AI Overview: The best Clash Royale decks of 2020 were ten lists built around Bridge Spam, Hog Cycle, X-Bow, Royal Giant, Golem, Three Musketeers, Ram Rider, Bait and Lava Hound. This page keeps all of them, adds their elixir sums, and sets each win condition beside October 2026 win rates, so readers can see which ideas still work today.
Last Updated: October 2026
Key Points:
- Nine show their eight cards, and the Royal Giant list names no cards.
- Elixir averages run from 2.6 (Hog Cycle) to 4.2 (Golem). Cheaper cycles are easier to learn.
- 2026 best printed lists: Hog Rider 61.2%, X-Bow 62.7%, Golem 68.7%, P.E.K.K.A 65.8%, Bandit 72.1%.
- Three Musketeers lists at 4.8 elixir or more all won under 49%. Lava Hound samples are small (241 battles at best).
- Treat the old lists as ideas to rebuild in the Deck Builder, not as copy-paste decks.
The Ten 2020 Decks and What They Cost
Cards have been buffed, nerfed and reworked many times since. Still, the shapes survive. A cheap cycle with one win condition, a mini tank and two spells is as valid today as it was then.
| Old deck | Eight cards on the page | Total elixir (average) |
| P.E.K.K.A Bridge Spam | P.E.K.K.A, Bandit, Royal Ghost, Battle Ram, Minions, Zap, Poison, Electro Wizard | 30 (3.8) |
| 2.6 Hog Cycle | Hog Rider, Fireball, Zap, Ice Golem, Skeletons, Ice Spirit, Musketeer, Cannon | 21 (2.6) |
| Musicmaster’s X-Bow | Elixir Collector, X-Bow, Ice Golem, Skeletons, Ice Spirit, Musketeer, Fireball, Tesla | 28 (3.5) |
| Classic Siege Barrel (Royal Giant) | The page names no cards for this one | Not listed |
| Golem Beatdown | Golem, Barbarian Barrel, Tornado, Lightning, Baby Dragon, Dark Prince, Mega Minion, Lumberjack | 34 (4.2) |
| Three Musketeers | Minion Horde, Giant Snowball, Barbarian Barrel, Elixir Collector, Bandit, Battle Ram, Ice Golem, Three Musketeers | 33 (4.1) |
| P.E.K.K.A Bridge Spam (second list) | P.E.K.K.A, Baby Dragon, Dark Prince, Magic Archer, Barbarian Barrel, Electro Wizard, Lightning, Giant Snowball | 33 (4.1) |
| Ram Rider Bridge Spam | Lumberjack, Barbarian Barrel, Bandit, Giant Snowball, Musketeer, Ice Golem, Minions, Ram Rider | 25 (3.1) |
| Prince Rascals Bait | Goblin Gang, Dart Goblin, Princess, The Log, Goblin Barrel, Prince, Rocket, Rascals | 30 (3.8) |
| Lava Hound | Baby Dragon, Night Witch, Poison, Barbarian Barrel, Inferno Dragon, Barbarians, Miner, Lava Hound | 33 (4.1) |
The sums use today’s elixir costs from the official card list. Many players call the 2.6 Hog Cycle one of the best decks out there. Its 21 elixir is the lowest of the ten, and the Golem deck at 34 is the highest. For a cheap start, read the Hog Rider guide and the Ice Golem guide.
The nine lists above were built before Evolutions, Heroes and the Season 88 patch. The negative effect: a player who copies a 2020 list into a 2026 game may find that replacements like Electro Dragon for Electro Wizard, no longer fill the same job.
What 2026 Data Say About Each Win Condition
The table below does not rank the old decks. It shows how each main win condition performs now, using the best deck RoyaleTracker printed for the card in October 2026. The numbers come from samples of different sizes, so a tiny sample counts for less than a big one.
| Win condition | Best printed 2026 list | Notes from the card guides |
| Hog Rider | 61.2% over about 3,800 battles | No 2026 balance change; 30 decks tracked |
| X-Bow | 62.7% over 1,300 battles | Damage 58 to 61 on October 6; five of six printed lists above 57% |
| Golem | 68.7% over about 1,400 battles | No 2026 balance change |
| Three Musketeers | 70.6% over 695 battles | Hitpoints 883 to 906 on October 6; only two of seven lists above 50% |
| Lava Hound | 78.8% over 241 battles | Damage 53 to 71 on October 6; every sample under 320 battles |
| P.E.K.K.A | 65.8% over 754 battles | Damage 816 to 842 on July 6 |
| Bandit | 72.1% over about 1,100 battles | No 2026 balance change |
| Battle Ram | 57.6% over 663 battles (base card) | Sight range 5.5 to 6.5 tiles on September 8 |
| Prince | 52.5% over 1,300 battles | Only one of seven printed lists above 50% |
The takeaway: the two cheap cycles from 2020 still sit near the top. Every printed Ice Golem list is a Hog Cycle list and wins over 53%, and the Cannon’s eight base-card lists all win 53.0% or more. The heavy lists are the weak spot. The four Three Musketeers lists at 4.8 elixir or more won under 49%.
Win condition guides on this site: Golem, P.E.K.K.A and Bandit. For siege, see the X-Bow guide.
Lava Hound posted 78.8% on 241 battles after a damage buff on October 6. The negative effect: a few hundred battles can flatter a card for a week, and a player who rebuilds the Lava Hound list now may be chasing a number that falls once thousands of games arrive.
Three Lessons the Old Decks Still Teach
One: average cost sets the pace. The ten lists run from 2.6 to 4.2 elixir. A 2.6 deck cycles back to Hog Rider in a few plays, while a 4.2 deck needs patience and a lead. Pick the pace first, then the cards.
Two: do not overcommit. It in four separate deck notes, for Hog Cycle, X-Bow, Bridge Spam and Bait. If a push fails when the elixir bar is empty, the counter push takes a tower. That rule is older than any card on the page and still holds.
Check each swap against today’s cost and role in the anti-meta checklist before trusting it.
To rebuild any list here, open the Deck Builder, load the cards, and read the elixir bar. The older deck boxes at the bottom of this page were converted to the same card chart.
Balance patches arrive every month or so, and the October 6 round touched X-Bow, Three Musketeers and Lava Hound. The negative effect: any deck list printed today, including the numbers on this page, can be out of date within weeks, so a saved list is a starting point and never a promise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best Clash Royale decks right now?
The best printed 2026 lists include Hog Cycle, X-Bow, Golem and P.E.K.K.A decks. See the table above for win rates and sample sizes.
Is the 2.6 Hog Cycle deck still good?
The cheap cycle idea is. Hog Rider has no 2026 change and its best printed list wins 61.2% over about 3,800 battles.
Can players copy a 2020 deck list today?
Not blindly. Many cards were reworked since 2020, so check each card against the current stats first.
Which old deck costs the most?
The Golem Beatdown list, at 34 elixir, or 4.2 on average.
Why do Three Musketeers decks win less?
In 2026 data, the lists at 4.8 elixir or more all won under 49%, and only two of seven printed lists won over 50%.
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)