How to Counter Miner Control in Clash Royale: Counters, Placements & Anti-Miner Decks (October 2026)

Quick answer: The most reliable way to counter Miner Control is a ranged defender that also hits air — Electro Wizard is a top-3 Miner counter in 5 of 6 trophy bands on TrophyCoach's counter table (October 6–12, 2026), and only he and Wizard rank in the top 10 of all six.

Miner is a 3-elixir Legendary that can be deployed anywhere in the arena, attacks only ground targets, and has dealt 39 crown tower damage per hit (Level 11) since the July 6, 2026 patch. In the October 12, 2026 meta snapshot, Miner Control holds between 2.26% and 3.25% popularity in all six trophy bands, peaking under 5,000 trophies (3.25%, sample 6,032). Miner Wall Breakers adds 1.35% at 5,000–6,000 and 0.85% at 6,000–7,000. Valkyrie and Skeleton Army are top-10 Miner counters in five bands each, everywhere except 9,000+. The Miner family has three labels:

• Miner Control is a Miner deck without Poison or Wall Breakers: Balloon Miner 2.9 (MinerLoon) plus Golem, Mega Knight, Rocket and Lava Hound shells.
• Miner Wall Breakers pairs the 3-elixir Miner with 2-elixir Wall Breakers, in 2.6- and 2.9-elixir lists.
• Miner Poison is a Miner deck with the 4-elixir Poison, including the classic Miner Wall Breakers Poison list.

Mighty Miner is a different card: a 4-elixir Champion with its own archetype label, not covered here.

Which cards counter Miner?

Electro Wizard and Wizard are the cards that most consistently counter Miner in TrophyCoach's ranked-battle data: both sit in the top 10 of all six bands. Electro Wizard ranks first under 5,000 and at 5,000–6,000, and Wizard ranks first at 7,000–8,000 and 9,000+. Valkyrie is first at 8,000–9,000 and Mega Knight first at 6,000–7,000.

How to read the tables: each one ranks counter cards by how much worse decks containing Miner did when the opponent's deck contained that card. Every deck with Miner counts, so the tables include Miner Control, Miner Wall Breakers and Miner Poison plus the rarer LavaLoon, Mortar, Graveyard, Log Bait, X-Bow and PEKKA Bridge Spam decks that also carry Miner. "Battles with counter" is the number of battles in the October 6–12, 2026 window in which a Miner deck faced an opponent running that card. Counter Lookup shows the live version.

Under 5,000

Rank	Counter card	Battles with counter
1	Electro Wizard	701
2	Valkyrie	1,522
3	Skeleton Army	1,950
4	Executioner	127
5	Mega Knight	928
6	Firecracker	491
7	Mini P.E.K.K.A	1,575
8	Wizard	2,061
9	Princess	748
10	Inferno Dragon	459

Ranked by measured impact on Miner results; impact figures are withheld while this trophy band is unpublished.

5,000–6,000

Rank	Counter card	Battles with counter
1	Electro Wizard	1,087
2	Valkyrie	1,949
3	Skeleton Army	2,359
4	Wizard	2,196
5	Mini P.E.K.K.A	1,954
6	Princess	1,064
7	Mega Knight	1,458
8	Arrows	1,254
9	Firecracker	791
10	Goblin Gang	836

Ranked by measured impact on Miner results; impact figures are withheld while this trophy band is unpublished.

6,000–7,000

Rank	Counter card	Battles with counter
1	Mega Knight	1,155
2	Electro Wizard	946
3	Wizard	1,636
4	Valkyrie	1,507
5	Skeleton Army	1,621
6	Executioner	399
7	Goblin Gang	580
8	Princess	864
9	Zap	517
10	Dart Goblin	629

Ranked by measured impact on Miner results; impact figures are withheld while this trophy band is unpublished.

7,000–8,000

Rank	Counter card	Battles with counter
1	Wizard	1,381
2	Valkyrie	1,299
3	Electro Wizard	945
4	Goblin Gang	573
5	Skeleton Army	1,339
6	Dart Goblin	563
7	Archers	404
8	Mini P.E.K.K.A	1,072
9	Princess	735
10	Mega Knight	1,005

Ranked by measured impact on Miner results; impact figures are withheld while this trophy band is unpublished.

8,000–9,000

Rank	Counter card	Battles with counter
1	Valkyrie	1,428
2	Mega Knight	1,070
3	Mini P.E.K.K.A	1,072
4	Wizard	1,262
5	Firecracker	919
6	Skeleton Dragons	136
7	Arrows	1,031
8	Skeleton Army	1,310
9	Electro Wizard	957
10	Zap	544

Ranked by measured impact on Miner results; impact figures are withheld while this trophy band is unpublished.

9,000+

Rank	Counter card	Battles with counter
1	Wizard	770
2	Zap	1,612
3	Electro Wizard	1,327
4	Golem	590
5	Dark Prince	559
6	P.E.K.K.A	645
7	Goblin Demolisher	165
8	Mini P.E.K.K.A	1,278
9	Inferno Dragon	671
10	Zappies	425

Ranked by measured impact on Miner results; impact figures are withheld while this trophy band is unpublished.

What does each Miner counter actually do?

Miner counters fall into four jobs: ranged damage, splash for the cheap support, swarms and air units the 3-elixir Miner cannot handle alone, and heavy counter-pushes. The table lists every card in the top 10 of at least one band; roles are editorial.

Counter card	Elixir	Job against Miner decks
Electro Wizard	4	Stuns the Miner; hits Balloon and Bats
Wizard	5	Ranged splash; hits air
Valkyrie	4	Spin kills the Miner and its ground support
Skeleton Army	3	Swarm that deletes a lone Miner
Mega Knight	7	Deploy splash, then a counter-push
Mini P.E.K.K.A	4	Heavy single-target hits
Executioner	5	Returning axe; hits air
Princess	3	Long-range splash
Firecracker	3	Long-range splash; hits air
Goblin Gang	3	Cheap swarm with a spear backline
Dart Goblin	3	Fast long-range damage; hits air
Archers	3	Two ranged units; hit air
Inferno Dragon	4	Air unit the Miner cannot target
Skeleton Dragons	4	Air splash the Miner cannot target
Arrows	3	Clears Bats, Spear Goblins, Goblin Gang
Zap	2	Kills Bats and Skeletons; resets Inferno Dragon
Zappies	4	Stun support that resets Inferno Dragon
Dark Prince	4	Shielded splash and a charge
Goblin Demolisher	4	Area damage; listed at 9,000+ only
P.E.K.K.A	7	Not a Miner answer: out-pushes the deck
Golem	8	Not a defender: out-pushes the deck

The 9,000+ table puts Golem fourth and P.E.K.K.A sixth, most likely a deck-level result explained in the punish section below. These are correlations: a card ranks high when the decks that run it beat Miner more often, which is why the placement rules below matter as much as the card choice.

Where do you meet Miner?

Miner Control is most common under 5,000 trophies, where it holds 3.25% popularity, and it stays between 2.26% and 3.16% in every band above that, rising again to 2.84% at 9,000+. Miner Poison is not among any band's 30 most-played archetypes.

— = not among that band's 30 most-played archetypes in the latest snapshot (not zero; meta_trends stores the top 30 only).

The band split tells you which counter to prioritise:

• Under 5,000: Electro Wizard, Valkyrie and Skeleton Army take the top 3 spots.
• 5,000 to 9,000: Electro Wizard, Wizard, Valkyrie and Mega Knight trade the top spots, with Skeleton Army (5,000–6,000) and Mini P.E.K.K.A (8,000–9,000) also in a top 3.
• 9,000+: Valkyrie and Skeleton Army drop out of the top 10 (consistent with Miner players holding their small spell for your swarm), Zap rises to second, and heavy cards (Golem, Dark Prince, P.E.K.K.A) move in.

What is Miner Control and why does it win?

Miner Control is the label TrophyCoach's classifier gives a Miner deck that carries neither Poison nor Wall Breakers, unless an earlier named combo (LavaLoon, PEKKA Bridge Spam, Log Bait, X-Bow, Mortar, Graveyard) claims it first. The Miner rule is checked before every win-condition rule (Golem, Giant, Hog Rider, Royal Hogs, Balloon, Mega Knight and the rest), so any of those decks with a Miner counts as Miner Control. A Giant Miner list (Witch, Giant, Miner, Tesla, Bandit, Furnace, Lumberjack, Goblin Hut; 4.0 elixir) is also tracked at 8,000–9,000. The five shells below use the 3-elixir Miner three ways:

1. Chip damage anywhere. The Miner surfaces on whichever tower you have not defended and forces a response every cycle.
2. A tank for the real push. The Miner absorbs Princess Tower shots so a 5-elixir Balloon or a Skeleton Barrel arriving behind it connects.
3. A sniper for your support. The Miner can be dropped onto your Musketeer, Princess or 4- or 5-elixir defensive building.

Every counter above either kills the 3-elixir Miner cheaply or kills the card it is protecting.

What does the Balloon Miner 2.9 list look like?

Balloon Miner 2.9 (MinerLoon) is one of the two Miner Control lists tracked in all six trophy bands (October 12, 2026 refresh), with Mega Knight Miner. The list is:

Card	Elixir	Role in the deck
Balloon	5	Main win condition
Miner	3	Tanks for Balloon or chips alone
Musketeer	4	Ranged defence; hits air
Bomb Tower	4	Defensive building with splash
Ice Golem	2	Mini tank; slows on death
Giant Snowball	2	Knockback and slow
Barbarian Barrel	2	Ground clear and a Barbarian
Skeletons	1	Cycle and cheap defence

The average is 2.9 elixir (23 ÷ 8). A played card returns after four others, and the four cheapest others cost 7 elixir, so a cycling player can replay the Miner every 10 elixir (28.0 seconds in single elixir, 14.0 in double) and the Balloon every 12 (33.6 and 16.8 seconds). These are sustained rates; banked elixir shortens the first replay. The Balloon counter guide covers the Balloon half, and How to Play 2.9 MinerLoon explains the attacker's plan.

What does the Golem Miner list look like?

Golem Miner is tracked from 6,000–7,000 through 9,000+ and pairs an 8-elixir Golem with Skeleton King: Golem, Miner, Night Witch, Skeleton King, Inferno Dragon, Skeleton Army, Goblin Curse and Zap (3.8 elixir, 30 ÷ 8). Here the Miner is the second win condition: it hits the opposite lane or snipes the building you planned to use against the Golem. Defend the Golem as in the Beatdown counter guide, and answer the Miner with a 2- or 3-elixir troop, not your main Golem defender.

What does the Mega Knight Miner list look like?

Mega Knight Miner is tracked in all six bands: Mega Knight, Miner, Inferno Dragon, Skeleton Barrel, Spear Goblins, Goblin Gang, Bats and Zap (3.3 elixir, 26 ÷ 8). It is a bait deck: Skeleton Barrel, Goblin Gang, Spear Goblins and Bats all die to splash, so it makes you spend that card before the Miner and Skeleton Barrel connect. Wizard, Valkyrie, Executioner and Firecracker are the measured splash answers, and 3-elixir Arrows kills three of its eight cards. For the 7-elixir Mega Knight, see the Mega Knight counter guide.

What does the Rocket Miner control list look like?

Rocket Miner is the classic control plan: defend cheaply, chip with the Miner, and finish towers with Rocket. The list is Miner, Rocket, Dark Prince, Tesla, Royal Delivery, The Log, Skeletons and Electro Spirit (3.0 elixir, 24 ÷ 8). It is tracked at 5,000–6,000 and 9,000+, with a Giant Snowball and Ice Spirit variant at 6,000–7,000. Rocket has dealt 343 crown tower damage since June 1, 2026, so every Miner hit brings a tower closer to Rocket range. Two rules beat it:

• Protect tower hitpoints. Defend the Miner early even at an even trade.
• Punish the 6-elixir Rocket. Push the opposite lane the moment it is played.

What does the Lava Miner list look like?

Lava Miner is a Lava Hound deck without Balloon, so it carries the Miner Control label: Lava Hound, Miner, Phoenix, Flying Machine, Barbarians, Tombstone, Goblin Curse and Zap (3.8 elixir, 30 ÷ 8). It is tracked from 7,000–8,000 through 9,000+. Lava Hound tanks while the Miner chips, so air defence comes first. The LavaLoon counter guide covers air-heavy pushes.

How do you defend the Miner on your tower?

The Miner on your tower is defended by spending 3 elixir or less on a card that kills it while your Princess Tower keeps shooting. A 4-elixir answer is worth it only if the defender survives to counter-push.

Where do you place your defender against the Miner?

The best place for your defender against the Miner is right next to where it surfaced, so your troop and your Princess Tower hit it at the same time. In practice that means three placements:

• Melee splash (Valkyrie, 4 elixir): directly on the Miner, so her spin also catches Skeletons or Spear Goblins beside it.
• Ranged (Electro Wizard, Wizard): behind the attacked Princess Tower, so the troop and the tower shoot the Miner together.
• Miner plus Balloon: put the air defender where it reaches the 5-elixir Balloon as it crosses the river, not on the Miner; the tower and a cheap troop handle the Miner.

Wait for the Miner to surface before you place anything, since it can appear anywhere. If the Miner lands on your Musketeer or building, answer with the closest 2- or 3-elixir card, not a fresh 5-elixir troop.

Which air units beat the Miner?

The Miner targets ground units only, so any air unit can attack it for free. Inferno Dragon (4 elixir) ranks in the top 10 under 5,000 and at 9,000+, and Skeleton Dragons (4 elixir) at 8,000–9,000. Cheaper 2-elixir Bats kill a lone Miner with tower help while taking no damage from it, but Zap and Arrows kill Bats outright, so play them when the opponent's spell is out of cycle.

When should you use Skeleton Army or Goblin Gang against the Miner?

Skeleton Army is the highest-ranked 3-elixir Miner counter in three bands (under 5,000 through 6,000–7,000) and sits in the top 5 in four (under 5,000 through 7,000–8,000). A full Skeleton Army surrounds a Miner on the tower and kills it in seconds. Goblin Gang (3 elixir) does the same with a spear backline and ranks fourth at 7,000–8,000.

The catch is that every Miner shell carries a swarm answer: Barbarian Barrel in MinerLoon, Zap in the Golem and Mega Knight lists, The Log and Royal Delivery in the Rocket list, Poison in Miner Poison. Track it:

• Spell in hand: use Valkyrie, Electro Wizard or Mini P.E.K.K.A instead.
• Spell just used: Skeleton Army or Goblin Gang wins the trade.

That is the most likely reason Skeleton Army falls from third under 5,000 to eighth at 8,000–9,000 and out of the 9,000+ top 10.

How do Electro Wizard, Wizard and Valkyrie stop the Miner?

Electro Wizard stops the Miner with a deploy zap and a two-target stun, and his ranged attack also reaches Balloon, Bats and Inferno Dragon, the most likely reason he is top 3 in five bands.

Wizard (5 elixir) does the same job with splash. The September 8, 2026 buff raised his damage 281 → 304 (+8%). Valkyrie (4 elixir) is the melee option; her spin also kills Skeletons, Spear Goblins and Wall Breakers in the same lane. All three usually survive a lone Miner (a 3-elixir card), so each becomes a counter-push.

Should you use a building against the Miner?

A defensive building is a target for the Miner, not an answer to it. Miner decks drop the 3-elixir Miner onto your Inferno Tower, Tesla or Bomb Tower to clear the way for a Balloon, Golem or Wall Breakers. Place your building in the centre as that push arrives, then answer the Miner that lands on it with a cheap troop. Tesla's lifetime has been 25 seconds since June 1, 2026, so an early Tesla wastes part of it.

When should you let the Miner hit your tower?

Let the Miner hit your tower when stopping it would cost more than the chip it deals. At 39 crown tower damage per hit (Level 11), a lone Miner that the tower kills alone takes a modest chunk of a healthy Princess Tower, while a 4- or 5-elixir answer leaves you behind against a deck averaging 2.6 to 3.8. Defend it when the tower is in Rocket range, when Poison is likely to follow, or when a Balloon or Wall Breakers is right behind it.

How do you beat Miner Wall Breakers?

Miner Wall Breakers is beaten by stopping the 2-elixir Wall Breakers at the bridge with a cheap ground unit or a building, then answering the Miner separately for 3 elixir or less. Wall Breakers target buildings only and deal 302 damage each on impact (Level 11, since October 6, 2026), so a Wall Breakers pair that reaches the tower is the deck's main damage. Both lists are tracked in at least five bands; the Wall Breakers Evolution nerf analysis covers the archetype's earlier history:

List	Cards	Avg elixir
Magic Archer Berserker	Miner, Wall Breakers, Magic Archer, Bomb Tower, Berserker, Bats, Royal Delivery, Fire Spirit	2.6
Knight Tornado	Miner, Wall Breakers, Magic Archer, Bomb Tower, Knight, Spear Goblins, Tornado, The Log	2.9

In the 2.6 list, the Miner or the Wall Breakers can return every 10 elixir: 28.0 seconds in single elixir, 14.0 in double, as a sustained rate.

How do you stop Wall Breakers in a Miner deck?

Wall Breakers are stopped by any unit placed in their path, or by a centre building that pulls them away from both towers. Skeletons (1 elixir), Knight, Goblin Gang and Valkyrie all kill a pair. Two traps:

• Barbarian Barrel no longer always works. Since the October 6, 2026 nerf it does not fully counter Wall Breakers; back it with a unit.
• Watch for the split. Miner on one tower and Wall Breakers on the other forces two answers. Defend the Wall Breakers first (604 damage between the two at Level 11) and let the tower handle part of the Miner.

How do you deal with Magic Archer and Bomb Tower?

Magic Archer (4 elixir) shoots a piercing arrow that can reach your tower from behind the river, and Bomb Tower (4 elixir) is the deck's defensive anchor. A Mega Knight, Golem or Electro Wizard push forces the deck to commit its Bomb Tower early, which opens the next Wall Breakers lane. In the Knight list, the 3-elixir Tornado pulls your attackers into Bomb Tower splash or toward the King Tower to activate it, so split your support instead of stacking it in the centre. Magic Archer's damage was cut to 135 (from 143, −5%) on August 3, 2026.

How do you beat Miner Poison?

Miner Poison is beaten by defending the Miner with Poison-proof troops and punishing the 4-elixir Poison in the opposite lane. Poison has dealt 168 crown tower damage since June 1, 2026, and it kills every swarm (Skeleton Army, Goblin Gang, Bats, Minions) placed around the Miner. The tracked 9,000+ list is Miner, Poison, Rune Giant, Little Prince, Cannon, Bats, Barbarian Barrel and Skeletons (2.8 elixir, 22 ÷ 8). A Goblin Hut variant swaps Cannon for the 4-elixir Goblin Hut (2.9 elixir).

• Defend with sturdy troops. Valkyrie, Mini P.E.K.K.A and Knight survive a Poison. Skeleton Army and Bats do not.
• Answer Rune Giant with Mini P.E.K.K.A. Rune Giant (4 elixir) gained damage on June 1 (120 → 153) and hitpoints on August 3 (2,662 → 2,816).
• Push after the Poison. Miner, Rune Giant and Poison together are 11 elixir, so a counter-push right after a Poison faces only Little Prince, Cannon and 1- or 2-elixir cards.

Why is the classic Miner Wall Breakers Poison deck labelled Miner Poison?

The classic Miner Wall Breakers Poison list is labelled Miner Poison because the classifier checks Poison before Wall Breakers. That list is Miner, Wall Breakers, Poison, Bomb Tower, Magic Archer, Bats, Skeletons and The Log (2.8 elixir, 22 ÷ 8). Stop its Wall Breakers at the bridge, and answer its Miner with a troop that survives the 4-elixir Poison.

How do you punish Miner decks on offense?

Miner decks are punished on offense by attacking the lane the Miner did not hit, the moment it lands. The Miner is a 3-elixir card with little defensive value against a tank: it cannot target air, and its single-target damage does not stop a Golem, P.E.K.K.A or Mega Knight. Most Miner lists average 2.6 to 3.0 elixir and defend with one building and cheap cycle cards.

That is the most likely reading of Golem (4th), Dark Prince (5th) and P.E.K.K.A (6th) at 9,000+: each forces the Miner deck to defend a heavy push with 2- and 3-elixir cards. Two rules:

1. Counter-push with the surviving defender. A Valkyrie, Electro Wizard or Mega Knight that killed the Miner is a free push.
2. Pressure the opposite lane when the Miner and its partner are committed. A Balloon plus Miner push costs 8 elixir and a Rocket costs 6, so the defence left in hand is thin.

Which decks beat Miner?

Goblin Barrel Bait with Valkyrie, PEKKA Bridge Spam and Golem Beatdown are ahead of Miner Control in every band with a result in TrophyCoach's October 12–13, 2026 archetype-matchup results, except Goblin Barrel Bait's roughly even 9,000+. Each list carries several of the measured Miner counters; verdicts are those label-level results per band, percentages withheld.

Deck	Avg elixir	Counter cards from the tables	Measured verdict
Goblin Barrel Bait (Valkyrie)	2.8	Valkyrie, Skeleton Army, Princess, Dart Goblin	vs Miner Control: favourable under 9,000; roughly even at 9,000+. vs Miner Wall Breakers: favourable in all six bands
PEKKA Bridge Spam	3.9	Electro Wizard, P.E.K.K.A, Zap	vs Miner Control: favourable under 6,000; slightly favourable at 9,000+; no result at 6,000–9,000
Golem Beatdown	4.1	Golem, Mini P.E.K.K.A, Arrows, Zap	vs Miner Control: favourable under 7,000 and at 9,000+; slightly favourable at 8,000–9,000; no result at 7,000–8,000

How does Goblin Barrel Bait with Valkyrie beat Miner?

Goblin Barrel Bait with Valkyrie beats Miner below 9,000 because four of its eight cards appear in the counter tables. The list is Goblin Barrel, Wall Breakers, Princess, Dart Goblin, Skeleton Army, Valkyrie, Cannon and Ice Spirit (2.8 elixir).

• Defence: Valkyrie or Skeleton Army takes the Miner, and Princess and Dart Goblin shoot Bats, Balloon and Spear Goblins from range. Hold Skeleton Army until their small spell is spent.
• Offence: Goblin Barrel and Wall Breakers both demand a small spell, and MinerLoon carries only two, Barbarian Barrel and Giant Snowball. Read the Log Bait counter guide for the reverse view.

How does PEKKA Bridge Spam beat Miner?

PEKKA Bridge Spam beats Miner by defending with Electro Wizard and out-pushing with a 7-elixir P.E.K.K.A. A real list is P.E.K.K.A, Electro Wizard, Bandit, Battle Ram, Royal Ghost, Magic Archer, Fireball and Zap (3.9 elixir).

• Defence: Electro Wizard stuns and kills the Miner, Zap handles Bats and Skeletons, and P.E.K.K.A ends Golem and Mega Knight pushes.
• Offence: Battle Ram, Bandit and Royal Ghost punish the opposite lane while the Miner deck's 3-elixir cards are on your side. The Bridge Spam counter guide covers this deck from the other side.

How does Golem Beatdown beat Miner?

Golem Beatdown beats Miner by out-pushing it. A real list is Golem, Night Witch, Phoenix, Elite Barbarians, Mini P.E.K.K.A, Bomber, Arrows and Zap (4.1 elixir).

• Defence: Mini P.E.K.K.A takes the Miner, and Arrows clears Bats, Spear Goblins and Goblin Gang.
• Offence: an 8-elixir Golem with Night Witch or Phoenix behind it is more than a 2.9-elixir Miner deck can absorb.

What changed for Miner in Season 88?

Miner received no change in the October 6, 2026 balance patch. Its last change was the July 6, 2026 nerf: crown tower damage 49 → 39 (−20%). Eight changes in the October 6 patch touch cards in Miner lists or the anti-Miner decks above. Figures are as published by Supercell (Level 11):

• Wall Breakers — Impact: significant. Damage 281 → 302 (+7%), part-reversing the August 3, 2026 cut (350 → 281, −20%). It strengthens Miner Wall Breakers and the classic Wall Breakers Poison list.
• Barbarian Barrel — Impact: small. Damage 232 → 215 (−8%), and Supercell says it will no longer fully counter Wall Breakers. It weakens your Barbarian Barrel against Miner Wall Breakers, and Barbarian Barrel is also in the MinerLoon and Rune Giant Poison lists.
• Skeletons — Impact: small. Tighter spawn spread, with no figure published. Skeletons sit in the MinerLoon, Rocket Miner and Miner Poison lists, and now bunch together more for your splash.
• Cannon Evolution — Impact: small. Barrage damage 281 → 261 (−7%). It matters if the Miner Poison Cannon list runs Evo Cannon, and for your own Cannon on defence.
• Lava Hound — Impact: small. Damage 53 → 71 (+33%), hit speed 1.3s → 1.5s (+15%). It affects only the Lava Miner shell.
• Royal Ghost — Impact: small. Hitpoints 1,210 → 1,152 (−5%). It applies to the PEKKA Bridge Spam list above, not to Miner lists.
• Goblin Barrel — Impact: small. First hit speed 0.4s → 0.3s (−25%). It helps the Goblin Barrel Bait list above.
• Elite Barbarians Evolution — Impact: small. Bug fix: spear attack sight range 4.5 → 6 tiles (+33%). It helps the Golem Beatdown list above if its Elite Barbarians are evolved.

Electro Wizard, the most consistent Miner counter, is one of Season 88's boosted cards, so it plays at Level 16 this season; so does Electro Spirit in the Rocket Miner list. Season 88 also adds Hero Electro Wizard (see the Shocktober Season 88 guide). Earlier, the September 8 patch reworked MinerLoon's Ice Golem (hitpoints 1,315 → 1,228, slow 2.0s → 2.5s).

What are the most common mistakes against Miner?

Mistakes against Miner mostly come from overpaying for a 3-elixir chip card:

Mistake 1: Spending 5 elixir on a lone Miner with no counter-push planned. A Wizard or Executioner dropped just to kill a Miner leaves you 2 elixir behind unless it survives to attack.

Mistake 2: Throwing a swarm into the small spell. Into Zap, Arrows or Poison, Skeleton Army and Bats are 2 or 3 elixir thrown away. Wait for the spell to cycle.

Mistake 3: Ignoring the card behind the Miner. In MinerLoon the 5-elixir Balloon is the threat; kill it first and let the tower deal with the Miner.

Mistake 4: Stacking defenders on the tower against Miner Poison. A 4-elixir Poison on the Miner, your defender and the tower is the deck's best trade. Spread out, or use a troop that survives Poison.

Mistake 5: Forgetting the Wall Breakers lane. Against the Miner Wall Breakers split, defend the 302-damage Wall Breakers first.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best card to counter Miner?

Electro Wizard is the most consistent Miner counter in TrophyCoach's data: top 3 in 5 of 6 trophy bands for October 6–12, 2026, and top 10 in all six. Wizard (5 elixir) is the other card in every band's top 10 and ranks first at 7,000–8,000 and 9,000+.

How do you stop the Miner on your Princess Tower?

The Miner costs 3 elixir, so answer it with a 2- or 3-elixir troop once it surfaces: Skeleton Army, Goblin Gang or Bats when the opponent's small spell is out of cycle, or a 4-elixir Valkyrie that survives to counter-push. The Miner targets ground only, so air units take no damage from it.

Did Miner get nerfed in October 2026?

Miner was not changed in the October 6, 2026 balance patch. Its last change was the July 6, 2026 nerf that cut its crown tower damage from 49 to 39 (−20%) at Level 11.

Is Miner Control popular in October 2026?

Miner Control holds between 2.26% and 3.25% popularity in all six trophy bands in the October 12, 2026 snapshot, highest under 5,000 trophies. Miner Wall Breakers adds 1.35% at 5,000–6,000.

How do you counter Miner Wall Breakers?

Miner Wall Breakers is countered by blocking the 2-elixir Wall Breakers at the bridge with Skeletons, Valkyrie or a centre building, then killing the Miner for 3 elixir or less. Wall Breakers deal 302 damage each since October 6, 2026, so defend them before the Miner.

How do you beat Miner Poison?

Miner Poison is beaten with troops that survive the 4-elixir Poison, such as Valkyrie or Mini P.E.K.K.A, instead of swarms. Push the opposite lane right after the Poison, when the deck has spent 7 elixir on Miner and Poison.

How do you counter MinerLoon (Balloon Miner 2.9)?

MinerLoon averages 2.9 elixir and uses the 3-elixir Miner to tank tower shots for a 5-elixir Balloon. Kill the Balloon with an air-targeting defender like Musketeer, Electro Wizard or Wizard, and answer the Miner with a cheap troop or the tower alone.