AI Overview: Musketeer is a 4-elixir Rare troop in Clash Royale, available from the start in Training Camp (Arena 0). She has both an Evolution and a Hero version. RoyaleTracker listed her best Hero deck at 62.1% win rate and her best Evolution deck at 62.0% in October 2026. SeeMeta lists no 2026 balance change for her.
Last Updated: October 2026
Key Points:
- Musketeer costs 4 elixir, is a Rare, and is available from the start (Training Camp, Arena 0).
- The Evolution gets 3 charged sniper shots with 80% bonus damage, and the Hero drops a short-range auto-turret.
- SeeMeta lists no 2026 balance change for Musketeer.
- RoyaleTracker’s best Hero deck won 62.1% and its best Evolution deck won 62.0%.
- Seven of the eight printed Evolution lists and seven of the eight printed Hero lists won 53% or more.
Table of Contents
What Musketeer Does
The short version: Musketeer is a 4-elixir Rare. RoyaleTracker’s card text calls her a mean shot with a trusty boomstick. She is available from the start, in Training Camp (Arena 0), and she has both an Evolution and a Hero version.
She stands back and shoots hard. She is the card you put behind a tank or a wall.
Evolution: RoyaleTracker’s text says the Evolved Musketeer gets 3 charged sniper shots that deal 80% bonus damage. Hero: her ability drops a short-range auto-turret in front of her, and RoyaleTracker lists the ability cost as 4 elixir.
| Stat | Value |
| Elixir cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Troop (ranged) |
| Unlocks | Training Camp (Arena 0) |
| Evolution | 3 charged sniper shots, 80% bonus damage |
| Hero | Auto-turret ability, 4 elixir |
| 2026 change | None listed (SeeMeta) |
Musketeer has no 2026 change, but her best lists lean on Evo Cannon and Skeletons, and both were touched on October 6. The negative effect: when the cards around a card change, the card itself can slide without a single number on its own page moving.
Best Musketeer Decks Right Now
RoyaleTracker tracked 6 decks on the base Musketeer page, 9 on the Evolution page and 10 on the Hero page, and printed all six, eight and eight. The base page tops out at 57.5%, the Evolution page at 62.0% and the Hero page at 62.1%.
The pattern: almost every winning list is a Hog Cycle deck at 2.6 to 2.8 elixir. The two heaviest printed lists, a Mega Knight deck at 49.6% and a Golem beatdown deck at 42.0%, did not win. What it means: Musketeer wins when the deck around her is cheap.
| Build | Cards | Avg elixir | Win rate (sample) |
| Hero Musketeer, Hog Cycle, top Hero deck | 2.8 | 62.1% (955 battles) | |
| Evo Musketeer, Miner and Hero Balloon | 2.9 | 62.0% (1.4k battles) | |
| Hog Cycle, Evo Cannon, base card top deck | 2.6 | 57.5% (5.9k battles) | |
| Mega Knight, Evo Wizard and Evo Valkyrie | 4.0 | 49.6% (2.9k battles) | |
| Royal Giant, Evo Musketeer and Hero Wizard | 4.1 | 45.8% (546 battles) |
Try it yourself: open the Clash Royale Deck Builder with the Royal Giant, Evo Musketeer and Hero Wizard build in the table above, 45.8% in the tracker sample (546 battles), already loaded. It averages 4.1 elixir and is the weakest Evolution list in the table, so it is a good one to improve. Swap Barbarians for Ice Spirit to see how the average cost moves.
How to Play Musketeer
- Place her behind your front line. She does the most when something else takes the hits.
- Use Cannon and Skeletons with her. Every printed Hero list runs a Cannon, and six of the eight Evolution lists do too.
- Charge the Evolution on defense. The sniper shots deal 80% bonus damage, so wait for a big target.
- Drop the Hero turret early. The auto-turret adds a second source of damage next to her.
- Keep Fireball and The Log in the cycle. Every printed Hero list runs both.
The move: next game, play Musketeer behind a Cannon on defense, then counter-push with Hog Rider while their elixir is low.
For a longer walk-through, read our Hog 2.6 Cycle deck guide.
All eight printed Hero lists run Hog Rider, Fireball and The Log with her. If Hog Cycle gets crowded, mirror matches grow. The negative effect: when many players use the same cheap deck, small timing errors decide games and the card feels less like a skill test.
How to Counter Musketeer
- Fireball or Poison: hit her together with the troop in front of her.
- Fast ground troops: they reach her before she lands many shots.
- Two lanes: a single Musketeer can only shoot one target at a time.
- Heavy tanks: a tank with support soaks her shots and still reaches the tower.
The catch: do not send a lone Balloon or Minion at her. She shoots both out of the sky.
Is Musketeer Worth Using Now?
Is it worth it? Yes, in Hog Cycle lists. Seven of the eight printed Evolution lists won 53.1% or more, and SeeMeta lists no 2026 change. Her heavier lists, a Mega Knight deck at 49.6% and a Golem deck at 42.0%, did not win.
What to remember: Musketeer wins in cheap decks.
Seven of the eight printed Evolution lists and seven of the eight printed Hero lists won 53% or more, so the card is a pillar of Hog Cycle. If Supercell wants to slow that deck, a trim to the Evolution’s sniper shots is a likely target. The negative effect: a weaker Evolution makes tanks harder to kill, and players who just unlocked it would find it slower than the version they saw in videos.
Go deeper: For more cheap lists, read the Hog Cycle guide and the Three Musketeers deck guide. To test swaps, load the cards into the Clash Royale Deck Builder and read the average cost it reports.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Musketeer do in Clash Royale?
She is a ranged troop that shoots hard from a distance. She works best behind a tank or a Cannon.
How much does Musketeer cost?
4 elixir.
When do you unlock Musketeer?
She is available from the start, in Training Camp (Arena 0), according to RoyaleTracker. She is a Rare card.
What is the best Musketeer deck?
In October 2026, RoyaleTracker listed a Hero Musketeer Hog Cycle deck at 62.1% over 955 battles and an Evo Musketeer Miner deck at 62.0% over about 1,400 battles.
What counters Musketeer?
Fireball or Poison on her and her support, fast ground troops, and attacking two lanes at once.
Does Musketeer have an Evolution or Hero?
Yes, both. The Evolution gets 3 charged sniper shots, and the Hero drops an auto-turret.
The Bottom Line
The takeaway: Musketeer is a 4-elixir ranged troop that wins in cheap Hog Cycle decks. Copy a winning list and keep the cycle fast.
Building around this card? Our guide on how to use the Clash Royale Deck Builder shows how to load a deck, check patch risk and copy it into the game.
More on this card: Is Your Deck Losing Games? 5 Weak Spots Our Checker Finds.
Sources
Researched from the following (no links, listed for transparency):
- RoyaleTracker, Musketeer card page (October 2026 tracker data)
- RoyaleTracker, best decks with Musketeer (October 2026 tracker samples)
- RoyaleTracker, best decks with Evo Musketeer and Hero Musketeer (ability text and decks, October 2026)
- 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)