AI Overview: This Giant Skeleton Witch deck averages 3.9 elixir and holds only one spell. Most of its cards survive a single spell, so the deck plays like a patient control build. Giant Skeleton’s best list wins 72.1% over 1,100 battles, though this exact list has no tracker sample. Each card below gets its current cost and a 2026 status check.
Last Updated: October 2026
Key Points:
- The deck costs 31 elixir, which is 3.9 on average, and the Giant Skeleton is the heaviest card at 6.
- Giant Skeleton lost 7.1% hitpoints and gained 28.7% death bomb damage on troops on May 4; towers take 35.6% less.
- Witch’s Evolution was reworked on August 4, with healing per Skeleton rising from 53 to 153 and only from her first wave.
- Battle Ram’s sight range grew from 5.5 to 6.5 tiles on September 8, and its best base list wins 57.6% over 663.
- Clone had no 2026 change, and its best list wins 54.3% over 1,500 battles.
The Giant Skeleton Witch List, Priced Card by Card
The setup. Most cards here shrug off a single spell, which makes the deck awkward to fight. It defends well, pushes with a bomb and a ram, and tries to win on tempo.
Matchups. Against Graveyard, the Guards and Tesla are your answers, so keep them in the cycle. Against a Hog deck, the Tesla can pull the Hog and die with it, but the arena tower finishes the job. Against a spell-heavy deck, this build is strong because the Dark Prince’s shield and the Guards survive a single spell. Against a fast bridge deck, you may fall behind early, so spend elixir on defense and counter-push afterward.
| Card | Elixir | Job in the deck | 2026 status |
| Giant Skeleton | 6 | Main tank and bomb | Hitpoints down 7.1%, death bomb up 28.7% on troops and down 35.6% on towers (May 4); best list 72.1% over 1,100 |
| Witch | 5 | Swarm control and support | Evolution reworked on August 4 (healing per Skeleton 53 to 153, only from her first wave); no base-card win rate checked |
| Battle Ram | 4 | Building target and fast push | Sight range 5.5 to 6.5 tiles on September 8; best base list 57.6% over 663 |
| Dark Prince | 4 | Charge splash and shield | Hit speed 1.3 to 1.4 seconds on May 4; best list 57.9% over about 1,900 |
| Guards | 3 | Anti-spell defense | No 2026 change; best list 50.1%, the other seven 42.2% to 48.7% |
| Tesla | 4 | Defensive building | Lifetime 30 to 25 seconds, hitpoints 1,152 to 1,182 on June 1; best list 64.2% over 1,800 |
| Spear Goblins | 2 | Cheap ranged chip | Hit speed 1.7 to 1.6 seconds on August 4; best list 54.9% over 915 |
| Clone | 3 | Only spell, a copy of the push | No 2026 change; best list 54.3% over 1,500, Giant Skeleton in seven of the eight printed lists |
Costs come from the official card list; the right column shows what changed in 2026.
What comes next. The Witch’s Evolution rework tells you where Supercell wants the card to sit: stronger early, weaker later. If the base card follows, the support that makes this list tick may need a new partner.
What Changed in 2026
The short version. The Giant Skeleton has fewer hitpoints and a bigger bomb against troops. The Battle Ram sees further, 6.5 tiles. Dark Prince swings more slowly, at 1.4 seconds. Tesla lasts 25 seconds, not 30, with 1,182 hitpoints. Guards had no 2026 change.
Claims, rechecked. The deck is called off-meta with only the Battle Ram near the meta. In 2026 the Battle Ram’s best base list is 57.6%, so that claim still fits. It is also said that the Spear Goblins are the only card weak to spells, which depends on level and was not checked. The 3.9 average adds up from 31 elixir. Treat every figure as a starting point, not a rule.
Zoom out. Off-meta decks win by surprise, and surprise fades fast. The first few opponents will misplay against the Guards and Dark Prince shield, but ladder players adapt within a day or two. The 2026 data shows how fragile this can be: the Guards win only 42.2% to 50.1% across printed lists, and the Witch has no base-card sample to lean on. Use the deck for fun, and keep a standard backup in your list.
The fine print. Guards’ best list wins 50.1%, while the other seven win 42.2% to 48.7%. Tesla’s best list is 64.2%, so the building is the sturdier choice. No base-card win rate was checked for the Witch.
Card pages: Giant Skeleton, Witch, Battle Ram and Tesla.
The risk. Clone is a gamble. It copies a push but costs tempo, and in the 2026 sample the Giant Skeleton appears in seven of the eight best Clone lists. A deck that copies its own bomb has no backup plan if the push stalls.
How to Play It Today
Step one. Drop the Giant Skeleton on top of support troops as they cross the bridge. His bomb either kills them or soaks up their fire. If the opponent defends passively, build a push with him and get the bomb to the tower.
Worth knowing. The Dark Prince’s shield survives a spell, and his 360-degree charge hits whatever is nearby, including a Skeleton Army dropped on top. That surprise is the deck’s favorite trick.
Bottom line. This is a deck for players who like being different. It is sturdy, it surprises opponents, and it can lose to a plain fast cycle. Treat it as a fun control build, not a ladder climber.
Upgrade order. Level the Giant Skeleton and Witch first, since they carry the offense. Next come Tesla and Dark Prince. Guards, Battle Ram and Spear Goblins can wait. Clone is a special case: the card has no 2026 change, but it works only with a strong push in front of it, so treat it as the last card to upgrade. With patient play, the deck can also finish a game with no crowns for either side.
Tips. Do not play Guards on offense. They shine at taking down a tank or surrounding support, and they counter a Graveyard or Hog Rider. Open the linked card pages before you queue, since one balance patch can flip a trade.
Step two. The Witch stays behind the Giant Skeleton, Dark Prince or the Battle Ram. The Battle Ram is the only building-targeting troop, so send it alone only if the opponent has no counter. Keep the Guards for defense, and use the Tesla to pull a Hog or Balloon.
Elixir math. The Giant Skeleton and Witch cost 11 of the 31 elixir. The other six cost 20, or 3.3 each, so the cycle is mid-speed. Spear Goblins at 2 elixir are the cheapest card.
Try it yourself: test Giant Skeleton Witch Deck yourself in the Clash Royale Deck Builder; it opens with every card in place. Average elixir: 3.9. The tracker holds no sample of this exact build, so its 2026 win rate is unknown.
What to watch. Because the deck is so sturdy, a game can end without a crown for either side. Be ready for a draw, and look for the one clean chance to take a tower.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Giant Skeleton Witch deck good in 2026?
Giant Skeleton’s best list wins 72.1% and Tesla’s best list wins 64.2%, but this exact list has no tracker sample, so test the Clone slot first.
What is the average elixir cost?
31 elixir across eight cards, or 3.9 on average.
Why does this deck have only one spell?
Most of its cards survive a single spell, so spells matter less.
What does the Clone do in this deck?
It copies a push, such as the Giant Skeleton and Witch, for a surprise.
Can Valkyrie replace Guards?
She can, but Guards survive any single spell and have more reach.
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.
First off if you are looking for a meta deck stop reading this guide now.
This deck is very off-meta it has one card that is close to meta, the Battle Ram. All the other cards are off meta.
The deck has only one spell (Clone) and has many cards that are not vulnerable to spells.
This deck I believe would be considered a control deck. Its offensive capabilities are versatile but not strong but it is quite strong defensively. If your opponent responds badly to this deck you can three crown however if your opponent plays very defensively you may end in draw with no crowns.
Does Off-Meta Deck Really Works?
Cards Breakdown
Giant Skeleton: This card is one of the main cards of this Deck. If your opponent plays defensively, you may have to build a push with this card and get its bomb to the Tower. Defensively this card is best placed on top of the support units right when they cross the bridge to take their fire and either kill them itself or with its bomb.
Witch: This card is not used often but is versatile. She is your best counter to swarms, Minions/Minion Horde. She should also be used to help take down heavy tanks with her Skeletons. Offensively she is best behind Giant Skeleton, Dark Prince or the Ram. However alone if the timing works out she can do serious damage to the Tower. The best scenario with a lone Witch is for her to take Tower aggro right before she spawns a new set of Skeletons.
Battle Ram: This is the only semi-meta card in the Deck and the only building targeting troop. It should be used on offense alone if you know your opponent has no counters or with the Witch or dark Prince.
Dark Prince: This card may not be the strongest in the meta right now but it does have some strengths. Due to its shield it will survive any spell. It can keep up with the battle Ram to support it and it can push the Giant skeleton faster to the Tower. It can be used alone or as a support. One of its best abilities is its surprise factor many enemies I have faced have dropped Skeleton Army directly on top of Dark Prince which is not effective because dark Prince does 360 degree attack while charging.
Guards: They should not be played offensively. They are best used to help take down a tank or to surround a support. They can be used to counter Graveyard and Hog Rider. They cannot be killed using only one spell. Also to note that they have a longer reach than Valkyrie so if the are still in original formation the Valkyrie will hit only the first guard until it dies and then will attach the next two.
Tesla: This defensive card can be quite useful. It is the most versatile of the defensive buildings and one of the only two that can target air. It can pull and kill Hog Rider or Balloon with the help of the arena Tower though it will die as well. It can kill a lone Lava-hound and kill a few Lava pups before dying. It will take down all medium health support units (Musketeer, Wizard ect.) without dying. It can be place before a Royal Giant is and because it remains hidden untill Royal Giant enters range will target it and draw its fire.
Spear Goblins: This is the only card vulnerable to spells. They should be used for chip damage extra anti-air or just when you need a bit more damage.
Clone: This is the only spell in the Deck and should only be used offensively and at the right times. I will explain when you should use it later on.
Levels
Because many of these cards are epics you may not be able to level all of the equally the card most important to level up are in this order the non epics are excluded because they are easier to level:
- Witch: You want your Witch to be leveled so that she is able to one hit the level of Skeletons common to your arena.
- Dark Prince: you want him to be a high enough level to one hit Goblins without charge damage
- Giant Skeleton: Higher level = higher bomb damage
- Guards: higher level just makes them slightly better
- Clone: higher level is better but not necessary. Mine is still level 1. Should be prioritized last.
Replacements
- Guards – Skeleton Army, Goblin Gang, Goblins can be used but will be more vulnerable to spells
- Dark Prince – Valkyrie might be better I haven’t tried. If you use her put her in front of Ram so it pushes her. You would lose ability to push Giant Skeleton.
- Tesla– any defensive building could work. I used to use Tombstone.
- Spear Goblins – Archers would be less vulnerable to spells and do more damage but are more expensive
When to Clone
- Giant skeleton reaches Tower. This is the most important time to Clone because to importance is the bomb not the troop.
- Battle Ram hits Tower. Cloning the Barbarians will greatly increase the damage but do not do it if they opponent has a splash counter.
- Witch is best cloned when there is another unit in front of her that has reached the Tower Clone her and the other unit. A lone Witch can be cloned but it is best to do so before the Tower starts shooting her so her and her clones Skeletons take all the towers fire.
- Dark Prince reaches Tower: do so only if you really need more damage its benefit is not that large.
- Spear Goblins can be cloned when they begin to attack Tower to get a bit more damage in. They are best cloned as part of a large push
Gameplay
This Deck should be played with a mixture of defense and offense!
Punish large Elixir expenditures of your opponent with dark Prince and Ram. Defend with a combination Guards, Tesla, Witch, Giant skeleton and/or Spear Goblins and the counter push. if necessary build a large push using Giant skeleton, Witch, and dark Prince.
Do not be afraid to Clone. I have taken a Tower with a nearly dead Witch a group of her spawned Skeletons when i cloned them. Do not expect this every time but know it can happen.
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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