AI Overview: This Mortar Cannon deck averages 3.0 elixir and has three buildings and three spells. Many players call it Mortarpreneur and built it to beat big combo pushes with less elixir. In 2026 the Cannon’s base-card lists all won 53.0% or more, though base Mortar lists ranged only from 41.9% to 51.9%, and this exact list has no tracker sample. Each card is checked one by one below.
Last Updated: October 2026
Key Points:
- The deck costs 24 elixir, which is 3.0 on average, with three buildings and three spells.
- All eight printed base-card Cannon lists won 53.0% or more, and seven of them are Hog Cycle.
- Mortar’s base-card lists range from 41.9% to 51.9%.
- Fireball hits towers for 159, down from 207, and Zap for 48, down from 58.
- Inferno Tower had no 2026 change, and its best list wins 65.8% over about 3,000 battles.
The Mortar Cannon List, Priced Card by Card
The idea is simple. Defend with the Inferno Tower, Cannon and cheap cards, then counter-push with a Mortar once elixir reaches 7 or more.
| Card | Elixir | Job in the deck | 2026 status |
| Mortar | 4 | Main win condition | Base-card lists 41.9% to 51.9% |
| Cannon | 3 | Cheap defense and Mortar guard | Evo barrage 281 to 261 on October 6; all eight printed base-card lists won 53.0% or more, seven of them Hog Cycle |
| Skeletons | 1 | Cycles the Mortar and defends | Spawn spread tighter on October 6; best list 68.6% over about 3,800 |
| Archers | 3 | Cycle card and anti-swarm defense | Best list 70.6% over 695; Evo Power Shot 168 to 140 |
| Zap | 2 | Reset and counter to Sparky | Crown Tower damage 58 to 48 on June 1; Evo Zap 77.0% over about 1,000 |
| Fireball | 4 | Spell that clears support troops | Crown Tower damage 207 to 172 to 159; best list 60.4% over about 4,700 |
| Inferno Tower | 5 | Melts tanks on defense | No 2026 change; best list 65.8% over about 3,000 (LogBait) |
| The Log | 2 | Counter to Princess and small pushes | Crown Tower damage 41 to 35 on June 1; best list 65.1% over 3,500 |
The table lists all eight cards, their elixir costs and where each stands after the 2026 patches.
A siege deck lives on small gains. The negative effect: Fireball and Zap both hit towers for less now, so the spells that clear a Mortar’s path do a little less, and a long game can drift against the deck.
What Changed in 2026
The Mortar, Cannon, Skeletons and Inferno Tower were not changed in 2026. Fireball hits towers for 159 instead of 207, Zap for 48 instead of 58, and The Log for 35 instead of 41. Only the Cannon’s Evolution changed, and this deck uses the base card.
Claims, rechecked. The Archers can be replaced by the Princess, the Fireball by Rocket or Lightning, and the Inferno Tower by a Tesla or Mini P.E.K.K.A. The Tesla’s best list wins 64.2% over 1,800 battles and Lightning’s best wins 72.1%, so the swaps are not poor, but they change the elixir cost.
The weak spots. The Mortar is the weakest piece on the data: its base-card lists range from 41.9% to 51.9%. The Cannon looks much better, since all eight printed base-card lists won 53.0% or more, but seven of them are Hog Cycle decks, not siege.
Card pages: Mortar, Cannon, Inferno Tower and Fireball.
The deck is unlike any other, with three spells and three buildings. The negative effect: a deck that is unlike others is hard to find tips for, and the Mortar’s mixed results mean a player who loses a few games has no clear fix.
How to Play It Today
Here’s the thing: the main idea is to counter the opponent’s push with less elixir than they used, then counter-push with Mortar plus Cannon or Mortar plus Inferno. Once the Mortar is down, protect it and keep a couple of elixir for the answer.
Tips. Get very familiar with the deck, play with sharp micro, and take a 10 to 15 minute break after a losing streak. A streak of losses makes players angry and careless.
Translation: against a Sparky push, put the Inferno Tower down, then a Cannon in front of it, then Skeletons around the Sparky, and Zap it if needed. Against Giant combos, put the Inferno Tower 4 tiles from the river and 3 tiles from the tower being attacked. Against a P.E.K.K.A, keep her away from the Inferno with Archers or Skeletons.
Elixir math: the Mortar and Inferno Tower take 9 of the 24 elixir. The other six cost 15, about 2.5 each. A Mortar plus Cannon push is only 7 elixir.
Try it yourself: pull Mortar Cannon Deck into the Clash Royale Deck Builder and play with the numbers. It averages 3.0 elixir. It is a classic list rather than a tracked one, which means no 2026 win rate.
You can reach a state where two or three Mortars are down and elixir is full. The negative effect: that only works if the opponent keeps making bad trades, and a patient opponent who ignores the Mortar and hits the tower will cut that plan short.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Mortar Cannon deck good in 2026?
The Cannon’s base-card lists all won 53.0% or more and the Inferno Tower’s best wins 65.8%, but the Mortar’s lists are mixed and this exact list has no tracker sample, so test the Mortar slot first.
What is the average elixir cost?
Add the eight costs and you get 24; that is 3.0 per card.
What stops Sparky?
An Inferno Tower with a Cannon in front, Skeletons around it, and Zap to reset the charge.
When should the Mortar go down?
At 7 or more elixir, after a good defense. It can also be used as a last-second defense to draw a Hog or Giant.
What can replace The Log?
Elixir Collector, Arrows or Ice Spirit.
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.
This Arena 6-9 Mortar deck is designed to give the user a snowballing, tempoed win over the opponent while sustaining minimum damage to their own towers. It is especially good at neutralizing huge beatdown combo pushes, such as Giant, Sparky, P.E.K.K.A, Balloon, etc. This guide will show you how to use this deck, its strengths, its weaknesses, and everything else you will need to know to use it.
I call this deck Mortarpreneur. Why “Mortarpreneur”? Because this deck is extremely unique, with three spells and three buildings, there is no other deck like it. Let’s get started!
(Note: the subs listed down below are not recommended, but can be used if desired)
- Mortar: The main win condition for this deck. When paired with another building and protected well, will make a great “push”.
- Cannon: A good, cheap defense useful to take out smaller support troops such as Valkyrie, Wizard, or Mini P.E.K.K.A. Best when paired with the Mortar to help protect it.
- Skeletons: Great to cycle through the Mortar while great on defense, especially against Sparky and P.E.K.K.A.
- Archers: Also nice to cycle the Mortar, but also invaluable on defense when placed near the middle of your side. Can take out a Minion Horde from there! Sub: Princess (not Spear Goblins!!!)
- Zap: An extremely versatile card necessary to counter sparky, useful to take out small troops like Goblins and Minions as well.
- Fireball: Another useful facet in taking out beatdown pushes, will take out the support troops. Also a valid counter for Minion Horde, or small Hog Rider pushes like Hog Valkyrie Minions. Sub: Rocket, Lightning.
Take a look at here to read more about the Fireball! - Inferno Tower: The most useful part in taking out beatdown pushes, when planted near the middle of your side will melt the tank unit AND the support units.
Sub: Tesla, Mini P.E.K.K.A - Log: When used correctly, can provide insane value. The best counter in the game for Princess. It can help take out small hog pushes, and I’ll even use it to take out Goblin Barrel when Zap is not an option. Sub: Elixir Collector (I used to use the Collector before I got The Log), Arrows, Ice Spirit
General Strategy:
The main idea of this deck is to easily counter the opponents pushes with less elixir than they used, then counter push with a Mortar-Cannon/Mortar-Inferno once at high elixir (7+ elixir). Once a mortar is down, you need to protect it at all costs, but make sure to always have a couple elixir left after making a counter to what they try to take out your mortar with. For example, if they put down barbarians right by the mortar, fireball it with light-speed. If you can keep this up enough, you can reach what I call “a state of enlightenment” where something almost not explainable happens. You are countering them so quickly and so elixir-friendly that you are cycling through Mortars so quickly you can get multiple down. The weird part is, when this happens and you have multiple Mortars down, you somehow come to be at full Elixir with 2 or Three Mortars down! It literally almost seems too easy! If you have reached this state, then you pretty much have a guaranteed win.
Tips:
- The best way to get good with any deck including this one, is to get extremely familiar with it. I might have done a total of 80 trainer battles with this deck alone maybe?
- Being a great technical microplayer is extremely beneficial, especially with any siege decks like this one.
- If you are trophy pushing and lose more than once in a row, just take a 10-15 minute break! When you start losing in waves, you start to get angry and you expect the wins to come to you. This slippery slope can be avoided with a small break.
- Don’t be afraid to use a mortar as a last second defense to draw a Hog or Giant!
Counters:
Sparky: For a sparky combo push, I usually put down my Inferno then a cannon in front of it to take one hit from sparky, while the inferno gets rid of the tanky unit. I then plant Skeletons around the Sparky to take a blast or two, and if necessary, I will Zap it, which resets its charge-up.
Giant: For combos like Giant Witch or Giant Bowler, I simply will plant an inferno tower 4 tiles away from the river, and 3 tiles away from the tower that is being attacked. This should take out both units. For more advanced pushes like P.E.K.k.A Witch Wizard or Giant Musketeer Wizard, I will split up the combo by placing an Inferno 4 tiles away from the river and 3 tiles away from the tower that is NOT being attacked, which will only draw the Giant. Then, Ill put a Cannon down in front of my tower and archers and Skeletons to take out the smaller units in back.
P.E.K.K.A: For P.E.K.K.As, I use the same strategy as for giant combos, except you must not let the P.E.K.K.A get to the Inferno Tower! To prevent this, place Archers or Skeletons down to take the blows instead.
That’s all I have for this guide, I hope it was helpful! If you have any questions, feel free to message me here, or kik me at phillylife_74 and I will answer them! Also, feel free to temporarily join my clan: The Ashen Oath! I will not only answer questions you may have, but I will also train you! But our clan won’t just train you with my Mortarpreneur deck, but we also have an extremely good chip cycle trainer, and a few other specialized players to help you out!
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)
- The original clash.world page (2016 to 2024), kept in full below