AI Overview: The Graveyard in Clash Royale is a 5-elixir Legendary spell that spawns skeletons anywhere in the arena. It needs a tank or a spell to protect the skeletons from the first hit. Numbers were pulled from the October 2026 card data. The official card list supplied every cost.
Last Updated: October 2026
Key Points:
- Graveyard costs 5, is a Legendary spell, and unlocks in Arena 12 (Spooky Town). Arena 5.
- Skeleton count is now 12 (13 before June 1). Up to 20.
- Top deck 71.6%. It is the worst Legendary on release day.
- Four deck types: Beatdown tank, Beatdown blitz, Control, Cycle. Costs 28, 26, 29 and 26.
- Hardest counters: Valkyrie and Baby Dragon. Poison and Freeze answer them.
How Graveyard Works Now
It says Graveyard unlocks in Arena 5, spawns up to 20 skeletons in 10 seconds, and has a 1.5-second delay. Several of those numbers are out of date. Today the card is a 5-elixir Legendary spell that unlocks in Arena 12, and SeeMeta lists the skeleton count going from 13 to 12 on June 1.
What stays true: it is cast anywhere, the skeletons spawn at random within the radius, and a lone Graveyard on an unprotected tower does real damage. It needs a tank or a spell to keep the skeletons alive. Skeletons can wake the King Tower if the ring touches it.
| Old claim | Today |
| Unlocks in Arena 5 | Arena 12, Spooky Town |
| Up to 20 skeletons over 10 seconds | 12 skeletons since June 1 (13 before) |
| Cost 5, Legendary spell | Same |
| Radius 5 tiles, 1.5 s first spawn | Not verified against current data |
| Worst Legendary (release-day opinion) | Top deck now wins 71.6% |
Release-day reviews are hard to trust. The card’s top deck wins 71.6% in the tracker sample, and the two main styles are Graveyard Poison and Giant Graveyard (see the Graveyard guide). For more on how a spell can finish a push, see the synergies guide.
The skeleton count has already dropped from 13 to 12, and Supercell could trim it again if Graveyard decks stay on top. The negative effect: a card tuned by one skeleton at a time can lose a tower kill without anyone noticing which patch did it.
Four Deck Types and When to Cast
Timing: the Graveyard needs a precise moment. Cast it with leftover troops after a defense, or in double elixir once a tank reaches the bridge. The best time is usually double elixir, because 5 elixir is a lot early.
| Deck type | Cards | Cost |
| Beatdown tank | Giant, Graveyard, Zap, Tombstone, Minions, Mega Minion, Skeleton Army, Fireball | 5+5+2+3+3+3+3+4 = 28 (3.5) |
| Beatdown blitz | Graveyard, Hog Rider, Ice Golem, Zap, Archers, Tombstone, Mega Minion, Fireball | 5+4+2+2+3+3+3+4 = 26 (3.3) |
| Control | Bowler, Graveyard, Inferno Tower, Mega Minion, Ice Golem, Zap, Archers, Fireball | 5+5+5+3+2+2+3+4 = 29 (3.6) |
| Cycle | Miner, Graveyard, Zap, Ice Golem, Fireball, Inferno Tower, Minions, Goblins | 3+5+2+2+4+5+3+2 = 26 (3.3) |
The Giant combo costs 10. Giant plus Graveyard is a big spend. Tombstone plus Guards (6 total) beats it by 4 elixir, then you counter-push with Hog Rider as the Guards cross the river. The cycle deck’s last card is labelled only Goblin in the old image, so this page reads it as Goblins (2).
Cheap tanks work best. Cards above about 500 hit points, such as Ice Golem, Knight, Valkyrie, Giant and Mega Minion, shield the skeletons well. Miner plus Graveyard is a classic cycle surprise.
Versus these decks, play passively against Control and overwhelm them in double elixir. Against Cycle, keep track of their cards and hold the right counter. Check the card pages for current numbers: Miner, Bowler and Hog Rider.
Evolutions and Heroes now give Graveyard decks extra tanks and splash, which makes the old four types blur. The negative effect: a deck labelled Control may play like Beatdown once a Hero joins, and a counter plan based on the label may miss.
Ten Counters and How to Beat Them
| Counter | Cost | How to beat it |
| Valkyrie | 4 | Rocket plus Zap is a big loss; Freeze is better |
| Baby Dragon | 4 | Bait it with swarms first; Rocket or Freeze stops it |
| Skeleton Army | 3 | Arrows, Zap, Fireball or The Log |
| Minion Horde / Minions | 5 / 3 | Arrows or Fireball |
| Barbarians | 5 | Fireball weakens them and hits the tower |
| Ice Wizard, Musketeer, Witch, Electro Wizard | 3 to 5 | Fireball |
| Spear Goblins / Goblins | 2 | Zap |
| Guards | 3 | Arrows the shield, Zap the Guards (a poor trade) |
| Three Musketeers | 9 | Fireball |
| Archers | 3 | Fireball them at the back |
The pattern: Valkyrie and Baby Dragon are the hardest because most of your spells do not stop them. Poison and Freeze are the answers: Poison runs 8 seconds and Graveyard 10, so troops rot. Poison’s best deck wins 68.6% over about 3,800 battles.
Why Poison pairs well: Poison (4) and Graveyard (5) cost 9 together. Poison clears the swarm that comes to defend, and its damage over time keeps working on the troops that run toward the skeletons. Tank, Graveyard, then Poison on the defenders is the usual order.
Do not cast on the tower alone. A lone Graveyard on a tower does between 1,800 and 2,300 damage, but only if it is not countered. Placing it to the side of the tower avoids the King, though it makes the skeletons easier to defend.
That is true on defense, where Skeleton Army (3) is cheaper. The difference is that Graveyard is a spell and does not need to cross the river. See the Skeleton Army guide.
If the best Graveyard deck keeps winning, spell damage and Poison could be the next targets. The negative effect: Poison also supports many other decks, and a cut aimed at Graveyard would hit every deck that uses it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Graveyard cost?
5 elixir.
Where does Graveyard unlock?
Arena 12, Spooky Town.
How many skeletons does Graveyard spawn?
12 since June 1; it was 13 before.
What counters Graveyard?
Valkyrie, Baby Dragon, Skeleton Army, Minion Horde, Barbarians and Guards.
What deck types use Graveyard?
Beatdown tank, Beatdown blitz, Control and Cycle.
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)