30 Best Arena 14 Decks for Serenity Peak (2026)

Goblin Drill Valkyrie Control

Average elixir: 3.0

Eight cards and their jobs

• Goblin Drill (4 elixir): Places a building near the chosen target and delivers Goblins; plan for the defender left behind.
• Valkyrie (4 elixir): Ground splash defender for clustered support and swarms; cannot attack air.
• Musketeer (4 elixir): Sustained ranged air and ground damage; keep her away from overlapping spell value.
• Bomb Tower (4 elixir): Ground splash building and pull; it cannot shoot flying attackers.
• Skeletons (1 elixir): One-elixir ground distraction that buys shots and helps rotate the hand.
• Fire Spirit (1 elixir): Cheap area damage against grouped defenders; does not replace an air shooter.
• Poison (4 elixir): Damage over time and area denial; not an instant removal spell.
• The Log (2 elixir): Ground-line damage and knockback; cannot clear flying units.

Cast Poison after the Drill defender commits

Choose this version when you want placed pressure behind a simple defensive structure. Bomb Tower redirects ground threats, Valkyrie occupies their support and Musketeer provides sustained air damage. Drill asks the opponent to defend a chosen location. Its arrival adds a small amount of Crown Tower damage, while the Goblins supply the sustained threat and still need an opening.

Use the cheaper distraction for a smaller commitment

Skeletons keep this at 3.0 elixir and give you a one-elixir ground distraction. The Cannon Cart version available after Miner’s Mine costs 3.5 and adds sustained ranged ground damage. Here, let Skeletons buy tower or Musketeer shots against an isolated attacker; do not expect them to supply Cart’s damage or surviving body. Keep Drill’s next four-elixir commitment separate from the work still needed on defense.

Opening and double elixir

Split Skeletons only when they are not needed for an immediate distraction, or wait. The first Drill should reveal the defender without an automatic Poison. In double elixir, change timing or placement in response to what you learned, and preserve Bomb Tower before committing another four elixir to the same attack.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Hog Rider: Use Bomb Tower early enough to influence Hog's path, with Valkyrie assigned to any ground support. Skeletons can help when splash is not covering their placement. If the pull and existing damage already contain the attack, avoid buying every cheap card and leaving the next hand without a distraction.

Against Balloon: Bomb Tower buys route length but cannot shoot Balloon. Musketeer needs a protected position with time to fire, while Fire Spirit offers only a brief contribution. If Musketeer is removed, an offensive Drill does not recreate her damage; recover the defense before turning the exchange into a race.

A decision during the match

Valkyrie clears the Drill Goblins outside Poison and survives. Preserve Bomb Tower or your own Valkyrie for her return, using Skeletons only where they can buy useful shots without being swept away. Another Drill plus Poison costs eight and has not fixed the counter. Change the next timing or position instead of borrowing the defensive reserve to repeat it.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Ice Spirit for Fire Spirit: More delay instead of burst. New average 3.0 elixir.
• Archers for Musketeer: Cheaper split coverage but more spell fragility. New average 2.9 elixir.

Keep Musketeer and Bomb Tower useful alongside Drill so repeated attacks remain affordable. Poison upgrades matter through actual target interactions, not a promise of guaranteed chip. Archers save elixir but make the ranged reserve more fragile and split; Ice Spirit exchanges Fire Spirit's burst for delay that still needs damage behind it.

Hog Musketeer Royal Delivery

Average elixir: 2.9

Eight cards and their jobs

• Hog Rider (4 elixir): Main tower-pressure card; hold defensive elixir after sending him.
• Knight (3 elixir): Low-cost ground tank that occupies support and protects ranged damage.
• Musketeer (4 elixir): Sustained ranged air and ground damage; keep her away from overlapping spell value.
• Bomb Tower (4 elixir): Ground splash building and pull; it cannot shoot flying attackers.
• Skeletons (1 elixir): One-elixir ground distraction that buys shots and helps rotate the hand.
• Electro Spirit (1 elixir): Chain stun and small damage across multiple targets; not a sustained defender.
• Earthquake (3 elixir): Ground area damage especially useful against buildings; cannot clear flying defenders.
• Royal Delivery (3 elixir): Delayed defensive air and ground damage with a Recruit body; cannot be deployed offensively across the river.

Keep Delivery affordable behind the surviving Musketeer

Choose this Hog version when you want Musketeer’s direct shooting instead of Firecracker’s firing angles. Bomb Tower handles ground groups, Knight occupies support and Royal Delivery can strike a group on your side before leaving a Recruit. Compared with the Firecracker and Tesla version later in this guide, the air defense depends more heavily on keeping Musketeer alive: Bomb Tower cannot shoot flying units.

Opening and double elixir

Wait for the first meaningful approach, or split Skeletons when they are not needed to distract a ground attacker. Keep Musketeer available while the opponent’s air threat is unknown. An opening Hog can identify their building, but attach Earthquake only after that building is actually obstructing the attack. The seven-elixir pair needs a reason beyond having both cards in hand.

In double elixir, let a surviving Musketeer or Recruit make a four-elixir Hog attack worthwhile. Keep track of Delivery before spending the rest. Earthquake helps against buildings and ground targets, but it cannot remove an air defender; Delivery cannot be cast across the river to solve that problem either. A stopped Hog is sometimes the affordable end of the attack.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Balloon with small air support: Place Musketeer early and use Bomb Tower only to change Balloon’s route. Time Delivery for air targets that will still be inside its impact area when it lands. The Recruit attacks ground, so preserve Musketeer’s firing time after the impact rather than counting the spell as a complete air defense.

Against Goblin Barrel: Delivery requires anticipation. If you spot Barrel too late, use the available Knight or Skeletons where they can limit damage instead of treating the spell as an instant Log. Spending extra cards after the Goblins have already dealt their damage can leave both the next Delivery and Musketeer unaffordable.

A decision during the match

You have six elixir, Musketeer has survived, and a supported attack is approaching. Hog would cost four and leave two, short of Delivery’s three. If that impact is needed to finish the defense, hold Hog. A surviving shooter is useful support, but her presence does not pay the spell’s cost or make her safe against the incoming troops.

Losing Musketeer leaves little sustained air damage. Delivery can be late, and this list has neither an immediate ground-clearing Log nor a Fireball for an offensive support target.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Archers for Musketeer: Saves one elixir and offers split coverage, but loses a sturdier single shooter and makes small-spell overlap more dangerous. New average 2.8 elixir.
• Valkyrie for Knight: Adds one elixir and repeated ground splash, but delays the next Hog or Delivery budget. New average 3.0 elixir.

Keep Hog, Musketeer and Bomb Tower effective before spending on optional swaps. With Archers, spread the two shooters so one spell does not remove both; the lower cost comes with a more fragile air reserve. Valkyrie gives repeated ground splash in Knight’s slot, but her extra elixir can close the Delivery window described above.

Lumberjack Balloon Snowball

Average elixir: 3.4

Eight cards and their jobs

• Balloon (5 elixir): Air win condition; threaten only when the air counter or building can be managed.
• Lumberjack (4 elixir): Fast ground damage whose dropped Rage can support survivors; death timing matters.
• Musketeer (4 elixir): Sustained ranged air and ground damage; keep her away from overlapping spell value.
• Mega Minion (3 elixir): Durable single flying attacker for focused air or ground damage.
• Goblin Cage (4 elixir): Pulls building-targeting threats, then releases a ground Brawler counterpush.
• Ice Spirit (1 elixir): Brief freeze and a cheap rotation; buys time rather than sustained damage.
• Fireball (4 elixir): Immediate area damage and knockback; spend for useful defense or support value.
• Giant Snowball (2 elixir): Area damage, slow and eligible knockback; does not reset the Inferno Tower beam.

Judge where Lumberjack's Rage will be useful

This suits an existing Balloon collection rather than a requirement to upgrade two new attackers together. Lumberjack can defend a ground target and leave Rage after defeat, but Balloon benefits only if its surviving route reaches the useful area at the right time. Cage and the separated air pair must still cover a failed attack.

Opening and double elixir

Start with a reactive Cage or a protected ranged response. Sending Lumberjack and Balloon blind costs nine before you know the air counter. In double elixir, place Balloon behind a useful Lumberjack survivor only when the remaining air answers are manageable, with Fireball held for an actual defender or valuable overlap.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Hog Rider: Cage supplies the main pull so Lumberjack can address support or remain available for another ground threat. Musketeer or Mega Minion adds damage where needed. Buying Lumberjack merely because Hog appears can waste the dedicated building's value and leave a more expensive defensive sequence than the board requires.

Against Inferno Tower: This Snowball version has no beam reset. A ready Inferno Tower still requires patience, a different timing or sufficient existing support; Rage does not erase the ramping damage. Snowball's displacement can affect suitable troops, but it does not reset Inferno Tower's beam.

A decision during the match

Lumberjack falls before Balloon reaches the useful area. Do not spend Fireball on the assumption that Balloon is still receiving the planned Rage benefit. Inspect its actual path, the defender's remaining health and your next ground hand. Accept the smaller attack if the original combination has already broken apart.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Zap for Giant Snowball: Reset replaces displacement. New average 3.4 elixir.
• Minions for Mega Minion: More bodies, more removal risk. New average 3.4 elixir.

Maintain Balloon and Musketeer while Lumberjack remains useful in real defensive fights. Zap changes the small spell toward a beam reset and air interruption, trading Snowball's displacement. Minions add flying bodies in place of Mega Minion but increase removal exposure, so the reserve may need a more cautious deployment.

Drill Wall Breakers Split

Average elixir: 3.4

Eight cards and their jobs

• Goblin Drill (4 elixir): Places a building near the chosen target and delivers Goblins; plan for the defender left behind.
• Wall Breakers (2 elixir): Fast paired building threats that can split; require an opening rather than a full support stack.
• Valkyrie (4 elixir): Ground splash defender for clustered support and swarms; cannot attack air.
• Bomber (2 elixir): Cheap ground splash behind a tank or defensive distraction; cannot shoot air.
• Magic Archer (4 elixir): Piercing ranged air and ground damage; find a useful line while protecting his fragile body.
• Inferno Tower (5 elixir): Increasing damage against a focused target; protect it against reset and distractions.
• Fireball (4 elixir): Immediate area damage and knockback; spend for useful defense or support value.
• The Log (2 elixir): Ground-line damage and knockback; cannot clear flying units.

Stagger Drill and Wall Breakers around the opponent’s splash

Drill and Wall Breakers pressure different routes, with Magic Archer providing useful firing angles when the board offers them. This is an advanced split-pressure choice because Inferno is expensive and Magic Archer is the fragile ranged air shooter. The deck does not contain Tornado, so its lines must arise from placement and the opponent's movement.

Opening and double elixir

Probe with one attacker and learn the cheap response. In double elixir, alternate the threats after defending rather than purchasing both into a ready splash unit. Valkyrie and Bomber should be retained when ground support could interfere with Inferno, while Magic Archer needs a safe angle rather than an automatic bridge position.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Giant: Inferno pulls Giant and ramps while Valkyrie occupies ground support. Bomber clears small distractions that would waste the beam's time. Keep Magic Archer away from shared spell value so a single defensive spell does not remove both the useful angle and the remaining air insurance.

Against Balloon: Inferno and Magic Archer need time to work on Balloon from separate positions. Fireball may buy a useful interruption or hit supporting troops, but there is no cheap flying backup waiting in this list. Do not borrow the fragile shooter for an offensive angle when the next air defense depends on him.

A decision during the match

A Valkyrie beside the tower can cover Drill Goblins and Wall Breakers approaching the same lane. Buying both at once may give that one defender the entire job. Separate arrival timing or use a different lane only if the rest of the defense is covered, rather than treating two attackers as automatic overload.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Goblins for Bomber: More focused ground damage but no splash. New average 3.4 elixir.
• Musketeer for Magic Archer: Sturdier direct air damage, loses piercing angles. New average 3.4 elixir.

Keep Drill and the defensive building effective, then the support whose real interactions matter. Musketeer replaces piercing angles with sturdier direct ranged damage. Goblins replace Bomber's continuing ground splash with concentrated damage, so the cheaper-looking defensive group needs greater care around swarms.

Drill Executioner Defense

Average elixir: 3.1

Eight cards and their jobs

• Goblin Drill (4 elixir): Places a building near the chosen target and delivers Goblins; plan for the defender left behind.
• Executioner (5 elixir): Returning axe supplies air and ground line splash; needs help against high-health targets.
• Knight (3 elixir): Low-cost ground tank that occupies support and protects ranged damage.
• Tesla (4 elixir): Air and ground defensive building; preserve its useful lifetime for an actual attack.
• Goblins (2 elixir): Cheap melee damage and surrounds; wait until enemy splash is occupied.
• Ice Spirit (1 elixir): Brief freeze and a cheap rotation; buys time rather than sustained damage.
• Poison (4 elixir): Damage over time and area denial; not an instant removal spell.
• The Log (2 elixir): Ground-line damage and knockback; cannot clear flying units.

Build the axe line from the pull you actually have

Executioner can hit air and ground on the outgoing and returning axe, but he does not arrange enemies into a line. Tesla shapes the approach while Knight occupies support and Goblins damage isolated ground targets. This is a natural-line defense for a leveled Executioner, without the Tornado combination available in the next arena.

Opening and double elixir

Wait for a useful defensive arrangement or use a safe Ice Spirit cycle without expecting solo tower chip. Avoid spending five on Executioner at the bridge before seeing the response. In double elixir, Drill follows a controlled defense and Poison follows a defender that must remain in a useful area.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Royal Hogs: Place the building and shooter to exploit the Hogs that actually group together. A split attack may require Knight or another response in the other lane instead of one impossible axe line. Keep enough elixir for that second task before purchasing Drill on the opposite tower.

Against Balloon: Tesla supplies both the pull and air shots, while Executioner needs enough travel time for useful attacks. Ice Spirit extends their opportunity but cannot replace the damage if either is removed. Preserve the support positions rather than stacking everything where one spell disrupts both jobs.

A decision during the match

The opponent spreads the troops so Executioner's axe catches only one target. Accept that smaller value and defend the second lane appropriately. Moving more expensive support into the same line does not create a pull you do not possess, and Drill should wait until both defensive jobs are under control.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Musketeer for Executioner: Cheaper concentrated ranged damage, loses piercing splash. New average 3.0 elixir.
• Guards for Goblins: More resilient ground shields at extra cost. New average 3.3 elixir.

Executioner and Tesla need useful interactions because they fund the pressure. Musketeer lowers the support cost and supplies focused damage, giving up the piercing splash you selected this version for. Guards add shielded ground bodies in place of Goblins at extra cost, affecting the reserve available after Poison.

Drill Rascals Bait

Average elixir: 3.4

Eight cards and their jobs

• Goblin Drill (4 elixir): Places a building near the chosen target and delivers Goblins; plan for the defender left behind.
• Rascals (5 elixir): Ground tank with two fragile ranged air and ground shooters; separate their exposure to spells.
• Dart Goblin (3 elixir): Fragile long-range air and ground shooter; protect his firing angle and spell exposure.
• Goblin Gang (3 elixir): Mixed melee and spear bodies for surrounds and supplementary air damage; fragile to spells.
• Inferno Tower (5 elixir): Increasing damage against a focused target; protect it against reset and distractions.
• Fireball (4 elixir): Immediate area damage and knockback; spend for useful defense or support value.
• The Log (2 elixir): Ground-line damage and knockback; cannot clear flying units.
• Ice Spirit (1 elixir): Brief freeze and a cheap rotation; buys time rather than sustained damage.

Preserve a ranged answer after the bait succeeds

Rascals provide a ground body and two fragile ranged units, with Dart Goblin and Gang adding more targets for small spells. The point is to make an important answer awkward, not to declare Drill safe after any spell. Inferno still needs protected damage around it, especially if the girls are removed.

Opening and double elixir

Use Rascals for meaningful defense and let the first Drill reveal its counter. In double elixir, attack when a specific answer is absent while keeping a ranged unit for air. Stagger the girls and Dart Goblin in position and time so a single spell cannot erase every source of ranged support.

Defensive order and matchups

Against P.E.K.K.A: Inferno draws P.E.K.K.A while Rascal Boy occupies suitable supporting troops. Gang can contribute after splash is busy. Throwing all the small bodies around a protected P.E.K.K.A may simply give the support a large removal target and leave the beam exposed.

Against Balloon: Use Inferno with a protected Dart Goblin or Rascal Girls firing from another angle. If the spell threatens the girls, avoid adding Dart Goblin into the same area. A second ranged card is valuable because it survives the first removal, not merely because its name appears in the list.

A decision during the match

Arrows removes Rascal Girls and the opponent seems to have spent the bait answer. Dart Goblin should now remain available if Balloon is ready. Drill may still have a useful window, but adding the shooter at the bridge as extra bait can sacrifice the next defense for pressure the spell exchange did not guarantee.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Guards for Goblin Gang: Ground shields, loses Spear Goblin air help. New average 3.4 elixir.
• Electro Spirit for Ice Spirit: Chain stun instead of localized freeze. New average 3.4 elixir.

Prioritize the ranged card and Inferno interactions that keep repeat attacks possible, alongside Drill. Guards replace Gang with shielded ground defense and remove its Spear air help. Electro Spirit trades a localized freeze for a conditional chain stun; the chain's route still needs to reach useful targets.

Drill Bowler Poison

Average elixir: 3.5

Eight cards and their jobs

• Goblin Drill (4 elixir): Places a building near the chosen target and delivers Goblins; plan for the defender left behind.
• Bowler (5 elixir): Ground line splash and eligible knockback; cannot shoot air.
• Musketeer (4 elixir): Sustained ranged air and ground damage; keep her away from overlapping spell value.
• Guards (3 elixir): Shielded ground surround and distraction; no air targeting.
• Bomb Tower (4 elixir): Ground splash building and pull; it cannot shoot flying attackers.
• Bats (2 elixir): Cheap flying damage; vulnerable to small spells and splash.
• Poison (4 elixir): Damage over time and area denial; not an instant removal spell.
• The Log (2 elixir): Ground-line damage and knockback; cannot clear flying units.

Keep Musketeer and Bats ready for air

Bowler and Bomb Tower make this version suitable for grounded groups and bridge pressure. Bowler's boulder controls eligible ground units, while Musketeer and Bats remain the actual air damage. It is a deliberate trade toward ground control, with less flexibility if both air answers are removed or spent behind an attack.

Opening and double elixir

Wait for a meaningful Bowler defense instead of opening with five at the bridge. Hold Bats around the known small spell. In double elixir, Drill can pressure while Bowler survives, but Poison belongs on a committed defender and should not consume the reserve needed for Musketeer.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Battle Ram: Bomb Tower changes Ram's path while Bowler handles suitable ground bodies in the approaching line. Not every unit can be knocked back, so use actual target behavior rather than a universal assumption. Keep the next ranged answer available once the ground wave is contained.

Against Balloon: Musketeer must begin shooting early while the building supplies a pull without air damage. Bats can add hits after removal is spent or from a safer timing. Bowler cannot contribute direct damage to Balloon, so an impressive ground defense does not justify losing both air answers.

A decision during the match

A small ground wave seems to require both Bowler and Bomb Tower repeatedly. Before spending Drill, inspect whether the building and shooter were positioned to share the job effectively. If poor alignment caused the excess spend, another offensive purchase compounds the problem rather than rewarding a genuinely efficient defense.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Goblins for Guards: Cheaper ground damage, loses shields. New average 3.4 elixir.
• Mega Minion for Bats: Sturdier air body at extra cost. New average 3.6 elixir.

Musketeer must remain dependable despite the list's ground emphasis. Bowler upgrades support the role you selected, while Poison needs useful target interactions. Mega Minion strengthens the air reserve at extra cost; Goblins save elixir over Guards but lose the shields that protected the ground surround.

Drill Giant Skeleton Counterpush

Average elixir: 3.3

Eight cards and their jobs

• Goblin Drill (4 elixir): Places a building near the chosen target and delivers Goblins; plan for the defender left behind.
• Giant Skeleton (6 elixir): Ground support blocker whose death bomb controls space; tower damage is conditional.
• Archers (3 elixir): Split-capable air and ground damage; avoid clustering both with another fragile defender.
• Mega Minion (3 elixir): Durable single flying attacker for focused air or ground damage.
• Cannon (3 elixir): Cheap ground-targeting pull; can draw Balloon but cannot shoot it.
• Skeletons (1 elixir): One-elixir ground distraction that buys shots and helps rotate the hand.
• Fireball (4 elixir): Immediate area damage and knockback; spend for useful defense or support value.
• The Log (2 elixir): Ground-line damage and knockback; cannot clear flying units.

Use the bomb to control support rather than chase a tower

Giant Skeleton occupies a congested ground fight, while Drill can pressure a chosen tower without following his walking path. Cannon redirects the main attacker and Archers plus Mega Minion supply the air coverage. The six-elixir defender needs a valuable support target; his presence alone does not make an offensive bomb connection likely.

Opening and double elixir

Split Archers or wait for Cannon to meet an approach. Keep Giant Skeleton for a ground cluster where his body and eventual bomb can matter. In double elixir, Drill may force another response while he survives, but only after the other lane and the next air hand are protected.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Giant Witch: Draw Giant away from Witch and place Giant Skeleton where the support fight can remain near the bomb. Chasing the tank while Witch stands safely behind wastes the control you bought. Archers and Mega Minion should keep separate angles rather than stand inside the same supporting splash.

Against Balloon: Cannon changes the route without shooting Balloon. Archers and Mega Minion must supply the sustained damage, with Fireball reserved for real defensive value. Giant Skeleton's ground attacks do not replace them, so spending him on offense while both air answers are unavailable creates a dangerous hand.

A decision during the match

Giant Skeleton dies in a position where the bomb threatens little. Adding Drill solely to justify the six elixir does not recover that lost value. Let the position settle, preserve the shooters and seek a better support engagement on the next defense before purchasing another attack.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Ice Spirit for Skeletons: Air-capable delay, no persistent bodies. New average 3.3 elixir.
• Goblin Cage for Cannon: More expensive pull with counterpush body. New average 3.4 elixir.

Keep Archers effective and Giant Skeleton useful in the defensive exchanges that justify his cost, alongside Drill. Cage raises the pull price and supplies a counterpush body. Ice Spirit adds air-capable delay in place of Skeletons but removes the persistent ground bodies that previously occupied melee targets.

Hog Mini P.E.K.K.A Archers

Average elixir: 3.0

Eight cards and their jobs

• Hog Rider (4 elixir): Main tower-pressure card; hold defensive elixir after sending him.
• Mini P.E.K.K.A (4 elixir): Concentrated ground damage against a tank or other high-health attacker.
• Archers (3 elixir): Split-capable air and ground damage; avoid clustering both with another fragile defender.
• Cannon (3 elixir): Cheap ground-targeting pull; can draw Balloon but cannot shoot it.
• Goblin Gang (3 elixir): Mixed melee and spear bodies for surrounds and supplementary air damage; fragile to spells.
• Fireball (4 elixir): Immediate area damage and knockback; spend for useful defense or support value.
• Zap (2 elixir): Small air and ground hit plus brief stun/reset; does not replace heavy damage.
• Ice Spirit (1 elixir): Brief freeze and a cheap rotation; buys time rather than sustained damage.

Use Mini P.E.K.K.A for the ground target that needs damage

Mini P.E.K.K.A gives this Hog deck a direct answer to an isolated high-health ground attacker. Cannon sets the route while Archers shoot from safety. It costs more to rotate than a 2.6 Hog shell and gives up Ice Golem’s cheap kiting, so choose it for a ground-defense problem you actually face. Goblin Gang adds bodies, but those bodies do not survive active splash simply because Mini P.E.K.K.A is nearby.

Opening and double elixir

Split Archers when the board allows it, or wait to see which target needs Cannon. Keep Mini P.E.K.K.A for a useful contact rather than sending him blind with Hog. Buying both fresh costs eight, leaving little room to correct a bad attack. A single Hog probe is enough to begin learning the opponent’s building or troop response.

In double elixir, a healthy Mini P.E.K.K.A survivor can make the opponent choose between his ground threat and Hog’s tower route. Check their swarm answer before paying for both. Fireball should hit committed support worth damaging, while Zap is a brief interruption or reset; it does not give The Log’s long ground knockback.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Giant with splash support: Use Cannon to draw Giant away from the supporting line, then give Mini P.E.K.K.A a target he can reach. Keep Archers outside the supporting splash. Adding Gang straight into that same splash area loses the cheap bodies without solving the support, even when Giant still needs more hits.

Against Balloon: Cannon can alter the route but cannot shoot. Deploy Archers early enough for repeated attacks, with Ice Spirit or Gang’s Spears adding help when the opponent’s removal allows it. Mini P.E.K.K.A and the melee Goblins do not become air damage, so avoid spending the entire air reserve on a ground exchange.

A decision during the match

Giant is approaching with a ranged splash troop behind him. Mini P.E.K.K.A can damage Giant, but surrounding both enemies with Gang gives the splash troop an easy target. First use the pull and a separate position to divide the jobs. Add Gang only after the splash is occupied or removed, and keep the Archers’ firing lane clear.

This loses cheap Ice Golem kiting and The Log’s ground line. Archers and the Gang’s air contribution remain vulnerable to removal, while Cannon cannot shoot air.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Guards for Goblin Gang: Keeps deployment cost, gains shielded ground bodies and loses the Gang’s air-targeting Spears. New average 3.0 elixir.
• Giant Snowball for Zap: Keeps cost and gains troop displacement/slow, but loses the Inferno reset and does not reset an Inferno Tower beam. New average 3.0 elixir.

Maintain Hog and the Mini P.E.K.K.A interactions that justify this version, then Archers and Cannon. Guards keep Gang’s three-elixir cost and add shields, but remove the Spear Goblins’ air help. Snowball keeps Zap’s cost and adds displacement and slow against eligible troops, but loses the beam reset. It does not reset Inferno Tower.

Hog Executioner Tesla

Average elixir: 3.1

Eight cards and their jobs

• Hog Rider (4 elixir): Main tower-pressure card; hold defensive elixir after sending him.
• Executioner (5 elixir): Returning axe supplies air and ground line splash; needs help against high-health targets.
• Valkyrie (4 elixir): Ground splash defender for clustered support and swarms; cannot attack air.
• Tesla (4 elixir): Air and ground defensive building; preserve its useful lifetime for an actual attack.
• Skeletons (1 elixir): One-elixir ground distraction that buys shots and helps rotate the hand.
• Ice Spirit (1 elixir): Brief freeze and a cheap rotation; buys time rather than sustained damage.
• Fireball (4 elixir): Immediate area damage and knockback; spend for useful defense or support value.
• The Log (2 elixir): Ground-line damage and knockback; cannot clear flying units.

Accept separate lanes when the axe cannot cover both

Executioner and Tesla provide a natural defensive line while Valkyrie handles contact with ground support. The five-elixir shooter slows the familiar Hog hand in exchange for piercing splash. This is not an Executioner-Tornado combination: the current list must work with the opponent's route and the building placement it actually has.

Opening and double elixir

Wait or adjust with Skeletons when safe, avoiding a blind stack of the expensive shooter and Valkyrie. In double elixir, Hog can lead a useful Executioner survivor while Fireball remains conditional on a defender worth hitting. Keep Tesla ready rather than turning the entire defensive arrangement into one attack.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Royal Hogs: Use the grouped approach that appears, with Tesla changing the route and Executioner shooting along it. If Hogs split, the other lane may need Valkyrie or another appropriate answer. Do not buy Hog while that second defensive task remains unfinished merely because one side looks secure.

Against Balloon: Tesla and Executioner need time to supply actual damage while Ice Spirit extends the window. No Tornado is available to repair a late or awkward line, so position the shooter early and keep him out of unnecessary spell overlap with the building or tower.

A decision during the match

The opponent splits support across two lanes. Adding more troops behind Executioner will not pull those targets into his axe. Defend each lane according to its threat, accept lower splash value and use Hog only when the remaining hand can still cover both routes.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Musketeer for Executioner: Cheaper focused ranged damage, loses piercing splash. New average 3.0 elixir.
• Knight for Valkyrie: Lighter ground tanking, no splash. New average 3.0 elixir.

Maintain Executioner if the line-splash role is solving the problem that motivated this version. Musketeer lowers the cost and restores focused shooting but removes piercing coverage. Knight saves elixir over Valkyrie while surrendering ground splash, making both proposed changes meaningful role trades rather than identical discounts.

Hog Royal Delivery Control

Average elixir: 2.8

Eight cards and their jobs

• Hog Rider (4 elixir): Main tower-pressure card; hold defensive elixir after sending him.
• Knight (3 elixir): Low-cost ground tank that occupies support and protects ranged damage.
• Firecracker (3 elixir): Long-range splash with recoil; her firing line can expose a King Tower activation.
• Tesla (4 elixir): Air and ground defensive building; preserve its useful lifetime for an actual attack.
• Skeletons (1 elixir): One-elixir ground distraction that buys shots and helps rotate the hand.
• Ice Spirit (1 elixir): Brief freeze and a cheap rotation; buys time rather than sustained damage.
• Earthquake (3 elixir): Ground area damage especially useful against buildings; cannot clear flying defenders.
• Royal Delivery (3 elixir): Delayed defensive air and ground damage with a Recruit body; cannot be deployed offensively across the river.

Budget for Delivery's arrival instead of an instant answer

Royal Delivery defends your side and leaves a Recruit, giving this Hog deck a different form of group control from The Log. Tesla and Firecracker provide the main ranged defense while Knight takes ground contact. The benefit depends on arrival timing; the spell is neither an instant reaction nor an offensive cast on the enemy tower.

Opening and double elixir

Wait or use a safe cheap adjustment, keeping Delivery for a group that will still be in its useful area. In double elixir, Hog can pressure after a defensive Recruit survives, while Earthquake stays conditional on a relevant building. Preserve Tesla because Delivery does not replace sustained air damage after its impact.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Goblin Barrel: Anticipate the Barrel's landing and account for Delivery's delay rather than casting as though it were The Log. If the timing is already late, a suitable troop may need to help limit damage. If Delivery arrives after the Goblins begin attacking, your tower may still take hits.

Against Balloon: Tesla and Firecracker need protected time to shoot, with Ice Spirit extending the exchange. Delivery can contribute defensively if it arrives on useful targets, but the resulting Recruit attacks ground. If the ranged damage is gone, the remaining body cannot finish Balloon by itself.

A decision during the match

You notice Goblin Barrel too late for a comfortable Delivery. Use the available defender appropriately and accept that some damage may occur rather than spending additional cards in panic after the impact. The next cycle should preserve the timely answer before you fund another Hog attack.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• The Log for Royal Delivery: Faster ground control and offensive roll, loses Recruit and air impact. New average 2.6 elixir.
• Valkyrie for Knight: Ground splash at extra cost. New average 2.9 elixir.

Keep Tesla and the shooter effective alongside Hog, then Earthquake where its building interaction matters. The Log offers faster ground control and an offensive roll but removes Delivery's Recruit and air impact. Valkyrie gives ground splash in Knight's slot at extra cost, changing the defensive budget before each Hog.

Hog Miner Dual Chip

Average elixir: 3.4

Eight cards and their jobs

• Hog Rider (4 elixir): Main tower-pressure card; hold defensive elixir after sending him.
• Miner (3 elixir): Placed ground attacker used for chip or to occupy a defender; do not assume unsupported tower damage.
• Valkyrie (4 elixir): Ground splash defender for clustered support and swarms; cannot attack air.
• Musketeer (4 elixir): Sustained ranged air and ground damage; keep her away from overlapping spell value.
• Bomb Tower (4 elixir): Ground splash building and pull; it cannot shoot flying attackers.
• Bats (2 elixir): Cheap flying damage; vulnerable to small spells and splash.
• Fireball (4 elixir): Immediate area damage and knockback; spend for useful defense or support value.
• The Log (2 elixir): Ground-line damage and knockback; cannot clear flying units.

Choose which chip route actually remains open

Miner gives this Hog deck another selected-location threat when a building controls the direct route. Bomb Tower and Valkyrie hold the ground defense while Musketeer and Bats cover air. It is an advanced seven-elixir pair of attackers, not a requirement to attach Miner to every Hog regardless of the counter still available.

Opening and double elixir

Probe one attacker at a time and learn where the opposing troops stand after defending it. In double elixir, alternate the useful windows while retaining Musketeer and a safe Bats timing. Fireball should solve an actual support problem rather than become a third automatic offensive purchase.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Inferno Tower: Miner may occupy an appropriate target if placement and timing make it choose him, but he does not guarantee that Inferno abandons Hog. Watch the beam and the surrounding troops. If the building keeps its useful target, stop investing in an assumed distraction that never occurred.

Against Balloon: Bomb Tower supplies route control without air damage. Musketeer needs an early shooting position, while Bats contribute after the opponent's removal or from a protected timing. If both are exposed, Miner pressure at the other end does not repair the missing defense.

A decision during the match

Hog is drawn centrally and Valkyrie catches Miner beside the tower. Both attack routes have met prepared answers. Let the attempt end and defend the surviving units rather than adding Fireball solely because seven elixir is already spent. A later different timing is more useful than increasing this loss.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Mega Minion for Bats: Sturdier flying damage at extra cost. New average 3.5 elixir.
• Cannon for Bomb Tower: Cheaper pull, loses splash. New average 3.3 elixir.

Maintain Hog or Miner as the primary investment you actually rely on, with Musketeer kept dependable. Mega Minion increases air durability for extra elixir, while Cannon reduces the pull price and loses Bomb Tower's splash. Each change alters what the defensive reserve can cover after dual pressure.

Goblin Barrel Guards Inferno

Average elixir: 3.3

Eight cards and their jobs

• Goblin Barrel (3 elixir): Tower pressure that rewards tracking the opponent’s small-spell cycle.
• Princess (3 elixir): Long-range air and ground splash and bait pressure; very vulnerable when the opponent can reach her.
• Knight (3 elixir): Low-cost ground tank that occupies support and protects ranged damage.
• Guards (3 elixir): Shielded ground surround and distraction; no air targeting.
• Inferno Tower (5 elixir): Increasing damage against a focused target; protect it against reset and distractions.
• Rocket (6 elixir): Expensive concentrated damage; check current level-specific tower damage before a finish.
• The Log (2 elixir): Ground-line damage and knockback; cannot clear flying units.
• Electro Spirit (1 elixir): Chain stun and small damage across multiple targets; not a sustained defender.

Let Guards preserve Inferno for the threat that needs it

Guards change the ground defense in this Barrel shell. Their shields can buy time against isolated heavy hits so Inferno Tower stays available for the next tank or Balloon. The price is losing Goblin Gang’s continuing Spear damage against air. Electro Spirit supplies a short chain stun instead of Ice Spirit’s local freeze; neither choice creates a sturdy second air shooter.

Opening and double elixir

Probe with one Barrel to learn its actual answer and place Princess where her range has a defensive job. Do not spend Inferno simply to rotate to another Barrel. Keep Knight for support contact and Guards for an isolated attacker when the position allows a useful surround. Avoid feeding both into one splash troop.

In double elixir, pressure when a specific Barrel answer is occupied, but remember that a second spell or troop may remain. Keep Rocket for an exceptional defensive target or a finish supported by the damage shown at your card level. Six elixir on offense is a major commitment when the five-elixir Inferno is still needed.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Prince or Mini P.E.K.K.A: Guards and tower help can occupy an isolated attacker through repeated heavy hits. Check for supporting splash before surrounding it; the shields do not protect the group indefinitely. If Knight can occupy that support safely, use the separation rather than spending Inferno on a ground fight the smaller defense can handle.

Against Balloon with a reset: Preserve Inferno’s placement and enough time for it to rebuild damage after an interruption. Princess and Electro Spirit can contribute from useful positions, but neither replaces its beam. Avoid an offensive Rocket while Balloon and its support are available unless the spell truly ends the match.

A decision during the match

You know Balloon is in the opponent’s hand, and an isolated ground attacker enters your side. Timely Guards can give your tower time to work without spending Inferno. Preserve the building for Balloon, but change that plan if continuing splash covers the Guards. The useful saving comes from a defense that survives, not from assigning the same three-elixir answer to every ground push.

Guards cannot attack air, and Electro Spirit’s stun is brief. A poorly judged chain can also help activate the opposing King Tower; do not cycle it offensively expecting guaranteed solo damage.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Valkyrie for Knight: Adds one elixir for repeated ground splash, reducing the budget for Inferno or Rocket. New average 3.4 elixir.
• Ice Spirit for Electro Spirit: Same cost; local freeze replaces chain control. Neither replaces sustained air damage or guarantees unsupported Crown Tower chip. New average 3.3 elixir.

Keep Barrel, Princess and Inferno useful before treating Rocket as the main upgrade project. Valkyrie adds ground splash for one more elixir than Knight, reducing the reserve for Inferno. Ice Spirit keeps Electro Spirit’s cost and offers local freeze instead of a chain, but it still needs a damage source behind it.

Double Barrel Rascals

Average elixir: 3.5

Eight cards and their jobs

• Goblin Barrel (3 elixir): Tower pressure that rewards tracking the opponent's small-spell cycle.
• Skeleton Barrel (3 elixir): Flying building-targeting delivery; leaves a ground Skeleton threat when destroyed.
• Rascals (5 elixir): Ground tank with two fragile ranged air and ground shooters; separate their exposure to spells.
• Dart Goblin (3 elixir): Fragile long-range air and ground shooter; protect his firing angle and spell exposure.
• Goblin Gang (3 elixir): Mixed melee and spear bodies for surrounds and supplementary air damage; fragile to spells.
• Inferno Tower (5 elixir): Increasing damage against a focused target; protect it against reset and distractions.
• Fireball (4 elixir): Immediate area damage and knockback; spend for useful defense or support value.
• The Log (2 elixir): Ground-line damage and knockback; cannot clear flying units.

Use the different Barrel arrivals rather than stacking them

Goblin Barrel appears at a selected location, while Skeleton Barrel must travel through the defensive route. Rascals and Inferno secure the ground exchange, with Dart Goblin providing range. Their different arrivals create choices, but neither Barrel supplies dependable defensive air damage merely because its animation is airborne.

Pay for the second ranged group only when it helps

The Knight version of Double Barrel uses a cheaper ground body. Rascals raise the average from 3.3 to 3.5 and add two ranged girls who can help after Dart Goblin is removed. That extra coverage matters only if they avoid the same spell. Separate their position and timing from Dart Goblin, and keep two more elixir in mind whenever you choose Rascals instead of the cheaper Knight defense.

Opening and double elixir

Probe with one Barrel and retain the other until the response is known. Use Rascals against real pressure rather than purchasing five elixir of support for a blind attack. In double elixir, stagger threats after defending so one ready splash troop does not handle both arrivals comfortably.

Defensive order and matchups

Against P.E.K.K.A: Inferno draws P.E.K.K.A while Rascal Boy engages suitable support. Gang can help only after splash is occupied, with the girls positioned away from Dart Goblin where possible. Keep the ranged line protected instead of allowing the tank fight to pull every fragile unit into one area.

Against Balloon: Inferno plus an available ranged group must do the damage. If the girls are removed, Dart Goblin becomes more valuable as a reserve. Neither Skeleton Barrel nor Goblin Barrel can replace that sustained defensive shooting, so hold the next offensive pair until the air exchange is covered.

A decision during the match

The opponent removes Rascal Girls and both Barrels are ready. Dart Goblin is now the ranged reserve for a known air attack. Do not use him as fresh bridge bait simply because one spell has been spent. The five-elixir Rascals defense also left less spare elixir than a Knight would; send at most the attack the remaining Inferno and shooter budget can cover.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Guards for Goblin Gang: Shielded ground defense, loses spears. New average 3.5 elixir.
• Arrows for The Log: Air swarm removal at extra cost, loses knockback line. New average 3.6 elixir.

Keep Dart Goblin and Inferno effective while upgrading the Barrel plan you use most. Guards trade Gang's bodies and Spears for shielded ground defense. Arrows adds air-group removal at extra cost in place of The Log, losing the long ground knockback line used in earlier exchanges.

Barrel Valkyrie Tesla

Average elixir: 3.3

Eight cards and their jobs

• Goblin Barrel (3 elixir): Tower pressure that rewards tracking the opponent's small-spell cycle.
• Princess (3 elixir): Long-range air and ground splash and bait pressure; very vulnerable when the opponent can reach her.
• Valkyrie (4 elixir): Ground splash defender for clustered support and swarms; cannot attack air.
• Guards (3 elixir): Shielded ground surround and distraction; no air targeting.
• Tesla (4 elixir): Air and ground defensive building; preserve its useful lifetime for an actual attack.
• Fire Spirit (1 elixir): Cheap area damage against grouped defenders; does not replace an air shooter.
• Rocket (6 elixir): Expensive concentrated damage; check current level-specific tower damage before a finish.
• The Log (2 elixir): Ground-line damage and knockback; cannot clear flying units.

Support Tesla against high-health attackers

Tesla targets air and ground, while Valkyrie clears ground groups and Guards surround isolated attackers. This makes a comfortable control shell for a leveled Barrel and Princess collection. Tesla does not ramp damage like Inferno, so a large tank still requires meaningful support rather than the same lone-building assumption.

Opening and double elixir

Use a safe Princess position or one Barrel probe to identify the first answer. Hold Fire Spirit for a group it can actually reach. In double elixir, keep Tesla available before paying for Rocket, and verify any finishing damage rather than treating a low tower-health bar as proof the spell is enough.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Royal Hogs: Judge the split before committing Valkyrie and Tesla. A grouped lane may suit ground splash, while the opposite side needs a separate answer. Princess can contribute from range, but sending Barrel while one half of the Hogs attack remains active spends the reserve needed to finish defending.

Against Balloon: Tesla provides the main air damage and pull, with Princess helping from a protected angle. Fire Spirit is brief supplementary value, not sustained coverage. Rocket may be an emergency option when its cost and timing are justified, but it should not be planned as the routine replacement for preserved defenders.

A decision during the match

Guards have already contained an isolated ground attacker with tower help. Buying Valkyrie too leaves both contact answers committed before the next swarm arrives. Keep her ready, let the cheaper defense finish and use Barrel only when the opponent's remaining answer gives it a reason.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Ice Spirit for Fire Spirit: More delay, less burst. New average 3.3 elixir.
• Goblin Gang for Guards: Air spears and more bodies, loses shields. New average 3.3 elixir.

Barrel, Princess and Tesla deserve useful levels before a speculative Rocket finish becomes the upgrade priority. Ice Spirit trades burst for delay that needs damage behind it. Gang adds bodies and air-targeting Spears in the Guards slot while losing shields, altering the defense against single heavy hits.

Miner Wall Breakers Control

Average elixir: 3.1

Eight cards and their jobs

• Miner (3 elixir): Placed ground attacker used for chip or to occupy a defender; do not assume unsupported tower damage.
• Wall Breakers (2 elixir): Fast paired building threats that can split; require an opening rather than a full support stack.
• Valkyrie (4 elixir): Ground splash defender for clustered support and swarms; cannot attack air.
• Magic Archer (4 elixir): Piercing ranged air and ground damage; find a useful line while protecting his fragile body.
• Bomb Tower (4 elixir): Ground splash building and pull; it cannot shoot flying attackers.
• Bats (2 elixir): Cheap flying damage; vulnerable to small spells and splash.
• Poison (4 elixir): Damage over time and area denial; not an instant removal spell.
• The Log (2 elixir): Ground-line damage and knockback; cannot clear flying units.

Check which unit is taking the tower's attention

Miner and Wall Breakers offer short attacks rather than a large protected tank line. Miner can occupy selected fire when timing and position allow, while Magic Archer provides opportunistic angles. Bomb Tower and Valkyrie protect the return. Bats are a fragile air reserve, so offensive geometry must not cost the only reliable next defense.

Opening and double elixir

Probe Wall Breakers alone when the hand can cover a response, keeping Miner available for a useful defensive or later offensive job. In double elixir, alternate threats and cast Poison only on a committed area. Buying Miner automatically does not ensure he reaches the useful target before Wall Breakers arrive.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Hog Rider: Bomb Tower is the main pull, with Valkyrie assigned to accompanying ground support rather than unnecessary extra damage on Hog. Magic Archer can shoot safely from range. If the building and existing damage already suffice, retain Bats instead of spending the air reserve on a solved ground exchange.

Against Balloon: Magic Archer needs enough time to fire while Bomb Tower changes Balloon's route without damaging it. Bats help around the opponent's removal spell. Preserve separate positions so one spell does not remove both fragile air answers, leaving only ground control and an expensive emergency Poison.

A decision during the match

Valkyrie catches Miner and the Wall Breakers reach her area immediately afterward. The supposed split attack has given one defender both jobs. Change timing or placement next time, and verify which unit the tower is actually targeting instead of assuming Miner always supplies the planned cover.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Musketeer for Magic Archer: Sturdier direct damage, loses piercing geometry. New average 3.1 elixir.
• Mega Minion for Bats: More resilient air damage at extra cost. New average 3.3 elixir.

Keep the selected chip threats and essential ranged defender effective, with Poison upgraded for real interactions. Musketeer removes piercing angles but supplies sturdier direct damage. Mega Minion increases the air reserve's durability at extra cost, slowing the next short attack enough that the benefit should solve a named problem.

Lumberjack Balloon Freeze

Average elixir: 3.9

Eight cards and their jobs

• Balloon (5 elixir): Air win condition; threaten only when the air counter or building can be managed.
• Lumberjack (4 elixir): Fast ground damage whose dropped Rage can support survivors; death timing matters.
• Bowler (5 elixir): Ground line splash and eligible knockback; cannot shoot air.
• Musketeer (4 elixir): Sustained ranged air and ground damage; keep her away from overlapping spell value.
• Mega Minion (3 elixir): Durable single flying attacker for focused air or ground damage.
• Tombstone (3 elixir): Defensive pull with Skeleton distractions; vulnerable to splash.
• Freeze (4 elixir): Temporary immobilization to exploit an existing attack window; no lasting defender.
• Arrows (3 elixir): Wide air and ground swarm removal; no reset effect.

Freeze only a Balloon that can use the time

This specialist version trades the flexibility of a damage spell for a conditional immobilization window. Bowler and Tombstone control ground approaches, while Musketeer and Mega Minion defend air. Lumberjack can provide ground damage and a Rage drop, but neither that drop nor Freeze guarantees a Balloon connection through every remaining answer.

Opening and double elixir

Use Tombstone reactively and learn both air responses before revealing the offensive combination. In double elixir, start from a useful defense and wait until Balloon's distance makes Freeze meaningful. Balloon plus Freeze costs nine, so a stopped attempt must still leave a plan for the next ground attack.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Battle Ram: Tombstone changes the charge route while Bowler handles eligible ground bodies and Lumberjack supplies focused damage where needed. Do not assume all units can be knocked back. Once the immediate ground wave is contained, retain the air shooters instead of committing the entire expensive hand to a return Balloon.

Against Balloon: Use the pull with Musketeer and Mega Minion working from separate angles. An offensive Freeze held for your own attack is not a substitute for having those damage cards available. If a spell removes one shooter, protect the other rather than racing with an unsupported Balloon.

A decision during the match

Balloon is still travelling when the opponent places a ranged defender. Freezing immediately can spend much of the shorter current window on travel. Wait for an attack that can exploit it, or let a doomed attempt end instead of adding four elixir because the combination was planned earlier.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Fireball for Freeze: Immediate support damage and broader flexibility, loses immobilization plan. New average 3.9 elixir.
• Valkyrie for Bowler: Cheaper ground splash, no rolling knockback line. New average 3.8 elixir.

Balloon and Musketeer keep the main plan useful, with Lumberjack upgraded for meaningful defensive interactions. Fireball replaces Freeze with immediate support damage and broader flexibility. Valkyrie lowers Bowler's cost while removing his rolling control line, so it changes the ground defense rather than simply discounting it.

Balloon Miner Bomb Tower

Average elixir: 3.3

Eight cards and their jobs

• Balloon (5 elixir): Air win condition; threaten only when the air counter or building can be managed.
• Miner (3 elixir): Placed ground attacker used for chip or to occupy a defender; do not assume unsupported tower damage.
• Musketeer (4 elixir): Sustained ranged air and ground damage; keep her away from overlapping spell value.
• Mega Minion (3 elixir): Durable single flying attacker for focused air or ground damage.
• Bomb Tower (4 elixir): Ground splash building and pull; it cannot shoot flying attackers.
• Skeletons (1 elixir): One-elixir ground distraction that buys shots and helps rotate the hand.
• Fireball (4 elixir): Immediate area damage and knockback; spend for useful defense or support value.
• Giant Snowball (2 elixir): Area damage, slow and eligible knockback; does not reset the Inferno Tower beam.

Make Miner change the defender's job

Miner can occupy a selected defender or tower while Balloon approaches, with Bomb Tower securing the ground return. Musketeer and Mega Minion provide separate air coverage. The interaction is conditional: a caught Miner or an already-targeting building may leave Balloon facing the same defense despite the extra three-elixir purchase.

Opening and double elixir

Use a safe cheap adjustment or a reactive Bomb Tower while learning the counters. A Balloon probe without Miner can reveal the first air answer. In double elixir, add Miner only when his location changes a real target or timing, keeping a ranged defender and the next pull affordable.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Royal Hogs: Bomb Tower's ground splash helps with the grouped approach, while a split may require separate support. Fireball can be useful when its actual targets justify the cost. Do not add every ranged card to the same lane if the other Hogs are still creating a defensive job elsewhere.

Against Inferno Tower: There is no reset spell in this version. Miner distraction depends on targeting and timing, while Snowball does not reset Inferno Tower's beam. Wait for a useful change in the building's lifetime, cycle or protection rather than treating a Miner placement as an automatic bypass.

A decision during the match

A ground troop catches Miner and Inferno continues pulling Balloon centrally. Extra Fireball or Snowball may only increase the loss if neither changes that beam or creates a real drop. Preserve the next defense and use the failed attempt to choose a different timing instead of forcing the same interaction.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Zap for Giant Snowball: Reset replaces displacement. New average 3.3 elixir.
• Ice Spirit for Skeletons: Air-capable delay rather than ground bodies. New average 3.3 elixir.

Balloon, Miner and the essential shooter deserve useful levels in the plan you actually keep. Zap changes the small spell to reset and air interruption, surrendering displacement. Ice Spirit trades Skeletons' persistent ground bodies for brief air-capable delay, which still needs a shooter behind it.

Balloon Executioner Cage

Average elixir: 3.5

Eight cards and their jobs

• Balloon (5 elixir): Air win condition; threaten only when the air counter or building can be managed.
• Executioner (5 elixir): Returning axe supplies air and ground line splash; needs help against high-health targets.
• Knight (3 elixir): Low-cost ground tank that occupies support and protects ranged damage.
• Mega Minion (3 elixir): Durable single flying attacker for focused air or ground damage.
• Goblin Cage (4 elixir): Pulls building-targeting threats, then releases a ground Brawler counterpush.
• Bats (2 elixir): Cheap flying damage; vulnerable to small spells and splash.
• Fireball (4 elixir): Immediate area damage and knockback; spend for useful defense or support value.
• Giant Snowball (2 elixir): Area damage, slow and eligible knockback; does not reset the Inferno Tower beam.

Use Cage to bring attackers into Executioner’s line

Executioner supplies line splash while Cage and Knight handle ground positioning. Mega Minion adds focused damage and Bats are a fragile reserve. This Balloon deck has no pulling spell, so Executioner needs a useful naturally forming line; scattered targets require separate responses rather than an imagined Tornado combination.

Opening and double elixir

Start with Cage on an approach or Executioner only when his defensive line offers value. In double elixir, a Brawler survivor can occupy useful defenders while Balloon follows, but inspect the remaining air response before committing five. Keep Fireball for a target it can actually improve rather than every stalled attack.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Royal Hogs: Use Cage to influence the approach and Executioner to exploit the Hogs that group together. If they split beyond one line, Knight or another appropriate defender must cover the other side. A single successful axe swing does not mean the entire push has been contained.

Against Balloon: Mega Minion attacks closely while Executioner fires from farther away and Cage changes the route. Snowball may buy a useful delay on eligible units. Stagger Bats around removal instead of adding every air source into the same spell area; two preserved angles are more useful than one dense cluster.

A decision during the match

The enemy spreads troops across both lanes. Put Executioner where his shots address the more dangerous group and use the remaining hand elsewhere. Save Balloon’s five elixir for the unfinished defense, then consider a counterattack once both lanes are covered.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Ice Spirit for Bats: Lower cost delay, loses sustained air damage. New average 3.4 elixir.
• Valkyrie for Knight: More ground splash at extra cost. New average 3.6 elixir.

Keep Executioner and Cage effective alongside Balloon. Ice Spirit lowers the Bats slot's cost but removes sustained damage, making the remaining air pair more important. Valkyrie gives Knight's contact role ground splash at extra elixir, changing how much reserve remains after a five-elixir attack.

Giant Balloon Night Witch

Average elixir: 3.6

Eight cards and their jobs

• Giant (5 elixir): Building-targeting tank placed in front of surviving defenders.
• Balloon (5 elixir): Air win condition; threaten only when the air counter or building can be managed.
• Night Witch (4 elixir): Ground melee support that produces flying Bats; needs protection from splash.
• Musketeer (4 elixir): Sustained ranged air and ground damage; keep her away from overlapping spell value.
• Mega Minion (3 elixir): Durable single flying attacker for focused air or ground damage.
• Tombstone (3 elixir): Defensive pull with Skeleton distractions; vulnerable to splash.
• Arrows (3 elixir): Wide air and ground swarm removal; no reset effect.
• Zap (2 elixir): Small air and ground hit plus brief stun/reset; does not replace heavy damage.

Choose the tank route or the air punish

Giant and Balloon each cost five, while Night Witch adds melee damage and Bats over time. Those Bats can support an attack, but do not replace Musketeer and Mega Minion as the reliable air shooters. This is a heavy specialist choice for a leveled collection, with two attack routes that need not be used together.

Opening and double elixir

Use Tombstone against the approach and learn the counter before purchasing a ten-elixir Giant-Balloon opening. In double elixir, choose the route whose answer is committed elsewhere. Only add the second attacker when the board and defensive reserve justify it, rather than treating Night Witch's presence as free support for both.

Defensive order and matchups

Against P.E.K.K.A: Tombstone and air damage can occupy and remove P.E.K.K.A without offering her Giant as an easy target. Night Witch's Bats contribute when they survive, but supporting splash may remove them. Keep the durable shooters safely placed and finish the defensive investment before buying a fresh tank.

Against Balloon: Musketeer and Mega Minion supply sustained damage while Tombstone changes the route. Night Witch herself attacks ground, and her Bats are supplementary. If those Bats are removed, the next air defense still needs a real shooter rather than another five-elixir attacker at the bridge.

A decision during the match

Wizard remains available as your Night Witch starts a counterpush. Do not assume her Bats will shield a larger attack from his splash, and Arrows is not a dependable answer to a healthy Wizard. Change the timing, occupy him safely or accept a smaller push while preserving your own ranged defense.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Mini P.E.K.K.A for Night Witch: More direct ground damage, loses spawned air support. New average 3.6 elixir.
• Minions for Mega Minion: More bodies and greater spell vulnerability. New average 3.6 elixir.

Maintain Musketeer and the primary attacking route before upgrading both win conditions equally. Mini P.E.K.K.A gives more direct ground damage in Night Witch's slot while losing Bat production. Minions add bodies over Mega Minion but make the reserve more vulnerable to the same splash that threatens the spawned Bats.

Giant Night Witch Lightning

Average elixir: 3.8

Eight cards and their jobs

• Giant (5 elixir): Building-targeting tank placed in front of surviving defenders.
• Night Witch (4 elixir): Ground melee support that produces flying Bats; needs protection from splash.
• Prince (5 elixir): Single-target ground damage and a charge threat; needs protection against swarms.
• Mega Minion (3 elixir): Durable single flying attacker for focused air or ground damage.
• Goblin Cage (4 elixir): Pulls building-targeting threats, then releases a ground Brawler counterpush.
• Skeletons (1 elixir): One-elixir ground distraction that buys shots and helps rotate the hand.
• Lightning (6 elixir): Expensive damage and stun on selected high-health targets; seek building plus support value.
• Zap (2 elixir): Small air and ground hit plus brief stun/reset; does not replace heavy damage.

Keep the air defender before paying for Lightning

Prince supplies concentrated ground damage while Night Witch adds melee pressure and Bats, with Giant protecting useful survivors. Lightning is for a valuable committed defense rather than a mandatory part of the push. Mega Minion is especially important because the remaining air contribution is fragile, so an attractive spell target can still be unaffordable.

Opening and double elixir

Use Cage for the first approach and Prince for a health target worth his cost. Keep Night Witch for a protected support job. In double elixir, Giant can lead survivors while elixir regenerates, but Giant plus Lightning costs eleven and cannot be purchased instantly from a ten-elixir bank.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Inferno Tower: Hold Zap for a useful interruption after the beam becomes dangerous when the tank can survive the wait. Lightning should hit worthwhile additional targets or materially improve the attack. Casting both by reflex can spend eight in spells without enough remaining support to reach the tower.

Against Balloon: Cage changes the route while Mega Minion attacks, with Bats contributing only if they survive the removal. Preserve that flying damage instead of automatically adding it behind Giant. Skeletons and Prince cannot repair an air hand emptied by the counterpush.

A decision during the match

A building and ranged defender stand in a tempting Lightning area, but Mega Minion is out of hand and Balloon is ready. Spending six may win visible spell value while losing the next defense. Preserve the reserve, recover the needed shooter and accept the smaller Giant attempt.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Ice Spirit for Skeletons: Air delay instead of persistent ground bodies. New average 3.8 elixir.
• Musketeer for Night Witch: Reliable ranged air damage, loses Bat production. New average 3.8 elixir.

Prince and Mega Minion must perform the defensive jobs that fund Giant, with Lightning improved for actual interactions. Musketeer replaces Night Witch with reliable ranged air damage but removes Bat production. Ice Spirit gives air-capable delay instead of Skeletons' persistent bodies, changing how you occupy melee threats.

Golem Night Witch Support

Average elixir: 4.0

Eight cards and their jobs

• Golem (8 elixir): Expensive building-targeting tank; commit only with room to defend the opposite lane.
• Night Witch (4 elixir): Ground melee support that produces flying Bats; needs protection from splash.
• Baby Dragon (4 elixir): Durable flying splash support; its damage alone is not a fast tank solution.
• Mega Minion (3 elixir): Durable single flying attacker for focused air or ground damage.
• Tombstone (3 elixir): Defensive pull with Skeleton distractions; vulnerable to splash.
• Goblins (2 elixir): Cheap melee damage and surrounds; wait until enemy splash is occupied.
• Lightning (6 elixir): Expensive damage and stun on selected high-health targets; seek building plus support value.
• Zap (2 elixir): Small air and ground hit plus brief stun/reset; does not replace heavy damage.

Defend the other lane before adding Golem support

Golem's eight-elixir commitment is the reason this is an advanced choice. Night Witch supports over time, Baby Dragon clears groups and Lightning can challenge a valuable defensive cluster. Keep cheap ground defense and an air damage card ready for pressure in the other lane.

Opening and double elixir

Defend first and learn the likely opposite-lane punish before purchasing Golem. In double elixir, build only from a safe board or useful advantage, leaving Tombstone and the appropriate damage available. Faster regeneration may support a larger army, but it does not make an undefended tower an acceptable automatic trade.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Hog Rider: Tombstone shapes Hog's route and cheap help supplies the necessary remaining damage. Do not start Golem while the pull is unavailable and call the next emergency a normal cost of beatdown. Night Witch or another support card should stay available if the opponent's accompanying troops create a second job.

Against Inferno Tower: Zap can interrupt a dangerous beam when the timing allows, while Lightning requires sufficient target value. They are different decisions, not a compulsory eight-elixir spell pair. If the building still controls the attack afterward, stop adding support until the remaining push can genuinely use it.

A decision during the match

The opponent pressures the other lane after Golem is placed. Defending that threat leaves less elixir for Night Witch and Lightning than planned. Accept the smaller Golem push and preserve the tower when that is the sensible exchange, rather than sacrificing the lane to complete a support sequence written before the attack arrived.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Mini P.E.K.K.A for Goblins: More robust ground damage at higher cost. New average 4.3 elixir.
• Musketeer for Mega Minion: Ranged air coverage for extra elixir. New average 4.1 elixir.

Keep Golem and the support you actually use effective, especially the flying damage needed during counterpressure. Mini P.E.K.K.A makes ground damage sturdier at extra cost in place of Goblins. Musketeer gives ranged air coverage over Mega Minion for more elixir, increasing the reserve needed before starting the tank.

Goblin Giant Sparky Control

Average elixir: 3.8

Eight cards and their jobs

• Goblin Giant (6 elixir): Building-targeting tank with carried Spear Goblin support; does not replace a full air defense.
• Sparky (6 elixir): Charged heavy ground splash; protect against resets, distractions and air attacks.
• Mini P.E.K.K.A (4 elixir): Concentrated ground damage against a tank or other high-health attacker.
• Mega Minion (3 elixir): Durable single flying attacker for focused air or ground damage.
• Goblin Gang (3 elixir): Mixed melee and spear bodies for surrounds and supplementary air damage; fragile to spells.
• Fireball (4 elixir): Immediate area damage and knockback; spend for useful defense or support value.
• Zap (2 elixir): Small air and ground hit plus brief stun/reset; does not replace heavy damage.
• Rage (2 elixir): Temporary attack and movement boost with placement damage; creates no defensive body.

Answer the reset instead of accelerating a stopped Sparky

Sparky supplies powerful ground damage when it gets a shot, while Goblin Giant can protect a useful survivor. Mini P.E.K.K.A covers ground health during interruptions. The deck has thin sustained air coverage, with Mega Minion essential and Gang Spears fragile, so it is a specialist commitment rather than a forgiving all-purpose tank list.

Rage needs a shot that can actually happen

Rage keeps this version at 3.8 average elixir; the Tornado version available in Miner’s Mine costs 3.9. Rage speeds useful survivors but cannot pull a reset troop away or group blockers for Sparky. Mini P.E.K.K.A and worthwhile Fireball targets therefore matter more when the reset source is still active. Treat acceleration as a final purchase after the shooting opportunity exists.

Opening and double elixir

Defend with the appropriate ground card and retain Mega Minion until air pressure is known. Goblin Giant and Sparky together cost twelve, so they cannot form an instant opening from ten. In double elixir, let a defended Sparky justify the tank, and add Rage only while the attack still has a usable path.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Electro Wizard: Do not make Sparky the sole answer to a unit that can repeatedly interrupt its charge. Mini P.E.K.K.A can address a ground target while Fireball helps only when its actual damage or overlap is worthwhile. Protect the shooting opportunity instead of purchasing acceleration for a shot that keeps being prevented.

Against Balloon: Mega Minion must engage early, with Gang's Spears as a limited backup around removal. Sparky cannot shoot air and Goblin Giant's carried Spears are not a substitute for preserved defense in every position. Hold the large counterpush when the next Balloon exchange would otherwise lack sustained damage.

A decision during the match

Electro Wizard keeps interrupting Sparky and Rage is ready. There is no Tornado here to change the support’s position. Preserve Mini P.E.K.K.A for a reachable ground target, or use Fireball only when its damage and overlap help address the reset. If neither creates a shot, stop adding support. Two elixir of Rage does not make Sparky immune to the next stun.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Arrows for Rage: More dependable air-swarm removal, loses acceleration. New average 3.9 elixir.
• Guards for Goblin Gang: Ground shields, loses air spears. New average 3.8 elixir.

Sparky and Goblin Giant are expensive collection commitments, so keep Mega Minion and the supporting spell useful as well. Arrows replaces Rage with more dependable air-group removal but loses acceleration. Guards remove Gang's Spear contribution in exchange for shielded ground defense, making the air reserve narrower still.

Royal Giant Hunter Royal Delivery

Average elixir: 3.6

Eight cards and their jobs

• Royal Giant (6 elixir): Ranged building-targeting win condition; needs protection from tank killers.
• Hunter (4 elixir): Close-range spread damage against air and ground; distance changes how many projectiles connect.
• Mega Minion (3 elixir): Durable single flying attacker for focused air or ground damage.
• Goblin Cage (4 elixir): Pulls building-targeting threats, then releases a ground Brawler counterpush.
• Royal Delivery (3 elixir): Delayed defensive air and ground damage with a Recruit body; cannot be deployed offensively across the river.
• Electro Spirit (1 elixir): Chain stun and small damage across multiple targets; not a sustained defender.
• Lightning (6 elixir): Expensive damage and stun on selected high-health targets; seek building plus support value.
• The Log (2 elixir): Ground-line damage and knockback; cannot clear flying units.

Make room for Delivery before Hunter needs the protection

Royal Delivery takes the three-elixir slot often used by Guards. Its impact can catch air and ground support on your side, then leave a Recruit for the next exchange. You lose the immediate three-body surround that could protect Hunter as soon as it was placed. Choose this version when the grouped support is the problem and you can anticipate its arrival; a late Recruit cannot retroactively protect a defeated Hunter.

Opening and double elixir

Use Cage against an actual approach and judge where Hunter can fire from a useful distance without meeting the whole push alone. Place Delivery for the support’s expected position when it lands. Mega Minion supplies a separate damage angle, so avoid clustering it with Hunter where one spell gives the opponent both.

In double elixir, Royal Giant can go ahead of a useful surviving Brawler or Recruit. Lightning remains conditional on worthwhile targets. Royal Giant and Lightning cost twelve together, so they cannot be purchased instantly from a ten-elixir bank. Let the approach and regeneration create the opportunity instead of planning a spell you cannot yet afford.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Balloon with small air support: Cage changes the path while Hunter attacks from a useful distance and Mega Minion adds focused hits. Delivery can damage the accompanying group if timed well, but the resulting Recruit attacks ground. Keep the shooters alive after the impact and judge removal at the actual card levels.

Against Giant with ground support: Establish Cage’s pull before putting Hunter near the tank. Delivery can help against the support when it arrives, but it has a delay. If a melee attacker is already reaching Hunter, use a body or position that protects him now rather than assuming the Recruit is already present.

A decision during the match

Hunter is in danger and Delivery is still falling. In the Guards version, a quick surround could buy immediate time; this list has given that response up. Use the available Cage or Brawler and the space already on the board, or recognize that the timing was late. On the next defense, cast Delivery earlier and position Hunter so he does not need protection before the impact.

This has no Fisherman hook. Hunter’s range and protection still come from placement, and Delivery cannot replace an immediate shielded surround or the shooters’ sustained air damage.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Skeletons for Royal Delivery: Saves two elixir and gives immediate cheap ground distractions, losing the air/ground area impact and Recruit body. New average 3.4 elixir.
• Musketeer for Mega Minion: Adds one elixir and a grounded longer-range shooter, losing flight and changing spell exposure. New average 3.8 elixir.

Maintain Royal Giant, Hunter and Cage, then Delivery and Lightning for useful target interactions. Skeletons reduce the average but lose Delivery’s area hit and Recruit; their immediate distraction is much more fragile. Musketeer costs one more than Mega Minion and shoots from longer range, while losing flight and changing which spells or ground troops can reach the reserve.

P.E.K.K.A Ram Bandit

Average elixir: 3.9

Eight cards and their jobs

• P.E.K.K.A (7 elixir): Heavy ground damage on defense; a surviving unit can lead a counterpush.
• Battle Ram (4 elixir): Building-targeting charge and surviving Barbarians; punish a committed counter.
• Bandit (3 elixir): Ground pressure with a conditional dash; avoid feeding her into a prepared surround.
• Royal Ghost (3 elixir): Ground splash pressure with invisibility between engagements; no air targeting.
• Electro Wizard (4 elixir): Ranged air and ground damage with stuns; protect his landing and fragile body.
• Magic Archer (4 elixir): Piercing ranged air and ground damage; find a useful line while protecting his fragile body.
• Poison (4 elixir): Damage over time and area denial; not an instant removal spell.
• Zap (2 elixir): Small air and ground hit plus brief stun/reset; does not replace heavy damage.

Fund bridge pressure from a completed ground defense

P.E.K.K.A stops a substantial ground investment while Ram and Bandit offer later pressure. Ghost clears small ground bodies, with Electro Wizard and Magic Archer covering air. The absence of a building and the fragile ranged pair mean a strong-looking ground counterpush can still leave the next air approach dangerously underdefended.

Choose a lasting area only when the defender stays there

Poison and Fireball both cost four, but Poison trades immediate damage and knockback for repeated damage in one area. Compared with the Fireball bridge-spam list, this version should spend its spell on a committed defender or group that remains inside it. Keep Electro Wizard or Zap for an interruption that cannot wait; Poison does not reproduce Fireball’s immediate effect.

Protect Magic Archer’s line and his ground position

Magic Archer also changes the Baby Dragon version’s defensive job at the same four-elixir cost. He supplies a piercing ranged line from a fragile ground body instead of durable flying splash. This list has no Tornado. Position him for a line that actually exists, separate him from Electro Wizard against spells, and avoid borrowing both air shooters for a ground counterpush.

Opening and double elixir

Wait or use a safe Ghost position rather than opening seven-elixir P.E.K.K.A without a target. In double elixir, pressure another lane only once the defensive exchange is stable and the ranged reserve remains affordable. Poison follows committed support; it is not an automatic extra four behind every Ram.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Giant: P.E.K.K.A handles Giant's health while Ghost or useful Poison value addresses supporting units. Keep the ranged cards apart so one spell does not remove both coverage and counterpush damage. Ram should wait if the enemy support still threatens an exposed shooter after the tank falls.

Against Balloon: Electro Wizard's interruption and Magic Archer's shots need an early protected setup. Neither is a durable guarantee against every supported Balloon. With no pull building, preserve their positions and the useful Zap timing instead of spending them behind P.E.K.K.A while the opponent's air threat remains ready.

A decision during the match

A ranged defender stands behind a building as Battle Ram approaches. Poison is useful if that defender stays inside the area long enough for its damage to matter. If an immediate interruption is needed, judge the Electro Wizard or Zap timing instead. Keep Magic Archer at a protected firing angle rather than moving him into contact as though he were Baby Dragon, and do not spend the last air defender to support a stopped Ram.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Musketeer for Magic Archer: More direct durable air damage, loses angles. New average 3.9 elixir.
• Valkyrie for Royal Ghost: Ground splash durability at extra cost, loses invisibility. New average 4.0 elixir.

Keep P.E.K.K.A and the primary Ram plan useful, with Electro Wizard and Poison supporting the defense. Musketeer trades Magic Archer's angles for more direct durable air damage. Valkyrie costs more than Ghost and loses invisibility while adding resilient ground splash, altering the price and timing of bridge pressure.

Ram Rider Lumberjack Control

Average elixir: 3.4

Eight cards and their jobs

• Ram Rider (5 elixir): Building-targeting Ram pressure plus the rider's snare against troops; does not replace sustained air damage.
• Lumberjack (4 elixir): Fast ground damage whose dropped Rage can support survivors; death timing matters.
• Musketeer (4 elixir): Sustained ranged air and ground damage; keep her away from overlapping spell value.
• Mega Minion (3 elixir): Durable single flying attacker for focused air or ground damage.
• Goblin Cage (4 elixir): Pulls building-targeting threats, then releases a ground Brawler counterpush.
• Ice Spirit (1 elixir): Brief freeze and a cheap rotation; buys time rather than sustained damage.
• Fireball (4 elixir): Immediate area damage and knockback; spend for useful defense or support value.
• The Log (2 elixir): Ground-line damage and knockback; cannot clear flying units.

Use Ram Rider's snare as help rather than a complete stop

Ram Rider contributes a snare while Lumberjack supplies ground damage and a conditional Rage drop. Cage still provides the dependable pull, with Musketeer and Mega Minion covering air separately. A snare is neither a universal freeze nor a promise to retarget every attacker, so the actual damage and route still matter.

Opening and double elixir

Start with a reactive Cage and use Lumberjack on a worthwhile ground target. Avoid adding a five-elixir Ram Rider solely because a slow effect seems useful. In double elixir, follow a productive survivor while retaining Fireball and a ranged answer; the attack should not consume every tool required for the next lane.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Hog Rider: Cage is the main route-control answer. Ram Rider can help if her deployment already has a useful broader job, but needlessly spending five on top of an adequate building defense can erase the counterpush budget. Let the existing damage finish before purchasing another attacker.

Against Balloon: Musketeer and Mega Minion supply sustained damage with Cage changing the path. Ram Rider may slow the approach if deployed in time, but the snare does not replace those shooters. Keep their angles distinct and judge whether another purchase is necessary before committing the whole hand.

A decision during the match

Lumberjack dies while Ram Rider is still travelling, and the useful Rage window ends before she reaches it. Check whether Ram Rider is still benefiting from Rage before spending Fireball to support her. Check the actual speed, defender and reserve before making the next offensive spend.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Skeletons for Ice Spirit: Ground distraction instead of air delay. New average 3.4 elixir.
• Giant Snowball for The Log: Air hit and displacement, loses ground roll. New average 3.4 elixir.

Ram Rider and Musketeer form a plan worth maintaining while Lumberjack earns value through defense. Skeletons replace Ice Spirit with persistent ground bodies but lose air delay. Snowball keeps The Log's cost while trading the ground roll for air contact and displacement, changing which blocker the small spell can address.

Mega Knight Miner Wall Breakers

Average elixir: 3.3

Eight cards and their jobs

• Mega Knight (7 elixir): Expensive ground splash defender and counterpush threat; cannot hit air.
• Miner (3 elixir): Placed ground attacker used for chip or to occupy a defender; do not assume unsupported tower damage.
• Wall Breakers (2 elixir): Fast paired building threats that can split; require an opening rather than a full support stack.
• Inferno Dragon (4 elixir): Flying ramping damage against a sustained target; vulnerable to resets and distractions.
• Bats (2 elixir): Cheap flying damage; vulnerable to small spells and splash.
• Goblin Gang (3 elixir): Mixed melee and spear bodies for surrounds and supplementary air damage; fragile to spells.
• Zap (2 elixir): Small air and ground hit plus brief stun/reset; does not replace heavy damage.
• Arrows (3 elixir): Wide air and ground swarm removal; no reset effect.

Use Mega Knight on groups and Inferno Dragon on tanks

Mega Knight can punish clustered ground pressure, while Miner and Wall Breakers are the deliberate tower threats. Inferno Dragon handles high health that Mega Knight's splash is not efficient against. Bats and Gang add fragile support, making removal and reset tracking important before the expensive ground survivor invites more pressure.

Use Gang’s ground bodies before buying seven-elixir splash

Goblin Gang costs one more than Spear Goblins, raising this version’s average from 3.1 to 3.3. Its melee bodies can surround an isolated ground attacker and leave Mega Knight for a group worth seven elixir. The gain disappears inside active splash, and the extra elixir shortens the following Miner and Wall Breakers window. Preserve the existing air reserve even when the ground surround looks sufficient.

Opening and double elixir

Wait for a ground group worth Mega Knight's cost, or probe Wall Breakers only while defense remains ready. In double elixir, use Miner or the breakers after a useful stop and preserve Inferno Dragon for the next tank. Seven elixir of bridge splash is not a routine opening simply because the card can jump.

Defensive order and matchups

Against P.E.K.K.A: Avoid a direct Mega Knight duel into a healthy P.E.K.K.A. Inferno Dragon and suitable distractions should supply the health defense while the support is kept away. If a reset source is still ready, protect the Dragon rather than assuming one ramping target is automatically solved.

Against Balloon: Inferno Dragon needs time to build damage, with Bats contributing from a separate angle around removal. Zap buys an interruption but cannot replace early sustained hits. Mega Knight cannot attack Balloon, so adding him to offensive pressure does not make an exposed air hand safe.

A decision during the match

An isolated ground attacker enters your side without splash behind it. Use Gang and tower help if that actually contains the threat, keeping Mega Knight for a grouped attack and Inferno Dragon for high health. After spending three rather than the Spear Goblin version’s two, reassess whether both Miner and Wall Breakers are affordable. If a reset remains ready, keep the resources needed to protect Inferno Dragon before sending them.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Guards for Goblin Gang: Shielded ground distraction, loses air spears. New average 3.3 elixir.
• Mega Minion for Bats: Sturdier air damage at extra cost. New average 3.4 elixir.

Maintain Miner or Wall Breakers as the pressure plan you use most, with Inferno Dragon and Mega Knight useful in their distinct defensive roles. Guards lose Gang's air-targeting Spears but gain shielded ground bodies. Mega Minion costs more than Bats and provides a sturdier reserve, reducing fragile removal dependence.

Bowler Graveyard Poison

Average elixir: 3.8

Eight cards and their jobs

• Graveyard (5 elixir): Timed Skeleton pressure around a chosen area; use a surviving tank and manage splash counters.
• Bowler (5 elixir): Ground line splash and eligible knockback; cannot shoot air.
• Baby Dragon (4 elixir): Durable flying splash support; its damage alone is not a fast tank solution.
• Musketeer (4 elixir): Sustained ranged air and ground damage; keep her away from overlapping spell value.
• Tombstone (3 elixir): Defensive pull with Skeleton distractions; vulnerable to splash.
• Guards (3 elixir): Shielded ground surround and distraction; no air targeting.
• Poison (4 elixir): Damage over time and area denial; not an instant removal spell.
• Barbarian Barrel (2 elixir): Ground-line removal and a Barbarian body; cannot damage air.

Let a healthy survivor buy Graveyard time

Bowler and Tombstone shape ground defense, while Musketeer and Baby Dragon provide separated air damage. Graveyard uses a surviving body to occupy tower fire long enough for Skeletons to work. This is patient control without Tornado: the deck must use natural lines and actual survivor health rather than assuming a pull spell arranges everything.

Opening and double elixir

Use Tombstone reactively and buy the appropriate shooter for a real target. An unsupported opening Graveyard spends five before establishing its condition for value. In double elixir, let a healthy defender reach a useful tanking position, then cast Poison after the opponent's answer commits where the spell can matter.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Battle Ram: Tombstone changes the charge route and Bowler controls eligible ground units while Guards finish isolated targets. Do not spend Graveyard while the released Barbarians or supporting unit still threaten the defense. The counterpush should emerge from a contained exchange, not interrupt its final cleanup.

Against Balloon: Musketeer and Baby Dragon supply the damage while Tombstone changes the route. Poison is delayed area control, not the immediate substitute for a missing shooter. Preserve both positions around the opposing spell so a successful ground defense does not become an uncovered air attack.

A decision during the match

Bowler is almost defeated before crossing and Graveyard is ready. His remaining health may not buy meaningful tower distraction by the time the Skeletons appear. Wait for a healthier support opportunity or accept his small remaining pressure instead of paying five for an untanked attack.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Goblins for Guards: Cheaper ground damage, loses shields. New average 3.6 elixir.
• The Log for Barbarian Barrel: Longer ground control, loses Barbarian body. New average 3.8 elixir.

Graveyard and the essential shooter deserve useful levels alongside Bowler's control and Poison's actual interactions. Goblins save elixir in the Guards slot but lose shields. The Log supplies a longer ground control line than Barbarian Barrel while removing the surviving body that sometimes helped occupy support.

Lava Balloon Double Air

Average elixir: 4.0

Eight cards and their jobs

• Lava Hound (7 elixir): Expensive flying building-targeting tank; weak immediate defense against ground pressure.
• Balloon (5 elixir): Air win condition; threaten only when the air counter or building can be managed.
• Mega Minion (3 elixir): Durable single flying attacker for focused air or ground damage.
• Skeleton Dragons (4 elixir): Two flying splash units that cover air and ground groups; protect their fragile bodies.
• Guards (3 elixir): Shielded ground surround and distraction; no air targeting.
• Tombstone (3 elixir): Defensive pull with Skeleton distractions; vulnerable to splash.
• Fireball (4 elixir): Immediate area damage and knockback; spend for useful defense or support value.
• Arrows (3 elixir): Wide air and ground swarm removal; no reset effect.

Reserve the ground defense before adding Balloon

Lava Hound absorbs air-targeting fire while Balloon supplies the more direct tower threat. Skeleton Dragons and Mega Minion support, but the ground defense is concentrated in Guards and Tombstone. This is an advanced collection investment with a real opposite-lane weakness, not permission to ignore ground pressure because the main attack flies.

Use two splash bodies without giving away both

Skeleton Dragons and Flying Machine each cost four, so this choice leaves the displayed average at 4.0. Two splash flyers can help against grouped defenders, while Flying Machine supplies focused ranged fire from a different position. The Dragons can share spell exposure when clustered together. Use their splash where a real group exists and preserve Guards or Tombstone before investing in a second air threat.

Opening and double elixir

Defend and identify the likely punish before spending seven on Hound. In double elixir, build only from a safe board and add Balloon when the remaining air answer can be handled. Hound plus Balloon costs twelve, so regeneration and a protected ground reserve are part of the commitment.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Hog Rider: Tombstone provides the main route change, with Guards contributing when the support or remaining health requires them. Starting Hound while both are unavailable leaves few good answers to immediate ground pressure. Let the defended exchange create the opportunity rather than planning to absorb every Hog attack automatically.

Against Inferno Tower: This version has no reset spell. A prepared Inferno Tower can shape the air attack, so vary target timing or wait for its useful lifetime and cycle to change. Fireball and Arrows do not automatically replace a reset, especially if the building still keeps a protected beam on the valuable attacker.

A decision during the match

Hound is already moving and the opponent presents grouped support in its lane while threatening the other side. Skeleton Dragons may help the group exchange, but they do not replace Guards or Tombstone against the ground punish. Fund that defense before Balloon, and avoid adding Mega Minion into the same removal area as both Dragons. Accept the smaller air push if the ground lane consumes the budget.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Goblins for Guards: Cheaper ground damage without shields. New average 3.9 elixir.
• Baby Dragon for Skeleton Dragons: One tougher splash flyer, loses two firing bodies. New average 4.0 elixir.

Keep the primary air plan and Skeleton Dragons effective, with the defensive cards maintained enough to survive the punish. Goblins lower the ground reserve's cost while losing shields. Baby Dragon trades two splash bodies for one tougher flyer, changing both spread coverage and removal exposure.

Mortar Miner Royal Delivery

Average elixir: 3.0

Eight cards and their jobs

• Mortar (4 elixir): Ground-targeting siege building with a minimum range; can pull on defense but cannot shoot air.
• Miner (3 elixir): Placed ground attacker used for chip or to occupy a defender; do not assume unsupported tower damage.
• Knight (3 elixir): Low-cost ground tank that occupies support and protects ranged damage.
• Musketeer (4 elixir): Sustained ranged air and ground damage; keep her away from overlapping spell value.
• Skeletons (1 elixir): One-elixir ground distraction that buys shots and helps rotate the hand.
• Poison (4 elixir): Damage over time and area denial; not an instant removal spell.
• The Log (2 elixir): Ground-line damage and knockback; cannot clear flying units.
• Royal Delivery (3 elixir): Delayed defensive air and ground damage with a Recruit body; cannot be deployed offensively across the river.

Switch to Miner when the tank closes Mortar’s line

Mortar costs four and offers a ground siege threat, while Miner can attack a selected location when a tank makes an offensive Mortar unattractive. This is a different commitment from a six-elixir X-Bow protected by Tesla. There is no air-shooting building here: Musketeer must stay useful against air, and Delivery provides an impact rather than a continuing stream of damage.

Opening and double elixir

Wait to learn the opponent’s tank and use Skeletons only for a safe adjustment or an actual distraction. A Miner probe can reveal the tower defender without committing Mortar at the bridge. Do not buy Poison automatically with it. If a defensive Mortar is needed, place it early enough to influence the approach and account for the minimum range inside which it cannot shoot.

In double elixir, choose the attack the opponent’s hand leaves open. A tank committed to Mortar can make a later Miner worthwhile, while a depleted tank cycle can create a better siege attempt. Miner plus Poison costs seven; adding a fresh Mortar makes eleven. Those purchases require time and regeneration, and each extra card must leave the next defense possible.

Defensive order and matchups

Against Giant: Use Mortar defensively when an offensive shot at the tower is unrealistic. Knight occupies suitable support while Musketeer works from a protected position. The tank can enter Mortar’s minimum range, so its pull does not remove the need for troop damage. Once the push is contained, Miner offers pressure that does not require firing through Giant.

Against Balloon: Preserve Musketeer early. Mortar can change Balloon’s route if the placement draws it, but cannot shoot air. Delivery may hit relevant air targets and leave a ground Recruit, while The Log has no air effect. A successful ground defense is not permission to send away the only sustained ranged air shooter.

A decision during the match

Giant is available to block an offensive Mortar and your Musketeer is needed for the next defense. Keep the siege defensive if necessary, then use a later Miner when the tower’s answer is awkward. Cast Poison only if the committed defender remains in a useful area. Buying Mortar, Miner and Poison to force both routes at once spends eleven without guaranteeing either one connects.

Mortar has a minimum range and cannot shoot air. The list gives up X-Bow’s faster repeated siege hits and Tesla’s air coverage, so losing Musketeer makes the remaining defensive hand narrow.

One-card alternatives and upgrades

• Archers for Musketeer: Saves one elixir and allows split coverage but loses the sturdier single ranged defender. New average 2.9 elixir.
• Valkyrie for Knight: Adds one elixir and ground splash, slowing the next Mortar/Miner choice. New average 3.1 elixir.

Keep Mortar, Miner and Musketeer effective for the route you use most, with Poison upgraded for actual interactions. Archers save one elixir and can split, but leave a more fragile air defense. Valkyrie costs one more than Knight and adds ground splash, reducing what remains for the next Miner or Mortar after defending.