AI Overview: This Prince Balloon deck averages 3.6 elixir and plays as a control deck with Valkyrie and Tombstone. Prince had no 2026 change, but only one of seven printed lists wins above 50%, and the Balloon Hero was nerfed three times. Figures are taken from October 2026 card data. Elixir costs were summed using the official card list.
Last Updated: October 2026
Key Points:
- The deck costs 29 elixir, which is 3.6 on average.
- Prince had no 2026 change, but only one of seven printed lists wins above 50% (best 52.5% over 1,300).
- Balloon Hero was nerfed three times in 2026, and LavaLoon lists with it win about 47.5%.
- Valkyrie’s base lists all win 47.8% or less, so she is the first card to question.
- Archers have a best list of 70.6%, and Tombstone’s best wins 63.8%.
The Prince Balloon List, Priced Card by Card
Here’s the thing: many players call the Balloon the second win condition. It deals massive damage to a tower, and is best when it catches the opponent off guard or low on elixir. The Prince and Valkyrie push together, and Tombstone and Archers hold the line.
| Card | Elixir | Job in the deck | 2026 status |
| Balloon | 5 | Second win condition, big tower damage | Hero nerfed three times in 2026; LavaLoon lists won about 47.5% |
| Prince | 5 | Main win condition, charges | No 2026 change; best list 52.5% over 1,300, only one of seven above 50% |
| Valkyrie | 4 | Distraction, mini tank and splash | Evo tornado damage halved in August; all eight base lists 47.8% or less |
| Archers | 3 | Ranged support, kills air | Best list 70.6% over 695; Evo Power Shot 168 to 140 |
| Tombstone | 3 | Defensive building | Best list 63.8%; Hero lists 53.7% to 64.6%; Hero Tomb Queen buffed in August |
| Minions | 3 | Air damage for the price | No 2026 change; best list 65.2% over 2,300 |
| Zap | 2 | Cheap spell and Balloon helper | Crown Tower damage 58 to 48 on June 1; Evo Zap 77.0% over about 1,000 |
| Fireball | 4 | Instant damage spell | Crown Tower damage 207 to 172 to 159; best list 60.4% over about 4,700 |
The table prices the cards and shows how each looks in October 2026.
Both win conditions in this list have weak 2026 numbers. The negative effect: with the Prince at only one printed list above 50% and the Balloon Hero trimmed three times, the old control plan has less to push with than expected, and a player may need a new second card.
What Changed in 2026
The Prince is unchanged and Valkyrie’s base card is too, though her Evolution lost damage in August, but their results are low. All eight printed Valkyrie base lists win 47.8% or less.
Old tips, rechecked. The Tombstone is a legendary building. In 2026 it is a rare building. Archers do not die to Zap, which is an old claim that still reads as a good reason to run them. The Archers’ best list wins 70.6%.
The support cards are healthier. Archers have a best list of 70.6%, and Evo Power Shot fell from 168 to 140. Minions have a best list of 65.2% with no change. Tombstone has a best list of 63.8%. Fireball lost tower damage twice (159 now), and Zap lost it once (48 now).
Card pages: Prince, Balloon and Valkyrie.
The negative effect: a player who tries to match those levels will chase a number that no longer applies, and may overlook the real issue, which is that Prince and Valkyrie lists win less than their reputations suggest.
How to Play It Today
Here’s the thing: send the Balloon with the Valkyrie or alone. If sent alone, watch out for Minions, Minion Horde, Archers, Mega Minion, Ice Wizard or Musketeer, since they will not let the Balloon touch the tower. Pair it with Zap, and the Balloon gets one hit off if they defend with a Witch or Wizard.
Tips. The Valkyrie is great as a distraction for Mega Minions and can tank for Elite Barbarians in a pinch. On offense she is a good mini-tank and works with the Prince. Minions bring a lot of damage for their price, and kill Princes, Balloons and all sorts of tanks from above.
Translation: place the Archers behind the arena tower so they do not let the Valkyrie or Skeleton Army hit the tower. Use the Tombstone to make it hard for Giants, P.E.K.K.A, Sparky, Prince and Hog Rider to reach your tower. Use Fireball to bring a Witch, Wizard or Musketeer down to critical health.
Elixir math: the Balloon and Prince take 10 of the 29 elixir. The other six cost 19, about 3.2 each, which keeps the deck able to defend while a push builds.
Try it yourself: curious how it plays? The Clash Royale Deck Builder loads Prince Balloon Deck for you at 3.6 elixir on average. Tracker data does not cover this exact list, so no 2026 win rate is shown.
A control deck wins by patience. The negative effect: this list was built for lower arenas, and in the 2026 meta a slower deck may lose to faster cycle decks that take towers in the first two minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Prince Balloon good in 2026?
Archers’ best list wins 70.6%, but only one of seven Prince lists is above 50% and Valkyrie base lists win 47.8% or less, so this list is a base to tune, starting with the Valkyrie slot.
How heavy is this deck in elixir?
The eight cards add up to 29 elixir, so the average is 3.6.
When should the Balloon be sent alone?
When the opponent is low on elixir or off guard, and has no Minions, Archers or similar answers.
What can replace the Tombstone?
Should the old card levels be used?
No. They belong to a system that has since changed.
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 everybody, I’m King Banana here with my Prince Balloon Control Deck.
I’ve used this deck from Arena 2 (with some minor changes) through Arena 9. It really shines around Arenas 5, 6, and 7.
This deck is great on defense, and then turning it into a counterpush. It has no problem defending most cards in the current Meta while making positive Elixir trades.
Since it is basically an Arena 2 deck (excluding Zap), it requires no skill to use and contains no Legendaries. Finally, this is a great deck for underleveled players, especially because I used this deck as a Level 6 in Arena 7.
Prince Balloon Control Deck
Ideally, you want your Epics to be level 2-3, Rares 5-6, and Commons 7-8 If you want to get into Arena 9 with ease.
Cards Breakdown
Prince: One of the main win conditions of the deck. He is mainly used for offense, and if paired with Valkyrie, is not easy to counter. If done right, the Prince will take out an Arena Tower and then some more, so he is devastating to your opponent. He can also be used on defense against Wizard and Musketeer, or against tanks like Golem and Giant. He is great for taking out tanks due to his damage, and his tankiness so he won’t die to support troops.
Valkyrie: Your main defensive troop. She is great against troops like the Graveyard, Musketeer, Witch, Wizard, Barbarians, etc. You can wedge her between them and a tank, allowing some Minions or Archers to kill it while she takes out the support troop. Because of her tankiness, she is great as a distraction for Mega Minions and, if in a pinch, help tank for Elite Barbs. On offense, she is a good mini-tank, and synergies well with Prince.
Balloon: Your second win condition. Use it to deal massive damage to an Arena Tower, and is even better when you catch them off guard or they have no Elixir. You can send it in with Valkyrie or alone. If sent in alone, remember to watch out for Minions, Minion Horde, Archers, Mega Minion, Ice Wizard or Musketeer, since they will not allow the Balloon to touch the tower. Pairing it with Zap will allow it one hit off the tower if they defend with Witch/Wizard. Great for instantly applying pressure to the tower and chipping the tower.
Tombstone: The Legendary defensive building. For only 3 elixir, it provides insane value, making it hard for Giants, P.E.K.K.A, Sparky, Prince, Hog Rider, etc. to reach your tower. It is a pretty straightforward card to use. You can substitute with Furnace or Goblins. For more Tombstone tips, please read this guide!
Archers: Also an insane value card. They can snipe down air units, and not get killed by Zap. They do pretty good damage, helping you take down tanks. If placed behind the Arena Tower, they won’t let Valkyrie or Skeleton Army get a shot off the tower.
Minions: Provides a lot of bang for your buck. It has a crazy DPS and is an air troop. Place it to kill Princes, Balloons, and all sorts of tanks from above. Otherwise, pretty straightforward.
Fireball: Instant damage spell. Use the Fireball to bring Witch, Wizard, Musketeer, Minion Horde etc. down to critical health, or kill them out. It can be used to finish off an Arena Tower at low health. On offense, you can prediction Fireball when pushing, devastating the opponent. Take a look at here to read more about the Fireball!
Zap: Small instant damage spell. If paired with Fireball, will kill Witch, Wizard etc. Also, great for taking out all sorts of small troops. Even after the recent nerf, it is still one of the most functional cards in the game. You can reset Sparky, Inferno Tower and Inferno Dragon. Pause an Arena Tower and a Witch to get a hit off with Balloon. Kill a Skarmy they used to counter Prince, having it decimate the tower. The possibilities are endless.
General Gameplay:
Before 2x Elixir
Right when you get into a battle, tap twice to skip past the intro and immediately place Balloon. Chances are they have little time to react, allowing at least a shot off.
From then on, defend any push they send at you, while making positive elixir trades.
Positive Elixir trades are the key to this deck. If they are down on elixir, immediately push with Prince or Balloon, and keep your opponent on his toes by constantly applying pressure.
2x Elixir
When double elixir starts, bank elixir and counter your opponent’s push, and then add in a Balloon and/or Prince and watch their jaw drop.
Simply spam troops keeping in mind their defenses, and you’ll probably get at least two crowns.
Strong Combos
Some strong combos to use are:
- Balloon+Zap – Zap to stun Witch/Wizard to clutch a shot off the tower
- Valkyrie+Balloon – Valkyrie to tank and to kill Wizard, Witch, Archers and Spear Gobs, while Balloon kills.
- Prince+Valkyrie – The signature push of the deck. Put the Prince one tile in front of the Arena Tower, then quickly drop Valkyrie at the bridge. The Prince will push the Valkyrie and make Skarmy, Goblins, even an Inferno Tower useless.
- Plain Spamming – You get the point.
Deck Strengths
This deck is strong against Zap Bait, because there are so many cards to counter Skarmy and Goblin Barrel with. Also, not easy to use chip cycle on because of the many cheap cards to counter with.
This deck crushes Siege decks, including Hut Spammers. Just use Prince or Balloon on their buildings, and Valkyrie and Fireball on Hut Spammers.
Deck Weaknesses
Air Decks. Air Decks. Air Decks. Air Decks. Only two cards are good against air, and they both can be killed with Fireball or Wizard. Otherwise, just say good game. At least there aren’t that many pure Air decks.
Slightly weak to Beatdown, as all of the troops will crush your defenses. Just never let them build up a big push by pressuring the other lane.
Conclusion
To round this up, this is a fusion deck between chip and control. It is very annoying to deal with, and can make your opponent rage quit quite easily. Best of all, it is easy to use, usable for 6 Arenas, and contains no Legendaries. What’s not to love?
I hope you enjoyed my first ever guide on Clash.World. I hope you like this deck, and helped you climb in trophies. Thanks for reading, and see you next time!
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