Quick answer: Royal Hogs wins by sending four 837-HP Hogs at the opponent's buildings faster than one spell can stop them: no single Fireball (689), Log (269) or Arrows (369) kills a Royal Hog at level parity. The top list in October 2026 pairs Royal Hogs with Archer Queen, Earthquake, Royal Delivery, Cannon, Ice Spirit, Skeletons and The Log at 2.88 average elixir. Defend with Cannon and Archer Queen, then send Hogs as a one-lane push or a split, with Earthquake on their building.
Royal Hogs was the #2 deck at 9000+ trophies in TrophyCoach's October 22, 2026 snapshot. Its Archer Queen list was the most-played Royal Hogs deck in our October 15–21 sample at 44,008 battles. That list costs 23 elixir across 8 cards (2.88 average). Royal Hogs return to hand on a 12-elixir loop: 16.8 seconds in double elixir. The slower Royal Recruits list (3.75 average) sits in the top 8 below 7,000 trophies in the same October 22 snapshot. Both lists got Season 88 changes. Cannon's Evolution barrage dropped from 281 to 261 on October 6, and Flying Machine rose from 171 to 179 damage on October 19.
Rate your deck against this meta
Get an instant AI grade, synergy score, and swap picks — build a deck below, or sign in to grade your current one. Free to start.
What Is Royal Hogs in Clash Royale?
Royal Hogs is a 5-elixir Rare card that deploys four Hogs. Each Hog has 837 hitpoints and deals 74 damage per hit at Level 11, and each one only targets buildings. All four jump the river and run very fast. A Royal Hogs deck is a building-targeting chip deck: it defends cheaply, then sends Hogs at the tower in numbers that one spell cannot clear.
Royal Hogs works because of a simple number: 837 HP per Hog is more than any common single spell deals. Fireball (689), The Log (269), Arrows (369) and Zap (192) all leave every Hog alive. Two spells together do kill them (Fireball plus Log is 958), but that costs the opponent 6 elixir against your 5.
The top list in October 2026 is:
| Card | Elixir | Job in the deck | Key number (Level 11) |
|---|---|---|---|
 Royal Hogs | 5 | Win condition | 4 Hogs, 837 HP each |
 Archer Queen | 5 | Main defender, air and ground DPS | 1,000 HP, 5-tile range |
 Royal Delivery | 3 | Spell that leaves a Royal Recruit | 384 damage since August 3 |
 Earthquake | 3 | Building breaker for the Hog push | Lasts 3 seconds, extra damage to buildings |
 Cannon | 3 | Building that pulls Hog Rider and tanks | 824 HP, 202 damage per shot |
 Ice Spirit | 1 | Cycle and 1.1-second freeze | 215 HP |
 Skeletons | 1 | Cycle and distraction | 3 Skeletons, 81 HP each |
 The Log | 2 | Ground swarm answer | 269 damage |
Average elixir is 23 ÷ 8 = 2.88.
Playing one of these decks?
Deck Doctor grades any deck in seconds — synergy, meta fit, and the swaps that fix its weak spots. See your grade before you sign up.
Which Royal Hogs Decks Are Played in October 2026?
Royal Hogs has two families. TrophyCoach's classifier labels them "Royal Hogs" (the Archer Queen cycle list) and "Royal Hogs Recruits" (the Royal Recruits split list).
| Variant | Cards | Avg Elixir | Battles (Oct 15–21) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Hogs Archer Queen | Royal Hogs, Archer Queen, Royal Delivery, Earthquake, Cannon, Ice Spirit, Skeletons, The Log | 2.88 | 44,008 |
| Royal Hogs Recruits (Electro Spirit) |        Royal Hogs, Royal Recruits, Flying Machine, Zappies, Goblin Cage, Barbarian Barrel, Arrows, Electro Spirit | 3.75 | 21,939 |
| Royal Hogs Recruits (Fireball) |  Royal Hogs, Royal Recruits, Flying Machine, Zappies, Goblin Cage, Barbarian Barrel, Arrows, Fireball | 4.13 | 14,760 |
| Royal Hogs Recruits (Golden Knight) |  Royal Hogs, Royal Recruits, Flying Machine, Zappies, Goblin Cage, Barbarian Barrel, Arrows, Golden Knight | 4.13 | 7,170 |
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 is played, not how often it wins. In the October 22 band snapshot, the Archer Queen list placed #6 at 7,000–8,000, #5 at 8,000–9,000 and #2 at 9000+. The Recruits list placed #8 under 5,000, #7 at 5,000–6,000 and #6 at 6,000–7,000.
Which Royal Hogs List Should I Play?
Play the Archer Queen list if you can level a Champion and want the faster game. Play the Recruits list if you are below 7,000 trophies or don't own Archer Queen. The two lists win in different ways:
- Archer Queen list (2.88 elixir): a cycle deck. It defends with Cannon, Archer Queen and 1-elixir cards, then chips with Royal Hogs and Earthquake every 16.8 seconds in double elixir.
- Recruits list (3.75 elixir): a split-lane pressure deck. Royal Recruits (7 elixir, six shielded Recruits) splits into both lanes. Royal Hogs then go to whichever lane is weaker. Its loop is 15 elixir: 21.0 seconds in double elixir.
The rest of this guide uses the Archer Queen list for card names and covers the Recruits list where it plays differently.
What Is the Royal Hogs Game Plan?
Royal Hogs runs on a three-step loop: defend for less elixir than the opponent spent, send Hogs into their weakest lane, and Earthquake the building that stands in the way.
Single elixir (0:00–2:00): defend first and learn their building. You regenerate 1 elixir every 2.8 seconds. Your Royal Hogs loop is 12 elixir, which is 33.6 seconds in single elixir, so you get only 2 or 3 Hog pushes in the first two minutes. Make each one count. Learn whether the opponent has a building (Cannon, Tesla, Inferno Tower, Bomb Tower, Goblin Cage), a splash troop (Valkyrie, Bowler, Executioner, Baby Dragon), or both.
Double elixir (2:00–4:00): Hogs plus Earthquake. At 1 elixir every 1.4 seconds, the Hog loop drops to 16.8 seconds. Royal Hogs plus Earthquake is 8 elixir: the Earthquake breaks their building while the Hogs connect. Royal Hogs only need 4 more plays to come back, and the 4 cheapest other cards (Ice Spirit, Skeletons, The Log and a 3-elixir card) cost 7 elixir. That puts the Hogs back in hand 9.8 seconds after you play them.
Overtime and triple elixir (4:00+): split. In triple elixir the loop drops to 11.2 seconds. Split Hogs make the opponent defend two lanes with one building.
What Are the Best Opening Plays With Royal Hogs?
The best opening play with Royal Hogs is Ice Spirit, Skeletons or The Log at the back, or Cannon kept in hand. Do not open with Royal Hogs at the bridge in the first 15 seconds. The opponent has 5+ elixir and every defensive card in hand, so your 5 elixir buys almost no damage.
Strong openers:
- Royal Hogs at the back, behind one Princess Tower. Placed in one lane they stay together, while a center placement splits them. The Hogs take several seconds to walk to the bridge, which gives you time to read the opponent's reply and add Earthquake or Ice Spirit when they arrive.
- Archer Queen at the back of one lane if your hand has no cheap card. She is slow to reach the bridge and safe from most spells at full HP.
- Ice Spirit or Skeletons at the back to cycle toward Hogs plus Earthquake.
Never open with Earthquake or Royal Delivery. Earthquake is your answer to their building, and Royal Delivery is your answer to their air swarm.
When Should I Split the Hogs?
Split Royal Hogs when the opponent has one building or one splash troop and both of their Princess Towers have full HP. Hogs placed in the middle of your side split two and two, one pair per lane. One building or one Valkyrie can stop only one pair, so the other pair connects.
Send all four Hogs down one lane in three cases:
- When the opponent's building is already down or out of cycle.
- When one tower is low enough that four Hogs finish it.
- When you add Earthquake, which only covers one lane.
How Does the Royal Hogs Cycle Work?
Royal Hogs comes back after 4 more plays, not after all 8 cards. A played card goes to the back of your 4-card queue, so the fastest way back to the Hogs is to play your 4 cheapest other cards. In the Archer Queen list that is Ice Spirit (1), Skeletons (1), The Log (2) and one 3-elixir card, for 7 elixir. Add the Hogs' 5 elixir and the full loop costs 12.
These are ceilings that assume no elixir spent on defense. Every Cannon or Archer Queen you place to defend pushes the next Hog push back. The Recruits list loops at 15 elixir (Hogs plus Electro Spirit, Barbarian Barrel, Arrows and a 4-elixir card): 21.0 seconds in double elixir and 42.0 seconds in single elixir.
What Should You Save Each Spell For?
The Archer Queen list carries three spells, and each one does a different job.
Earthquake (3 elixir): save it for their building. Earthquake lasts 3 seconds and deals extra damage to buildings, so it is your answer to:
- Cannon and Tesla
- Inferno Tower, the card that most often melts your Hogs
- Bomb Tower and Goblin Cage
- X-Bow, Mortar and Goblin Hut
The best timing is just before the Hogs arrive, so the building is weakened when they start hitting it. Earthquake only hits ground, and it is a weak answer to troops. Don't spend it on a Goblin Gang that your Log can clear.
Royal Delivery (3 elixir): save it for their air swarm or their Princess. It deals 384 damage at Level 11 (it was 437 before the August 3 nerf), which kills Minions (230 HP), Bats, Spear Goblins, Princess (261 HP) and Dart Goblin. It also drops a Royal Recruit with a 548-HP body and a 240-HP shield, which keeps defending after the spell lands. Royal Delivery is the Archer Queen list's only spell that hits air, so a Delivery spent on a ground troop can lose you the next Minion Horde.
The Log (2 elixir): save it for the ground swarm that would stop the Hogs. Goblin Gang, Skeleton Army, Goblins and Spear Goblins all slow four Hogs down long enough for the tower to kill them. Log the swarm the moment it appears in front of your Hogs, not after the Hogs are already dying.
In the Recruits list, Arrows (369 damage) is the air-and-ground swarm answer and Barbarian Barrel (215 damage since October 6) is the ground answer. The Fireball variant adds a spell for Musketeer, Wizard or Electro Wizard (689 damage, 159 to Crown Towers since September 8).
How Do You Defend Common Threats With Royal Hogs?
Royal Hogs defends with Cannon and Archer Queen, plus cheap cards to buy time. Keep Archer Queen alive between pushes. Her 1,000 HP and 5-tile range make her both your best defender and the escort for a counter-push.
How Do You Stop Hog Rider?
Place Cannon in the center, about 3 tiles in front of your King Tower, so it pulls Hog Rider (1,697 HP) away from both Princess Towers. Add Skeletons on top of the Hog to stack damage, or Ice Spirit to freeze it for 1.1 seconds. Archer Queen doesn't need to be involved, so save her for the Musketeer or Firecracker that follows.
How Do You Stop Giant and Golem?
Cannon pulls the tank to the center while Archer Queen shoots it from behind your tower. Ignore the tank for the first few seconds and kill the support troops first: Log the ground support and use Royal Delivery on the air support. Then punish the other lane with Royal Hogs while the opponent's 8-elixir Golem push is still walking.
How Do You Stop Mega Knight?
Mega Knight is a hard card for Royal Hogs. Its jump deals 537 damage, and it lands on your Hogs whenever you send them into it. On defense, let Mega Knight jump onto Skeletons or a Royal Delivery Recruit first. Then kite it toward the center with Cannon while Archer Queen shoots from range. On offense, never send Hogs into a lane where Mega Knight is standing. Send them to the other lane right after the opponent spends 7 elixir.
How Do You Stop Balloon?
Place Cannon early so Balloon (1,676 HP, 5 elixir) wastes time flying toward it. Freeze the Balloon with Ice Spirit when it reaches the Cannon, and let Archer Queen and your Princess Tower finish it. If the opponent pairs Balloon with Freeze or Lumberjack, play Archer Queen early and keep her behind your tower.
How Do You Stop PEKKA and Bridge Spam?
PEKKA (3,760 HP) hits once every 1.8 seconds, so cheap distractions buy the most value: Skeletons waste a swing, and Ice Spirit freezes it. Pull it with Cannon while Archer Queen shoots it. Answer Battle Ram with Cannon, and Bandit with Skeletons plus your tower. While 7 elixir of PEKKA is on your side, send Royal Hogs to the other lane.
How Do You Stop Graveyard?
Graveyard drops 12 Skeletons over 9 seconds. Place Archer Queen near your tower to shoot them, then Log the Skeletons once the opponent commits Poison or a support troop. Royal Delivery's Recruit is a strong tank in the middle of a Graveyard circle.
Playing one of these decks?
Deck Doctor grades any deck in seconds — synergy, meta fit, and the swaps that fix its weak spots. See your grade before you sign up.
How Do You Manage Elixir With Royal Hogs?
Royal Hogs is a cycle deck, so it wins by many small trades, not one big push. Follow these rules:
- Never send Hogs below 5 elixir in single elixir unless the opponent is also low. A Hog push with no follow-up loses to one building plus their tower.
- Don't leak elixir. At 10 elixir with nothing to defend, play Skeletons or Ice Spirit at the back. Each 2.8 seconds at full elixir in single elixir wastes 1.
- Keep 3 elixir for Earthquake when you send Hogs into a building. Hogs without Earthquake against an Inferno Tower lose all 5 elixir.
- Archer Queen is a defender first. A 5-elixir Archer Queen sent to the bridge with no tank in front dies to one Fireball plus a troop. Use her on defense and let her walk forward behind the Hogs.
- Don't overcommit to one lane in double elixir. Royal Hogs plus Royal Delivery plus Earthquake is 11 elixir. If it fails, the counter-push comes to a lane with no defense.
What Evolutions and Heroes Fit Royal Hogs?
Several cards in these lists have an Evolution:
- Archer Queen list: Royal Hogs, Cannon, Skeletons and Ice Spirit.
- Recruits list: Royal Hogs, Royal Recruits and Goblin Cage.
Royal Hogs is the obvious first slot because it is your win condition. Evolved Royal Hogs had their landing damage cut from 84 to 43 (−48%) on May 4, 2026 (Season 83). Cannon's Evolution barrage was cut from 281 to 261 damage on October 6, 2026. Since September 8, Goblin Cage's Brawler has 1,121 HP. Barbarian Barrel is the only card in these lists with a Hero form (its ability costs 1 elixir).
Archer Queen is a Champion. Since August 3, 2026, her 1-elixir Cloaking Cape ability is single-use, like every Hero and Champion ability except Boss Bandit's. Save it for one big defense or one tower-finishing push. Don't cast it the first time she shoots.
What Are the Hardest and Easiest Matchups for Royal Hogs?
These verdicts are an editorial read of card interactions with the Archer Queen list, not measured win rates.
What Are the Most Common Royal Hogs Mistakes?
Mistake 1 — Sending Hogs into a full-HP building with no Earthquake. Four Hogs into an Inferno Tower lose all 5 elixir. Earthquake first, or wait until the building expires (Cannon and Inferno Tower last 30 seconds, Tesla 25).
Mistake 2 — Splitting into a double splash. If the opponent holds Valkyrie and Bowler, splitting gives each one a free pair. Read their splash count before you split.
Mistake 3 — Spending Royal Delivery on a ground troop. Royal Delivery is the Archer Queen list's only spell that hits air. Spend it on a Knight and the next Minion Horde or Bats takes your tower.
Mistake 4 — Using Archer Queen's ability early. Since August 3 the Cloaking Cape is single-use. Casting it on the first Hog Rider leaves nothing for the Balloon or the Golem push later.
Mistake 5 — Placing Hogs at the bridge in single elixir. Bridge Hogs give no time to add Earthquake or Ice Spirit, and the opponent's tower plus one troop clears them. Place them at the back and build the push as they walk.
Mistake 6 — Ignoring the opponent's spell count. Royal Hogs beats any one spell, but two spells (Fireball plus Log is 958 damage) kill every Hog. After the opponent uses Fireball, you have 4 of their plays to send Hogs into a lane they can't double-spell.
How Did the 2026 Balance Changes Affect Royal Hogs?
Five changes since August 2026 touch the Royal Hogs lists or the cards that answer them:
| Card | Change | Old | New | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Delivery | Damage (Aug 3) | 437 | 384 | −12% |
| Goblin Cage | Brawler HP (Sep 8) | 1,080 | 1,121 | +4% |
 Cannon Evolution | Barrage damage (Oct 6) | 281 | 261 | −7% |
| Barbarian Barrel | Damage (Oct 6) | 232 | 215 | −8% |
| Flying Machine | Damage (Oct 19) | 171 | 179 | +4% |
Impact: small. Royal Delivery at 384 damage still kills Minions (230 HP), Bats, Princess and Dart Goblin, so its role is unchanged. Impact: small. The Cannon Evolution and Barbarian Barrel nerfs trim defense. The Flying Machine buff helps the Recruits list against air. The Zappies hit speed slowed from 2.2 to 2.3 seconds on September 8. The full October 6 list is in our Shocktober Season 88 guide, and the August context is in Is Royal Hogs Still Good?.
Recommended Next Reads
- How to Counter Royal Hogs: what opponents do against you, and how to play the mirror.
- How to Play Hog 2.6 Cycle: the same cycle idea with one Hog Rider instead of four Royal Hogs.
- Elixir Management Mastery: the trade rules behind the elixir section above.
- Deck Doctor: grade your exact Royal Hogs list and see which card to swap first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Royal Hogs good in October 2026?
Royal Hogs is a top-8 deck in all 6 trophy bands in TrophyCoach's October 22, 2026 snapshot, counting both families. The Archer Queen list is #2 at 9000+, and the Recruits list is in the top 8 below 7,000 trophies.
What is the best Royal Hogs deck right now?
Royal Hogs' most-played list from October 15 to 21, 2026 was Royal Hogs, Archer Queen, Royal Delivery, Earthquake, Cannon, Ice Spirit, Skeletons and The Log (2.88 elixir), seen in 44,008 battles in our sample. The best Recruits list adds Royal Recruits, Flying Machine, Zappies and Goblin Cage at 3.75 elixir.
Should I split Royal Hogs or send them in one lane?
Royal Hogs should split when the opponent has one building or one splash troop. Send them in one lane with Earthquake when their building is down, or when four Hogs finish a low tower. A split puts 2 Hogs in each lane, so one Cannon or one Valkyrie can only stop half.
Does Fireball kill Royal Hogs?
Fireball does not kill Royal Hogs at level parity. It deals 689 damage, and each Hog has 837 HP at Level 11. It takes two spells, such as Fireball plus The Log (958 total), which costs the opponent 6 elixir against your 5.
How do I beat Mega Knight with Royal Hogs?
Royal Hogs beats Mega Knight by avoiding it. Never send Hogs into the lane where Mega Knight stands, because its 537-damage jump hits all four. Let it jump onto Skeletons on defense, kite it with Cannon, and send Hogs to the other lane while its 7 elixir is committed.
When should I use Earthquake with Royal Hogs?
Earthquake goes on the opponent's building 1–2 seconds before your Hogs reach it. Its 3-second duration overlaps with the Hogs' first hits. Hogs plus Earthquake costs 8 elixir and is the main double-elixir push, playable every 16.8 seconds on the cheapest loop.
Is Royal Hogs free-to-play friendly?
Royal Hogs' Recruits list is the free-to-play option: it has no Champion or Legendary, and Royal Hogs is a Rare. The Archer Queen list needs a Champion plus The Log (Legendary), so it costs more to level.