AI Overview: This Royal Giant Tornado deck averages 3.6 elixir and puts a Royal Giant and a Giant Skeleton in one counter-push. In 2026 the Giant Skeleton’s best list wins 72.1% and the Tornado’s wins 64.7%, though this exact list has no tracker sample. Below, each card gets a fresh price and a 2026 check, so read on for the card-by-card check.
Last Updated: October 2026
Key Points:
- The deck costs 29 elixir, which is 3.6 on average, and the two giants take 12 of it.
- Giant Skeleton lost hitpoints (7.1%), and his bomb now hits troops 28.7% harder but towers 35.6% softer (May 4).
- Royal Giant had no 2026 change; Evolution lists range from 56.9% to 79.8%.
- Tornado had no 2026 change, and its best list wins 64.7% over about 1,900 battles.
- No printed Mega Minion list is above 50%, and every printed Ice Spirit list won 56.7% or more.
The Royal Giant Tornado List, Priced Card by Card
The idea is simple. Defend, then counter-push with the Giant Skeleton in front and the Royal Giant behind, so the opponent has to pick which one to stop.
| Card | Elixir | Job in the deck | 2026 status |
| Royal Giant | 6 | Counter-push win condition | No 2026 change; Evolution lists 56.9% to 79.8% |
| Giant Skeleton | 6 | Defender with a death bomb | Hitpoints down 7.1%, death bomb up 28.7% on troops and down 35.6% on towers (May 4); best list 72.1% over 1,100 |
| Tornado | 3 | Pulls troops into the bomb | No 2026 change; best list 64.7% over about 1,900 |
| Ice Wizard | 3 | Slows troops, good early card | Best list 64.6% over 1,400; Hero freeze cut on September 16 and October 6 |
| Ice Spirit | 1 | Freezes troops inside the bomb | Hitpoints 230 to 215 on August 4; every printed list 56.7% or more |
| Mega Minion | 3 | Air and ground damage | No printed list above 50% (Hero 47.7%, base 44.7%) |
| Tombstone | 3 | Distraction and anti-Sparky building | Best list 63.8%; Hero lists 53.7% to 64.6%; Hero Tomb Queen buffed in August |
| Fireball | 4 | Takes out glass cannons | Crown Tower damage 207 to 172 to 159; best list 60.4% over about 4,700 |
Check the table for each card’s cost and how it holds up in 2026.
A two-giant push is expensive. The negative effect: the Giant Skeleton’s bomb hits towers 35.6% softer than before, so if the opponent stops the Royal Giant, the second threat gives less back at the tower.
What Changed in 2026
The Giant Skeleton has fewer hitpoints, but his death bomb hurts troops more and towers less. That makes him better at the Tornado trick and worse at hitting the tower. The Royal Giant and Tornado were not changed in 2026.
Claims, rechecked. The Giant Skeleton’s death damage can destroy an Inferno Tower. The May 4 change makes the bomb hit troops harder, and the old claim still fits that. The same change cut the bomb’s tower damage, so the building claim is only partly backed by the numbers.
The weak spots. The Mega Minion has no printed list above 50%, with the Hero at 47.7% and the base card at 44.7%. The Ice Wizard’s Hero freeze was cut twice this year, but this deck uses the base card, and his best list wins 64.6% over 1,400 battles. The Tombstone’s best list wins 63.8%.
Card pages: Royal Giant, Giant Skeleton, Tornado and Ice Wizard.
The Giant Skeleton now works best as a troop killer. The negative effect: players who send him at a tower will get less damage than expected, and the deck needs the Royal Giant to carry more of the tower work, which makes a lone Royal Giant easier to stop.
How to Play It Today
Then he defended, kept the Giant Skeleton alive and started the counter-push with the Royal Giant.
Swaps. The Ice Golem can replace the Ice Wizard, Minions can replace the Mega Minion to avoid Lightning, and Zap, The Log or Fireball can fill the last spell slot. Lightning was too expensive for this deck but still usable.
Translation: this is a counter-push deck. Do not throw in both giants at the start. When the Giant Skeleton is about to die, play the Tornado to pull troops into the bomb, and use the Ice Spirit to freeze them inside it. A Zap or The Log can pull troops in too.
Elixir math: the Royal Giant and Giant Skeleton take 12 of the 29 elixir. The other six cost 17, about 2.8 each. The two giants together are 12 elixir before support.
Try it yourself: want to see how it feels? Open the Clash Royale Deck Builder, where Royal Giant Tornado Deck is waiting. At 3.6 elixir on average it is a clear example of its style; just remember it has no 2026 win rate behind it.
The negative effect: Lightning still hits groups, and the Ice Wizard and Mega Minion are exactly the kind of cards it punishes, so a Giant Skeleton has to act as the lightning rod.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Royal Giant Tornado deck good in 2026?
The Giant Skeleton’s best list wins 72.1% and the Tornado’s best wins 64.7%, but this exact list has no tracker sample, so test the Mega Minion slot first.
What does the deck cost on average?
29 elixir in total across eight cards, an average of 3.6.
What opens the game?
A cheap card such as the Ice Wizard or Tombstone, to force the opponent to push first.
How does the Tornado help?
It pulls troops into the Giant Skeleton’s bomb right before he dies, and can pull a Miner to your King Tower.
What stops this deck?
Lightning and the Inferno Tower. Time the Giant Skeleton with a Zap to get past an Inferno.
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.
Hey guys, Leonex here with a new and unique deck. So the other day my friend trolled around with a Giant trifecta deck (Giant, Royal Giant, and Giant Skeleton) and i thought that it might actually work with a bit of modification. Shout out to Stealth for giving me this idea!
This deck might seem stupid at first but it can actually work with a bit of practice. I’ve tried this deck out on classic challenge (12-1) and i was surprised how well it did for such a stupid looking deck. Of course i had to practice with some friends first before i tried it on classic challenge. So anyways, let’s get on to the deck now.
Royal Giant Skeleton F2P Deck
Deck Breakdown:
Giant Skeleton and Royal Giant: These 2 cards actually make a great combo. With the Giant Skeleton in the front and Royal Giant behind it, your opponent has to pick who to deal with. If he decides to take out the Giant Skeleton first, then your Royal Giant will deal a lot of damage to the tower AND the Giant Skeleton will blow up his troops. If he decides to deal with the Royal Giant first, then the Giant Skeleton will have a chance to reach the tower and deal massive damage when it blows up. Additionally, the Giant skeleton’s death damage can also destroy the hard counter to all beatdown decks, the Inferno Tower.
Note: This a counter-push strategy. Do NOT attempt to throw in both Giants right off the bat.
Tornado: This new card would match perfectly with the Giant skeleton. Right before your Giant skeleton dies, play the tornado and pull as many troops as you can to the bomb as sometimes some cards can walk/run fast enough out of the bomb’s radius. Additionally, the tornado is also a decent general to deal with hordes to stall pushes. You can also pull a miner to your king tower with this, making it attack the king tower.
Related topic: Everything about Tornado
Ice Wizard: A cheap and versatile card. Great for defense as it has slow effect and can act as a support for pushes as well. It can also slow down troops so that it doesn’t escape the Giant skeleton’s bomb radius. A good starting card to play as well.
Alt: Ice Golem – Psudeo tank, distraction, and also has slow effect when it dies.
Ice Spirit: A versatile and great cycle card to get to the cards you need for only 1 Elixir. It can also freeze troops long enough for the Giant skeleton’s bomb to explode and prevent them from escaping the radius.
Mega Minion: High DPS card for only 3 Elixir, great for defense and counter pushing. You can use him to help take out glass cannons during pushes, like Minions Musketeers, or other Mega Minions. Take a look at this in-depth guide to read more about how to use the Mega Minion properly.
Alt: Minions – to avoid Lightning as it’s very common right now
Tombstone: Great distraction and defensive card. Especially great against sparkies. If left alone, it can gather a decent amount of skeletons during pushes with the 2 Giants tanking them. It can also be a good starting card to play as it forces your opponent to start first unless he’s willing to waste 3 Elixirs. Recently very common due to beatdown decks being very common as well.
More: Why we should use Tombstone
Zap/Log/Fireball: These 3 are what i think can be the best spells for this deck but really, it’s up to you. The Zap can reset Inferno Towers so that your Giant skeleton can get there. Log pushes troops to the Giant skeleton’s bomb. The Fireball deals with glass cannons. The Log and Zap is more of a cheap and versatile spell while the Fireball is the one to take out damage dealers.
Alt: Lightning – a bit too expensive but can still work
General Gameplan
You’d want to start the game with a cheap card like the ice wiz or tombstone and force your opponent to push first so that you can defend and launch a counter push. The Giant skeleton can be a great defensive card as well as it can distract enemies long enough for the tower to kill them and if not, then it’ll explode when it dies.
If you manged to defend while keeping your Giant skeleton and other cards alive, thats when you should start the counter push with the Royal Giant. as this push is very expensive, try your best to only counter push when you’ve gotten a big positive Elixir trade.
When pushing, unless you need to get the Giant skeleton to the tower, don’t worry too much about protecting your Giant skeleton as you actually want it to die, just prepare your tornado or Zap/log to pull in troops to the explosion.
This deck works really well with the current meta as you can destroy big pushes with the Giant skeleton’s death damage. With the addition to some other cards that you managed to keep alive, you can also start off the counter push without the Giant skeleton.
Notable Counters:
- Lightning: The Lightning can take out both the ice wiz and Mega Minion, which is why i suggested Minions as an alternative. To avoid this, try your best to deploy your Giant skeleton (or Ice Golem if you don’t have ice wiz) to act as a Lightning rod and prevent your Mega Minion from dying.
- Inferno Towers: I know i said the Giant skeleton can counter this counter, but it still requires timing and precision, which requires practice as it may not be easy at first.
That pretty much finishes this guide. Good luck with this deck and do share this deck with your friends if you find this to be fun to play. I personally find this deck very fun to play.
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