AI Overview: Siege decks in Clash Royale win with X-Bow or Mortar and defend first. The core tips hold, though deck cards and tower damage numbers have moved. The matchup table and the defend-first rule matter most. The numbers all trace back to the October 2026 card data. Totals were added from the official card list.
Last Updated: October 2026
Key Points:
- Three types: beatdown siege, cycle siege and classic siege.
- The golden rule: defend and counterpush, because positive trades are easy on defense.
- Placement: 1 tile back from the river and 1 tile to the side, or the safer center tile.
- X-Bow got +3 damage on October 6, and its best list is 62.7%; five of six printed decks won over 57% at 3.0 to 3.5 elixir.
- Do not trade towers with a rival on the opposite side; siege needs the tower on your side intact.
The 3 Types of Siege
Here’s the thing: siege means a deck built around X-Bow or Mortar. It can be played as beatdown, cycle or classic siege. Not many players use it, so the rival often has little practice against it.
The biggest enemy of siege is Royal Giant. Try to out-cycle it. If you cannot, play for the draw, or defend and Rocket cycle. A Hog hybrid with Giant or Royal Giant is even more dangerous, and cycle siege is the best answer.
| Type | How it works | Example | Cost / average |
| Beatdown siege | A tank such as Giant defends the building | X-Bow, Bowler, Princess, Barbarians, Zap, Guards, Fireball, Inferno Tower | 6+5+3+5+2+3+4+5 = 33 / 4.1 |
| Cycle siege | Cheap cards loop back to the building; the top-player version | X-Bow, Inferno Tower, Skeleton, Ice Spirit, Minions, Fire Spirits, The Log, Fireball | 6+5+1+1+3+1+2+4 = 23 / 2.9 |
| Mortar cycle | Cheaper than X-Bow, popular lower down | Mortar, Electro Wizard, The Log, Ice Golem, Ice Spirit, Skeleton, Inferno Tower, Fireball | 4+4+2+2+1+1+5+4 = 23 / 2.9 |
| Burn siege (author’s deck) | X-Bow plus Rocket | X-Bow, Inferno Tower, Log, Ice Spirit, Skeletons, Fire Spirits, Mega Minion, Rocket | 6+5+2+1+1+1+3+6 = 25 / 3.1 |
Classic (pure) siege was a menace in the early days because X-Bow’s range let it sit behind a Tesla. It returned for a moment during an Ice Golem bug, and mostly shows as a hybrid today.
Today’s X-Bow data matches the cycle idea: five of six printed lists won over 57% and all five average 3.0 to 3.5 elixir. See the X-Bow guide and the Mortar guide. Mortar base lists are weaker, from 41.9% to 51.9%, and Evolution lists on other pages reach 69.7%.
X-Bow gained damage on October 6 (58 to 61), while Mortar’s hit speed got a mixed change in August, so the two siege cards are moving in different directions. The negative effect: a player who swaps Mortar for X-Bow, or the reverse, may find the matchup chart no longer applies.
Placement, Rocket and Strategy
Normal placement: 1 tile back from the river and 1 tile to the side. Troops next to the building distract the rival. The risk is a slipped finger that puts it out of range.
Center placement: 1 tile from the river. Better for beginners. The downside is that tanks target it, while a well-placed Inferno Tower pulls tanks away with the side placement. If you cannot use either spot, place it at the river toward the center. The tower flashes while you hold the card if the range is good.
- Rocket deploys slowly. Practice the timing until it feels natural.
- Edge tiles can miss. A Rocket on the very edge tile that looks like it hits the tower may not.
- Rocket on defense only with another win condition or a tower already taken.
- Rocket a tower when you hold the elixir lead or can hit 4+ elixir of troops.
The key rule: defend and counterpush. It is hard to make positive trades on offense, except by Fireballing a clump. On defense it is easy: your tower costs 0 elixir, you can pull and kite, and buildings trade better than troops. Troops that survive defense become your counterpush, and positive trades buy free Rockets, X-Bows and Mortars.
The old opening is bold: with a strong defensive hand (Inferno Tower, Rocket, Ice Spirit, Log), play cheap troops at the back and drop the X-Bow early. Your two fears are the rival’s Rocket on your building and a Royal Giant. If they Rocket, you can cycle to your building faster, out-Rocket-cycle them, or plant the X-Bow alone for chip damage.
Rocket and Zap both lost Crown Tower damage on June 1 (371 to 342, 58 to 48), so burn-siege lists get less out of the final Rocket. The negative effect: a deck that plans to finish with Rocket may need one more X-Bow shot first.
Threats and 8 Matchups
- Royal Giant: out-cycle it, or use the Inferno Tower when it is in range with no small troops to distract it. Play for the tie if needed.
- Elite Barbarians: keep them from locking on with small troops.
- P.E.K.K.A: counters both siege cards; place an Inferno Tower next to the building and spam small troops.
- Giant Skeleton: abort, but a Tornado or a well-timed Log can pull it off the building.
- Hog Rider: burn it with Fireball, or Mega Minion plus Ice Spirit.
| Rival deck | Plan |
| Light beatdown | Counter their cards, play normally, out-cycle the Giant |
| Heavy beatdown | Rocket the Collector; watch Three Musketeers |
| Light control | Do not let them out-cycle you; Inferno Tower for the Hog; save the Log for Goblin Barrel |
| Heavy control | Bait Bowler and Executioner closer to the bridge first |
| Hut spam | Rocket the hut and a spawned troop together |
| Lava Hound decks | Do not plant if it cannot lock on; kill the Balloon fast |
| Three Musketeers | Beware the Collector when you Rocket |
| Graveyard | Keep Archers or Minions; beware Freeze and Poison |
P.E.K.K.A gained damage on July 6 (816 to 842). The negative effect: a stronger P.E.K.K.A makes the Inferno Tower plan more important, and a siege deck without one has no safe answer.
The big note: do not trade towers with a rival on the opposite side. A tower down on the side you attack makes siege very hard. Know when to play for a draw. Siege is good at that: drop the X-Bow in front of your King Tower and turtle with a rock-solid defense.
Siege Types and the Matchups That Decide Them
The short version: siege is the family of X-Bow and Mortar decks. It comes in beatdown, cycle and classic forms, and few players know how to face it.
Three forms
- Beatdown siege. A tank, usually Giant, protects the Mortar or X-Bow. It is rare at the top and tends to be off-meta.
- Cycle siege. Cheap cards, fast cycle. It is among the hardest to play.
- Classic siege. A balance of defense and building pushes.
Why it is useful
Siege is not so rare that it is off-meta, but not many people use it, so opponents often do not know how to face it.
The hard matchups
- Royal Giant. Try to outcycle it. If you cannot, play for the draw, or defend and cycle your Rocket.
- Hog hybrid. Cycle siege handles it best, because you must cycle to your Inferno Tower twice as fast as the opponent.
Habit for any siege deck
Defend first until you know the opponent deck, then place the siege card where it cannot be reached. Against heavy tanks, X-Bow and Mortar can pressure the opposite lane while the tank is at the back.
The move: next game, wait for the opponent first two plays before you place the siege card.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a siege deck in Clash Royale?
A deck built around X-Bow or Mortar that defends first and counterpushes.
Where do you place X-Bow?
1 tile back from the river and 1 tile to the side, or the safer center tile.
What is the biggest enemy of siege?
Royal Giant, along with P.E.K.K.A and Giant Skeleton.
Should you trade towers with a siege rival?
Not on the opposite side, since a tower down on your attacking side makes siege very hard.
What does a cycle siege deck cost?
The old cycle list adds up to 23, an average of 2.9.
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)