AI Overview: This Giant Hog Collector deck averages 4.1 elixir and holds no legendary card. The Giant shields the Hog Rider, the Collector builds a lead, and the Barbarians and Minion Horde defend. Giant’s best list wins 71.6% over 587 battles, though this exact list has no tracker sample. Every card is repriced and compared with the latest patch data below.
Last Updated: October 2026
Key Points:
- The deck costs 33 elixir, which is 4.1 on average, and the Collector is the heaviest card at 6.
- Giant had no 2026 change, and its best list wins 71.6% over 587 battles.
- Hog Rider had no 2026 change, and his best list wins 61.2% over about 3,800 battles.
- Barbarians gained hitpoints, 691 to 716, on August 4, and their best list wins 53.1% over 731.
- Spear Goblins’ hit speed went from 1.7 to 1.6 seconds on August 4; their best list wins 54.9% over 915.
The Giant Hog Collector List, Priced Card by Card
Why it matters: this deck uses a tank as a shield, not a win condition. The Giant soaks hits while the Hog Rider runs to the tower.
| Card | Elixir | Job in the deck | 2026 status |
| Hog Rider | 4 | Main damage dealer | No 2026 change; best list 61.2% over about 3,800 |
| Giant | 5 | Shield and tank | No 2026 change; best list 71.6% over 587 |
| Minion Horde | 5 | Air defense and push support | Best list 51.9% over 992; only one of eight above 50% |
| Elixir Collector | 6 | Elixir engine | Only six tracked decks run it; touched in the October patch |
| Archers | 3 | Ranged support | Best list 70.6% over 695; Evo Power Shot 168 to 140 |
| Barbarians | 5 | Ground defense and counter-push | Hitpoints 691 to 716 on August 4; best list 53.1% over 731 |
| Arrows | 3 | Swarm clear | Crown Tower damage 93 to 75 on June 1; best list 68.7% |
| Spear Goblins | 2 | Cheap ranged support | Hit speed 1.7 to 1.6 seconds on August 4; best list 54.9% over 915 |
Use the table to compare the eight cards by cost, role and 2026 status.
Classic decks look simple. The negative effect: both the Giant and Hog Rider are weak to an Inferno Tower, and the Collector is easy to punish, so a modern opponent has several cheap ways to break the plan.
What Changed in 2026
In short: the Giant and Hog Rider had no 2026 change. Barbarians are a little tougher. Spear Goblins shoot faster. Arrows deal 75 to a tower, down from 93. The Collector appears in only six tracked decks and was touched in October. Archers’ Evolution shot is 140.
Claims, rechecked. The list is credited with winning the first physical Clash Royale tournament in Helsinki on April 16, 2016, among 200 players. That is a historic claim and cannot be checked from the 2026 data. Giant and Hog Rider are both unchanged this year, so the core of the list still stands. Use every figure as a starting point, not a rule.
The catch. Minion Horde’s best list wins only 51.9% over 992 battles, with one of eight above 50%. The Barbarians’ best list is 53.1%. Neither is a standout, so this deck leans on the Giant and Hog.
Card pages: Hog Rider, Giant, Elixir Collector and Barbarians.
The Collector gives the deck its edge. The negative effect: the data shows few tracked decks run it, so there is little proof it pays back in a modern ladder game, and a Miner can kill it cheaply.
How to Play It Today
Try this order: defend the first push with the Barbarians, Archers or Minion Horde, then put the Collector down in a calm moment. Once double elixir starts, send the Giant with the Hog Rider behind it.
Worth knowing. The Giant is cheaper than a Golem by three elixir, which lets you add support cards to the same push. That cost gap is the reason this classic list is still playable. Learn to count your own cycle too: with a 4.1 average, you want the Hog Rider back in hand before the opponent has recovered, and a few spent cheap cards can cost you that timing.
Tips. Do not send the Giant and Hog into an open Inferno Tower. Surround them with the Barbarians and Archers first, then push. Open the linked card pages before you queue, since one balance patch can flip a trade.
Zoom in: the Giant is a shield, so place him where he draws the answer. Support him with Archers and Spear Goblins to stop the Inferno Tower. Keep Arrows for the Skeleton Army or Minion Horde that tries to stop the push.
Cost check: the Collector, Giant and Minion Horde are 16 of the 33 elixir. The Barbarians add 5, and the other four cost 12, which keeps the cycle workable.
Try it yourself: load Giant Hog Collector Deck into the Clash Royale Deck Builder and test it with your own card levels. It averages 4.1 elixir. No tracker has sampled this exact build, so there is no 2026 win rate to quote.
The Giant Hog pair is a fast, cheap-to-read threat. The negative effect: the average is 4.1 elixir, so one mistake in the opening can cost a tower before the Collector pays back, and the deck has no spell stronger than Arrows. If Giant or Hog Rider receives a nerf, the classic pair would lose its main advantage, and the Collector would have to carry even more of the plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Giant Hog Collector deck good in 2026?
Giant’s best list wins 71.6% and Hog Rider’s best list wins 61.2%, but this exact list has no tracker sample, so test the Minion Horde slot first.
What is the average elixir cost?
33 elixir across eight cards, or 4.1 on average.
Why use the Giant with the Hog Rider?
The Giant shields the Hog so he reaches the tower.
Why run an Elixir Collector?
It builds the elixir lead for the double-elixir push.
What can replace the Spear Goblins?
Minions, Archers or Goblins.
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.
Today (April 16, 2016), Clash Royale had its first ever physical tournament set in Helsinki, Finland. Out of the 200 participants one player, named Jason, came out victorious. And the really cool thing is, he dominated the tournament with this one deck.
Jason’s Clash Royale’s deck that utilizes the Giant, which in my opinion, is a highly underrated card. The Clash Royale Giant went through so much recent buffs, but people are still going with other tanky options such as Clash Royale Golem and Pekka. But what makes the Clash Royale Giant so special is his Elixir cost, he costs 3 less Elixir than the Clash Royale Golem, which allows you to form stronger combinations.
For example, in this Clash Royale deck, Jason utilizes the Giant with Clash Royale Hog Rider. The concept is to use the Clash Royale Giant as a shield while the Clash Royale Hog Rider can freely target the Clash Royale Arena Tower. Not only that, he uses both the Clash Royale Barbarians and Minion Horde, which you guys know to be an extremely potent defensive and offensive combo.
Both the Clash Royale Giant and Hog Rider are weak to the Inferno Tower, so you can surround these hordes of troops, your Clash Royale Barbarians, Minions, Archers, and Spear Goblins in front of your Giant or Hog Rider to quickly counter the Clash Royale Inferno Tower. And then he also utilizes one of the deadliest cards in the game, the Clash Royale Elixir Collector. And this is what makes this deck so deadly is that once you’ve generated enough Elixir and its double Elixir time, it becomes so easy to overwhelm your opponent with a huge rush with the Clash Royale Giant and Hog Rider combined with a swarm of troops
Clash Royale Tournament Championship Deck by Jason!
How to use this Clash Royale deck
I’ve also tweaked this Clash Royale deck a little, and I believe that these changes makes the deck even better. For example, this Clash Royale deck struggles a lot against players who use multiple buildings, especially with the Inferno Tower or Clash Royale hut spammers. So what I did was replace the Clash Royale Spear Goblins and Arrows for Fireball and Zap Spell.
I believe this Clash Royale deck is better because now you have a strong area damaging card like the Clash Royale Fireball to destroy those buildings to allow your Hog Rider and Giant to travel directly to your opponent’s tower. Not only that, the Clash Royale Zap Spell also makes for an excellent combo with the Hog Rider and Giant, allowing you to not only kill or weaken hordes, but also stun your opponent’s tower to allow your Clash Royale Hog Rider or Giant to get an extra shot on the tower.
This is the version of mine:
Okay guys I hope you have found this Clash Royale post helpful! Please visit my my YouTube channel and Clash Royale Arena everyday for the best Clash Royale guides and decks. You rock!
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