Ram Rider Deck Guide: Best Builds and Why They Lose

By Clash World · Deck Building · Jun 17, 2024 · Updated Oct 16, 2026

AI Overview: Ram Rider is a 5-elixir Legendary troop that charges through the arena while a rider on its back throws bolas. In October 2026, RoyaleTracker’s Ram Rider page printed eight lists, and every one lost. The best, with Evo Valkyrie, Evo Furnace and Prince, won 47.8% over 853 battles. SeeMeta lists two Ram Rider buffs since July.

Last Updated: October 2026

Key Points:

  • Ram Rider lists average 3.4 to 5.0 elixir.
  • All eight printed lists won under 48%; the best won 47.8% over 853 battles.
  • Three lists pair Ram Rider with Lumberjack.
  • SeeMeta lists a hitpoints buff (1,697 to 1,766) on July 6 and a damage buff (250 to 271) on October 6.
  • The samples may not show the October 6 buff yet.

What a Ram Rider Deck Is

Ram Rider is a fast mounted troop. The ram charges buildings and knocks back what it hits, and the rider on top slows nearby enemies. A Ram Rider deck uses it as an offense starter, then adds support to keep the push alive.

The short version: Ram Rider is a 5-elixir bridge threat. It charges, it slows, and it keeps a lane busy. The catch: in October 2026 no printed list around it won more than it lost.

What changed: SeeMeta lists Ram Rider’s hitpoints going from 1,697 to 1,766 (+4.1%) on July 6, and its damage from 250 to 271 (+8.4%) on October 6. Around it, Wall Breakers gained damage on October 6 and Prince is unchanged. What it means: the card is stronger than it was in August, but the win rates here come from before the damage buff.

The October 6 damage buff has not had time to move the samples. If the card wins more next month, the buff is doing its job. The negative effect: players who switch on the buff alone may join the same losing builds.

Best Ram Rider Builds Right Now

The best Ram Rider list was a Prince list with Evo Valkyrie, Evo Furnace, Golden Knight, Ice Wizard, Dart Goblin and Rage: 47.8% over 853 battles at 3.8 elixir. Two lists tied near 46%: a cheap Elite Barbarians list with Evo Princess (46.1%, 3.6 elixir) and an Evo Skeleton Army list with Witch and Lumberjack (46.3%, 4.3 elixir).

The pattern: the top lists sit between 3.6 and 4.3 elixir, and none crossed 48%. What it means: Ram Rider is a fun card, not a proven one. Still unknown: whether the October 6 buff is enough to tip it.

Try it yourself: open the Clash Royale Deck Builder with the Evo Valkyrie, Evo Furnace and Prince build in the table above already loaded. It averages 3.8 elixir. This exact list is not in the tracker sample, so it has no win rate; it is the 47.8% list with Rage swapped for Zap.

How to Play a Ram Rider Deck

  1. Start from the back. Send the ram from behind the king tower.
  2. Let it hit a building. The slow lasts a few seconds.
  3. Follow with splash. Valkyrie or Furnace clears what it slowed.
  4. Keep a counter. A swarm stops the charge, so hold a spell.
  5. Use Lumberjack or Prince as the second wave. Do not send both at once.

Prince is in the best list, and SeeMeta lists no Prince change in 2026. If the Prince is trimmed next, the 47.8% list loses a partner. The negative effect: a deck with no winning list has nowhere to turn when a partner is cut.

How to Counter a Ram Rider Deck

  • Cheap swarms: Skeleton Army or Goblin Gang kill the rider.
  • A building: a Cannon or Tombstone pulls the ram away from your tower.
  • Stun and slow: Zap or Ice Spirit reset the charge.
  • Hold your tank: do not put a Golem down into a slowed lane.

The catch: if the ram gets to the tower, it deals big damage, so do not let it through.

Is a Ram Rider Deck Worth Using Now?

Is it worth it? Not yet. All eight printed lists lost, and the best won 47.8%. The catch: the buff from October 6 may change that.

Ram Rider is a Legendary and has been buffed twice in four months. A third buff is possible if the numbers stay low. The negative effect: a card that is always buffed can be removed from the list the day it works.

Go deeper: For the Lumberjack side, read our Lumberjack deck guide. For other siege plans, see our X-Bow Cycle guide. To test swaps, load the cards into the Clash Royale Deck Builder and read the average cost it reports.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Ram Rider deck?

In October 2026, RoyaleTracker’s best printed list was Evo Valkyrie, Evo Furnace, Prince, Golden Knight, Ice Wizard, Dart Goblin, Ram Rider and Rage at 47.8% over 853 battles.

Is Ram Rider good in 2026?

Not yet in the printed lists. All eight won under 48%, but SeeMeta lists two buffs.

What counters Ram Rider?

Cheap swarms, a building, and a stun or slow.

Did Ram Rider get buffed?

Yes. Hitpoints went up on July 6 and damage went up on October 6.

How much elixir does Ram Rider cost?

5 elixir. It is a Legendary troop.

What cards go with Ram Rider?

Lumberjack, Prince, Valkyrie and a cheap spell.

Original Guide, Kept in Full

The text below is the original guide, kept in full. Its stats and win rates are older than the 2026 data above.

Hey everyone, it’s Inaros here (Frisk Dreemurr in the comments) with my first deck guide, a Battle Ram cycle deck!

Now, I know that you must be thinking that you’ll get a typical meta deck, but this baby is VERY off meta. This deck came to be when I won the Battle Ram from it’s challenge. I was so enthusiastic to use it that I just threw together the cards you’re about to see and jumped right in! The rest was history… jumping from Frozen Peak all the way to the old Legendary Arena (now known as Hog Mountain), then to the new Legendary Arena! Prepare yourselves, for things are about to get REALLY Frisky!

Lumberjack Battle Ram

Cards Breakdown

Clash Royale BowlerBowler: This big blue (or purple?!) dude digs the simple things in life, and you’ll soon learn to dig him when you understand his true power in this deck!

The Bowler tosses a huge rock in a linear direction, hitting troops in it’s way for as long as the boulder lives.

He is a splash damage dealer against cards like Skarmy, but not against the likes of Minion Horde.

He also has the ability to knock back several non-tank cards, making him a life saver and a great push dissector (only exception is the dreaded Lavaloon, curse that push!!!!).

Clash Royale Battle RamBattle Ram: Two Barbarians holding a large log, dealing significant damage if they connect it with a building. The fun doesn’t stop there, though…two Barbarians pop in to deal even more damage!

You’ll find that most of your pushes will be founded on this card, as you have several threat cards in this deck that an opponent with common sense will not let damage the tower.

Get creative with your ram combos, and remember to mix it up a bit so the opponent doesn’t know what to expect.

Clash Royale Ice GolemIce Golem: For only two elixir, this guy offers insane value.

To see an extensive report on what this handsome devil can do, click here.

He’ll be an important figure in defense and push protection in this deck, and he’s a good cycle card when in a pinch.

Clash Royale LumberjackLumberjack: Chop chop! The Lumberjack is the best legendary in the game (of course in my opinion)!

For four elixir, you have an insanely fast, fast hitting speed, high damage dealer that can reduce a tower to about 20% of it’s HP!

As a bonus, a built in rage spell is dropped upon it’s death, making it a very great card when you just want a tower fast.

Clash Royale Elite BarbariansElite Barbarians: These two muscle beaches are like regular Barbarians, only faster, tougher, and stronger!

Not much to say about these except that they’re a huge threat and that they’re excellent on defense…

Clash Royale Ice SpiritIce Spirit: This cute little ball of snow may look harmless, but will guaranteed be a life saver in many occasions!

It will freeze any opposing troop for roughly 1.5 seconds.

The best part? It’s almost always guaranteed to make it to the tower, giving you some free chip damage that your opponent won’t bother to pay attention too.

For a common and being 1 elixir, it’s pretty tanky.

Another cycle card in this deck.

Clash Royale ArrowsArrows: Not much to say. Clears swarms and helps out a lot against the pesky Minion Horde that wants to end your push.

Clash Royale The LogThe Log: I mean, do I even have to explain this one?! IT’S THE LOG!!! Let this guide do the explaining.

Replacements!!!

Bowler: Wizard, Witch, Baby Dragon

Battle Ram: Hog Rider

Ice Spirit: Ice Wizard (not recommended)

Lumberjack: Mini P.E.K.K.A, Musketeer, Valkyrie

Elite Barbs: Barbarians, Skeleton Army(not recommended), Minion Horde (not recommended)

Ice Golem: Knight

Arrows: None really except Fireball.

The Log: Zap

Tips and Advice

  • It’s okay to let your Lumberjack die. It’s pretty squishy, so letting it die is worth the rage effect that will boost your defense or offense.
  • Always pre-Log the lane your Battle Ram is going down, so your opponent can’t properly use their counter.
  • Your Ice Golem is your best bet if you need to mitigate damage against the likes of Mega Minion or Inferno Dragon. Use him wisely!!
  • It’s okay to take damage with this deck. Just because it has some extremely powerful stopping cards doesn’t mean you over commit.
  • To block the annoying Hog Rider from ever reaching your tower: Place your Bowler directly in front of the tower, then when the Hog is about to make it, put the Ice Golem next to the Bowler. The Ice Golem sorta gets stuck in place, and the Hog Rider is stuck in pocket! The Bowler will just casually mow down the Hog along with help from the tower.
  • Always, ALWAYS support your Ram with at least an Ice Spirit to increase it’s chances of dealing that juicy charge damage on the enemy tower.

General Gameplan

Single Elixir

Start with a lone Lumberjack or Battle Ram at the bridge to bait any important Glass Cannons or swarms (support them if you’re feeling bold!). If neither are available, just wait until the opponent drops their tank/glass cannon in the back and drop your Bowler in the same lane.

Always have your Bowler ready, because you never know when that raged Hog Rider or Elite Barbarians charge down a lane! Have your Bowler ready in general, because you’ll need it if you wanna stop most tank pushes

Predictive Log/Arrows are key here, so wait at least two seconds after dropping your Battle Ram to ensure safe travels.

Double Elixir (Things are gonna get FRISKY here!)

This is where you can get as aggressive as you like! This deck is extremely quick at cycling, so you don’t have to worry too much about defense (you’ll have a second or third Bowler if you cycle quickly; try to include Bowler in every push come Double Elixir time).

Build the most monstrous pushes you can imagine!

I’m talking E barbs+Lumberjack+Ice Golem+ Ram+ Ice Spirit, Bowler+Lumberjack+E-barbs+Ice Spirit, Ice Golem+E barbs+Ram+ Bowler, or even ALL the cards in this deck into ONE. GINORMOUS. PUSH!!!!

Matchups

Clash Royale Lava HoundLava Hound: To quote a certain robot from a sci-fi movie: “WE’RE DOOMED!!”

Clash Royale GolemGolem: Medium matchup.

You have E barbs and Lumberjack to shred through the big stone dude, Battle Ram to apply pressure, and Bowler to mow down the supports. Use Ice Golem and Ice Spirit to stall or even kite Inferno Dragon/Mega Minion. Watch out for Lightning.

Clash Royale Three Musketeers3M Pump: Semi-hard matchup.

Use Bowler for the single Musketeer and support, Ice Golem and Lumberjack for double Musketeers. You should be able to out cycle them.

Clash Royale Goblin GangBait: They’ll bow down to you if you use your Log/Arrows/Bowler correctly.

Clash Royale Hog RiderHog Rider: Easiest matchup. Watch out for E barbs, Lightning, or E wiz. Use the tactic mentioned in the tips.

Clash Royale X-BowSiege: They’ll COMPLETELY bow down to you, as their defense is garbage. Just try not to get out cycled.

Clash Royale GraveyardGraveyard: A medium matchup.

Try not, I repeat, TRY NOT to let their tank cross the bridge. You’ll have Lumberjack or E barbs to decimate it. You’ll need to save your Bowler a couple of times, though (see what I mean?), to deal with the skellies. Watch out for the Freeze Spell (though I haven’t seen it used with Graveyard in a while). Apply pressure so they have less time to use the Graveyard and even less to defend your push.

Deck Composition

The LumberRam deck is built around the synergy between the Lumberjack and the Battle Ram. Here’s the full deck composition:

  • Lumberjack: The core of the deck, providing both offensive pressure and a Rage spell upon death.
  • Battle Ram: The primary win condition, capable of delivering a devastating charge to enemy towers.
  • Bandit: Adds versatility with her dash ability, capable of taking out squishy targets and putting pressure on the opponent.
  • Electro Wizard: Provides crowd control and can reset Inferno Towers and Dragons, making it easier for your win conditions to connect.
  • Baby Dragon: Offers splash damage and synergizes well with Tornado.
  • Tornado: Used for grouping enemy troops, enabling Baby Dragon and Electro Wizard to maximize their damage output.
  • Poison: A reliable spell for controlling swarms and damaging buildings over time.
  • Ice Spirit: A cheap cycle card that can freeze enemy troops, giving your Lumberjack and Battle Ram more time to connect.

Strategy and Tips

Early Game

In the early game, focus on understanding your opponent’s deck and cycling your cards efficiently. Use Ice Spirit and Electro Wizard defensively to counter enemy pushes, and support your defensive units with Baby Dragon when necessary. Deploy the Lumberjack and Battle Ram combo to test your opponent’s defenses and apply pressure, but avoid overcommitting.

Mid Game

By the mid-game, you should have a good sense of your opponent’s deck. Start setting up for more significant pushes. Use Tornado to pull enemy troops into the range of your Baby Dragon and Electro Wizard, maximizing their splash damage. Deploy the Lumberjack to tank and provide a Rage boost for your Battle Ram and Bandit, increasing their damage output and speed.

Late Game

In the late game, double elixir time will allow you to execute more complex and powerful pushes. Use Poison to control swarms and chip away at buildings, creating opportunities for your win conditions to connect. Keep the pressure on with continuous Lumberjack and Battle Ram combos, supported by Electro Wizard and Baby Dragon. Be mindful of your opponent’s counter cards and cycle through your deck quickly to maintain pressure.

Matchups

Against Beatdown Decks

Against beatdown decks, use Tornado and Baby Dragon to control large pushes. The Electro Wizard can reset Inferno Dragons and Inferno Towers, crucial for stopping heavy tanks. Deploy the Lumberjack defensively to take advantage of his Rage drop, and counter-push with Battle Ram and Bandit.

Against Control Decks

Control decks can be tricky, as they often have strong defensive capabilities. Focus on cycling through your cards to keep up constant pressure. Use Poison to chip away at defensive buildings and support troops, and look for opportunities to break through with Lumberjack and Battle Ram.

Against Siege Decks

Siege decks require careful management of your defensive resources. Use Tornado to pull siege units out of range, and rely on Electro Wizard and Baby Dragon to clear supporting troops. Once you have a defensive stop, quickly counter-push with Lumberjack and Battle Ram to punish your opponent.

Conclusion

Well, this is it, the end of my first guide!

The LumberRam deck offers a unique and effective alternative to the traditional meta decks in Clash Royale. Its combination of aggressive pushes and versatile defensive capabilities can catch opponents off guard and provide a refreshing change of pace. By mastering the synergies and strategies of this frisky off-meta deck, you’ll be well on your way to climbing the ranks and surprising your foes. Give the LumberRam deck a try, and enjoy the thrill of off-meta success!

I guarantee you that you’ll have the game raining trophies, plus lots of fun with this deck! If it doesn’t turn out for you, then that’s OK. You can go back to the meta (ugh).

This is Frisk Dreemurr saying STAY DETERMINED!

Sources

Researched from the following (no links, listed for transparency):

  • RoyaleTracker, best decks with Ram Rider (October 2026 tracker samples)
  • RoyaleTracker, best decks right now, normal battles (data from October 9, 2026)
  • SeeMeta, Clash Royale balance changes 2026 (page updated October 8, 2026)
  • Supercell, Clash Royale October balance changes 2026 (October 6, 2026)
  • Clash Royale card data used by the Deck Builder (elixir costs and card types)
  • Supercell official Clash Royale API, card list (elixir cost, rarity, Evolution and Hero flags)