AI Overview: This Royal Giant Hog deck averages 3.6 elixir and can play as a cycle deck or a crown farmer. Royal Giant had no 2026 change, and his Evolution lists win 56.9% to 79.8%. Tesla gained hitpoints in June, but Fireball lost tower damage twice, so the old finish needs a little more patience and a careful eye on elixir.
Last Updated: October 2026
Key Points:
- The deck costs 29 elixir, which is 3.6 on average, with the Royal Giant at 6 as the only heavy card.
- Royal Giant had no 2026 change, and his Evolution lists range from 56.9% to 79.8%.
- Hog Rider had no 2026 change, and his best list wins 61.2% over about 3,800 battles.
- Tesla’s lifetime fell from 30 to 25 seconds and its hitpoints rose from 1,152 to 1,182 on June 1.
- Fireball lost Crown Tower damage twice (207 to 172 to 159), and Guards have a best list of only 50.1%.
The Royal Giant Hog List, Priced Card by Card
Here’s the thing: the deck is very easy to use and cheap, and he said it hard counters buildings like the Inferno Tower. The Royal Giant and Princess give steady damage, while the Hog and Ice Golem give a second push.
| Card | Elixir | Job in the deck | 2026 status |
| Royal Giant | 6 | Win condition at the back | No 2026 change; Evolution lists 56.9% to 79.8% |
| Hog Rider | 4 | Second win condition, cycle | No 2026 change; best list 61.2% over about 3,800 |
| Princess | 3 | Ranged damage behind the Royal Giant | Best list 65.1% over 3,500 (LogBait); Evo buff on August 4 |
| Ice Golem | 2 | Cheap tank for the Hog | Hitpoints 1,315 to 1,228 on September 8; best list 58.8% over 14,600 |
| Mega Minion | 3 | Air defense and tank killer | No printed list above 50% (Hero 47.7%, base 44.7%) |
| Tesla | 4 | Defense building that beats tanks | Lifetime 30 to 25 seconds, hitpoints 1,152 to 1,182 on June 1; best list 64.2% over 1,800 |
| Guards | 3 | Shielded defense against many cards | No 2026 change; best list 50.1%, the other seven 42.2% to 48.7% |
| Fireball | 4 | Splash spell for 4 elixir and above | Crown Tower damage 207 to 172 to 159; best list 60.4% over about 4,700 |
The table prices the cards and adds the October 2026 status of each.
A deck with two win conditions and a Tesla is solid, but not safe from a good counter. The negative effect: Lava Lightning, Golem Lightning and Lavaloon are weak matchups, and if those decks get more common, the list has few ways to answer big air or big tanks.
What Changed in 2026
The Royal Giant and the Hog Rider had no patch in 2026, so the two win conditions are stable. Tesla lasts 25 seconds now, not 30, but has 1,182 hitpoints, and its best list wins 64.2%. A Tesla buff was coming. In 2026 it gained hitpoints but lost lifetime.
The replacements, rechecked. The Princess is one of the easiest legendaries to replace, with Archers or Dart Goblin. Archers have a best list of 70.6%, and Dart Goblin’s best wins 65.1%, so those swaps still work. He also named the Battle Ram as the only Hog replacement, but not a good one.
The support is mixed. Mega Minion has no printed list above 50%, and Guards have a best list of 50.1% with the other seven at 42.2% to 48.7%. The Princess has a best list of 65.1%, and Ice Golem lost hitpoints (1,315 to 1,228) but its best list still wins 58.8%.
Card pages: Royal Giant, Hog Rider and Tesla.
The negative effect: with Guards and Mega Minion both weak in 2026, the defense is thinner than expected, and a player may need to swap one of them for a safer card.
How to Play It Today
Here’s the thing: the Royal Giant and Princess combo is simple. Place the Royal Giant at the back, and the Princess behind it when it reaches the bridge. You get at least 200 to 300 damage on the tower. The Hog and Ice Golem pair can deal up to 1,000 damage if left alone.
Matchups. The deck can be used as a cycle or a crown farmer. Guards are viable against Prince, Poison, Hog Rider, Musketeer and Mini P.E.K.K.A. Frozen Hog and Hog Trifecta are slightly hard to counter, and Tesla or Inferno Tower can stand against Hog Riders, Giants and Royal Giants.
Translation: Fireball anything that costs 4 elixir or more and is in range, like a Wizard or Musketeer. If the opponent uses Three Musketeers, Fireball is the best option. Tesla and Mega Minion make most tanks vanish fast, and the Guards swarm a Prince.
Elixir math: the Royal Giant is the only card above 4. The other seven cost 23, about 3.3 each, which is why the deck cycles back to the Hog.
Try it yourself: open this deck in the Clash Royale Deck Builder and the cards for Royal Giant Hog Deck are already loaded. The cost per card averages 3.6 elixir. Since it is not a tracker list, there is no win rate for 2026.
The negative effect: if a player does not own him, the whole list changes, and the elixir average and matchup table shift with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Royal Giant Hog good in 2026?
Royal Giant’s Evolution lists win 56.9% to 79.8% and Hog Rider’s best wins 61.2%, but this exact list has no tracker sample, so read it as direction.
What is the average cost of the eight cards?
It averages 3.6 elixir, from 29 elixir spread over eight cards.
What can replace the Princess?
What can replace the Ice Golem?
Valkyrie or Dark Prince, though both raise the elixir average.
What is the deck weak to?
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.
Imagine this. You’re friend just beat you in a friendly battle. He’s gonna laugh at you behind your back. But you can change all that. Just by using the ROYAL GIANT!
Note: This is a variation of Zigge’s deck, which you can find here. Featuring one of the most used cards in the game, Hog Rider, this deck can be used as a cycle or as a crown farmer. Lets get right into the guide!
Pros
- Very easy to use
- Cheap
- Great synergy
- Hard counters buildings like Inferno Tower(I will get into that later in the guide)
Cons
- Weak to Lava-Lightning/Golem Lightning
- Slightly hard to counter Frozen Hog/Hog Trifecta
- Also somewhat weak to Lava-Loon/Golem-Loon
Cards Breakdown
The Surefire Damage: Royal Giant and Princess!
Now this combo is pretty simple. All you gotta do is place the royal giant at the back and put the princess behind it when it reaches the bridge. You will get at least 200-300 damage on the opponents tower, and that can hurt.
The Dual Tower Smackers: Hog and Ice Golem!
As far as pushes go, this one is pretty simple. Ice Golem right in front of the Hog Rider, and if left alone, or defended with a skeleton army can easily deal up-to 1000 damage. If you don’t have Ice Golem, then a Valkyrie will suffice.
Mega Defenses: Mega Minion and Tesla
With the incoming Tesla buff imminent, it will be able to take out Hog Riders, Giants, and even other Royal Giants, so we should utilize this amazing building. Along with the Mega Minion, many tanks vanish just as quickly as they appeared – fast. However, if you feel like Tesla is just not for you, Inferno Tower is a very good replacement, and if your Mega Minion is just too low level, Minions are an amazing replacement.
Ruthless Bone Brothers: Guards!
This card is a very viable counter to many popular cards in arena 8 like Prince(Swarms him), Poison(doesn’t die as fast as regular Skeletons), Hog Rider(Kills him after it gets a swing off), Musketeer, Mini P.e.k.k.a, and many more. They really are ruthless!
Annnnnd…: Fireball!
Pretty self-explanatory right? Fireball anything 4 elixir and above(has to be within fireball range, e.g. Wizard or Musketeer), and remember, if the other guy is using a card like Three Musketeers, Fire balling is the best option.
Take a look at here to see how to use Fireball properly!
Card Replacements
Royal Giant: If you don’t have Royal Giant, don’t use this deck! There is no real replacement for him.
Princess: Princess is one of the most easily replaceable legendaries that are out there, and can easily be replaced by Archers or Dart Goblin. I prefer the Archers as they are easier to level up, but ultimately it’s your choice on which you prefer more.
Hog Rider: There is one replacement for the Hog Rider – The Battle Ram. Although I do not recommend it as it is much harder to get it to a tower.
Ice Golem: There are a few notable replacements, but they will bring the average elixir cost of this deck up by a few points. The first is Valkyrie, as her amazing AoE damage kill many small troops used to defend the Hog Rider, and another is the Dark Prince, as his charge damage, shield hit points and AoE damage can easily stop many small troops. In my opinion, the Valkyrie is better, as she is easier to level up, being a rare.
Mega Minion: There is one replacement that I would recommend, and that card is Minions, as they have a very good dps and there are three of them. Although, since Mega Minion can kill Minions, I would rather use the Mega Minion, if you have it at a high enough level (6 is ideal).
Tesla: There are lots of replacements for this card. Bomb Tower, Inferno Tower, and Cannon are the best. I would recommend Cannon, because it is easier to level up and has similar dps to a Tesla. If you want to be able to take out tanky troops, then an Inferno Tower is your best bet.
Guards: These cards are really versatile and also have a huge number of really great replacements. Skeletons, Skeleton Army, and Tombstone are the best replacements, but in my opinion, Guards are too beast to be left out of this deck.
Fireball: Well, there are quite a few. The five best are Arrows, Zap, Log, Rocket, or Lightning. In my opinion, Fireball is irreplaceable as it is the most versatile spell in the game and you should not have a reason to replace it anyway, as it is one of the first spells available in the game. Only replace it if it is a low level.
Deck Strategy
At the start of the game (first thirty seconds), a lone Princess or Royal Giant is the best move to bait out any of the opponents counters. Continue to play cautiously, checking out their deck. If they ignore either of the two, it could mean serious damage, however, you want to keep your defenses ready as well.
In the middle of the battle, you should have a rough idea of what deck they are playing, and you can do pushes that are riskier: like putting a Hog Rider on one side and a Royal Giant on the other side. If they have a defensive building, this works especially well, as you are guaranteed a tower at least.
In double elixir, you can cycle and continuously pressure your opponent into wasting his or her elixir, and if you have gotten a tower prior to double elixir, I would advise putting a Royal Giant in the crook between the king tower and the arena tower, and a Hog Rider at the mouth of the lane – the Royal Giant should be in a position to be tanking for the Hog Rider.
Conclusion
This deck is rather annoying to face but is very powerful.
Just recently, I bagged eleven wins in a grand challenge using this deck! it can be used effectively in the ladder too – just remember that over leveling your Royal Giant and Hog Rider is the way to go; and since there are many commons and rares in this deck, it is somewhat easy to level up.
I hope you enjoyed my guide! (It’s my first). Peace out!
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