You've been there. It’s overtime. Your opponent has a sliver of health left on their Princess Tower, and you just need one—literally one—cannonball to land. Then, out of nowhere, a Monk reflects your shot or a well-placed Fisherman pulls your big guy into a King Tower activation. Suddenly, you’re looking at a "Defeat" screen and wondering why you even bother with the big bearded dude in the gold coat. Honestly, the Royal Giant (RG) is one of the most polarizing win conditions in Clash Royale. Some people think it’s a "no-skill" card, while others realize that playing it at the top of the ladder requires the precision of a surgeon. If you’re hunting for good decks with royal giant, you have to understand that the meta has shifted. We aren't in 2016 anymore. You can’t just drop him at the bridge and pray.
The game has changed. Evolution cards, Tower Troops like the Cannoneer or the Dagger Duchess (even after her nerfs), and the sheer speed of cycle decks mean your RG needs a very specific supporting cast to actually get value. It’s about the synergy between the evolution slot and your support spells.
The Evolution of the "Big Boy" Meta
Let's talk about the Evolution Royal Giant for a second. When Supercell dropped the Evo RG, it changed the math of the game. That golden recoil wave? It’s not just for show. It knocks back swarms like Skeletons and Goblins, which used to be the hard counters. But here’s the kicker: even with the Evo, you can’t just blind-play. You need to know what’s in your opponent's hand.
If they have a PEKKA, you’re toast if you play RG aggressively in single elixir. You have to play defense. You have to bait out the big hitters. Most players failing with RG are just too impatient. They see 6 elixir and they drop him. Bad move. Real pros wait for a counter-push. They use the Archer Queen or the Little Prince to shred a defense, then plop the RG in front.
Why Fisherman is Basically Non-Negotiable
If you’re looking at good decks with royal giant and you don't see the Fisherman, close the tab. You're being lied to. The Fisherman is the soulmate of the Royal Giant. Why? Because the biggest threat to your RG is a Mini P.E.K.K.A, a Prince, or a Hunter. The Fisherman hooks those threats away from your giant and pulls them into the range of your other tower or support troops.
It’s also the only way to deal with the annoying "Fisherman vs. Fisherman" wars that happen in the current meta. If you can hook their defender away, your RG gets two or three extra shots. At level 15, those shots are devastating. It’s the difference between a win and a 0-1 loss.
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The Standard "Meta" Cycle (The Reliable Choice)
This is the deck you see in the Top 200 constantly. It’s tight. It’s fast. It’s annoying to play against.
The core is Royal Giant (Evo), Fisherman, The Log, and Fireball. For your secondary support, you’re usually looking at the Phoenix and Skeletons (often the Evo version too). Toss in a Ghost or a Barbarian Barrel for extra splash and bridge pressure.
Why does this work? It’s all about the Phoenix. Even after the various HP and damage nerfs the bird has taken over the last year, its ability to respawn from an egg creates a "must-address" situation for the opponent. If they spend their arrows or fireball on your Phoenix egg, they don't have them for your Royal Giant's support. It’s a game of resource exhaustion.
Handling the Dagger Duchess and Cannoneer
Look, the Dagger Duchess changed the opening minute of every match. If you’re playing a Royal Giant deck against a Duchess, you cannot play him raw at the bridge in the first 30 seconds. She will eat him alive before he gets two shots off. You have to wait for her ammo to deplete.
This is where the Royal Ghost comes in. He forces the tower to fire, or he sneaks in for chip damage. Once that tower bar is low, then you drop the RG. If you’re facing a Cannoneer, it’s the opposite. You want to swarm him. This is why some of the most successful good decks with royal giant right now are actually incorporating Guards or Evo Bats to distract the high-damage, slow-firing Cannoneer.
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The Archer Queen Variation (For the Triple Elixir Gods)
If you aren't a fan of the fast cycle and prefer a more "Beatdown" feel, the Archer Queen version is your best bet.
- Royal Giant
- Archer Queen
- Fisherman
- Spirit (Electro or Ice)
- Cannon or Tesla
- Log
- Lightning
This deck is heavy. It feels clunky in single elixir. You will probably lose a tower or at least take significant damage early on. But once you hit that 2-minute mark? It’s over. The Lightning spell is the MVP here. Most people try to defend the RG with an Inferno Tower or a Hunter. Lightning deletes them. It also resets the Inferno Dragon, which is a common hard counter.
The Queen’s invisibility cloak is the ultimate "get out of jail free" card. If they drop a swarm, you pop the ability, and she shreds through them while the RG keeps thumping the tower. Just watch out for the Monk. A well-timed Monk ability reflecting your Lightning back onto your own Queen is a soul-crushing experience. Trust me.
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Win Rate
Most players treat the Royal Giant like a regular Giant or a Golem. He’s not. He’s a ranged siege unit that happens to have a lot of health.
- King Tower Activations: Stop being predictable with your placement. If you know they have a Fisherman or a Tornado, don't play the RG in the "safe" pocket. Play him further back or toward the edge.
- Over-committing on the first push: If you spend 12 elixir on a Royal Giant/Phoenix/Fisherman push and they defend it with a 4-elixir Tesla and some Skeletons, you just lost the game. You're down 8 elixir. They are going to punish you with a Hog Rider or a Ram Rider on the other side, and you'll be sitting there with zero juice.
- Ignoring the Evolution cycle: You get your Evo RG every second cycle. Use that knowledge. Sometimes it’s worth "wasting" a regular RG in the back just to get to your Evolution for the final push.
The "Mid-Ladder" Menace Version
We have to talk about mid-ladder. If you’re stuck around 5000-6000 trophies, you aren't facing "pro" decks. You're facing Mega Knight, Wizard, and Witch in the same deck. It’s chaos.
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In this environment, the standard pro decks might actually fail you because they require too much precision. For mid-ladder, I recommend a "beefier" RG deck. Swap the Skeletons for Executioner and add Tornado. The Exe-Nado combo stops almost every mid-ladder push dead in its tracks. Once the Executioner clears the "junk," drop the RG in front of him. It’s a simple, effective strategy that punishes people who don't know how to space their units.
What People Get Wrong About Matchups
You’ll hear people say that P.E.K.K.A Bridge Spam is a hard counter to RG. It’s actually a skill matchup. If you can use your Fisherman to pull the P.E.K.K.A into the center so both towers hit it, you win. If you let the P.E.K.K.A walk up to your RG and start swinging, you lose.
The real nightmare? Log Bait. A good Log Bait player will cycle Inferno Towers faster than you can cycle your RG. They will Rocket your support troops and use the Goblin Gang to shred your giant. Against Bait, you have to be disciplined with your Log. Don't use it on a Princess if you know a Goblin Barrel is coming. Use your Ghost or your Barbarian Barrel for the Princess instead.
Modern Tech: The Little Prince
Since his release, the Little Prince has become a staple in good decks with royal giant. His "Guardian" ability is a localized knockback that functions like a mini-Log. It’s perfect for pushing back a Mini P.E.K.K.A or a Lumberjack that's getting too close to your RG. Plus, his ramp-up speed means he can melt through high-HP tanks if left alone. If you haven't tried subbing out the Phoenix for the Little Prince, give it a shot. The lower elixir cost makes the deck feel much more fluid.
Actionable Steps for Mastering Royal Giant Decks
Mastering the big man requires a shift in mindset. You are a conductor, not a brawler.
- Record Your Replays: Watch every time your RG died without getting a hit. Did you miss a Fisherman pull? Did you play him when the opponent had an elixir advantage? Identify the pattern.
- Count the Counter-Cards: Before you drop your RG, ask yourself: "Where is their building? Where is their high-DPS unit?" If they just played their Tesla, that is your window.
- Practice the "Pocket" Drop: When one tower is down, the RG can be placed in the "pocket" (the center of the opponent's side) to immediately target the second Princess Tower. This is a 1-second deployment. It’s incredibly hard to react to if the opponent is low on elixir.
- Prioritize the Evolution: Don't be afraid to cycle your cards quickly in the first minute. Getting to that first Evolution Royal Giant is your primary goal. The psychological pressure of an Evo RG often forces the opponent to make a panicked, negative elixir trade.
- Master the Fisherman Hook: Go into training mode or friendly battles. Learn the exact tile placement to pull a P.E.K.K.A or a Prince away from your RG. It’s the single most important mechanical skill for this archetype.
There isn't a "perfect" deck that wins 100% of the time. The game is too balanced for that. But by sticking to the Fisherman/RG core and adapting your spells to the current Tower Troop meta, you'll find that good decks with royal giant are some of the most consistent ways to climb the ladder in 2026. Keep your cool, time your Lightnings, and let the cannon do the work.