Tanks in Clash Royale: 6 Tank Cards and How to Use Them

By Clash World · Guides · Nov 11, 2026

AI Overview: Tanks in Clash Royale soak damage while support troops do the work. Costs run from 5 to 8 elixir. Lava Hound, Giant Skeleton and P.E.K.K.A have fresh 2026 changes, and several old rankings and unlock facts need a check below. All figures come from the October 2026 card data. Costs come straight from the official card list.

Last Updated: October 2026

Key Points:

• The six tanks cost 5, 6, 7, 7, 8 and 6 elixir, so a tank is 5 to 8 of your 10 elixir.
• Giant is the cheapest tank at 5. Its best tracked deck won 71.6%, and six of seven base-card lists are Giant Graveyard.
• Lava Hound now hits harder and slower: damage 53 to 71 and hit speed 1.3 to 1.5 seconds on October 6.
• Giant Skeleton lost 7.1% hitpoints on May 4, and his death bomb gained 28.7% on troops.
• P.E.K.K.A damage rose from 816 to 842 on July 6, and Golem has no 2026 change.

What a Tank Does

Here’s the thing: a tank has a lot of hitpoints. It walks in front, soaks hits, and the small troops behind it deal the damage. Some tanks do more than soak. A few are a threat on their own.

The catch: Giant Skeleton is probably the worst tank in the game and that Golem is rarely seen. Both claims are old. Giant Skeleton’s best tracked deck won 72.1% over 1,100 battles in 2026, and Golem’s won 68.7%. Treat the old rankings as history.

Tanks that gain damage, like Lava Hound and P.E.K.K.A, may push beatdown back toward the top this season. The negative effect: when tanks hit harder, every cheap counter must be exact, and players with low-level cards may find the gap grows.

Giant and Giant Skeleton

Giant: the first tank you unlock and the cheapest. Many players call its hitpoints per elixir excellent and its damage “catastrophic” if it reaches the tower. He only attacks buildings, so he walks past the troops that try to stop him. That makes him easy to build around.

First, defend and counter push with Giant plus Poison, using the troops that survived. Second, when you must attack first and have no survivors, place Giant behind the King Tower so you build elixir for a strong push. If many troops rush your tower, drop Giant where he soaks every hit and drags the rival the other way, then kill the followers with a fast attacker.

Giant Skeleton: most players use him only on defense. He wipes out slow pushes with his death bomb, and he forces the rival to split push. The bomb is the whole point. Place him in front of a Giant to kill the Wizard and Musketeer behind it, or between a tank and its support to pull them apart. On offense, he soaks damage while Miner or Goblin Barrel hits the tower.

The 2026 note: hitpoints are down and the bomb is stronger against troops, weaker against towers. That fits the old advice. Use him to kill the push, not to race the tower. See the Giant guide, the Giant Skeleton guide and the bomb plays page.

P.E.K.K.A and Lava Hound

P.E.K.K.A: very high damage and high hitpoints. She kills almost anything she reaches. Her deploy takes about 3 seconds, so use that time to build a big push. On defense, she can finish a Hog Rider or Prince and then lead the counter push.

Her damage rose from 816 to 842 on July 6, and the best printed list won 65.8% over 754 battles. A 7-elixir tank with no partners is a poor trade, so check the combo cost: P.E.K.K.A 7 plus Wizard 5 is 12. See the P.E.K.K.A guide.

Lava Hound: the only flying tank, immune to ground tank killers such as Mini P.E.K.K.A and Barbarians. That is its strength and its weakness, because it cannot soak ground fire for the troops behind. When it dies, the Lava Pups come out.

The numbers: Lava Hound costs 7. Its damage rose from 53 to 71 and its hit speed slowed from 1.3 to 1.5 seconds on October 6. The best tracked deck won 78.8%, but over only 241 battles, and only three of eight printed decks won over 50%. Treat the 78.8% as a small sample. See the Lava Hound guide.

A slower, harder Lava Hound hit may shift which air cards pair best with it. The negative effect: with small samples and only three winning lists, a player may copy a top deck that was just a lucky run.

Golem and Royal Giant

Golem: the highest hitpoints in the game. Alone, 8 elixir is too much. With the right partner it is great. Elixir Collector is a must in Golem decks, and that Golem should drop in double elixir or with two Collectors down. Poison goes well with him. Musketeer, Witch, Ice Spirit and Three Musketeers are the best supports.

When Golem dies, he splits into two Golemites that deal area damage, so the push does not end with his death. The site’s best Golem deck won 68.7% over about 1,400 battles, with no 2026 change. See the Golem guide and the Golem Golden Knight deck.

Royal Giant: hated by many players. He is Common, so he levels fast, and his long range. He is easy to play and hard to stop without a building or a tank killer. He chips a tower down in a few pushes, then you place him in the middle to hit the other tower without the King Tower hitting back.

Barbarians also work but are easier to counter. See the Royal Giant guide.

Royal Giant has no 2026 change, yet his Evolution lists lead the board. The negative effect: a Common that wins this much will draw balance attention, and the players who leveled him may see a change soon.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the tanks in Clash Royale?

Which tank is cheapest?

Giant, at 5 elixir.

Which tank is the only flying one?

Lava Hound, at 7 elixir.

Is Giant Skeleton a bad tank?

Use him for the bomb.

Which tank has the most hitpoints?

Golem, at 8 elixir.

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)