Best Low-Cost Decks in Clash Royale

With a plethora of cards released throughout 10 years of this game’s existence, it’s easy to get lost. That’s why we’re here to aid you in understanding what decks to build with little to no cost at all. We’ll also list the strengths and weaknesses of the presented cheap Clash Royale decks. This will give you a better understanding of what to expect when picking up one and using it.

And if you don’t feel like farming for cards or want to use the strongest, fattest decks in the game, you can find ready-to-use Clash Royale accounts here, at Skycoach.

Read our other guides to Clash Royale:

• Leveling Guide
• Arenas Guide
• Creator Codes

 

 

Best Budget Decks in Clash Royale

Starting out in games that have existed for many years might be tough. Worry not, as we are here to help you out. Here’s a handy short table to get you up to speed with our five best budget decks in Clash Royale:

Let’s clear a few moments on what makes a deck “budget” in this list:

1. You don’t need more than 2 legendary cards
2. The majority of cards should be common to rare in quality
3. No more than 1 hero

Legendary cards may seem too much for a cheap deck, but you only need 1 legendary in most budget decks. That's The Log card, which can be obtained in Arena 11.

Logbait 2.9 Cycle Deck

One of the most well-known Clash Royale low-cost meta decks. Focused on baiting your opponent to sell their spells and then making them sorry for doing that. Simple, yet fun and rewarding deck, and it’s suitable for all skill levels.

Cards needed:

• Goblin Barrel Evolution (3 Elixir)
• Dart Goblin Evolution (3 Elixir)
• Knight (3 Elixir)
• Princess (3 Elixir)
• Goblin Gang (3 Elixir)
• Ice Spirit (1 Elixir)
• The Log (2 Elixir)
• Inferno Tower (5 Elixir)

Before you hop on the game and decide to try out this deck, you gotta know about its good and bad sides. It’s unnerfable, yes, but it’s not undefeatable.

Pros:

• Never out of meta, even after nerfs
• Great chip damage
• Flexible defense and offense options
• Good potential to spellbait

Cons:

• Weak vs splash and AoE spells
• Struggles against heavy beatdown decks
• Relies on precise timing and baiting

A true classic for a good reason. Reliable, easy, fun. What’s not to like? Well, maybe 2 legendaries. You’ll need Princess and The Log to make use of this deck.

Pigs Recruits Deck

A great deck with an impressive winrate. The key to winning with this deck is baiting with a Fireball to catch bad rotations. The deck has lots of rares, which are more difficult to upgrade than commons, but there are no legendaries in it. It’s a very easy deck and you can build it much earlier than others, making it one of the best budget decks for Clash Royale.

Cards needed:

• Goblin Cage Evo (4 Elixir)
• Royal Recruits Evo (7 Elixir)
• Royal Hogs (5 Elixir)
• Flying Machine (4 Elixir)
• Fireball (4 Elixir)
• Zappies (4 Elixir)
• Arrows (3 Elixir)
• Barbarian Barrel (2 Elixir)

Same situation here: a big winrate might make it tempting to invest in it, but first read the following points. This deck truly shines in a longer game.

Pros:

• Good counterpush potential after defending
• Reliable answers to swarms with Arrows and Fireball
• Very strong defense with Cage, Recruits, and Zappies
• Steamrolling with Royal Recruits and Royal Hogs

Cons:

• High average Elixir price, mistakes will cost you
• Weak against air-heavy decks
• Limited fast cycle potential
• Relies heavily on lane control and timing

Deck’s really expensive in terms of Elixir. That means you’ll have to drag the game, and that might be something you won’t like. Not to say that a couple of mistakes will lose you the game quickly. Make sure to stay defensive at the start of the match.

Hog Earthquake Deck

Cheaper version of the modern rendition of Hog Rider with the only legendary being The Log. With this deck, it’s quite easy to get lockdown defense and do tons of chip damage with your Hog Rider. Very safe to upgrade as it never leaves the meta. It would be the best F2P Clash Royale deck right now if not for the last two positions in this list.

Cards needed:

• Firecracker Evolution (3 Elixir)
• Tesla Evolution (4 Elixir)
• Hog Rider (4 Elixir)
• Knight (3 Elixir)
• Earthquake (3 Elixir)
• Skeletons (1 Elixir)
• Electro Spirit (1 Elixir)
• The Log (2 Elixir)

Even with this foolproof deck, there are a couple of drawbacks, but overall, we’d say the pros outweigh the cons here.

Pros:

• A very fast cycle allows for constant pressure
• Cheap elixir trades
• Easy to outcycle counters by opponent
• Reliable damage strategy

Cons:

• Weak against heavy beatdown decks
• Low tower damage per push
• Requires you to be careful early on

 It’s definitely an “ol’ reliable” kind of deck. If all else fails - build it and go to town.

X-Bow 3.0 Cycle Deck

One of the most difficult decks to play well. It has an infamously steep learning curve. If you master it, you’ll be able to compete with any matchup in the game. For pros - this is the best budget deck for Clash Royale. This deck has tons of outplay potential and hasn’t undergone any changes in the past 6-7 years. Everybody at the top of the ladder uses this deck for a good reason.

Cards needed:

• Archers Evolution (3 Elixir)
• Tesla Evolution (4 Elixir)
• X-Bow (6 Elixir)
• Knight (3 Elixir)
• Fireball (4 Elixir)
• Skeletons (1 Elixir)
• Electro Spirit (1 Elixir)
• The Log (2 Elixir)

This one’s tricky. On the one hand, it’s really powerful, probably the most powerful budget deck there is. On the other hand, it requires deeper knowledge of the game. You'll be more likely to feel frustrated if you’re inexperienced in the game.

Pros:

• Strong tower chip
• Excellent defensive potential with Tesla
• Great at punishing bad elixir trades or overcommitments
• Effective in overtime with consistent pressure

Cons:

• Takes a very high skill to be effective
• Weak against heavy beatdown decks and big spells
• Low comeback potential if the tower damage gap is large
• Has problems against fast cycle decks that pressure lanes

All the requirements needed to play well with this deck make it hard to recommend for newcomers. It’s a tough choice between this and the next one, but this deck is definitely one of the best cheap Clash Royale decks.

Hog EvoMusk 2.6 Cycle Deck

What is the best cheap deck in Clash Royale? If you ask somebody who played the game extensively, chances are, they’ll name you this deck. Extremely viable, super easy to upgrade. Just like X-Bow, it has a ton of outplay potential against any matchup, so your skill is really your limit with this deck.

Cards needed:

• Musketeer Evolution (4 Elixir)
• Cannon Evolution (3 Elixir)
• Hog Rider (4 Elixir)
• Fireball (4 Elixir)
• Ice Golem (2 Elixir)
• Skeletons (1 Elixir)
• Ice Spirit (1 Elixir)

What’s there to say? Even with the cons, this deck absolutely rips. Don’t look at the lower winrate - it’s a deck that was in the meta for a long time. It doesn’t make it any less powerful, though. Try it, love it, learn the game with it.

Pros:

• Fast cycle
• Excellent defensive core with Musketeer, Cannon and Ice Spirit
• Stable chip and counterpush potential
• Great synergy between Hog and Evo Musketeer splash

Cons:

• Struggles against multiple defensive buildings
• Low spell damage output
• You’ll lose if you miscycle or overcommit early

It’s really hard to overexaggerate how good this deck is. We would probably go as far as to name it the best low-cost Clash Royale deck 2025 if it wasn’t for the fact that this is an old deck and just about everyone knows how to deal with it. BLOG20

 

 

How to Get More Cards Quicker

Before you start building decks, it’s important to get to at least Arena 11 to open up Legendary-tier cards. You don't need many though, as there are only a few that are really viable. If you already have plenty of cards in your deck, you might want to read our guide on Best Clash Royale Decks.

But let us share a couple of strategies to get to Arena 11 faster:

1. Level up only core cards: Best cards to upgrade are as follows: Win conditions → Defenses → Support Troops → Spells.
2. Learn to use Elixir efficiently: The person who spends Elixir properly wins.
3. Watch and copy successful replays: Pay attention to timings, push setups and defense strats.
4. Always complete all quests and daily rewards: The easiest and most direct way to grow.
5. Play smarter, not longer: If you understand you’re on a lose streak, stop playing and analyze your prior games.
6. Join a clan: Clan rewards help you grow faster.
7. Master counterattacks: Winning in mid-ladder relies on defending cheaply and turning that into a counterpush.
8. Learn common meta deck counters: If you are able to recognize a deck that your opponent has, you’ll know your game plan.
9. Use 2v2 for practice: You don’t lose your trophies there, so it’s a great place to test new decks or warm up.
10. Build decks that have proven to be efficient: You can check out the Best Decks for Every Arena in Clash Royale in this guide

Conclusion

As you can see, investing enough time and effort can make you go up the leagues slowly but surely. If you want to climb the leagues much faster, you can use our Ranked Mode Boost. 

This was our list of the top low-cost decks for Clash Royale. Master them, see what fits you, and conquer the Ranked Mode. And if you ever feel that you need to step up your game, we will be here for you.

F.A.Q.