In a recent community survey of Clash Royale players across a wide range of trophy counts, one truth became undeniable: the Hog Rider is still king of the Arena. From casual players at 4,000 trophies to seasoned competitors pushing 10,000, the Hog Rider cycle decks continue to dominate as the most-used archetype.

Hog Rider Leads the Charge

The Hog 2.6 cycle deck stood out as the single most popular choice. Its fast cycle, consistent pressure, and ability to chip away at towers make it a reliable favorite. Variants like Hog EQ, Hog Firecracker, and even experimental Hog Mighty Miner decks also appeared frequently, showing just how versatile this classic win condition remains.

The Rise of the Balloon

Right behind Hog Rider in popularity is the Balloon. Decks like Lumberjack/Balloon Freeze, Miner/Balloon, and Lavahound/Balloon continue to devastate opponents by sneaking a Balloon past distracted defenses. Players at both mid-level and top ladder seem to love the raw damage potential of a single Balloon hit.

Other Popular Win Conditions

• Goblin Barrel / Log Bait: Many players reported success with bait decks featuring Goblin Barrel, often paired with Mega Knight or Princess for strong counter-pushes.
• X-Bow: Control players still cling to the siege archetype, with multiple mentions of 3.0 X-Bow cycle decks.
• Royal Hogs & Recruits: At higher trophy counts, Royal Hogs cycle and Royal Recruits bait decks also made a strong showing, especially when paired with Earthquake for anti-building pressure.
• **Graveyard

Clash Royale Report: Hog Rider Dominates as Balloon and Goblin Barrel Trail Close Behind

In the ever-shifting world of Clash Royale, trends rise and fall with every balance update, card evolution, and meta shake-up. Yet, despite years of competition and countless new mechanics, some classics never die. A recent survey of more than 100 active players across multiple trophy ranges (1,000–10,000) paints a clear picture: the Hog Rider remains the most trusted win condition in the game, with the Balloon, Goblin Barrel, and Royal Hogs close behind.

The Numbers: Breaking Down Player Choices

Across our survey players were asked three key questions:

1. What is your primary deck?
2. What is your main win condition?
3. What is your current trophy count?

When tallied, the results revealed some striking patterns:

• Hog Rider was listed as the main win condition, as it was used in 22% of all submitted decks. Variants included Hog 2.6 elixir cycle, Hog/Earthquake, Hog/Firecracker, and Mighty Miner/Hog cycle.
• Balloon-based strategies (LumberLoon Freeze, LavaLoon, Miner Balloon, Balloon cycle hybrids) accounted for 19% of reported decks.
• Goblin Barrel / Log Bait archetypes appeared in 14% of decks, often paired with Mega Knight, Princess, or tricky hybrid strategies.
• Royal Hogs were featured in 10%, usually combined with Earthquake or Royal Recruits.
• Graveyard decks (Splashyard and Mother Witch variants) held 7% of responses.
• X-Bow control decks represented 5%, a smaller but very loyal portion of players.
• Other win conditions like Golem, Pekka, Giant Skeleton, Miner Poison, and Elite Barbarians filled the rest of the field.

When grouped more broadly, win condition archetypes split into the following popularity rankings:

1. Hog Rider – 22%
2. Balloon – 19%
3. Goblin Barrel / Log Bait – 14%
4. Royal Hogs – 10%
5. Graveyard – 7%
6. X-Bow – 5%
7. Heavy Beatdown (Golem, Giant Skeleton, Pekka, Lava Hound, Elite Barbs, etc.) – 23% combined

Hog Rider: Still the King of the Arena

It should surprise no one that Hog Rider, a card available from early arenas, continues to dominate even at the top of the ladder. Players cited its speed, cheap cost (4 elixir), and ability to pressure constantly as the key reasons for sticking with Hog cycle decks.

Notably, the 2.6 Hog cycle retains a consistent usage rate. Even among players with over 8,500 trophies, it showed up consistently, often paired with variations like the Earthquake spell for building control or Firecracker for cheap anti-air defense.

One survey response simply wrote: “HOGGGGGG RIDAAAAAAA” when asked for a win condition, showing the emotional bond players have with the trusty troop.

Balloon: The Big Damage Dealer

If Hog Rider is about consistency, the Balloon is about raw punishment. The survey showed Balloon decks make up nearly 1 in 5 ladder choices, a number that rivals Hog Rider in popularity.

Decks like LumberLoon Freeze are a go-to at 7,000–9,500 trophies, while LavaLoon thrives in the higher ranges where opponents often struggle to defend both air tanks and aerial DPS. Miner Balloon hybrids also proved popular, with the Miner drawing tower aggro while the Balloon sneaks in for devastating hits.

One player described their strategy simply: “Baloon.” Another put it more poetically: “I just defend, then bridge spam maybe Mega Knight, but the Balloon is what wins me the game.”

Goblin Barrel & Log Bait: Tricky and Timeless

Log Bait decks continue to thrive, holding about 14% of the field. The Goblin Barrel remains the centerpiece, often supported by cards like Princess, Rascals, Cannon, or Mega Knight.

Bait decks appeal because of their mind games. Players force out the opponent’s Log or small spell with one card, only to punish with another. Even in the high 9,000–10,000 trophy range, bait strategies were reported as “homemade favorites” by multiple players.

One player summed it up: “Homemade deck: Goblin Barrel.” Another highlighted his variety: “Goblin Barrel and Wall Breakers.”

Royal Hogs: Earthquake Partners in Crime

Another significant trend was the rise of Royal Hogs. Accounting for 10% of all decks, this swarm-based win condition was especially common in the 9,000–10,000 trophy bracket. Most players paired them with Earthquake (to shred buildings) or with Royal Recruits for a double-lane attack.

One survey entry at max trophies simply listed their deck as “Recruits – Royal Hogs – 10,000.” Another highlighted synergy with Evolution cards, noting: “Evo Cannon and Royal Hogs – 10,000.”

Graveyard, X-Bow, and the Specialist Decks

While not as common as Hog, Balloon, or Barrel, specialist archetypes still have dedicated followers:

• Graveyard (7%) remains a mid- to high-ladder threat, especially in Splashyard builds with Baby Dragon and Tornado.
• X-Bow cycle (5%) may not dominate the ladder, but those who use it remain fiercely loyal. The classic 3.0 X-Bow Tesla cycle was reported multiple times, including from players at the 10,000 trophy mark.
• Heavy beatdown decks like Golem, Giant Skeleton, Lava Hound, and Pekka together represented over 23% of “other” strategies, proving that big tanks and push-based playstyles still draw a large chunk of the community.

Trophy Trends: What Decks Work Where

Looking across trophy counts, some interesting trends emerged:

• Below 5,000 trophies: Experimental and “homemade” decks were common, often with Mega Knight, Prince, or Witch as the anchor. Players here tended to list multiple win conditions rather than one main focus.
• 5,000–7,500 trophies: Hog Rider started to dominate, while Balloon and Log Bait rose sharply. Many players reported hybrid decks like Hog + Firecracker cycle or Balloon + Miner control.
• 7,500–9,000 trophies: Balloon decks peaked in this range, often outpacing Hog in frequency. Graveyard and Royal Hogs also began to show up more consistently.
• 9,000–10,000 trophies: The elite bracket leaned heavily on Hog Rider, Royal Hogs, and Balloon. Nearly all reported decks here were polished meta builds or unique evolutions of classic strategies.

The Bigger Picture

When combining all the statistics, a clear story emerges:

• Hog Rider (22%) and Balloon (19%) together represent over 40% of Clash Royale’s active ladder win conditions.
• Add in Goblin Barrel (14%) and Royal Hogs (10%), and you cover nearly two-thirds of the entire meta.
• The remaining Graveyard, X-Bow, and heavy beatdown decks round out the field, showing that while the game is diverse, four main archetypes dominate the Arena.

Voices from the Arena

Players didn’t just list their decks — many shared their feelings:

• “Hog ridaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa” (6,750 trophies, probably a hog rider player)
• “I just defend then bridge spam maybe” (7,000 trophies, some mega knight player)
• “Sparky.” (7,100 trophies, Sparky + Knight hybrid player)
• “No win condition, I just defend then counterpush.” (4,000 trophies)

The data proves that even as Clash Royale’s evolve and add new cards and metas, some cards never are out of play. Hog rider, balloon, goblin barrel and royal hogs are essentially the decks we were sent with hog rider being the top card at magnet. There was one guy that said he used the suspicious bush, but outside of him, the student body at Academic Magnet High School are generally above average at Clash Royale, even if some of them do use the boss bandit.