Let’s be real for a second. If you’ve played a clash royale deck with royal giant lately, you know it’s not just about dropping the big guy at the bridge and hoping for the best. That’s how you get three-crowned by a P.E.K.K.A. bridge spam player in under two minutes. The Royal Giant (RG) is a weird card. It’s a tank, but it’s a ranged tank. It doesn't want to get close. It wants to stand just outside tower range and blast away while you frantically defend it with everything you’ve got.
I’ve spent way too many hours watching professional gameplay from the likes of Mohamed Light and Ian77. These guys don't just play the game; they manipulate the micro-interactions. They treat an RG deck like a chess match where the goal isn't just to deal damage, but to force the opponent into a bad elixir trade. If you’re stuck in Arena 15 or struggling to break through Ultimate Champion, the problem usually isn't the card level. It's the deck synergy.
Why the Evolution Changes Everything
The Evolution Royal Giant is a monster. Honestly. When Supercell dropped the evolution mechanic, the RG became a different beast entirely. It’s not just about the extra HP. It’s that golden shockwave. Every time the Evolved RG fires a shot, it pushes back melee defenders. Think about that. You drop a Mini P.E.K.K.A. to shred the giant, and the giant literally pushes your defender away, resetting its attack animation. It’s tilting. It’s effective.
You need to cycle cards to get to that evolution. This means your clash royale deck with royal giant needs to be fast enough to outpace your opponent's counters. If they have an Inferno Tower, you need to cycle back to your RG faster than they can get back to their building. It’s a game of cycle speed.
The Best Supporting Cast for Your Big Guy
A Royal Giant is lonely without a support system. You can’t just run him solo.
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The most consistent version of this deck right now usually involves the Fisherman. Why? Because the Fisherman is the ultimate "get off me" card. If someone drops a Hunter or a Prince to kill your RG, the Fisherman hooks them away. He pulls them into the other lane or into the range of your King Tower. It’s a 3-elixir card that provides 10-elixir value if you time it right.
Then there’s the Hunter. He’s the shotgun of Clash Royale. At point-blank range, he deletes tanks. If a Balloon or a Hog Rider is coming at your tower, Hunter is your best friend. But he’s squishy. You have to protect him.
Essential Spells and Cycles
- The Log: Still the king of small spells. You need it for Goblin Barrels and Princesses.
- Fireball or Lightning: You need a big spell. Lightning is great because it resets Inferno Towers and kills Queens. Fireball is better for faster cycles against bait decks.
- Electro Spirit: It’s cheap. It chains. It resets Sparky. Never leave home without it in an RG deck.
- Phoenix: Even after the nerfs, the Phoenix is a powerhouse. It dies, it turns into an egg, it comes back. The value is insane for 4 elixir.
How to Handle the Hard Counters
Everyone hates seeing a P.E.K.K.A. when they’re running a clash royale deck with royal giant. It feels like an auto-loss. But it’s not. The trick is to never play your RG in the same lane as their P.E.K.K.A. until you’ve forced them to spend elixir elsewhere.
If they drop a P.E.K.K.A. in the back, you pressure the opposite lane. Fast. Force them to spend their support troops defensively. If you can get their P.E.K.K.A. to walk all the way across the arena while your RG is chipping away at the other tower, you’ve already won the trade.
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Buildings are another story. Tesla, Inferno Tower, and Cannon are annoying. This is where the Electro Spirit or Zap comes in. You have to time the stun to reset the Inferno Tower's ramp-up damage. If you miss that timing by half a second, your 6-elixir giant melts into a puddle.
Managing Your Elixir Like a Pro
Don’t be the person who drops an RG at the bridge the second the match starts. Please. Unless you know for a fact they have a terrible starting hand, you’re just giving them a 6-elixir advantage to counter-push.
Wait.
Play defensively. Use your Fisherman and Hunter to clean up their first push. Once you have a defensive unit moving toward the bridge with a sliver of health, then you drop the Royal Giant in front. Now they have to deal with the giant AND the supporting troops you used for defense. That’s a positive elixir trade in action.
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Mastering the Micro-Placements
Placement is the difference between a win and a "Wow!" emote from your opponent. If you place the Royal Giant one tile too far to the left, he might target a building he was supposed to ignore.
The Fisherman’s placement is even more precise. You want to place him far enough back that he has time to charge his hook, but close enough that he catches the unit before it hits your RG. It takes practice. Go into the trainer or play some 1v1 casual matches. Get the muscle memory down.
Why People Fail with RG
Most people fail because they get impatient. They see the tower at 500 HP and they panic-drop the RG. Then the opponent drops a Skeleton Army, and since the player spent all their elixir on the giant, they can't afford a Log. The giant dies. The counter-push takes the tower.
Consistency beats aggression. Every single time.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Match
Start by auditing your current deck. If you aren't running Fisherman, you're making it harder for yourself. The synergy between those two is the backbone of the archetype.
- Check your cycle. Are you able to get to your Evolution RG twice in a single match? If not, your deck is too heavy. Swap a high-cost unit for an Ice Spirit or Skeletons.
- Focus on the Hunter/Fisherman combo. Practice pulling units into the Hunter's "kill zone" where all his bullets hit at once.
- Learn the "pocket" drop. When you’ve already taken one tower, dropping the Royal Giant in the "pocket" (the center of the opponent's side) allows him to target the second Princess tower almost instantly. It’s a high-pressure move that ends games fast.
- Watch your replays. Specifically the losses. Look at why your RG died. Did you miss a spell? Did you ignore a troop that shredded him?
Stop treating the Royal Giant like a mindless tank and start treating him like a strategic win condition. The damage output is there, you just have to create the space for him to work. Focus on protecting the giant at all costs, and the trophies will follow. Eliminate the mistakes, tighten the cycle, and win the elixir war.