Have you ever guessed how pro players are able to understand the opponent’s deck just by looking at the first few cards? This is because decks are not created randomly. Everything follows a rule in Clash Royale, and these rules are formed by deck archetypes. Each archetype presents a unique approach to achieving victory, with a range of strategies from overwhelming beatdowns to meticulous control and precision siege tactics. Let’s see what they are and how they work!
What are deck archetypes in Clash Royale?
An archetype is basically the winning strategy that you use with your deck. These archetypes often define the overall strategy and playstyle of a deck. Each archetype, in fact, has very different strategies and handles the match-ups in very different ways.
Each archetype in Clash Royale is associated with distinct win conditions, and the diverse strategies players employ often revolve around how they use these win conditions. While multiple decks may share the same primary win condition, the specific cards surrounding it can greatly influence the overall strategy.
All the different deck archetypes in Clash Royale
Now that we have learned what an archetype is, let’s list the main archetypes present in Clash Royale.
1. Fast Cycle
This is one of the most popular archetypes in the game. It mainly consists of having a fast cycle deck based on chipping away the enemy tower. The win conditions that get used the most with it are the Hog Rider or the Balloon, where the strategy is to control the tempo of the game by consistently deploying cards, and capitalize on elixir advantages to out-cycle and outmaneuver your opponent.
2. Beatdown
This archetype consists of creating really big pushes with a tank in front. Giant, Golem, and Hound decks are all considered beatdown, even if they are usually made of different variants. Here, you have to support the tank with powerful ranged and splash-damage troops. Focus on creating a formidable and challenging-to-stop push, overwhelming your opponent’s defenses.
3. Control
While in beatdown you can sacrifice a bit of elixir in order to make the biggest push ever, with control decks you do the exact opposite. Your goal is to defend as efficiently as possible and then counter-push. PEKKA, Mega Knight, Miner, and Graveyard decks are all considered control. The pace of the game should be controlled by making favorable elixir trades and maintaining a solid defense, gradually turning into a strong offense.
4. Bait
This is one of the most popular archetypes ever. It consists of baiting your opponent’s spells and then using your win condition while they are out of the cycle. These decks usually have Goblin Barrel as a win condition, but we can also find Royal Hogs and Skeleton Barrel decks in there. The best chances are to create opportunities for successful attacks by forcing the opponent to use their spells inefficiently.
5. Siege
This archetype consists of attacking the opponent from your own side of the map. By overwhelming the opponent with multiple threats that require specific counters, Bait decks create opportunities for successful attacks. Mortar and X-Bow are the siege-win conditions in the game. Focus on defending and maintaining control of the battlefield while your siege building applies consistent pressure.
6. Bridge Spam
This archetype revolves around spamming troops at the bridge and overcoming the opponent this way. It’s quite similar to the control archetype, though it usually is faster and more offensive, where you use fast and agile troops like Bandit, Battle Ram, or Royal Ghost. Often aiming to catch opponents off guard by quickly placing cards at the bridge, the goal is to create quick and unexpected pressure.
7. Splashyard
Splashyard decks combine splash damage troops with graveyards to create strong offensive pushes. The splash damage troops clear out defending units, allowing spawned skeletons from the graveyard to accumulate and deal damage to the tower, with the best examples being Graveyard, Poison, and Mega Minion.
Final Thoughts
These archetypes encompass the diverse strategies players employ in Clash Royale. As the game evolves with the introduction of new cards, some archetypes will undergo changes. Of course, depending on which deck you create, many of these archetypes can also be merged together and make some hybrids.
It’s important to stay updated with the meta and adapt strategies accordingly. Clash Royale is one such game where the landscape is always changing, offering players exciting opportunities to experiment with fresh combinations and refine their deck-building skills. We’ll continue to update this information as archetypes evolve.
What are your thoughts on our guide for Clash Royale deck archetypes? Let us know in the comments below!
For more Mobile Gaming news and updates, join our WhatsApp group, Telegram Group, or Discord server. Also, follow us on Google News, Instagram, and Twitter for quick updates.
