AI Overview: Knight is a 3-elixir Common troop in Clash Royale: a tough melee fighter that unlocks in Training Camp (Arena 0). It has both an Evolution and a Hero. SeeMeta lists a Hero Knight shield cut on July 6. In October 2026, RoyaleTracker’s best Knight deck won 67.1% over 1,000 battles. Five of the six printed lists won over 58%.
Last Updated: October 2026
Key Points:
- Knight costs 3 elixir, is a Common troop, and unlocks in Training Camp (Arena 0).
- It has an Evolution and a Hero version.
- SeeMeta lists Hero Knight shield hitpoints cut from 768 to 512 on July 6.
- RoyaleTracker’s best Knight deck, a LogBait list, won 67.1% over 1,000 battles.
- Five of the six printed decks won over 58%.
Table of Contents
What Knight Does
The short version: Knight is a 3-elixir Common troop and a tough melee fighter. RoyaleTracker’s card text calls him the Barbarian’s cultured cousin. He unlocks in Training Camp (Arena 0), so every player has him from the start.
What changed: SeeMeta lists one change that touches the card. On July 6, Hero Knight’s shield hitpoints went from 768 to 512 (-33.3%). The base card and the Evolution have no change listed. What it means: the Hero version is easier to break, and the base Knight is untouched.
| Stat | Value |
| Elixir cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Troop (melee) |
| Unlocks | Training Camp (Arena 0) |
| Evolution / Hero | Both |
| Last change | July 6, 2026 (SeeMeta, Hero) |
Hero Knight lost a third of its shield in July, and lists with it still win 60.4% to 65.1% on other pages. If the shield is trimmed again, the Hero lists may slip. The negative effect: the Hero lists lean on a shield that has already been cut once.
Best Knight Decks Right Now
RoyaleTracker printed six Knight decks with the base card. The best, a LogBait list with Evo Goblin Barrel, won 67.1% over 1,000 battles. An X-Bow list with Evo Archers and Evo Tesla won 62.7% over 1,300. A Graveyard Poison list won 61.5% over 1,900.
The pattern: the most played list, a plain LogBait deck with 2,500 battles, won 50.9%. It is the only one of the six that does not run an Evolution. What it means: the Evolution and Hero lists win 58.8% to 67.1%, so the upgrade matters more than the Knight.
| Build | Cards | Avg elixir | Win rate (sample) |
| Evo Goblin Barrel, Princess and Rocket | 3.3 | 67.1% (1.0k battles) | |
| Evo Archers, Evo Tesla and X-Bow | 3.0 | 62.7% (1.3k battles) | |
| Evo Princess, Evo Goblin Barrel and Rocket | 3.3 | 61.7% (1.0k battles) | |
| Evo Baby Dragon, Hero Ice Wizard and Graveyard | 3.4 | 61.5% (1.9k battles) | |
| Knight, Princess and Goblin Barrel | 3.3 | 50.9% (2.5k battles) | |
| Evo Skeleton Army, Evo Goblin Barrel and Hero Knight | 2.9 | 65.1% (3.5k battles, from the Log page) |
Try it yourself: open the Clash Royale Deck Builder with the Evo Princess LogBait build in the table above, with Rocket swapped for Fireball, already loaded. It averages 3.0 elixir. This exact list is not in the tracker sample, so it has no win rate; it is the 61.7% list with one card changed.
How to Play Knight
- Play him in front. He soaks hits while your ranged cards shoot.
- Use him on defense. At 3 elixir he trades well with most single troops.
- Pair him with Princess or Archers. Five of the six lists run one of them.
- Try the Evolution or Hero. Lists with them won 62.9% and 65.1% on the Log page.
- Keep a small spell. The Log is in five of the six lists.
Evo Archers lost Power Shot damage on August 4, from 168 to 140, and two of the six lists run it. If it is trimmed again, the X-Bow lists slip. The negative effect: an X-Bow deck has few ways to make up for a weaker support card.
Knight Roles: Stagger, Lightning Rod, Tower Support
The short version: the Knight is a defensive card. It is cheap, has a big hitpoint pool for its cost, and has no trick to learn. Use it to buy time, not to win the game alone.
What he does well
- Stagger. Drop a Knight in front of a push and the other player’s troops stop to hit him. Your tower and a damage dealer like a Cannon get free shots in that time. He works as a panic button in most situations.
- Soak a spell. The Knight survives most cheap spells, so he can walk in front of a glass cannon like Musketeer or Electro Wizard and take the hits meant for it.
- Tower support. With the tower helping, a Knight handles Skeleton Army and Goblin Gang. Against Bats, Minions and Baby Dragon, he soaks damage while the tower shoots up.
- Hold a tank. A Knight on a Giant with a Cannon beside it stalls a Giant push long enough for the tower to finish it.
What he does badly
- Win condition. His damage per hit is moderate, and he fights troops first, so he rarely reaches a tower alone. An ignored Knight still takes a real chunk of tower, so never ignore one.
- Air defense. He is melee and cannot hit flyers. Pair him with a card that does.
- Cheap distractions. Skeletons and Ice Spirit hold him off for 1 elixir.
- Long range. A Musketeer shoots him down as he walks. Do not send him in alone.
The move: next game, hold the Knight until the other player commits a tank or a swarm, then place him in front of it and let the tower work.
How to Counter Knight
- Swarm troops: Skeleton Army or Goblin Gang kill him fast.
- Inferno Tower: it melts his hitpoints.
- Kite him: pull him to one side while your tower shoots.
- Spells: a Fireball and Log combo takes him down.
The catch: do not send a single cheap troop at him; he trades well with one.
Is Knight Worth Using Now?
Is it worth it? Yes. Five of the six printed lists won over 58%, and he costs 3 elixir. The catch: the one list with no Evolution won 50.9%.
What to remember: Knight is a cheap, sturdy front-line card for cycle decks.
Ice Spirit is in four of the six lists and lost hitpoints on August 4, from 230 to 215. If it is trimmed again, the LogBait cycle slows a little. The negative effect: the cheapest card in the deck is the one that keeps the cycle moving.
Go deeper: For the cards in these lists, read the Princess guide, the Archers guide and the Goblin Barrel guide. For a custom list, the Clash Royale Deck Builder calculates the average cost as each card goes in.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Knight do in Clash Royale?
He is a tough melee fighter, according to RoyaleTracker’s card text.
How much does Knight cost?
3 elixir.
When do you unlock Knight?
He unlocks in Training Camp (Arena 0), so every player has him. He is a Common card.
What is the best Knight deck?
In October 2026, RoyaleTracker listed a LogBait deck with Evo Goblin Barrel at 67.1% over 1,000 battles.
What counters Knight?
Swarms, Inferno Tower, or kiting him with your tower.
Does Knight have an Evolution and a Hero?
Yes, both. SeeMeta lists a Hero Knight shield cut on July 6.
Sources
Researched from the following (no links, listed for transparency):
- RoyaleTracker, Knight card page (October 2026 tracker data)
- RoyaleTracker, best decks with Knight (October 2026 tracker samples)
- SeeMeta, Clash Royale balance changes 2026 (page updated October 8, 2026)
- Supercell, Clash Royale October balance changes 2026 (October 6, 2026)
- Clash Royale card data used by the Deck Builder (elixir costs and card types)
- Supercell official Clash Royale API, card list (elixir cost, rarity, Evolution and Hero flags)