AI Overview: This DragLoon deck averages 3.0 elixir and escorts a Balloon with air-hitting splash troops. It took him to Jungle Arena and listed 3.1 elixir, but today’s official costs add up to 3.0. In 2026 the Balloon Hero was nerfed three times, and this exact list has no tracker sample. The full card-by-card check follows.
Last Updated: October 2026
Key Points:
- The deck costs 24 elixir, which is 3.0 on average.
- The Balloon Hero was nerfed three times in 2026, and LavaLoon lists won about 47.5%.
- Baby Dragon damage rose from 161 to 168 on July 6, and its best base list wins 59.7%.
- Bomber damage fell from 225 to 212 on September 8, yet his best list wins 68.7% over 1,400 battles.
- Princess got an Evolution buff on August 4, and her best list wins 65.1% over 3,500 battles.
The DragLoon List, Priced Card by Card
Here’s the thing: the usual Balloon problem is the Minion Horde. This deck answers it with plenty of air-hitting splash: Baby Dragon, Ice Wizard and Bomber. The idea is simple. Defend, counter, then escort the Balloon.
| Card | Elixir | Job in the deck | 2026 status |
| Baby Dragon | 4 | Splash escort and air defense | Damage 161 to 168 on July 6; best base list 59.7% |
| Balloon | 5 | Tower killer | Hero nerfed three times in 2026; LavaLoon lists won about 47.5% |
| Princess | 3 | Chip damage and swarm defense | Best list 65.1% over 3,500 (LogBait); Evo buff on August 4 |
| Ice Wizard | 3 | Slows defenders and supports pushes | Best list 64.6% over 1,400; Hero freeze cut on September 16 and October 6 |
| Zap | 2 | Reset and swarm clear | Crown Tower damage 58 to 48 on June 1; Evo Zap 77.0% over about 1,000 |
| Skeleton Army | 3 | Defense and bait for Log and Arrows | No 2026 change; Evolution best 65.1% over 3,500, base best 55.6% |
| Spear Goblins | 2 | Cheap anti-air and cycle | Hit speed 1.7 to 1.6 seconds on August 4; best list 54.9% over 915 |
| Bomber | 2 | Splash defense behind the tower | Damage 225 to 212 on September 8; best list 68.7% over 1,400, one of six lists above 50% |
The table lists all eight cards, their elixir costs and where each stands after the 2026 patches.
A Balloon deck needs its escort to survive. The negative effect: the Balloon’s Hero was nerfed three times this year, so the whole archetype is under pressure, and a base-card list like this one has little room for a second mistake.
What Changed in 2026
The Baby Dragon hits a little harder, 168 instead of 161. The Bomber hits for 212, not 225. Zap hits towers for 48, not 58. The Princess got an Evolution buff, but this deck uses the base card.
Claims, rechecked. The Balloon death damage is about 200 and the Ice Wizard is the best support in the game. Both claims were not rechecked before. The Ice Wizard’s best list wins 64.6% over 1,400 battles, which supports the second one for the base card. The first one stays a guess, since the Balloon itself has changed little in the numbers shown here.
The weak spots. The Balloon needs a strong escort. On the data, Balloon lists are not strong: LavaLoon lists won about 47.5% in the sample. The Bomber’s best list wins 68.7%, and the Princess’s best wins 65.1%, so the support cards look better than the win condition.
Card pages: Balloon, Baby Dragon, Princess and Bomber.
The Bomber is rarely used in high arenas. The negative effect: his damage was cut again on September 8, so a card already seen as niche may feel even less reliable against swarms.
How to Play It Today
Do not play anything first, let the opponent move, counter it, and add one or two troops to turn it into a push. Always keep at least 3 elixir to answer quickly.
Substitutions. Mega Minion or Minions can replace the Baby Dragon, Wizard can replace the Ice Wizard, Electro Wizard or Arrows can replace Zap, and Fire Spirit or Ice Spirit can replace the Princess or Bomber. Archers, Dart Goblin or Goblin Gang can replace the Spear Goblins. Guards or a Tombstone can replace the Skeleton Army if a building is wanted.
Translation: in double elixir the deck cycles fast, so go for Balloon plus Baby Dragon plus Ice Wizard pushes, with Zap in hand. Never send the Balloon alone, and place it at the edge of the arena to get past buildings.
Elixir math: the Balloon and Baby Dragon take 9 of the 24 elixir. The other six cost 15, about 2.5 each. A Balloon, Baby Dragon and Ice Wizard push is 12 elixir, with Zap still left in hand.
Try it yourself: send DragLoon Deck to the Clash Royale Deck Builder and tweak it to fit your levels. The average cost is 3.0 elixir; as a classic list it carries no 2026 win rate.
The negative effect: the Skeleton Army has had no change in 2026 and the bait cycle is well known, so an opponent who keeps The Log and Arrows ready can stop the Princess plan, and the Balloon is left with no bait to hide behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the DragLoon deck good in 2026?
The Bomber’s best list wins 68.7% and the Princess’s best wins 65.1%, but the Balloon is the weak link and this exact list has no tracker sample, so test the Bomber slot first.
What is the average elixir cost?
24 elixir across eight cards, or 3.0 on average. 3.1.
What stops the Minion Horde?
The Baby Dragon, Ice Wizard and Bomber all hit air with splash, and Zap clears the rest.
When should the Balloon be played?
After a counter, never alone, with the Ice Wizard, Baby Dragon or Spear Goblins and a Zap ready.
What are good mini pushes?
Baby Dragon with anything, Ice Wizard with Spear Goblins, and Ice Wizard with the Bomber.
Original Guide, Kept in Full
The text below is the original page, kept in full. It was written between 2016 and 2024, so some details are out of date. The tips and numbers above use 2026 sources.
Hi, it’s Easy Tiger, and this is my first deck guide. I started using this deck at around 2000 trophies and it has got me to Jungle Arena. I’ve never seen a deck like it.
If you use Balloon, you will know that if your opponent has Minion Horde, it is very hard to get the Balloon to the tower, which makes it incredibly hard to get all the damage you need to take towers. Luckily, this deck contains plenty of air targeting splash damage troops to escort your balloon to the wonderful world of tower killing. I have put in card substitutions just in case you either don’t have a card or simply don’t like playing it.
This easy-to-use, 3.1 elixir, off-meta deck has been very successful for me, I hope it is for you. Enjoy!
DragLoon Counter Push Deck
Card Breakdown
Balloon – this is the heart and soul of the deck. Its incredibly high damage makes it one of the best tower killers in the game. The death damage of about 200 (which can kill a badly placed Minion Horde) and the fact that it is an air troop just makes it even better. When playing the balloon NEVER send it off on its own, as it will be easily countered. Always couple it with Ice Wizard, Baby Dragon or Spear Goblins and have Zap at the ready. Also, try to place right on the edge of the arena so that there is a higher chance you will be able to bypass buildings.
Substitutions – Lava Hound (not recommended)
Baby Dragon – A very popular card in low arenas, but when you get to around Spell Valley, Builder’s Workshop and Royal Arena, you stop seeing it as people start to use thing like Minion Horde and Mega Minion. I still believe it is very good, particularly as it is the ONLY splash damage flying troop. It is a kind of all-rounder – very good on defense for dealing with swarms and can act as a mini-tank for any of your troops when attacking.
Substitutions – Mega Minion (better for DPS but not as good on HP and speed), Minions/Minion Horde (better for DPS but weak to Zap and Arrows)
Ice Wizard – The first legendary of the deck and, like the baby dragon, very versatile. In my opinion, he is the best support troop in the game, because he slows things down (ALL HAIL THE ANTI-RAGE), which means your push can last longer, and his decent health which allows him to survive Fireballs. If paired with almost any card, the results can be devastating for your opponent if they ignore it.
Substitutions – Wizard (lose the anti-rage but gain more damage)
Zap – Do you seriously need me to explain this?
Substitutions – Electro Wizard (basically a mobile zap), Arrows (more damage but doesn’t have the same abilities as Zap e.g. resetting Inferno Towers)
Skeleton Army – The Skeleton Army is a must-have for all decks – one of the best cards in the game for countering, particularly since the price was reduced to 3 elixir (from 4 elixir). NEVER place a skeleton army at the bridge unless your opponent has just massively over-committed and you are confident they won’t have anything cheap enough ready to counter it. Also good if you want to bait out arrows or log so they can’t counter your Princess.
Substitutions – Guards (not recommended, but OK if you want your deck to be stronger on the offensive), Tombstone (if you want a building)
Princess – Like the Ice Wizard, she is extremely versatile. On defense, you can place her behind your towers and she can help shut down weak pushes with a lot of swarms, while on the attack, she can shoot her flaming Arrows without being hit by the tower which makes up for her low health. If placed correctly, you can force your opponent to make awkward moves, or take hundreds of health off their towers. You have two placement options – in the opposite lane to the push if you want to get OK damage on each tower or in the same lane as the push for devastating damage on one tower.
Substitutions – Fire/Ice Spirit
Bomber – Bomber is a very good card, so it’s a shame that the usage is very low in high arenas. With the bomber, you are trading health for excellent splash damage. A very good card for “What should I do, I don’t have anything to counter that” moments, as you can place it behind your tower and it will do very good damage to attacking troops. It’s also one of the best counters to mass swarm decks because of its good area of effect.
Substitutions – Fire/Ice Spirit
Spear Goblins – Unlike the Bomber, they still see quite a bit of action in the higher arenas. Even though they have low health and damage, if left alone they can get about 150-200 chip damage on a tower. They also help against Skeleton Army bait decks as there are three of them. Their low elixir also means that they are good at cycling.
Substitutions – Archers, Dart Goblin, Goblin Gang
General Gameplan
When the game starts, don’t play anything. Wait for your opponent to make a move then (you guessed it) counter it and turn it into a push by adding 1 or 2 more troops. Always try to have at least 3 elixir so you can counter things quickly.
Keep playing like this until double elixir, where you will be able to cycle quickly and get in a few Balloon + Baby Dragon + Ice Wizard pushes. When doing these pushes it is also good to have a zap to hand. If you can get these pushes back-to-back, your opponent will have an incredibly hard time defending their towers.
Some good mini pushes are: (Princess is good to back these up)
- Baby Dragon + anything
- Ice Wizard + Spear Goblins
- Ice Wizard + Bomber
I hope this guide helps you, like me, get to Jungle (or even Legendary) arena.
Easy Tiger
Sources
Researched from the following (no links, listed for transparency):
- CryptoAIMeta card guides for these cards, built from RoyaleTracker October 2026 samples and SeeMeta 2026 balance changes
- SeeMeta, Clash Royale balance changes 2026 (page updated October 2026), read through search summaries
- Supercell official Clash Royale API, card list (elixir cost, rarity, unlock arena)
- The original clash.world page (2016 to 2024), kept in full below







