Best Clash Royale decks: the current meta (November 2026)
Last updated:
These decks aren’t guesses: we read the latest battles of the top 200 players on the global Ranked leaderboard from the official Clash Royale API, and counted the 8,307 decks both sides played in 4,311 battles. Below you’ll find the most played decks, their win rates and the most popular cards. The list is refreshed every day; data from November 11, 2026.
Win rate is the share of these battles the deck won. Top players are close in skill, so around 50% is normal; for decks with few battles the rate depends more on luck.
Which of these decks can you play?
Enter your player tag and we’ll show how many of each deck’s cards you own and which ones you’re missing.
Most popular meta decks
The decks played most at the top of Ranked (same 8 cards = same deck). Decks that differ from one by a single card are listed under it as variants. The label on a card shows the evolution or hero played in a special slot in those battles.
1 Hog Rider deck
51.9% win rate · 285 battles · Hog Rider / fast cycle
Average elixir 2.6 · 4-card cycle 6 · Similar classic deck: Hog 2.6 Cycle
2 Battle Ram deck
55.2% win rate · 268 battles · Bridge spam
Average elixir 3.6 · 4-card cycle 11
3 Minion Giant deck
57.9% win rate · 235 battles · Lava Hound / air
Average elixir 3.0 · 4-card cycle 8
3Evolution
3Hero
2Evolution
4
3
6
1
2Variants: Fireball instead of Lightning (140 battles, 60.7%)
4 Giant deck
50% win rate · 174 battles · Heavy beatdown
Average elixir 3.6 · 4-card cycle 9
5 X-Bow deck
57.9% win rate · 171 battles · Siege (X-Bow / Mortar)
Average elixir 3.0 · 4-card cycle 7 · Similar classic deck: X-Bow 3.0
6 Graveyard + Giant deck
54.2% win rate · 166 battles · Heavy beatdown
Average elixir 4.0 · 4-card cycle 12
Variants: Mini P.E.K.K.A instead of Guards (41 battles, 70.7%)
7 Graveyard deck
54.6% win rate · 163 battles · Miner / Graveyard control
Average elixir 2.9 · 4-card cycle 8 · Similar classic deck: Graveyard Poison
8 Royal Hogs deck
56.5% win rate · 147 battles · Hog Rider / fast cycle
Average elixir 2.9 · 4-card cycle 7
5Evolution
53Evolution1
1
3
2
3Variants: Electro Spirit instead of Ice Spirit (65 battles, 47.7%)
9 Lava Hound + Balloon deck
50.3% win rate · 147 battles · Lava Hound / air
Average elixir 4.1 · 4-card cycle 12 · Similar classic deck: LavaLoon
10 Goblin Barrel + Wall Breakers deck
67.8% win rate · 143 battles · Bait (Log Bait)
Average elixir 2.8 · 4-card cycle 9
11 Goblin Drill deck
49.2% win rate · 120 battles · Bait (Log Bait)
Average elixir 2.9 · 4-card cycle 7
12 Royal Giant deck
53.8% win rate · 119 battles · Royal Giant
Average elixir 3.0 · 4-card cycle 7
13 Balloon + Miner deck
53.5% win rate · 114 battles · Balloon / Lumberjack
Average elixir 2.9 · 4-card cycle 7
14 Hog Rider deck · Tesla
30.8% win rate · 107 battles · Hog Rider / fast cycle
Average elixir 2.8 · 4-card cycle 7
4Evolution
4
3Evolution
431
12Variants: The Log instead of Barbarian Barrel (67 battles, 49.3%) · Cannon instead of Tesla (55 battles, 45.5%)
15 Royal Giant deck · Electro Wizard
50% win rate · 84 battles · Royal Giant
Average elixir 3.6 · 4-card cycle 11
Decks with the highest win rate
Decks played in at least 50 battles, by win rate:
| Win rate | Battles | |
|---|---|---|
Goblin Barrel + Wall Breakers deck       | 67.8% | 143 |
Royal Giant deck       | 67.2% | 61 |
Hog Rider deck      | 64.7% | 51 |
Minion Giant deck  | 60.7% | 140 |
Golem + Elixir Golem deck       | 59.6% | 52 |
Goblin Drill deck    | 59.1% | 66 |
X-Bow deck    | 59% | 61 |
Electro Giant deck      | 59% | 78 |
Deck types in the meta
Grouping the decks by their win conditions, these are the most played deck types and their win rates:
| Deck type | Play rate | Win rate |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy beatdown | 23.8% | 45.4% |
| Hog Rider / fast cycle | 19.3% | 50.2% |
| Bridge spam | 13.6% | 52.1% |
| Lava Hound / air | 10.6% | 54.4% |
| Bait (Log Bait) | 10% | 52.2% |
| Siege (X-Bow / Mortar) | 7.2% | 49.5% |
| Miner / Graveyard control | 6.2% | 50.3% |
| Royal Giant | 4.2% | 53.6% |
| Balloon / Lumberjack | 3.1% | 50.8% |
| Mega Knight / P.E.K.K.A | 0.9% | 41.3% |
Most used cards
The share of decks that include the card, those decks’ win rate, and which form is played in a special slot:
| Card | Usage | Win rate | Special form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skeletons | 34.5% | 50.7% | evolution 21.9% |
| Barbarian Barrel | 33.8% | 50.6% | hero 10% |
| Knight | 24.8% | 51.7% | evolution 20.2%, hero 39.3% |
| Fireball | 24.4% | 51.6% | – |
| The Log | 20.8% | 50.7% | – |
| Zap | 20.2% | 49.3% | evolution 57.4% |
| Arrows | 19.8% | 51.1% | – |
| Cannon | 19.7% | 54.3% | evolution 80.1% |
| Electro Spirit | 14.8% | 49.5% | – |
| Tornado | 13.8% | 45.7% | – |
| Ice Wizard | 13.8% | 53.2% | hero 98.1% |
 Heal Spirit | 13.7% | 50.5% | – |
| Electro Wizard | 12.4% | 49.7% | hero 64.2% |
| Giant Snowball | 12.4% | 52% | evolution 88.4% |
| Hog Rider | 12.4% | 50.8% | – |
 Giant | 11.9% | 49.3% | evolution 18.3%, hero 22% |
| Ice Spirit | 11.6% | 53.8% | evolution 3.4% |
| Lightning | 11.6% | 50% | – |
 Graveyard | 11.5% | 51.7% | – |
 Furnace | 11.4% | 51.9% | evolution 27.4% |
Most played evolutions and heroes
The forms played most in the special slots; the percentage is the share of decks that play the card in that form.
Evolutions
Cannon15.8%
Zap11.6%
Giant Snowball10.9%
Elite Barbarians9.6%
Bats8.9%
Battle Ram8.1%
Skeletons7.5%
Baby Dragon7.5%
Heroes
Ice Wizard13.5%
Knight9.7%
Bowler9.7%
Mini P.E.K.K.A8.2%
Electro Wizard8%
Mega Minion4.6%
Musketeer4.3%
Valkyrie3.5%
All evolutions, heroes and champions →
A meta deck, or a deck that fits your cards?
Meta decks are the picks of players whose cards are all maxed. If your card levels differ, a deck built around your own collection usually wins more than a copied one. The ElixirDeck deck builder does exactly that with your cards and levels.
Weekly meta reports
How the meta changed from one week to the next: rising decks, falling cards, deck types.
- Meta report: November 7, 2026
- Meta report: October 31, 2026
- Meta report: October 24, 2026
- Meta report: October 17, 2026
How this list is made
- Source: the official Clash Royale API — the latest battle logs of the top 200 players on the Ranked leaderboard.
- Only Ranked battles count. Opponents are top players too, so both sides’ decks are included; a battle that shows up in two players’ logs is counted once.
- Draws are left out of win rates. Player names and tags are never published.
- Deck types and similar classic decks are assigned by ElixirDeck from the cards in each deck.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Clash Royale deck right now?
Among the top 200 Ranked players in the world, the most played deck is Hog Rider deck (Skeletons, Musketeer, Cannon, Fireball, Ice Golem, Hog Rider, The Log, Ice Spirit) (51.9% win rate). Among decks with enough battles, the highest win rate belongs to Goblin Barrel + Wall Breakers deck (Goblin Barrel, Valkyrie, Skeleton Army, Wall Breakers, Ice Spirit, Dart Goblin, Princess, Cannon) (67.8%). The best deck for you still depends on your cards and levels.
How often are the meta decks updated?
The list is recalculated every day from the top players’ latest battles; the date of the data is shown at the top of the page. After a balance change the meta shifts within a few days.
Should I play a meta deck if my cards are under-leveled?
If your win condition and main defensive cards are a few levels behind your other cards, a meta deck may not give the results you expect. First check which meta decks you own, then compare them with decks that fit your levels in the ElixirDeck deck builder.
Why are win rates always close to 50%?
Ranked matches you with opponents of similar strength; among the best players a deck above 55% is a strong sign. For decks with few battles the rate can be down to luck, so look at the number of battles too.