Quick answer: Log Bait wins by making the opponent run out of small spells: Goblin Barrel (3 elixir), Princess (3) and Goblin Gang (3) all die to the same Log, Zap or Arrows, so every spell spent on one of them lets the next one connect. The classic 3.25-elixir list (Goblin Barrel, Princess, Goblin Gang, Knight, Inferno Tower, Ice Spirit, The Log, Rocket) defends with Inferno Tower and Knight, chips with Barrel and Princess, and finishes with Rocket's 343 Crown Tower damage.
Log Bait was a top-3 deck in 5 of TrophyCoach's 6 tracked trophy bands on October 22, 2026, and its classic list was the most-played Goblin Barrel deck in our October 15–21 sample at 37,434 battles. The deck costs 26 elixir across 8 cards (3.25 average), and its Goblin Barrel returns to hand on a 12-elixir loop: 16.8 seconds in double elixir. Two Season 88 patches touched it directly. On October 6, Goblin Barrel's first hit dropped from 0.4 to 0.3 seconds and Wall Breakers rose from 281 to 302 damage. On October 19, Dart Goblin fell from 151 to 143 damage.
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What Is Log Bait in Clash Royale?
Log Bait is a spell-bait deck: it packs three or four cards that each die to the same cheap spell, so the opponent cannot answer all of them. The name comes from The Log, the most common answer to Goblin Barrel. If the opponent Logs your Goblin Gang, the next Barrel lands free. If they Log the Barrel, Princess chips their tower from across the river.
The classic list in October 2026 is:
| Card | Elixir | Job in the deck | Key number (Level 11) |
|---|---|---|---|
 Goblin Barrel | 3 | Main win condition | 3 Goblins, 202 HP each |
 Princess | 3 | Bait and long-range chip | 9-tile range, 261 HP |
 Goblin Gang | 3 | Bait, swarm defense | Melee and spear Goblins in one card |
 Knight | 3 | Mini-tank, Barrel escort | 1,766 HP |
 Inferno Tower | 5 | Answer to tanks and heavy win conditions | 1,748 HP, 30-second lifetime |
 Ice Spirit | 1 | Cycle and 1.1-second freeze | 215 HP since August 3 |
 The Log | 2 | Your own swarm answer | 269 damage, 35 to Crown Towers |
 Rocket | 6 | Finisher and big-target removal | 1,485 damage, 343 to Crown Towers |
Average elixir is 26 ÷ 8 = 3.25. The game plan in one line: defend cheaply with Knight, Ice Spirit and Inferno Tower, then cycle Goblin Barrel and Princess until the opponent's small spell is out of position, and finish with Rocket in overtime.
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Which Log Bait Variants Are Played in October 2026?
Log Bait has four lists you will actually meet. TrophyCoach's classifier calls the first two "Log Bait" and the last two "Goblin Barrel Bait". This guide covers all four, because the core skill is the same: count the opponent's spells and send the card their spell is not ready for.
| Variant | Cards | Avg Elixir | Battles (Oct 15–21) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Log Bait | Goblin Barrel, Princess, Goblin Gang, Knight, Inferno Tower, Ice Spirit, The Log, Rocket | 3.25 | 37,434 |
| Wall Breakers Bait |      Goblin Barrel, Wall Breakers, Princess, Dart Goblin, Skeleton Army, Valkyrie, Cannon, Ice Spirit | 2.75 | 30,190 |
| Sparky Clone Bait |       Goblin Barrel, Sparky, Giant Skeleton, Clone, Minion Horde, Skeleton Army, Tesla, Arrows | 4.13 | 22,052 |
| Dart Goblin Log Bait | Goblin Barrel, Princess, Dart Goblin, Skeleton Army, Knight, Inferno Tower, Ice Spirit, The Log | 2.88 | 21,166 |
The counts are 8-card decks seen in TrophyCoach's battle sample from October 15 to 21, 2026, across all tracked trophy ranges. They show what you will face, not how often each list wins.
How Is Wall Breakers Bait Different?
Wall Breakers Bait is a 2.75-elixir, two-win-condition list with no Log and no Rocket. It swaps the Rocket finisher for a second building threat. Wall Breakers (2 elixir) run at the nearest building, and they gained 7% damage on October 6 (281 → 302). Barbarian Barrel no longer fully counters them, because it fell from 232 to 215 damage the same day. Valkyrie and Cannon do the defending that Knight and Inferno Tower do in the classic list. The plan is faster and more aggressive: Barrel one lane, Wall Breakers the other, and punish whichever answer the opponent spent last.
What Is Sparky Clone Bait?
Sparky Clone Bait is a 4.13-elixir oddity that the classifier still files under Goblin Barrel Bait. It pairs Goblin Barrel with Giant Skeleton, Sparky and Clone. Its spell bait is Minion Horde and Skeleton Army. Sparky's 1,331-damage shot and a Cloned Giant Skeleton punish any opponent who spends Zap or Arrows on the Barrel. It plays much more like beatdown than classic bait. The spell-counting rules below still apply, but its loop is 16 elixir (22.4 seconds in double elixir), so it cannot cycle the Barrel the way the 2.75 and 3.25 lists do.
Should I Play the Dart Goblin Version?
The Dart Goblin version replaces Goblin Gang and Rocket with Dart Goblin and Skeleton Army, which drops the average to 2.88 and adds a ranged troop that also shoots air. Dart Goblin was nerfed on October 19 (151 → 143 damage, −5%), and Supercell called him "the common denominator among the stronger spell bait decks." He is still a 6.5-tile-range shooter for 3 elixir. Without Rocket, though, you lose your overtime finisher. Pick it if your ladder is heavy on air (Balloon, Lava Hound, Minion Horde). Pick classic if it is heavy on beatdown and X-Bow.
How Do You Play Log Bait? The Game Plan
Log Bait's game plan has three phases, and each one has a different job.
Single elixir (0:00–2:00): spend the opponent's spells, not your elixir. You start with 5 elixir and regenerate 1 every 2.8 seconds. Your goal is to learn which small spells the opponent carries (Log, Zap, Arrows, Barbarian Barrel, Fireball, Tornado, Giant Snowball) and to make them use one. A 3-elixir Goblin Barrel that draws a 2-elixir Log is an even trade on elixir and a win on information.
Double elixir (2:00–4:00): overload one lane. At 1 elixir every 1.4 seconds, you can send Goblin Barrel plus Princess or Goblin Gang in the same push. The opponent now needs two answers within about 3 seconds, and most decks carry only one small spell that reaches across the arena. Your Barrel loop is 12 elixir (Barrel plus Ice Spirit, The Log, Knight and Princess), so you can send a Barrel every 16.8 seconds in double elixir, against 33.6 seconds in single elixir.
Overtime and triple elixir (4:00+): Rocket the tower. Rocket deals 343 damage to a Crown Tower at Level 11. If the opponent's tower is low, two Rockets close the game even when nothing else gets through. Count the opponent's tower HP from the moment double elixir starts, and plan the Rocket sequence before overtime begins, not during it.
What Are the Best Opening Plays With Log Bait?
The safest opening play is a Princess at the bridge on your side, or an Ice Spirit or Knight at the back of your King Tower. Both cost little and show you nothing important. Never open with Goblin Barrel on an empty board in the first 20 seconds: the opponent has full elixir and a spell in hand, so it is a free 3-for-2 trade for them.
Good openers, in order of safety:
- Princess behind your Princess Tower, near the bridge. She outranges Crown Towers and forces a response. If they Log her, their Log is out of cycle and your Barrel is live for the next 4 plays.
- Knight at the back center. He crosses as a tank for a later Barrel and reads their defense.
- Ice Spirit at the back, if your hand is all expensive cards and you need to cycle.
Do not open with Inferno Tower or Rocket. Inferno Tower is your answer to their win condition, and spending it early is how Log Bait loses to Giant, Golem and Balloon.
What Is the Goblin Barrel Loop?
The Goblin Barrel loop is the cheapest way to see Goblin Barrel again: play it, then play the 4 cheapest other cards. A played card goes to the back of your 4-card queue and returns after 4 more plays, so you never need to play all 8 cards. In the classic list that loop costs Barrel (3) plus Ice Spirit (1), The Log (2), Knight (3) and Princess or Goblin Gang (3), for 12 elixir total. Hold Rocket and Inferno Tower while you cycle, unless the matchup forces them out.
How Do You Track the Opponent's Spells?
Spell tracking is the whole skill of Log Bait. A card returns to the opponent's hand 4 plays after they use it, so a spent Log is gone for at least 4 of their plays. Count those plays.
Keep this checklist running every match:
- Which small spells do they have? Most decks carry one or two from Log, Zap, Arrows, Barbarian Barrel, Giant Snowball, Tornado and Fireball. The first time you see one, assume it is the only one until you see a second.
- Which of your cards does each spell kill? See the table below. Zap (192 damage) does not kill Barrel Goblins (202 HP), so a Zap player needs their tower to finish the job. The Log (269), Arrows (369), Barbarian Barrel (215) and Fireball (689) all do.
- When did they last use it? After they spend it, they need 4 more plays before it comes back. That is your window.
- Do they have a building or a splash troop? Valkyrie, Bowler, Executioner and Bomb Tower answer Goblin Gang and Skeleton Army without a spell, so treat them as a "second spell" when you count.
All values are Level 11 tournament standard. Barbarian Barrel's 215 is the October 6, 2026 figure.
When Should I Send Goblin Barrel?
Send Goblin Barrel when the opponent's small spell is out of cycle, or when they are about to spend elixir on something else. The three best windows are:
- Right after they spend their Log or Zap on Princess, Goblin Gang or Skeleton Army.
- When they drop an expensive card at the back, such as Golem, Lava Hound or a 7-elixir PEKKA. They cannot also afford a spell for several seconds.
- Paired with a Knight or Princess already at the bridge, so a single spell cannot answer the whole push.
Goblin Barrel's Goblins now swing 0.3 seconds after landing instead of 0.4 seconds (October 6). A defender who reacts late loses one more hit than in September, so aim the Barrel at the tower itself and let the Goblins start hitting at once.
Where Should I Aim Goblin Barrel?
Aim Goblin Barrel on the tower when the opponent has no building and their spell is down. Aim it slightly behind the tower toward the King Tower when they have a habit of pre-placing a troop in front, so the Goblins land out of that troop's first swing. Never throw it at the bridge side of the tower, because that lets Princess Tower shots and a defending Knight both reach it.
What Should You Save Each Spell For?
Log Bait carries two spells of its own in the classic list, and both have one main job.
The Log (2 elixir): save it for the swarm that would kill your Barrel push or your tower. Its best targets are the opponent's Goblin Gang, Skeleton Army, Barbarians, Princess or Dart Goblin. It also resets an Inferno Dragon or Sparky charge when you push it back, and it clears Graveyard skeletons (82 HP at Level 11). The Log only hits ground troops, so it does nothing to Bats, Minions or a flying Skeleton Barrel.
Rocket (6 elixir): save it for the tower, for two support troops in one cast, or for one big card worth 6 elixir. Rocket deals 1,485 damage at Level 11, which kills:
- Sparky (1,451 HP)
- Executioner (1,280 HP)
- Musketeer (721 HP) plus anything standing next to her
- Wizard, Witch, Magic Archer or Electro Wizard
- Elixir Collector, which is also a 6-for-6 trade
Rocket does not kill X-Bow (1,600 HP) or Inferno Tower (1,748 HP) at level parity. Don't Rocket a lone 3-elixir troop in single elixir. You fall 3 elixir behind, and the opponent's next push comes at you with a full bar.
The Rocket finish: Rocket deals 343 damage to a Crown Tower at Level 11. In double elixir, plan a cast whenever the tower is under 343 HP. In overtime, cast it whenever the tower is under 686 HP and you can afford two Rockets before the opponent rebuilds.
How Do You Defend Common Threats With Log Bait?
Log Bait defends with three cards: Inferno Tower, Knight and its swarms. Keep Inferno Tower for the threat that would otherwise take your tower, and use everything else first.
How Do You Stop Hog Rider?
Hog Rider (1,697 HP, 4 elixir) is the opponent you will meet most: Hog 2.6 was the #1 deck in all 6 bands in TrophyCoach's October 22, 2026 snapshot. Answer a lone Hog cheaply. Drop Knight (3 elixir) in front of the tower the Hog is running at, or Goblin Gang (3) around it as it crosses, and add Ice Spirit (1) to freeze it for 1.1 seconds while your tower shoots. That trade is even or better on elixir. Against Hog 2.6, expect a Log on your Gang, so lead with Knight when their Log is in hand. Hold Inferno Tower for the Giant, Golem, Royal Giant or Balloon that a 3-elixir card can't stop. Use it on Hog Rider only when the Hog comes with a second troop or your other answers are out of cycle, placed in the center about 3 tiles in front of your King Tower.
How Do You Stop Giant, Golem and Royal Giant?
Inferno Tower is the answer: its beam steps up from 43 to 158 to 847 damage per hit, one step every 1.5 seconds, which melts tanks. Place it so the tank walks into it before reaching your tower. Then defend the support troops with Knight and The Log. The opponent's counterplay is a Zap or Electro Spirit to reset the beam, so hold Ice Spirit to freeze the support troop that carries the reset, or keep Knight between the Inferno and the reset source.
How Do You Stop Mega Knight?
Mega Knight (3,993 HP, 7 elixir) is the hardest common card for Log Bait. Its jump deals 537 damage on landing and kills every swarm you own. Never drop Goblin Gang or Skeleton Army on top of a Mega Knight that hasn't jumped yet. Let it jump onto Knight first. Then surround it with Goblin Gang and let Inferno Tower finish it. While the opponent has 7 elixir committed to defense, send Goblin Barrel to the other lane.
How Do You Stop Balloon and Lava Hound?
Air is classic Log Bait's weak side: only Inferno Tower, Princess, Goblin Gang's spear Goblins and your towers shoot up. Against Balloon (1,676 HP), place Inferno Tower early so the Balloon locks onto it, and freeze it with Ice Spirit when it reaches the Inferno. Against Lava Hound, target the Hound with Inferno Tower and keep Princess alive to splash the Lava Pups. If air is common at your trophy range, the Dart Goblin variant is the better list.
How Do You Stop PEKKA and Bridge Spam?
Inferno Tower kills PEKKA (3,760 HP), but Bridge Spam sends Battle Ram, Bandit and Royal Ghost before the Inferno can lock on. Answer Battle Ram with Knight or Goblin Gang at the river. Answer Bandit with Knight. Save Inferno Tower for the PEKKA itself, and counter-push the other lane with Goblin Barrel while their 7 elixir is on your side.
How Do You Stop Graveyard?
Graveyard drops 12 Skeletons over 9 seconds. Place Knight in the middle of the Graveyard circle to tank. Then Log the Skeletons once the opponent's Poison or support troop is committed. Goblin Gang also clears Graveyard well. Ice Spirit's freeze is useful when a Baby Dragon or Ice Wizard is supporting it.
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How Do You Manage Elixir With Log Bait?
Log Bait wins elixir trades in small amounts, about 1 elixir at a time, and loses them in large amounts when Inferno Tower or Rocket is wasted. Use these rules:
- Spend no more than 1 elixir more than their push costs. Knight (3) on a Hog (4) plus your tower is +1 for you. A 5-elixir Inferno Tower on a 3-elixir Bandit is −2.
- Don't leak elixir. If you are at 10 and have nothing to defend, play Princess or Ice Spirit at the back. A full elixir bar for 2.8 seconds in single elixir wastes 1 elixir.
- Hold a Barrel answer for their counter-push. After your Barrel, keep Knight or The Log available. Their Goblin Gang or Bats will run at your tower while your elixir is low.
- Go negative on purpose only for a double-lane split. Barrel left plus Princess right costs 6 elixir and forces two answers. That is worth it in double elixir and almost never in the first minute.
What Evolutions and Heroes Fit Log Bait?
Log Bait has more Evolution-eligible cards than slots. The cards in the four variants that have an Evolution are:
- Goblin Barrel, whose Evolution's decoy Goblins have dealt 66 damage since August 3
- Princess, added as an Evolution in Season 84
- Knight, Skeleton Army, Dart Goblin, Wall Breakers, Valkyrie, Ice Spirit, Cannon and Tesla
The Cannon Evolution barrage dropped from 281 to 261 damage on October 6. Knight and Valkyrie also have Hero forms (Hero Knight's ability costs 2 elixir; Hero Valkyrie's costs 3), and since August 3 every Hero and Champion ability except Boss Bandit's is single-use.
A practical rule: evolve the win condition (Goblin Barrel) and the card you play most often on defense (Knight in classic, Valkyrie in the Wall Breakers list). If you don't own those Evolutions, the deck works with base cards. Spell counting matters more than any single Evolution.
What Are the Hardest and Easiest Matchups for Log Bait?
These verdicts are an editorial read of card interactions with the classic list, not measured win rates.
| Opponent archetype | Verdict | How to play it |
|---|---|---|
| Hog 2.6 | Even | Knight or Goblin Gang plus Ice Spirit and your tower for a lone Hog. Inferno Tower only when the Hog brings support. Bait their single Log with Goblin Gang, then Barrel. They also carry Fireball, so don't clump Princess with Knight. |
| Giant Beatdown | Favorable | Inferno Tower on the Giant. Rocket the support troops if they stack two at the back. |
| Mega Knight Bait | Hard | Never swarm an unjumped Mega Knight. Inferno Tower plus Knight on defense. Barrel the opposite lane when they commit 7 elixir. |
| X-Bow Siege | Even | Knight tanks the X-Bow's lock while your Barrel pressures the other lane. Rocket is not a full answer (1,485 < 1,600 HP). |
| Mortar Cycle | Even | Barrel the Mortar's lane while it is locked on your tower. Knight and Goblin Gang stop Skeleton Barrel and Goblins. |
 Royal Hogs | Even | Inferno Tower pulls split Hogs. Goblin Gang surrounds the rest. Watch for their Earthquake on your Inferno. |
| PEKKA Bridge Spam | Even | Inferno for PEKKA only. Knight and Gang for Battle Ram and Bandit. Punish the other lane. |
| LavaLoon and air beatdown | Hard | Inferno Tower early. Ice Spirit the Balloon. Switch to the Dart Goblin list if air is common. |
| Log Bait mirror | Even | The player who saves their Log for the Barrel wins. Never Log Princess first. |
What Are the Most Common Log Bait Mistakes?
Mistake 1 — Barreling into a spell that is in hand. If the opponent hasn't used their Log or Zap in the last 4 plays, assume it is ready. Bait first, then Barrel.
Mistake 2 — Spending Inferno Tower on a small troop. Inferno Tower is 5 elixir and your only reliable tank answer. Using it on a 3-elixir Bandit or a lone Hog Rider leaves the Giant, Golem or Balloon free for the next 4 plays.
Mistake 3 — Using your Log on Princess. Your Log does kill her (269 against 261 HP), but their Goblin Gang or Skeleton Army then gets a free walk at your tower. Let your Princess Tower and Knight handle her.
Mistake 4 — Rocketing a 3-elixir troop in single elixir. It puts you 3 elixir behind with no tower damage. Save Rocket for two targets, a 6-elixir card, or the tower.
Mistake 5 — Playing the same lane every time. A predictable Barrel meets a pre-placed Log. Switch lanes after two Barrels, or send Princess first to make them commit.
Mistake 6 — Ignoring tower HP before overtime. Rocket deals 343 to a Crown Tower. If you start counting only when overtime begins, you will miss the 2–3 Rocket windows that double elixir already gave you.
How Did the October 2026 Balance Changes Affect Log Bait?
Season 88 had two balance waves, on October 6 and October 19, 2026. Seven changes touch bait decks or the cards that answer them:
| Card | Change | Old | New | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goblin Barrel | First hit speed (Oct 6) | 0.4 s | 0.3 s | −25% |
| Wall Breakers | Damage (Oct 6) | 281 | 302 | +7% |
 Barbarian Barrel | Damage (Oct 6) | 232 | 215 | −8% |
 Royal Ghost | Hitpoints (Oct 6) | 1,210 | 1,152 | −5% |
 Cannon Evolution | Barrage damage (Oct 6) | 281 | 261 | −7% |
| Dart Goblin | Damage (Oct 19) | 151 | 143 | −5% |
 Skeleton Barrel | Death damage (Oct 19) | 145 | 163 | +12% |
Impact: significant. The Goblin Barrel buff makes late Logs fail more often, and the Wall Breakers buff plus the Barbarian Barrel nerf help the 2.75-elixir list. Impact: small. The Dart Goblin nerf trims one variant without changing its role. The full October 6 list is in our Shocktober Season 88 guide. For how bait decks fared after the August spirit nerf, see Is Log Bait Still Good After the August 2026 Spirit Nerf?.
Recommended Next Reads
- How to Counter Log Bait: the same deck from the other side, useful for the mirror match.
- Clash Royale Spell Cycling Guide: when to hold and when to spend Log and Rocket.
- Elixir Management Mastery: the trade rules behind the elixir section above.
- Deck Doctor: grade your exact Log Bait list and see which card to swap first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Log Bait still good in October 2026?
Log Bait is still a top-3 deck in 5 of 6 trophy bands in TrophyCoach's October 22, 2026 snapshot. The October 6 Goblin Barrel buff (first hit 0.4 → 0.3 seconds) helped it. The October 19 Dart Goblin nerf (151 → 143 damage) only trims one variant.
What is the best Log Bait deck right now?
Log Bait's most-played list from October 15 to 21, 2026 was the classic 3.25-elixir build: Goblin Barrel, Princess, Goblin Gang, Knight, Inferno Tower, Ice Spirit, The Log and Rocket, seen in 37,434 battles in our sample. The 2.75-elixir Wall Breakers list was second at 30,190.
How do I beat Mega Knight with Log Bait?
Log Bait beats Mega Knight by letting it jump onto Knight first, then surrounding it with Goblin Gang and finishing it with Inferno Tower. Mega Knight's jump deals 537 damage, which kills any swarm placed before it lands. Its 7-elixir cost leaves a free Goblin Barrel window in the other lane.
Should I use Rocket on the tower or on troops?
Rocket goes on the tower in double elixir and overtime whenever the tower is under 343 HP (one Rocket) or 686 HP (two Rockets). Before that, it goes on troops only when it kills 6 elixir or more, such as Sparky (1,451 HP), Elixir Collector, or Musketeer plus a second support troop.
Why does my Goblin Barrel keep getting Logged?
Goblin Barrel gets Logged when you send it while the opponent's Log is in hand. The Log returns 4 plays after they use it. Make them spend it on Goblin Gang or Skeleton Army first, then Barrel within their next 4 plays. Switch lanes after two Barrels so they can't pre-aim.
Does Zap kill Goblin Barrel?
Zap does not kill Goblin Barrel's Goblins at level parity: it deals 192 damage against 202 HP at Level 11, so each Goblin survives with 10 HP until the tower finishes it. The Log (269), Arrows (369), Barbarian Barrel (215) and Fireball (689) all kill them outright.
Is Log Bait good for free-to-play players?
Log Bait's classic list has 3 Commons, 2 Rares, 1 Epic and 2 Legendaries (Princess and The Log), so Princess and The Log are the slowest cards to level. The Wall Breakers list drops The Log, so Princess is its only Legendary.
How many Goblin Barrels should I send per game?
Goblin Barrel can come back every 16.8 seconds in double elixir on the 12-elixir classic loop, but the number that matters is how many land unanswered. Two or three Barrels sent into a spent spell beat six Barrels sent into a ready Log. Send fewer, better-timed Barrels.