How to Counter Witch and Wizard Decks in Clash Royale: Spells, Placements & Matchups (October 2026)

Quick answer: The most reliable way to counter a Witch or Wizard deck is to drop a Mini P.E.K.K.A or Valkyrie on top of the 5-elixir splash troop once it crosses the bridge, finish a base Witch or Wizard with Fireball plus The Log if needed, then attack the opposite lane while that troop is committed.

Witch and Wizard both cost 5 elixir and fire splash shots from 5.5 tiles. At Level 11 Witch has 839 hitpoints and spawns 4 Skeletons every 7 seconds; Wizard has 755 hitpoints and has hit for 304 splash damage since his September 8, 2026 buff (up from 281). Both base cards survive Fireball alone and die to Fireball plus The Log (689 + 269 = 958 damage at equal Level 11); Witch Evolution, with 1,451 hitpoints since August 3, 2026, survives that too. In the October 12, 2026 meta snapshot, Witch decks hold between 0.87% and 1.51% popularity in every band from under 5,000 to 8,000–9,000 trophies. Witch Wizard (1.22%) and Wizard (0.95%) make the top 30 only under 5,000, and none of the three labels makes it at 9,000+. The October 6, 2026 balance patch did not change Witch or Wizard. TrophyCoach's classifier gives these decks three labels:

• Witch Wizard: the deck holds both Witch and Wizard.
• Witch: Witch without Wizard.
• Wizard: Wizard without Witch.

What is a Witch Wizard deck in Clash Royale?

A Witch Wizard deck is any deck holding Witch and Wizard and none of the 40-odd win-condition cards and combinations TrophyCoach checks first, from LavaLoon and Hog Rider to Goblinstein. A deck holding one of those gets that card's label instead. Witch and Wizard decks therefore come in two kinds:

1. Decks with no win condition at all. They win by defending with splash troops and counter-pushing what survives: a mini tank such as Valkyrie, Knight or Mini P.E.K.K.A, with Witch or Wizard behind it.
2. Decks whose win condition has no classifier rule. Battle Ram, Goblin Giant (without Sparky), Royal Recruits, Goblin Machine, Boss Bandit, Goblin Demolisher and spawner buildings such as Goblin Hut, Furnace and Barbarian Hut all fall through to the Witch or Wizard label. Wall Breakers do too, unless the deck also holds Miner.

Mother Witch, Night Witch, Ice Wizard and Electro Wizard are different cards and do not trigger these labels. Wizard has both an Evolution and a Hero form, and the Clash Royale API reports both under the base name "Wizard", so Hero Wizard decks land in these labels too.

What do Witch and Wizard actually do?

Witch (an Epic) and Wizard (a Rare) are both 5-elixir troops that hit air and ground with splash damage:

Witch trades damage for bodies. Each wave of 4 Skeletons is a fresh set of targets, so a lone defender facing her has to chew through Skeletons before it reaches her. Wizard is the opposite: one body, 304 splash damage per shot, and nothing to protect him but whatever walks in front. Witch Evolution heals 153 hitpoints per Skeleton from her first wave; the Witch Evolution guide covers her August 3, 2026 rework. The Clash Royale API does not say whether an opponent plays Witch as her Evolution, so plan for both.

How do Witch Wizard decks win without a win condition?

Witch Wizard decks win by defending cheaply and counter-pushing:

1. You attack. They defend with Valkyrie, Skeleton Army, Mini P.E.K.K.A or Barbarians, plus a splash troop behind it.
2. Your push dies. Their defenders and their Witch or Wizard survive with most of their hitpoints.
3. They add one card at the bridge, often Battle Ram, Bats or a second splash troop, and walk the survivors into your tower.

A Wizard who survives a defense is a free 5-elixir push, so the plan below is to kill the splash troop on defense.

Where do you meet Witch and Wizard decks?

Witch decks are steady from under 5,000 to 9,000 trophies, between 0.87% and 1.51% popularity in each band, and peak at 5,000–6,000. Witch Wizard and Wizard-only decks reach the top 30 archetypes only under 5,000. No label in the family reaches the 9,000+ top 30.

Trophy band	Archetype	Popularity	Sample
Under 5,000	Witch Wizard	1.22%	2,266
Under 5,000	Witch	1.45%	2,691
Under 5,000	Wizard	0.95%	1,759
5,000–6,000	Witch Wizard	—	—
5,000–6,000	Witch	1.51%	2,585
5,000–6,000	Wizard	—	—
6,000–7,000	Witch Wizard	—	—
6,000–7,000	Witch	0.87%	1,459
6,000–7,000	Wizard	—	—
7,000–8,000	Witch Wizard	—	—
7,000–8,000	Witch	1.05%	1,724
7,000–8,000	Wizard	—	—
8,000–9,000	Witch Wizard	—	—
8,000–9,000	Witch	0.98%	1,643
8,000–9,000	Wizard	—	—
9,000+	Witch Wizard	—	—
9,000+	Witch	—	—
9,000+	Wizard	—	—

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

Of the seven tracked Witch-family lists above 5,000, one runs Goblin Giant, one is built on spawner buildings, two carry Mother Witch and one pairs Witch with Wizard.

This page has no counter-card table. TrophyCoach's counter tables measure cards against win conditions, and Witch and Wizard are support troops that sit in decks with no shared win condition, so one table would mix Battle Ram decks, spawner decks and decks with no win condition at all. If the deck you meet runs Battle Ram, Goblin Giant or Royal Recruits, Counter Lookup lists counter strategies for that card.

Which spells kill Witch and Wizard?

Base Witch and base Wizard both survive a single Fireball and both die to Fireball plus a small spell; Witch Evolution survives every common combination except Rocket. All figures are Level 11, the tournament standard, and the same kills hold at any equal level.

Spell or combination	Elixir	Damage (Level 11)	Kills Wizard (755 HP)?	Kills Witch (839 HP)?	Kills Witch Evolution (1,451 HP)?
Zap	2	192	No	No	No
The Log	2	269	No	No	No
Arrows	3	369	No	No	No
Fireball	4	689	No	No	No
Fireball + Zap	6	881	Yes	Yes	No
Fireball + The Log	6	958	Yes	Yes	No
Lightning	6	1,057	Yes	Yes	No
Fireball + Arrows	7	1,058	Yes	Yes	No
Rocket	6	1,485	Yes	Yes	Yes

Witch Evolution is the exception to plan around. Fireball plus The Log leaves her at 493 hitpoints, so finish her with a troop: Mini P.E.K.K.A still kills her in 2 hits (1,510 damage). Rocket's 1,485 kills her outright from full health. Her first-wave heal (153 per Skeleton) only undoes damage dealt before that wave spawns, so land Fireball and its follow-up together. An Evolution Wizard's 176-hitpoint shield absorbs one full hit, so every combination above needs one extra spell or hit against him.

The Log hits Witch and Wizard because both are ground troops, and it also clears Witch's Skeletons (81 HP each). Arrows does not kill either one but clears everything small around them: Skeletons, Bats, Minions, Archers, Firecracker, Princess and Dart Goblin all have less than 369 hitpoints at Level 11.

When should you spell Witch and Wizard together?

Witch and Wizard together are 10 elixir, so a 6-elixir Lightning or Rocket that kills both is a 4-elixir trade in your favour. Witch Wizard players stack them because each covers the other's weakness: Witch's Skeletons protect Wizard from melee, Wizard's damage protects Witch from swarms. That stacking is the spell opening. Wait until they stand within Lightning's radius behind their tank, then cast it.

Lightning's 3.5-tile radius can also catch a Goblin Hut, Furnace or Tombstone; Rocket earns its 6 elixir against Witch Evolution or when the splash troop stands next to their Princess Tower. Fireball alone leaves Wizard at 66 hitpoints and Witch at 150, so do not cast it without a follow-up. Do not spend Arrows on a lone Skeleton wave either; save it for Bats, Minions or Minion Horde.

How do you defend Witch and Wizard with troops?

Witch and Wizard lose to most melee troops that reach them past their Skeletons and tank. The skill is getting a troop to them without walking it through their splash first.

Which troops kill Witch and Wizard fastest?

Mini P.E.K.K.A is the cleanest troop answer. In TrophyCoach's card data its 755 damage per hit equals the base Wizard's 755 hitpoints at equal Level 11, so one hit kills Wizard and two hits kill Witch, base or Evolution; an Evolution Wizard's shield takes the first hit. Place it on top of the splash troop, not in front of the tank.

Other troops that work:

• Valkyrie (1,907 HP, 266 splash damage at Level 11): spins through every Witch Skeleton wave and survives about 6 Wizard shots. She is slow to kill Witch herself but holds the push while your tower does.
• Knight (1,766 HP at Level 11): a 3-elixir tank that sits on Witch while your tower shoots her.
• Bandit, Royal Ghost or Miner: all reach the back line fast; Miner can be placed directly on the splash troop.
• Mega Minion (837 HP at Level 11): survives two Wizard shots, and Witch's Skeletons cannot hit him because they target ground only.

Avoid low-hitpoint swarms. Wizard's 304 splash kills every unit of Skeleton Army, Goblin Gang, Bats and Minions in one shot at equal level.

Where should you place your defense against a Witch push?

Place your defender to reach the splash troop, not the tank; the tank is usually small (Valkyrie, Knight, Mini P.E.K.K.A, Barbarians), and your Princess Tower handles it once the support is gone:

1. Wait for the support to cross the bridge. Then place Mini P.E.K.K.A, Knight or Valkyrie beside the splash troop, so it engages Witch or Wizard before the tank.
2. Use a building to pull the win condition to the middle. Cannon, Tesla, Tombstone or Inferno Tower placed in the centre of your side, back from the river, pulls building-targeting cards such as Battle Ram and Goblin Giant into range of both Princess Towers, and the Witch behind is drawn into range of both towers too.
3. Do not stack your defenders. Wizard's splash hits everything in a small radius, so two ranged troops standing together both take every shot.

How do you handle the Skeletons Witch spawns?

Witch's Skeletons are 81 hitpoints each at Level 11, and every 7 seconds she lives adds a wave of 4. Your Princess Tower kills one per shot, and any splash troop clears a wave. Skeletons only target ground, so they cannot damage air defenders, but air defenders that hit ground (Mega Minion, Inferno Dragon, Baby Dragon) can still be pulled onto them. The waves stall your melee troops, which hit Skeletons instead of Witch, and any Skeleton that reaches an Inferno Tower or Inferno Dragon before the tank draws the beam, which restarts its ramp on each new target. Against Witch, prefer splash or high-burst single hits (Mini P.E.K.K.A) over ramping damage.

How do you defend each Witch and Wizard variant?

Witch and Wizard variants differ in what walks in front of the splash troop. All lists below are TrophyCoach tracked decks (October 12, 2026).

How do you beat Battle Ram Witch?

Battle Ram Witch uses a 4-elixir Battle Ram as its win condition. The tracked under-5,000 list is Witch, Battle Ram, Valkyrie, Mini P.E.K.K.A, Musketeer, Archers, Bomber and Fireball (30 ÷ 8 = 3.75 elixir). A heavier under-5,000 version adds Goblin Giant and Barbarian Hut: Witch, Battle Ram, Goblin Giant, Barbarians, Mini P.E.K.K.A, Flying Machine, Barbarian Hut and Minion Horde (39 ÷ 8 = 4.88).

Battle Ram releases 2 Barbarians when it breaks. A Cannon or Tesla in the centre pulls it, and a Valkyrie or Mini P.E.K.K.A behind the building kills the Ram and both Barbarians; then deal with the Witch on her own. The Bridge Spam counter guide covers Battle Ram in PEKKA and Ram Rider lists.

How do you beat Battle Ram Wizard and Royal Recruits decks?

Battle Ram Wizard is the Wizard-side twin, tracked at 5,000–6,000 as Wizard, Battle Ram, Royal Recruits, Mini P.E.K.K.A, Hunter, Inferno Tower, Skeleton Army and Barbarian Barrel (34 ÷ 8 = 4.25). Royal Recruits is a 7-elixir split-lane card, so this deck often plays one half-push on each lane. An under-5,000 list combines all three cards: Witch, Wizard, Royal Recruits, Battle Ram, Inferno Dragon, Baby Dragon, Archers and Princess (35 ÷ 8 = 4.38).

Defend each lane with the smallest answer that works, and save Fireball plus The Log for the lane where Wizard walks. The Royal Hogs counter guide covers Royal Recruits in Royal Hogs Recruits lists.

How do you beat spawner Witch decks?

Spawner Witch decks surround Witch with buildings that keep making troops. The tracked 5,000–6,000 list is Witch, Furnace, Tombstone, Goblin Hut, Barbarian Hut, Skeletons, Ice Spirit and Heal Spirit (25 ÷ 8 = 3.13).

The answer is pressure, not spells on every building: Furnace, Goblin Hut and Barbarian Hut alone cost 14 elixir. Attack the opposite lane as soon as they commit, and cast Lightning, Rocket or Earthquake only on Witch plus a building together.

How do you beat Goblin Giant and Goblin Machine Witch?

Goblin Giant Witch is the highest-trophy tracked Witch list, at 8,000–9,000: Witch, Goblin Giant, Goblin Machine, Minions, Berserker, Barbarian Barrel, Rage and Vines (28 ÷ 8 = 3.5). Goblin Giant is 6 elixir with 3,110 hitpoints at Level 11 and carries 2 Spear Goblins on his back; Goblin Machine is a second building-damaging threat.

Kill Witch before the Goblin Giant reaches your tower. Inferno Tower handles Goblin Giant alone, but if Witch's Skeletons reach it first, it ramps on them instead, so pair it with a splash card or spell that clears them. The Beatdown counter guide covers heavier tanks, and the Sparky counter guide covers Goblin Giant Sparky.

How do you beat Witch Wizard control?

Witch Wizard control has no win condition beyond counter-pushes. The tracked under-5,000 list is Witch, Wizard, Valkyrie, Bowler, Skeleton Army, Archers, Bats and Arrows (30 ÷ 8 = 3.75). A 6,000–7,000 list adds Electro Wizard, Inferno Tower, Tombstone and Clone: Witch, Wizard, Valkyrie, Electro Wizard, Inferno Tower, Tombstone, Arrows and Clone (32 ÷ 8 = 4.0).

Big pushes are what these decks want: their splash troops turn your Barbarians or Skeleton Army into a counter-push. Keep pressure small and on the lane they are not defending. In the measured results below, Hog Cycle comes out ahead of Witch decks in most bands, while Miner Control and Hog 2.6 fare badly under 5,000. When they do counter-push, Fireball plus The Log on base Witch and Wizard together ends it.

How do you beat Wizard-only decks?

Wizard-only decks use Wizard as their one big splash card. The tracked 6,000–7,000 list is Wizard, Barbarians, Baby Dragon, Mother Witch, Firecracker, Cannon, Goblin Curse and Freeze (30 ÷ 8 = 3.75). A 7,000–8,000 list runs Elixir Collector: Wizard, Bowler, Musketeer, Mini P.E.K.K.A, Princess, Goblin Gang, Tornado and Elixir Collector (33 ÷ 8 = 4.13).

Wizard alone is easier than Witch: one body, no Skeletons, and Fireball plus Zap kills the base card for 6 elixir. Against the Elixir Collector list, punish the Collector with an opposite-lane push or a spell that also hits the tower.

How do you punish Witch Wizard decks on offense?

Witch Wizard decks are weakest right after they spend 10 elixir on two splash troops. Three ways to punish:

1. Opposite-lane pressure. When Witch and Wizard are committed on one lane, your win condition on the other lane forces them to answer with whatever is left.
2. Spell value on the tower. Fireball deals 159 crown-tower damage at Level 11 since the September 8, 2026 nerf (down from 172), so catch Witch or Wizard beside their tower.
3. Air pressure they cannot clean up cheaply. Witch and Wizard hit air, but neither has the hitpoints to tank a Mega Minion or a Balloon push for long. Make them play a splash troop defensively, then counter-push with what survives.

Which decks beat Witch and Wizard decks?

Hog Cycle does best against the whole family and Electro Giant against Witch decks (it has no measured result against the other two labels); Miner Control, Hog 2.6, Giant Beatdown and Royal Hogs do worst. Verdicts come from TrophyCoach's archetype head-to-head results (October 12–13, 2026), with percentages withheld; each cell says how your deck fares against that label, and a band a cell does not name has no measured result.

Your deck	vs Witch	vs Wizard	vs Witch Wizard
Hog Cycle	Slightly favourable under 5,000, at 5,000–6,000 and at 7,000–9,000; slightly unfavourable at 6,000–7,000	Roughly even under 7,000; favourable at 7,000–9,000	Slightly unfavourable under 5,000; favourable at 6,000–8,000
Electro Giant	Slightly favourable at 5,000–6,000 and 8,000–9,000; favourable at 6,000–7,000; roughly even at 7,000–8,000	No measured result	No measured result
Goblin Barrel Bait	Roughly even under 6,000; unfavourable at 6,000–7,000; slightly favourable at 7,000–8,000; slightly unfavourable at 8,000–9,000	Slightly unfavourable under 6,000; favourable at 6,000–8,000	Roughly even under 5,000; slightly unfavourable at 5,000–6,000; slightly favourable at 6,000–8,000
Mega Knight	Roughly even at 5,000–6,000 and 8,000–9,000; slightly unfavourable at 6,000–7,000; slightly favourable at 7,000–8,000	No measured result	No measured result
Mega Knight Bait	Roughly even at 5,000–6,000; favourable at 7,000–8,000	No measured result	No measured result
Royal Hogs	Unfavourable under 5,000; roughly even at 5,000–6,000; hard at 6,000–9,000	Unfavourable under 5,000	Slightly unfavourable under 5,000
Miner Control	Hard under 6,000	Hard under 5,000	Hard under 5,000
Hog 2.6	Hard under 5,000	Hard under 5,000	Hard under 5,000
Giant Beatdown	Hard under 5,000	Hard under 5,000	Hard under 5,000

Goblin Hut and X-Bow Siege are hard against Witch under 5,000, and Miner Wall Breakers is hard against Witch at 5,000–6,000. No deck has a measured result against any of the three labels at 9,000+.

Which decks do best against Witch decks?

Hog Cycle and Electro Giant come out ahead of Witch in most bands where they have a result, and Hog Cycle improves with trophies against Wizard decks. The head-to-head data says which decks fare best, not why. The Hog Cycle counter guide and the Electro Giant counter guide show those decks from the other side.

Which decks struggle against Witch decks?

Miner Control, Hog 2.6 and Giant Beatdown fare worst, with hard results against all three labels under 5,000, and Royal Hogs is hard against Witch from 6,000 to 9,000. We have no measured explanation for these results, and Hog Cycle, another Hog Rider deck, fares far better in the same band. If you play one of these decks, save your big spell for Witch or Wizard, never for the tank, and attack when the splash troop is gone. The Royal Hogs counter guide and the Miner Control counter guide cover those decks themselves.

What changed for Witch and Wizard in Season 88?

Witch and Wizard were not changed in the October 6, 2026 balance patch. Their last changes, and changes to cards in the tracked lists above (Supercell figures, Level 11; October figures from the October Balance Changes post):

• Impact: significant. Wizard damage 281 → 304 (+8%), first attack 0.4s → 0.5s, on September 8, 2026. Wizard Evolution's shield fell 192 → 176 (−8%) in the same patch.
• Impact: small. Hero Wizard's ability duration 5s → 3.5s (−30%), September 8, 2026.
• Impact: significant. Witch Evolution heals only from her first Skeleton wave, with the heal per Skeleton raised 53 → 153 and hitpoints 1,040 → 1,451, on August 3, 2026. See the Witch Evolution guide.
• Impact: significant. Battle Ram sight range 5.5 → 6.5 tiles (+18%), September 8, 2026, so it locks onto a centre building from further away; Battle Ram is in 4 of the 10 tracked lists above.
• Impact: small. Battle Ram Evolution knockback 2.5 → 2.0 tiles (−20%), September 8, 2026.
• Impact: small. Bomber damage 225 → 212 (−6%), September 8, 2026; in the Battle Ram Witch list.
• Impact: small. Royal Ghost hitpoints 1,210 → 1,152 (−5%), October 6, 2026; in tracked Witch lists at 5,000–6,000.
• Impact: small. Barbarian Barrel damage 232 → 215 (−8%), October 6, 2026; in the Battle Ram Wizard and Goblin Giant Witch lists.
• Impact: small. Elixir Collector production 13s → 15s (+15%) and lifetime 1m 33s → 1m 50s (+18%), October 6, 2026; in the 7,000–8,000 Wizard list.
• Impact: small. Furnace spawns a Fire Spirit every 5 seconds since August 3, 2026 (down from 7); in the spawner Witch list.

Electro Wizard is one of Season 88's boosted cards, so it plays at Level 16 this season. In the Witch Wizard control list he has 1,141 hitpoints at Level 16, so a Level 11 Fireball plus The Log (958) or a Level 11 Lightning (1,057) no longer kills him. Electro Giant is one of Season 88's boosted cards, so it plays at Level 16 this season, and his results against Witch decks in the table above were measured that way.

Card figures on this page are Level 11 values from TrophyCoach's card data; figures changed since that snapshot come from Supercell's dated release notes.

What are the most common mistakes against Witch Wizard decks?

Witch Wizard decks punish five mistakes:

• Treating every Witch deck the same. Check for Battle Ram, Goblin Giant or Royal Recruits first; they decide where your building goes.
• Expecting Fireball plus The Log to kill every Witch. It leaves Witch Evolution at 493 hitpoints; keep a troop ready to finish her.
• Spending your big spell on the tank. Lightning or Rocket belongs on Witch or Wizard, not on Valkyrie or Knight.
• Placing Inferno Tower where Skeletons reach it first. It ramps on them instead of the win condition.
• Ignoring the second lane. Royal Recruits and spawner lists split pressure; answer each lane with its smallest counter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does TrophyCoach call a deck "Witch Wizard"?

Witch Wizard is the label TrophyCoach's classifier gives a deck holding both Witch and Wizard and none of the 40-odd win conditions it checks first. Most such decks win by counter-pushing or with an unnamed win condition such as Battle Ram, Goblin Giant or Royal Recruits.

Does Fireball kill Witch or Wizard?

Fireball does not kill either at equal level: it deals 689 damage at Level 11 against Witch's 839 hitpoints and Wizard's 755. Fireball plus The Log (958 total) kills both base cards, but Witch Evolution (1,451 hitpoints) survives it.

What is the best troop to counter Witch?

Mini P.E.K.K.A is the cleanest troop answer to Witch, killing her in two hits (755 damage per hit against 839 hitpoints, or 1,451 as an Evolution, at equal Level 11) and the base Wizard in one. Valkyrie (1,907 hitpoints) is the safest answer when Witch is spawning Skeletons around her.

How many Skeletons does Witch spawn?

Witch spawns 4 Skeletons every 7 seconds, each with 81 hitpoints at Level 11. Any splash troop or a single Arrows (369 damage) clears a full wave.

Did Witch or Wizard get nerfed in October 2026?

Witch and Wizard were both left unchanged in the October 6, 2026 balance patch. Wizard was last changed on September 8, 2026, when his damage rose from 281 to 304 (+8%).

At what trophies are Witch decks most common?

Witch decks peak at 1.51% popularity at 5,000–6,000 trophies and stay between 0.87% and 1.51% in every band up to 9,000 (October 12, 2026 snapshot). Witch Wizard and Wizard-only decks make the top 30 only under 5,000, and no Witch or Wizard label makes it at 9,000+.