AI Overview: This Royal Giant Lightning deck averages 3.9 elixir and pairs a tank with the Executioner, Furnace and Lightning. Royal Giant had no 2026 change, and Lightning’s best list wins 72.1%. Lightning, Zap and The Log all lost tower damage in June, while the Executioner lost range in August. The old plan still reads the same but runs a little slower.
Last Updated: October 2026
Key Points:
- The deck costs 31 elixir, which is 3.9 on average, with two spells that cost 6 and 2.
- Royal Giant had no 2026 change, and its Evolution lists win between 56.9% and 79.8%.
- Lightning lost Crown Tower damage (286 to 265) on June 1, and its best list still wins 72.1% over 736 battles.
- Executioner projectile range fell from 7.5 to 7 tiles on August 4, and his best Evolution list wins 59.9%.
- Furnace range fell from 6 to 5.5 tiles on June 1, but its best list wins 72.1% over 1,100.
The Royal Giant Lightning List, Priced Card by Card
The Executioner is the heart of it, because he counters the counters to the Royal Giant.
| Card | Elixir | Job in the deck | 2026 status |
| Royal Giant | 6 | Win condition and tank | No 2026 change; Evolution lists 56.9% to 79.8% |
| Executioner | 5 | Splash support that beats the counters to RG | Projectile range 7.5 to 7 tiles on August 4; best Evo list 59.9% over 504 |
| Furnace | 4 | Defense and lane pressure | Range 6 to 5.5 tiles on June 1; best list 72.1% over 1,100 |
| Skeleton Army | 3 | Tank killer and distraction | No 2026 change; Evolution best 65.1% over 3,500, base best 55.6% |
| The Log | 2 | Ground swarm spell | Crown Tower damage 41 to 35 on June 1; best list 65.1% over 3,500 |
| Zap | 2 | Cheap reset spell | Crown Tower damage 58 to 48 on June 1; Evo Zap 77.0% over about 1,000 |
| Minions | 3 | Air defense and tank killer | No 2026 change; best list 65.2% over 2,300 |
| Lightning | 6 | Heavy spell for buildings and groups | Crown Tower damage 286 to 265 on June 1; best 72.1% over 736 |
The table prices the eight cards and adds the October 2026 status of each.
The deck stacks heavy spells and a building on one tank. The negative effect: if the next patch trims Lightning again or lifts the swarm cards the Executioner counters, the old plan loses its edge over other Royal Giant decks.
What Changed in 2026
Three cards here lost reach or damage. Lightning hits a tower for 265, not 286. The Executioner throws 7 tiles, not 7.5. The Furnace reaches 5.5 tiles, not 6. None of these changes breaks the deck, but each one makes the old plan a little slower.
Replacements. The Skeleton Army could be swapped, and that he first used the Musketeer in the Executioner slot before getting the card. That story also shows the deck’s shape: a tank plus a splash support plus a heavy spell has worked for years.
The Royal Giant is steady. No 2026 patch touched him, and his Evolution lists range widely, from 56.9% to 79.8%. Minions have a best list of 65.2%, and the old reason for choosing them over Minion Horde still reads well.
Card pages: Royal Giant, Executioner and Lightning.
About heavy Golem decks and other Royal Giant decks. The negative effect: if Golem or a second Royal Giant list gets stronger in the next patch, this deck has fewer cheap answers than most lists, and it can lose a race it started well.
How to Play It Today
Here’s the thing: know when to put the Royal Giant down. Do not send him if the opponent has the elixir lead. But overcommitting is fine in double elixir, because this is the opposite of a control deck. After defending with the Executioner, counter-push with the Royal Giant.
Matchups. The Executioner is handy against Lava Hound and Zap bait. The Furnace kills swarms and keeps pressure. Skeleton Army and Minions are the answers to tanks, and that Skeleton Army can almost take a tower alone if the opponent does nothing.
Translation: keep the Executioner away from the tower if the opponent has Rocket or a strong Lightning, because a spell could kill him and hit the tower. Use the Furnace in the middle for lane pressure, and keep Skeleton Army for defense.
Elixir math: the Royal Giant and Lightning take 12 of the 31 elixir. The other six cards average 3.2, with two cards at 2 elixir, which is how the deck can cycle back.
Try it yourself: the Clash Royale Deck Builder has Royal Giant Lightning Deck preloaded, so you can swap a card or two before a match. The average sits at 3.9 elixir. No 2026 win rate exists for this exact list.
A deck with Lightning and Executioner is exposed to the same spell. The negative effect: if the opponent saves a Rocket or Lightning for the Executioner, the deck loses its main splash and the Royal Giant may have to cross the bridge alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Royal Giant Lightning good in 2026?
Royal Giant had no 2026 change and Lightning’s best list wins 72.1%, but this exact list has no tracker sample, so read it as direction.
What is the average elixir cost?
Add the eight costs and you get 31; that is 3.9 per card.
Why use the Executioner?
What is the deck weak to?
Why Minions and not Minion Horde?
They cost less, and they do the same job with less risk.
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.
Hey guys, it’s Royal Giant FTW here with the Royal Lightning Deck. This deck is currently being used a lot above 4,000 trophies and also in Arena 8 and 9.
I started to use this deck in Royal Arena with Musketeer (since there was no Executioner) and I got to 2700 trophies. Recently, I got the Executioner and put him instead of Musketeer. After that I pushed to 2800 in one day!
Royal Giant Lightning Deck For Pushing Trophies
Pros:
- Very hard to counter during double elixir time
- Good against Lava Hound and Siege decks
- Resistant to Inferno tower and swarm troops
Cons:
- A bit weak to heavy Golem decks but manageable
- Uses a legendary
- Somewhat weak to other RG decks
Let’s start off with the cards in this phenomenal deck!
Average Elixir Cost: 3.9
Card Breakdown
Royal Giant – The reason I chose this mighty, burly guy as my favorite tank is because of his annoyance to the opponent and his ability to quickly lock onto the tower. If you pair him up with a stable support, he is very hard to stop and you will leave the opponent with the angry face after the match.
Royal Giant mostly takes no skill to use but here are some things you need to know:
- Know when to put him down. If you think the opponent has the elixir lead, don’t recklessly send RG without even thinking or you will have massive disadvantage.
- It’s actually OK to overcommit with him. He IS a burly tank after all, and this deck is totally the opposite of control decks. In double elixir time, go all in with your troops. It will pay off at the end, so don’t worry! 😀
So hands down this tank is one of the best in the game imo.
Executioner – Even after the nerf, this sneaky-looking guy stands strong. A loyal companion to all tanks, he can decimate Minion Hordes, Skeleton Armies, Goblins, Goblin Gang, etc. Executioner basically counters the counters to RG! He is also handy on defense, against Lava Hound, Zap Bait, and more.
Although he is basically a defensive and offensive beast, watch out for spells that can shut HIM down! If the opponent carries Rocket or a high-level Lightning, don’t put him close to the tower or else he will get his chance to make a good value by killing your Executioner and doing lots of damage to the tower.
Don’t forget, after you defend with him, always make sure to counterpush with RG to scare the opponent and take down the tower!
Furnace – This building is another good defensive card handy to kill swarms. Keep Furnace down in the middle to put some pressure on the opponent. The good thing is, even if you have an underleveled Furnace, I will still allow you to use it! Just put RG or Executioner in front of the two Fire Spirits and they will have no trouble getting to the tower. Not much to say, I bet a million bucks you guys already know how to use this meta building!
Skeleton Army – These skeletons shut down tanks and are experts at distracting troops. You can also use them as cycle troops if you have nothing to do. I wouldn’t counterpush if I were you because they don’t fir with all the other cards in this deck and plus it is easily countered. So for the whole game, use this bunch for defense and if the opponent does nothing, you can actually almost kill the tower with 15 skeletons attacking! If you don’t want to use Skarmy, I will have a replacements section below so you can look there.
Minions – Like the Skeleton Army, Minions are very good at killing tanks too! This is your primary source to kill Lava Hound, Balloon, and Graveyard, maybe Executioner for support defense. The reason I chose Minions over Minion Horde is:
- Minions are cheaper so less risky playing.
- Minion Horde is easily countered by low cost troops and spells (same as Minions, but at least the opponent won’t make a big profit because Minions are only 3 elixir)
- Minions basically do the same job (killing lots of air and ground troops) as Minion Horde but cheaper!
Minions have always been a balanced card over the past metas (according to Ash) and they will always stand as a great defensive card. This doesn’t mean they are just defense, they are also good support for your RG! I totally recommend keeping this card in this deck as it it VERY important.
Zap – Not much to say, use for Skarmys, Goblins, any squishy troop that is good at defending RG. Zap is also a good defensive spell as it makes a good profit on Minion Horde for a positive elixir trade.
The Log – This is my first legendary I got and my favorite spell of all! You use it the same way as Zap, killing low-health swarms, but also this spiky madness is very good at defense, chipping the tower, and last-second knockbacks! The Log is so versatile at the moment because of all the usefulness it provides. Just remember, only Log things that are worth logging or else you just wasted it and the opponent can do something like Skarmy or Goblin Barrel for offense. Because of the Zap nerf a while ago, The Log is the only counter to Goblin Barrel for a positive elixir trade and no hits allowed. I think The Log is the best legendary right now imo.
Lightning – This spell counters RG’s best counter: Inferno Tower! Maybe Inferno Dragon, but most people would use Inferno Tower. For this combination, RG + Executioner +Lightning, you have to start off with RG at the back, then put Executioner behind him, then have Lightning ready. The reason you should put RG first is because the opponent might counterpush on the other lane and you might need the Executioner for his push. Once that happens, you can aggressively push as normal and you most likely won the match. Just make sure to focus on defensive positive elixir trades and you will be fine!
Also use Lightning to take down any medium-health troop like Witch, Wizard, Ice Wizard, Three Muskies, Musketeer, Mega Minion, etc.
General Gameplan
Offense: Pressure, pressure, pressure!
RG and Furnace will keep the opponent busy for the whole game. During double elixir time, I highly recommend you overcommit to finish towers quickly and show the opponent that you are not a passive player! No need to care about your elixir as you will quickly regain your elixir anyway.
Like I said a while ago, when pushing, keep an eye on the other lane in case the opponent decides to counterpush. Have your Executioner, Minions, and Skarmy ready for anything that comes your way. Play aggressively, and don’t just stand there waiting for what the opponent will do.
Defense
Executioner + Minions + Skarmy + Furnace + Zap/The Log will pretty much defend anything. Hold off anything then counterpush with RG.
Here are some deck matchups in case you play against one of them:
Lava Hound: Minions + Executioner will defend the Hound and any support behind it.
Beatdown: Skarmy for tank, Minions for backup. Furnace to pull tank to the middle so both towers can shoot it. Executioner or Lightning to kill support. When the opponent puts the tank, immediately put RG on the other side. He might me forced to use his support on the RG so you can easily defend the lone tank.
Zap Bait: Executioner, The Log, Zap, Furnace, this deck can hold off Zap Bait pretty well. Just don’t get tricked by the Goblin Barrel placement!
Siege: RG will shut down Mortar and X-Bow on its own.
Hog Cycle: Furnace or Skarmy for Hog. Since the support will usually be low-health, use The Log. You should be fine with these decks as long as you don’t make a mistake with any of your defenses.
Miner Control: Skarmy for Miner, Executioner for the Minions. Control decks aren’t aggressive so you can easily counter them.
Conclusion
I hope you found this guide helpful and I hope you try out my deck! Just note that this is not a ladder deck since in challenges the highest level RG you can have in 9, and I think that is not good enough. Make sure to have your RG at least level 10 and you’ll be fine!
Have a Clashtastic day, and hope you liked my guide as this is my first one! 😀
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