Quick answer: As of July 26, 2026, Balloon posts the two highest win rates in the full dataset — 61.7% at under-5,000 (n=459, 1.84% use) and 60.4% at 6,000–7,000 (n=800, 3.2% use, rising) — both at under 4% adoption, making it the dataset's top underplayed archetype across two bands simultaneously; Mega Knight falls at 5 trophy bands (under-5,000 through 8,000–9,000) while posting above-average win rates at four of them; and Hog Cycle's WR-use inversion at 5,000–6,000 deepens to −1.43pp while holding 59% WR (the band's best among archetypes with 1,000+ battles, n=2,006).
This is the weekly data snapshot from 110,462 ranked ladder battles across all six trophy ranges over the 7-day window of July 19–26, 2026, in Season 85 "Honor & Exile." Movement figures are genuine week-over-week popularity shifts (July 19 baseline vs. July 26 snapshot); minimum 150-battle sample per archetype per band. Three developments define this run: Balloon emerging as the dataset's top win-rate performer at two trophy ranges simultaneously — 61.7% at under-5,000 (n=459, 1.84% use) and 60.4% at 6,000–7,000 (n=800, 3.2% use); Mega Knight's retreat extending to five trophy bands (up from four yesterday) while posting above-average WRs at four of them; and Hog Cycle deepening its WR-use inversion at 5,000–6,000 to −1.43pp while holding 59% WR, the week's largest gap between declining adoption and winning performance at any single band. For last week's numbers, see the July 25 meta report.
What Is the Current State of the Clash Royale Meta on July 26, 2026?
Season 85 "Honor & Exile" is in its final weeks, and the July 26 data reveals a meta under systematic rebalancing. The most-played archetypes — Hog Cycle, Goblin Barrel Bait, and Mega Knight — are losing share at multiple bands simultaneously, while underplayed archetypes with strong win rates (Balloon, PEKKA Control, X-Bow Siege, Hog 2.6) are gaining ground. The cross-band picture shows quality rotating upward in the trophy ladder while volume habits lag behind.
| Archetype | Under-5,000 | 5,000–6,000 | 6,000–7,000 | 7,000–8,000 | 8,000–9,000 | 9,000+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Balloon | 61.7% WR (1.84% use) | — | 60.4% WR (+use, 3.2% use) | −0.39pp (53.4% WR) | −0.47pp (54.7% WR) | −0.39pp (44.7% WR) |
 Mega Knight | −0.80pp (56.3% WR) | −1.34pp (54% WR) | −0.91pp (55.5% WR) | −0.34pp (54.6% WR) | −0.38pp (49.5% WR) | 11.62% use (51.5% WR) |
| Hog Cycle | stable (54.4% WR) | −1.43pp (59% WR) | stable (54.1% WR) | −0.45pp (54.4% WR) | 12.42% use (52.7% WR) | 12.63% use (55.2% WR) |
| GBB | −1.04pp (52% WR) | −0.73pp (56.6% WR) | 11.75% use (52% WR) | −0.92pp (50.2% WR) | 9.92% use (55.4% WR) | −0.56pp (54% WR) |
The table's central tension: Mega Knight loses share at five bands while posting WRs of 54–56% at four of those five — strong results being abandoned, not punished. The 8,000–9,000 exception (49.5% WR, n=1,676) is where Mega Knight is genuinely underperforming. Hog Cycle's 5K-6K inversion (59% WR, −1.43pp) is the week's most extreme single-band adoption paradox: the archetype winning nearly 3 in 5 games at a band where players are actively rotating away from it.
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Why Is Balloon Posting the Two Highest Win Rates in the Full Dataset on July 26, 2026?
Balloon posts the two highest win rates in 110,462 battles — 61.7% at under-5,000 (n=459, 1.84% use) and 60.4% at 6,000–7,000 (n=800, 3.2% use). Both readings are genuine signals: the under-5K sample is 459 battles (well above the 150-battle minimum), and the 6K-7K reading at 800 battles is the most volume-backed win-rate figure in the full dataset.
At under-5,000, Balloon's 61.7% WR at 1.84% use means fewer than 2 in 100 players at this band run the archetype — a preparation blind spot that compounds against unprepared opponents. Balloon at under-5,000 typically pairs the Balloon win condition with Freeze or complementary support spells, relying on lack of opponent familiarity with the defensive timings. At 1.84% use, most players below 5,000 trophies have not repeatedly rehearsed the Balloon-counter window.
At 6,000–7,000, Balloon posts 60.4% WR at 3.2% use (n=800) — a larger sample at a slightly lower adoption rate. This band's Balloon variants tend toward Lava Loon or Balloon Freeze configurations that exploit mid-ladder players' tendency to under-defend the air track. Balloon at 6K-7K also benefits from X-Bow Siege's return to this band (second consecutive week of gains, +0.88pp, 56.4% WR): players adapting to anticipated X-Bow pressure sometimes under-invest in air-defense units, opening paths for Balloon pushes.
At 7,000–8,000 and 8,000–9,000, Balloon loses share: −0.39pp (53.4% WR, n=848) and −0.47pp (54.7% WR, n=585). The 8K-9K reading is still a positive win rate with a meaningful sample, but the adoption decline is real. At upper-ladder trophy counts, opponent air-defense setups become more consistent and Balloon push construction requires more practiced build sequences — a skill ceiling that compresses the archetype's performance advantage.
What Is Mega Knight's Five-Band Retreat Signaling in the July 26 Data?
Mega Knight falls simultaneously at 5 trophy bands — under-5,000 (−0.80pp, 56.3% WR, n=750), 5,000–6,000 (−1.34pp, 54% WR, n=2,116), 6,000–7,000 (−0.91pp, 55.5% WR, n=2,281), 7,000–8,000 (−0.34pp, 54.6% WR, n=2,255), and 8,000–9,000 (−0.38pp, 49.5% WR, n=1,676). This extends yesterday's four-band retreat by adding 8,000–9,000. At four of those five bands, the WR remains above average — the archetype is losing share while skilled players who still run it produce winning results.
The 5,000–6,000 decline is the largest: −1.34pp while posting 54% WR at 9.67% use (n=2,116). A 54% WR at nearly 10% adoption is not a performance floor breach — it places Mega Knight above the band's neutral average. But at the same band, Hog Cycle posts 59% WR and Goblin Barrel Bait posts 56.6%. Relative to the band's best-performing archetypes, Mega Knight's 54% looks weak, and players appear to be responding to matchup difficulty and WR-relative-to-alternatives, not raw performance.
The 8,000–9,000 band remains the structural anomaly. Mega Knight's 49.5% WR (n=1,676) places it below the competitive average at this band — the only band where the archetype has breached 50% WR in this 110,462-battle dataset. Season 85's Ronin card (introduced July 6, 2026 — a Legendary that reflects melee attacks) has accumulated specific anti-Mega Knight matchup knowledge at the upper ladder. The combination of 49.5% WR at 9.58% use means Mega Knight loses more than it wins at 8,000–9,000 in the final weeks of Season 85.
At 9,000+, Mega Knight stabilizes: 11.62% use (51.5% WR, n=1,453) — the one band without a meaningful decline. The archetype remains the second-most-played at the top of the ladder and holds a modest above-average WR.
What Is Happening With Hog Cycle's WR-Use Inversion at 5,000–6,000 on July 26?
Hog Cycle falls −1.43pp at 5,000–6,000 while posting 59% WR (9.17% use, n=2,006) — the week's largest single-band WR-use inversion in 110,462 battles. Among archetypes with 1,000+ battles at any band in this dataset, 59% is the highest win rate at 5,000–6,000. Players rotating off a 59%-WR archetype are making a statistically costly choice; the adoption math implies equilibrium correction (use recovering toward the WR level) in next week's data.
Hog Cycle posted a similar WR-use inversion at 5,000–6,000 in the July 25 dataset (−1.24pp, 58.6% WR). The inversion has deepened in the July 26 data: both the use decline (−1.43pp vs. −1.24pp) and the WR (59% vs. 58.6%) widened over the same window. This is an ongoing market dislocation, not a one-week artefact.
At other bands, Hog Cycle holds firm. The archetype is stable at under-5,000 (54.4% WR, 8.41% use, n=2,102) and 6,000–7,000 (54.1% WR, 10.61% use, n=2,654). At 7,000–8,000 it falls −0.45pp while posting 54.4% WR (n=2,557) — still the band's most-played archetype by a narrow margin over Goblin Barrel Bait. At 8,000–9,000 Hog Cycle is flat at 12.42% use (52.7% WR, n=2,174) — the band's most-played. At 9,000+ it leads use at 12.63% (55.2% WR, n=1,579) — the top band's best win rate among archetypes with 1,500+ battles.
The 5K-6K inversion is isolated: Hog Cycle underperforms on use trend at one band while dominating results at every band where it is measured.
Which Archetypes Are Rising With Quality Results on July 26?
X-Bow Siege at 6,000–7,000 posts the week's most confirmed quality riser: +0.88pp, 56.4% WR, +8.6pp WR delta (n=582). This is the second consecutive week of gains at 6K-7K (yesterday's data showed +0.81pp at 53.5% WR). The WR has jumped 8.6pp from the July 19 baseline — a simultaneous use and WR increase over two weeks is the dataset's strongest rebound confirmation. X-Bow Siege at 6K-7K also gains at 7K-8K (+0.43pp, 45.1% WR, n=357), though the 7K-8K WR is below average.
PEKKA Control at 8,000–9,000 gains +0.53pp at 59.2% WR (n=314) — the band's best win rate. Yesterday's data showed PEKKA Control at the same band gaining +0.36pp at 58.4% WR (n=286). Two consecutive weeks of share gains with a rising WR at the upper ladder is the dataset's most persistent underplayed-archetype signal. At 1.79% use at 8K-9K, PEKKA Control has significant adoption headroom.
Hog 2.6 at 9,000+ posts +0.59pp at 58.6% WR (n=256) — the band's best win rate and the second-highest at the top ladder in this dataset. At 2.05% use, the sample meets the 150-battle minimum and the 58.6% WR is robust. Hog 2.6 at the top of the ladder finds value against opponents with high card levels and predictable defensive setups.
Skeleton Barrel at 6,000–7,000 gains +0.65pp at 57.7% WR (n=378) — the band's second-best WR. Skeleton Barrel benefits from the same air-defense under-prioritization that Balloon exploits at this band, with a cheaper elixir cost enabling faster cycle and repeated pressure.
What Is Happening at Under-5,000 Trophies on July 26?
Under-5,000 trophies covers 22,845 battles across 34 tracked archetypes. Balloon leads the band at 61.7% WR (1.84% use, n=459) — the highest win rate at any band in the full 110,462-battle dataset. Prince posts 59.5% WR (n=291) and PEKKA Control 58.9% WR (n=341) at similarly low use rates. Giant Skeleton holds 57.9% WR (n=280) — four archetypes at under-5,000 exceed 57% WR at under 2% use each. The band has the widest gap between WR leaders and adoption leaders of any trophy range this week.
Goblin Barrel Bait falls −1.04pp (7.36% use, 52% WR, n=1,841) — the band's largest use-rate decline. Mega Knight falls −0.80pp (56.3% WR, n=750) and Mega Knight Bait falls −0.72pp (56.2% WR, n=431): both archetypes post top-3 WRs at this band while losing share — a double WR-use inversion pairing the same exit structure as yesterday. Hog 2.6 posts 31.8% WR (4.21% use, n=1,052) — the lowest win rate of any archetype with 1,000+ battles at any band in this dataset, identical in character to yesterday's 29.1% reading (the sample changed but the structural problem did not).
Most-played under-5,000: Hog Cycle 8.41% (54.4%, n=2,102), Goblin Barrel Bait 7.36% (52%, n=1,841), Royal Hogs 6.46% (48.3%, n=1,616), Golem Beatdown 5.59% (48.6%, n=1,397).
Best win rates under-5,000: Balloon 61.7% (n=459), Prince 59.5% (n=291), PEKKA Control 58.9% (n=341), Giant Skeleton 57.9% (n=280), Mega Knight 56.3% (n=750), Mega Knight Bait 56.2% (n=431).
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What Is Happening at 5,000–6,000 Trophies on July 26?
The 5,000–6,000 band (19,410 battles, 31 archetypes) is defined by three events. Hog Cycle falls −1.43pp at 59% WR (9.17% use, n=2,006) — the week's most extreme WR-use inversion. Royal Hogs surges +1.54pp (8.07% use, 50.3% WR, n=1,766) — the largest use-rate gain at any band in the full dataset this week, but at a below-average WR. Mega Knight falls −1.34pp at 54% WR (9.67% use, n=2,116) — declining share despite a winning record, the second-largest use decline at this band.
Wizard leads the band's win-rate table at 59.5% (n=284) at 1.30% use — narrowly above Hog Cycle's 59%, but at one-seventh the battle count. Among archetypes with 1,000+ battles, Hog Cycle is the band's best-performing archetype at 59% WR (n=2,006). Golem Beatdown gains +0.91pp but posts 40.6% WR (3.99% use, n=873) — adoption ahead of results, the second-clearest avoid signal at this band behind Hog 2.6 (+0.59pp, 41.8% WR, n=503).
Goblin Barrel Bait leads use at 9.90% (56.6% WR, n=2,166) while falling −0.73pp — still the most-played archetype at this band, posting the second-best WR among high-volume archetypes. Mega Knight Bait gains +0.54pp (7.03% use, 54.1% WR, n=1,537) — a modest quality riser backed by adequate volume.
Best win rates at 5,000–6,000: Wizard 59.5% (n=284), Hog Cycle 59% (n=2,006), Prince 56.6% (n=408), Goblin Barrel Bait 56.6% (n=2,166), Mega Knight Bridge Spam 56% (n=259), Witch Wizard 55.7% (n=212).
What Is Happening at 6,000–7,000 Trophies on July 26?
At 6,000–7,000 trophies (22,199 battles, 31 archetypes), Balloon leads the band at 60.4% WR (3.2% use, n=800) — the highest win rate at this band and the second-highest in the full dataset behind Balloon's own 61.7% at under-5,000. Skeleton Barrel posts 57.7% WR (+0.65pp, 1.51% use, n=378) — the band's second-best WR and a genuine riser. X-Bow Siege posts 56.4% WR (+0.88pp, 2.33% use, n=582, +8.6pp WR delta) — the week's strongest confirmed rebound signal at any band in the dataset.
Mega Knight falls −0.91pp (9.12% use, 55.5% WR, n=2,281) — the band's largest use-rate decline. Goblin Barrel Bait leads use at 11.75% (52% WR, n=2,939) — the highest single-band use figure in the full 110,462-battle dataset, while GBB falls at four other bands. Mega Knight Bait falls −0.40pp (7.34% use, 50.7% WR, n=1,836) — the one band in this dataset where MKB posts a below-average WR.
Dark Prince holds 57.1% WR (n=254) and Witch posts 55.8% WR (n=249) at minimal use — quality obscure archetypes at the mid-trophy band, consistent with Skeleton Barrel and X-Bow Siege in the under-5% use quality cluster at 6K-7K.
Best win rates at 6,000–7,000: Balloon 60.4% (n=800), Skeleton Barrel 57.7% (n=378), Dark Prince 57.1% (n=254), X-Bow Siege 56.4% (n=582), Witch 55.8% (n=249), Mega Knight 55.5% (n=2,281).
What Is Happening at 7,000–8,000 Trophies on July 26?
At 7,000–8,000 trophies (20,311 battles, 34 archetypes), the band's three most-played archetypes are all declining. Goblin Barrel Bait falls −0.92pp (11.57% use, 50.2% WR, n=2,531), Hog Cycle falls −0.45pp (11.69% use, 54.4% WR, n=2,557), and Mega Knight falls −0.34pp (10.31% use, 54.6% WR, n=2,255). All three remain above 10% use — this is the most concentrated simultaneous retreat of top-3-played archetypes at any band this week.
Royal Giant leads the band's win rates at 60.1% (1.42% use, n=311) — the second-highest WR in the full dataset behind Balloon at under-5,000. Skeleton Barrel posts 59.5% WR (1.08% use, n=237) — the band's second-best at minimal adoption. Both Royal Giant and Skeleton Barrel post above-average WRs at under 1.5% use in a band with 20,311 battles — extremely rare opponents whose tactics have not been specifically counter-prepped by most 7K-8K players.
The band's only risers with meaningful data are Hog 2.6 (+0.43pp, 47.4% WR, n=466) and X-Bow Siege (+0.43pp, 45.1% WR, n=357) — both gaining share with below-average WRs at this band. The quality risers at 6K-7K (Balloon, X-Bow Siege) have not yet translated upward to 7K-8K in this week's data.
Best win rates at 7,000–8,000: Royal Giant 60.1% (n=311), Skeleton Barrel 59.5% (n=237), Mortar Cycle 54.9% (n=204), Electro Giant 54.8% (n=179), PEKKA Control 54.6% (n=339), Mega Knight 54.6% (n=2,255).
What Is Happening at 8,000–9,000 Trophies on July 26?
At 8,000–9,000 trophies (15,946 battles, 32 archetypes), PEKKA Control is the band's cleanest quality riser for the second consecutive week: +0.53pp at 59.2% WR (1.79% use, n=314) — the band's best win rate, up from last week's +0.36pp at 58.4% WR (n=286). A rising WR paired with rising use across two consecutive windows is the most reliable quality signal this dataset produces. Royal Giant posts 57.3% WR (1.30% use, n=227) — the second-best at this band at similar adoption rates.
Mega Knight Bait leads the band at 56.5% WR (6.25% use, n=1,093) — the best win rate among archetypes with 1,000+ battles at 8K-9K. Goblin Barrel Bait holds 55.4% WR (9.92% use, n=1,736) — the band's most consistent high-volume result in the dataset, declining at other bands but holding here.
Mega Knight falls −0.38pp at 49.5% WR (9.58% use, n=1,676) — the archetype's worst performance tier in this dataset, identical in character to yesterday. Hog 2.6 gains +0.67pp at 40.4% WR (3.91% use, n=685) — the largest riser at this band, at the third-lowest win rate of any archetype with 500+ battles in the full 110,462-battle dataset. Adoption growth with a 40.4% WR represents a significant results-expectation mismatch.
Best win rates at 8,000–9,000: PEKKA Control 59.2% (n=314), Royal Giant 57.3% (n=227), Mega Knight Bait 56.5% (n=1,093), Goblin Barrel Bait 55.4% (n=1,736), Balloon 54.7% (n=585), Ram Rider 54.1% (n=281).
What Is Happening at 9,000+ Trophies on July 26?
At 9,000+ trophies (9,751 battles, 20 archetypes), Hog 2.6 posts the band's best win rate: +0.59pp, 58.6% WR (2.05% use, n=256) — the only top-band riser combining positive adoption growth with the band's highest WR. Mega Knight Bait gains +0.58pp at 53.7% WR (6.64% use, n=830) — the band's second-best WR among archetypes with 750+ battles.
Hog Cycle leads use at 12.63% (55.2% WR, n=1,579) — the top band's most-played and its second-best WR among 750+-battle archetypes, posting a stable reading. Mega Knight holds 11.62% use (51.5% WR, n=1,453) — the one band where MK does not decline this week; a marginal above-average WR at heavy adoption.
Goblin Barrel Bait falls −0.56pp (8.05% use, 54% WR, n=1,006) — a use decline at an above-average WR, the top-ladder version of the WR-use inversion pattern that defines this week's full dataset. Elixir Golem gains +0.74pp (2.68% use, 45.1% WR, n=335) and Golem Beatdown gains +0.58pp (3.38% use, 42.9% WR, n=422) — two large beatdown risers at well-below-average WRs at the top ladder. Both suggest late-Season 85 players experimenting with beatdown configurations while results at 9,000+ trail expectations.
Best win rates at 9,000+: Hog 2.6 58.6% (n=256), Hog Cycle 55.2% (n=1,579), Goblin Barrel Bait 54% (n=1,006), Mega Knight Bait 53.7% (n=830), Ram Rider 53% (n=200), Miner Control 51.7% (n=298).
What Are the Best Underplayed Decks in the July 26 Meta?
Four archetypes post top-tier win rates at well below expected adoption in this week's dataset:
Balloon — 61.7% WR at under-5,000 (n=459, 1.84% use) and 60.4% at 6,000–7,000 (n=800, 3.2% use). The only archetype in this 110,462-battle dataset to post top-2 win rates simultaneously at two different trophy ranges. At under-5,000, opponents have so rarely prepared for Balloon defensive timing that the preparation edge is essentially unbounded. At 6,000–7,000, the 800-battle sample makes this the most statistically robust underplayed signal in the dataset. For players at either range willing to learn air-push sequencing, Balloon is the week's clearest structural exploit.
PEKKA Control at 8,000–9,000 — 59.2% WR (+0.53pp, n=314, 1.79% use). The second consecutive week of rising share and rising WR at the upper ladder. PEKKA Control at 1.79% use at a band with 15,946 battles provides strong opponent-familiarity advantages; fewer than 2 in 100 upper-ladder players encounter it regularly enough to have practiced the counter sequence. Rising use momentum makes the signal more meaningful than last week's reading — the archetype is being discovered, not abandoned.
Royal Giant at 7,000–8,000 — 60.1% WR (n=311, 1.42% use). The third-highest win rate in the full dataset. Royal Giant at 1.42% use in a 20,311-battle band is the most extreme under-exposure of any archetype with a WR above 59% this week. The deck requires familiarity with defensive cycling but rewards it at 60.1% WR when opponents encounter it unprepared.
X-Bow Siege at 6,000–7,000 — 56.4% WR (+0.88pp, n=582, 2.33% use, +8.6pp WR delta). Less extreme than the others by WR, but the confirmed rebound pattern (second consecutive week of gains + accelerating WR) makes this the dataset's most confirmed momentum-riser among underplayed archetypes. Players who moved off X-Bow Siege at 6K-7K in prior weeks face a two-week window of ongoing adoption gap.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best deck in Clash Royale on July 26, 2026?
Balloon holds the strongest case for a single "best deck" recommendation in the July 26 data: 61.7% WR at under-5,000 (n=459) and 60.4% at 6,000–7,000 (n=800) — the two highest win rates in 110,462 battles — at under 4% adoption at both bands. For players at 5,000–6,000, Hog Cycle posts 59% WR (n=2,006) — the band's best among archetypes with 1,000+ battles — despite falling −1.43pp in use, making it the best-performing high-volume archetype at that specific band. No single archetype combines Balloon's WR ceiling with Hog Cycle's volume validation across all six bands; the correct pick depends on which trophy range the player targets.
Why is Balloon performing so well in the July 26 meta?
Balloon posts 61.7% WR at under-5,000 (n=459) and 60.4% at 6,000–7,000 (n=800) in the July 26 dataset because of structural opponent-preparation gaps at both bands. At under-5,000, adoption is 1.84% — fewer than 2 in 100 opponents at this band have repeatedly rehearsed Balloon-defensive timing. At 6,000–7,000, Balloon benefits from the resurgence of X-Bow Siege (+0.88pp this week), which draws air-defense attention and opens Balloon push windows. The combination of low counter-exposure and complementary meta pressure produces the dataset's two highest win rates at different bands simultaneously.
Why is Mega Knight falling at 5 trophy bands on July 26, 2026?
Mega Knight falls at under-5,000 (−0.80pp), 5,000–6,000 (−1.34pp), 6,000–7,000 (−0.91pp), 7,000–8,000 (−0.34pp), and 8,000–9,000 (−0.38pp) in the July 26 data. The 8,000–9,000 band is the structural driver: Mega Knight posts 49.5% WR (n=1,676) at the upper ladder — below the competitive average, the archetype's worst performance tier in this dataset. Season 85's Ronin (introduced July 6, 2026 — a Legendary reflecting melee attacks) has built a specific anti-Mega Knight interaction that upper-ladder players have increasingly incorporated into deck construction. At mid-trophy bands, Mega Knight still posts above-average WRs (54–56%) but faces WR-use inversions as players respond to matchup difficulty relative to alternatives like Hog Cycle and Goblin Barrel Bait.
Is Hog Cycle still good at 5,000–6,000 in July 2026?
Yes — Hog Cycle posts 59% WR at 5,000–6,000 (n=2,006, 9.17% use) in the July 26 data, the band's best among archetypes with 1,000+ battles. The −1.43pp use decline is a rotation signal, not a performance signal. Among the 19,410 battles at this band, no archetype with comparable volume (1,000+ battles) produces a higher win rate. A similar pattern at 5K-6K over the July 25 window appears to be deepening rather than resolving, which means the adoption gap may persist for multiple data windows before correcting.
Is X-Bow Siege good at 6,000–7,000 in July 2026?
Yes — X-Bow Siege posts 56.4% WR at 6,000–7,000 (+0.88pp, n=582, +8.6pp WR delta) in the July 26 data. This is the second consecutive week of gains at this band: yesterday's data showed +0.81pp at 53.5% WR, and today's shows accelerating adoption and an 8.6pp WR jump. Two consecutive weeks of rising use AND rising WR is the most reliable confirmation of a genuine rebound in this dataset. At 2.33% use, X-Bow Siege has substantial adoption headroom at 6K-7K; the rebound is in early stages. Players willing to invest in X-Bow's deck construction complexity are entering at a favorable window.
How many battles are in the July 26 meta report?
The July 26, 2026 TrophyCoach meta report covers 110,462 ranked ladder battles across 6 trophy ranges (under-5,000 through 9,000+) over the 7-day window of July 19–26. Each archetype requires a minimum 150-battle threshold to appear in the movement rankings. The 6,000–7,000 band is the week's largest at 22,199 battles; 9,000+ is the smallest at 9,751 battles across 20 tracked archetypes. Total archetypes tracked across all six bands: 182 individual archetype-band pairs.
Is PEKKA Control worth playing at the upper ladder in Season 85?
PEKKA Control posts 59.2% WR at 8,000–9,000 (+0.53pp, n=314, 1.79% use) in the July 26 data — the band's best win rate, up from last week's 58.4% WR (+0.36pp, n=286). Two consecutive weeks of rising share AND rising WR at the upper ladder makes PEKKA Control the July 26 dataset's most consistently improving underplayed archetype. For players above 8,000 trophies willing to run a technically demanding, slower-paced deck, PEKKA Control is the clearest entry point this week. The deck's 1.79% use rate at this band means most opponents at 8K-9K lack specific prepared counter sequences.
What happened to Goblin Barrel Bait in the July 26 meta?
Goblin Barrel Bait declines at 4 bands this week: under-5,000 (−1.04pp, 52% WR, n=1,841), 5,000–6,000 (−0.73pp, 56.6% WR, n=2,166), 7,000–8,000 (−0.92pp, 50.2% WR, n=2,531), and 9,000+ (−0.56pp, 54% WR, n=1,006). GBB's best position in the July 26 dataset is 6,000–7,000, where it leads use at 11.75% (52% WR, n=2,939) while declining at this band was not reported — a stable holding pattern. Its clearest avoid is under-5,000 (52% WR, −1.04pp) and 7,000–8,000 (50.2% WR, −0.92pp): both show declining use at below-average win rates, a double-negative that suggests the archetype is losing structural ground at those ranges in late Season 85.