AI Overview: This P.E.K.K.A Hog Lightning deck, called PHL by players, averages 3.8 elixir and has no buildings. P.E.K.K.A hits harder since July, and her best list wins 65.8%. Hog Rider had no 2026 change. Lightning and Zap both lost tower damage in June. Numbers were pulled from the October 2026 card data. The official card list supplied every cost.
Last Updated: October 2026
Key Points:
- The deck costs 30 elixir, which is 3.8 on average, with no buildings and two heavy cards, P.E.K.K.A and Lightning.
- P.E.K.K.A gained damage on July 6 (816 to 842), and her best list wins 65.8% over 754 battles.
- Hog Rider had no 2026 change, and his best list wins 61.2% over about 3,800 battles.
- Lightning lost Crown Tower damage (286 to 265) on June 1, though its best list still wins 72.1%.
- Electro Wizard has a best list of 72.1%, and Ice Wizard’s best is 64.6%, with a Hero freeze cut twice this fall.
The PHL List, Priced Card by Card
Here’s the thing: there are hundreds of PHL variations, and listed the pros as counter-push strength, heavy damage from the P.E.K.K.A and strong synergy. The listed cons were no buildings and a few cards that had been nerfed.
| Card | Elixir | Job in the deck | 2026 status |
| P.E.K.K.A | 7 | Main defender, kills any big push | Damage 816 to 842 on July 6; best list 65.8% over 754 |
| Hog Rider | 4 | Main win condition | No 2026 change; best list 61.2% over about 3,800 |
| Electro Wizard | 4 | Secondary defense and swarm clear | Best list 72.1% over about 1,100; Hero added in October 2026 (small samples) |
| Lightning | 6 | Heavy spell for buildings and groups | Crown Tower damage 286 to 265 on June 1; best 72.1% over 736 |
| Zap | 2 | Cheap reset spell | Crown Tower damage 58 to 48 on June 1; Evo Zap 77.0% over about 1,000 |
| Goblins | 2 | Cheap defense and pushes | Rework on August 4; best list 59.9% over 504 |
| Ice Golem | 2 | Mini tank and kiter | Hitpoints 1,315 to 1,228 on September 8; best list 58.8% over 14,600 |
| Ice Wizard | 3 | Slow support for defense | Best list 64.6% over 1,400; Hero freeze cut on September 16 and October 6 |
The table prices the cards and adds the October 2026 status of each.
A deck with no building has little answer to a lone Hog or Miner when the P.E.K.K.A is not in hand. The negative effect: a deck can skip a building, but a faster cycle of cheap win conditions in the meta could test that, and a nerf to the Ice Golem would make the kiting plan harder.
What Changed in 2026
The P.E.K.K.A hits for 842 now, which is a real gain for a card that is the heart of the deck. Many players call the Electro Wizard and Lightning nerfed cards, but both are strong in 2026, with best lists of 72.1% each. Lightning lost 21 damage on towers, 265 instead of 286.
Old pros and cons, rechecked. Electro Wizard and Lightning had been nerfed. In 2026 the Electro Wizard has a best list of 72.1% and a new Hero. That is a reminder that a nerfed card can come back, and that pages with old balance claims need a date.
The Hog is steady. Hog Rider has a best list of 61.2% with no change. Goblins were reworked in August and have a best list of 59.9%. Ice Golem lost hitpoints (1,315 to 1,228) but its best list wins 58.8% over 14,600 battles, so the old kiting trick still works.
Card pages: P.E.K.K.A, Hog Rider and Lightning.
The deck can make a push out of almost anything. The negative effect: a deck that wins by flexible pushes needs sharp elixir counting, and a player who overcommits to a P.E.K.K.A push can lose to a quick Hog on the other lane.
How to Play It Today
Here’s the thing: the old tip for stopping a Hog without giving up a hit is to place the P.E.K.K.A halfway between the tower and the bridge. She then chops the Hog before it reaches the tower.
Tips. The Electro Wizard is a secondary defense unit that clears swarms. The Ice Wizard is a defensive card that pairs with the Ice Golem. Hog Rider synergizes with the Ice Golem, Goblins and Ice Wizard, and can be sent alone, with Lightning, or with the P.E.K.K.A.
Translation: use the Ice Golem one tile left of the bridge center to pull the P.E.K.K.A’s target path, and pair the Ice Wizard with the Ice Golem as the old Frozen Duo. The Hog can go in alone, with Zap or Lightning, or with the P.E.K.K.A behind him.
Elixir math: the P.E.K.K.A and Lightning take 13 of the 30 elixir. The other six cards cost 17, about 2.8 each, which keeps the Hog cycling.
Try it yourself: the Clash Royale Deck Builder can open P.E.K.K.A Hog Lightning Deck with all eight cards placed. Its average cost is 3.8 elixir. Treat it as a classic list, since the tracker holds no win rate for it.
A deck with a 6-elixir spell and a 7-elixir tank is heavy for a Hog list. The negative effect: when a Lightning misses its targets, the deck is down 6 elixir with no building to fall back on, and a quick counter-push by the opponent can finish the tower.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is P.E.K.K.A Hog Lightning good in 2026?
P.E.K.K.A’s best list wins 65.8%, Hog Rider’s wins 61.2% and Lightning’s wins 72.1%, but this exact list has no tracker sample, so read it as direction.
What is the average elixir cost?
Add the eight costs and you get 30; that is 3.8 per card.
Did the P.E.K.K.A change?
Yes. Her damage rose from 816 to 842 on July 6.
What is the Frozen Duo?
Why no building?
The deck does not need one.
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 guys it’s RADIOACTIVE with my second deck here on Clash Royale Arena, a PEKKA Hog Lightning for Arenas 8+.
Yeah there are like hundreds of different variations of PHL but here is one that has proved very beneficial for my health and for my trophies.
| Deck | Cards | Avg elixir | Needs |
| Deck in this guide | 3.8 | Arena 12 (Ice Wizard) |
Pros
- Awesome Ability to Counterpush and Crush (C&C).
- Destructive capability with the P.E.K.K.A
- Extreme Synergy
- You can make a push out of almost anything and take your opponent by surprise!
Cons
- No buildings (Don’t really need one tho)
- Contains nerfed cards (Electro Wizard and Lightning)
- Can’t think of anymore that actually make a difference.
Card Breakdown
P.E.K.K.A:
I am actually starting to hate putting all those dots in.
Anyway, PEKKA is your main defensive unit. With a ton of HP and a big sword, this armored feminist warrior is brilliantly useful when it comes to countering impossibly large pushes.
Mega Knight? PEKKA. Archers? PEKKA (lol). Golem? PEKKA.
To counter the Hog Rider without suffering a shot, place the PEKKA halfway from the tower and the bridge, enabling her to mince that Hog into a nice pulled pork sandwich. Yum!
Electro Wizard
Yeah, he did get a nerf.
Yeah, he did see a slight decrease in usage rates. But, he’s still awesome. This electrocuted maniac still delivers great potential.
Not so much Hasta la Vista yet. Electro Wizard is one of your secondary units for defense, and is just brilliant for clearing up swarms and other stuff with his brilliant zap technique.
Hog Rider:
Oh yes, it is him.
This guy has remained in the meta as a staple win condition for as long as time, and shows off his strength here today in this deck!
There are so many units which synergize very effectively with the Hog Rider, like the Ice Golem, Goblins, Ice Wizard, and EVERYTHING ELSE!!
You can basically do anything with your Hog Rider, you can send it in alone, assisted only with your Lightning or Zap, or you could brutally torture your opponent’s cards by adding in your PEKKA! Anything is possible!
Ice Wizard:
As one of the Wizard fam, this chilly cryomaniac (Guess what that means) has the cold power of slowing down troops and giving them frostbite.
Who cares about why this isn’t very popular right now? It works, it synergizes, IT’S AWESOME!!
Ice Wizard is your primary secondary defense unit, and can be deployed with Ice Golem to counter many different pushes. Yep, it’s the Frozen Duo (Very cringey)!
Ice Golem:
He is your favorite mini tank now with his huge number of hitpoints for such a small price!
Take that PEKKA for an evening stroll by placing your Ice Golem one tile left of the center at the bridge while the PEKKA is walking! Look at that! The PEKKA is changing its plans!
Ice Golem synergizes well with the Ice Wizard to distract and slow down troops that are coming your way!
Really, there’s a big hunk of stuff crossing the Arena? Ice Golem. Ice Wizard! PEKKA! Your opponent has been crushed! Obviously this won’t eradicate any push. Don’t comment below about how it doesn’t work, please. Like seriously. Not required.
Goblins
Yes, it is those green guys who learned how to stab and slash!
They are primarily support cards in this deck, but you can use them to your advantage as offensive placements, primarily one tile to the right of the center of the bridge, enabling them to get an extra shot at the Arena Tower, forcing your opponent to make the first move!
The Goblins synergize very effectively with the Hog Rider to create a makeshift offensive push that can crush your opponent!
Zap:
Your secondary spell, useful for swarms on the opposite side of the Arena or when your Electro-Wizard is not in hand.
Zap has been very useful for resetting units and killing swarms all the way back when it was given the ability to kill a Skarmy.
Lightning:
Yes, it got nerfed. But it proves VERY USEFUL in this deck.
Who cares if it can’t one-shot that Witch? It can stun and heavily damage the Inferno Tower, aid for defense, and can be used for last-ditch attempts to gain a crown and stay in the game.
All in all, whatever people are saying, it is awesome. Try it and you’ll know.
Deck Substitutions:
Mega Knight is rather good with this deck with many different support units. However, he doesn’t have direct damage, which the PEKKA does. Giant Skeleton is better as a replacement because the bomb damage makes up for the lower direct damage. Use Tornado instead of Zap to soak up as much Elixir benefit as possible.
Archers? Meh. Electro Wizard does serve his purpose very well in this deck, providing as offensive support against Inferno Dragons, Towers, etc. Not really recommended to take Archers instead, unless of course, you don’t have the E-Wiz
Wizard has greater crowd control than the Ice Wizard, but lacks the slowing down technique that is essential in the deck.
The Knight is rather good as a replacement because of his higher hitpoints and the fact that he can attack. However, he won’t be able to lure troops like the Mega Knight to the other side of the Arena.
Lightning is rather useful here because of its larger range and the fact it can hit multiple troops at once, because the Hog Rider really relies on THAT to get to the tower.
The Log does do higher area damage on the ground, but it does not target air, which may result in a Minion Horde taking your tower(s) down. If you are using Rocket instead of Lightning, then Tornado should be used alongside it, in order to maximize overall elixir benefit.
Guards are actually rather strong is this deck as a replacement because of their shields and ability to stall troops such as PEKKA from getting to your tower. However, Goblins would be recommended because of their fast movement speed and attack.
Battle Ram does serve its purpose as a Hog Rider replacement because of its fast charge speed and targeting of buildings.
I literally just gave you another deck to use.
General Gameplay:
3:00-1:00-
Stay calm and keep applying slow pressure.
Neither you nor your opponent is likely to initiate a push without Double Elixir.
What to do while this period of time is constantly applying pressure by sending offensive Goblins, the occasional Hog Rider, and keeping your mind on defense and cycling your cards into a good position for the following stage.
1:00-0:00-Double Elixir
It is my fav time in the gameplay.
It is time to go Savage. 2x Elixir provides lots of benefits, including no shortage of supplies, a quick ability to cycle through your cards, and an awesome ability to create your pushes.
An optimal one that you would love is PEKKA, Hog Rider, Ice Wizard, and Lightning ready.
It utterly devastates your opponent and leaves him crying.
Overtime-Not Exactly Optimal.
Well, if you have read this deck thoroughly and tested it out a bit, there is not much reason for you to go into overtime in the first place.
The push to end all pushes should really have occurred already.
Anyway, if you have your spirits left, engage in makeshift pushes or the one listed above.
Nothing else to say.
Deck Matchups:
Golem Beatdown:
Kill those support units. That is the best thing to do first. PEKKA for the Golem, E-Wiz for the Night WItch or Witch, or whatever else. The Golem will only be allowed a few shots, and you will be ready for a great offensive counterpush.
Log Bait:
You do not have a lot of troops which can deliver splash damage, so keep that in mind. Ice Golem and Ice WIzard can distract the Princess and clean up squishy troops, and keep your Zap ready and don’t use it for dumb circumstances.
Splashyard:
You need to keep your Ice Wizard handy. Due to his recent damage buff, he can one shot skeletons, and depending on his level, survive a Poison. Electro Wizard will otherwise be very useful.
Miner Poison:
Not much of a threat. A nice Miner placement prediction with an Ice Golem can completely ruin his push and get a large Elixir advantage. Lightning for the Inferno Tower, and any other support units.
That is it for this deck guide, Clash.World! Hopefully I will get unbanned on Discord soon!
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