Legendary Roster	Mega Knight (7 Elixir)Sparky (6 Elixir)Royal Ghost (4 Elixir)Princess (3 Elixir)Fisherman (3 Elixir)The Log (2 Elixir)Electro Wizard (4 Elixir)Tornado (3 Elixir)
No Air	Mortar (4 Elixir)Skeleton Barrell (3 Elixir)Skeleton King (2 Elixir)Skeleton Army (3 Elixir)Goblin Gang (3 Elixir)The Log (2 Elixir)Cannon Cart (5 Elixir)Dart Goblin (3 Elixir)
Giant Sparkly Triple Spell	Knight (3 Elixir)Goblin Giant (6 Elixir)Zap (2 Elixir)Sparky (6 Elixir)Mega Minion (3 Elixir)Mini P.E.K.K.A (4 Elixir)Arrows (3 Elixir)Rage (2 Elixir)
SlowPoke	Goblin Barrel (3 Elixir)Lightning (6 Elixir)Zap (2 Elixir)Inferno Tower (5 Elixir)Valkyrie (4 Elixir)Musketeer (4 Elixir)Skeleton Army (3 Elixir)Miner (3 Elixir)

Log Bait

Dexerto

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. 

Splashyard with Barbarian Barrel

Supercell

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

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, however, it’s well worth the investment.

Hog-Quake Super-Control

Dexerto / Supercell

This is a Hog-Quake variant deck with fantastic defense, and it can easily turn the tide of battle to get you out of sticky situations. You’ll want to use Firecracker and Royal Delivery for protection while bolstering it further with the Inferno Tower and Cannon buildings. As well as being defensive units, the Inferno Tower also acts as a great anti-tank unit, and Cannon is an impactful counter.

Finally, the Hog Rider will be your primary counter-push card, dealing damage alongside Earthquake, which you can cycle to chip away at the enemies’ towers.

Ultimate Punisher 

Dexerto

As the name suggests, this deck is all about punishing opponents who waste Elixir. Your primary goal is to be aggressive with P.E.K.K.A and wield Zap and Arrows to prevent enemy spam. 

On the defensive end, the Hunter, Guards, and Knight can keep you safe while you let P.EK.K.A deal the most devastating damage. 

Hog 2.6 Cycle

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. 

“Pocket” Golem

Dexerto

This is an extremely adaptive deck that mainly focuses on offensive but it can be defensive if needed. The Golem is key here but you’ll want to keep it on the back burner until the late game. You can use it to surprise your opponent and disrupt any flow they may have gained to secure yourself a victory. 

During the early game, make rapid pushes with your other cards until you feel ready to pull out your Golem and catch your opponent off guard. 

Lumberloon Freeze

Dexerto

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 2024, 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. 

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

Dexerto

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

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

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

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

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.

No Air

Dexerto / SilverGoober

If an aggressive playstyle is what you want to run with this No Air deck could be perfect. This deck simply doesn’t give your opponent any time to react properly. The Skeleton King ability is great if you need to stall for time, and Barrell can really pack a punch dealing 200+ damage if it connects.

The only types of decks that can counter this one effectively are Lava Loon and big spell cycle decks.

Giant Sparky Triple Spell

Dexerto / SP|Fabian

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.

SlowPoke

BombardingBarbarian155268

This is a deck used to poke the enemy Tower while keeping your own defended. 

The Lightning spell is used to gradually poke at the enemy tower with damage and also to kill any back row troops. You can also rely on alternating your Goblin Barrel and Miner to keep poking the Tower as well. Finally, your remaining cards are excellent at holding defense, particularly Inferno Tower. 

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.