Author's Recommendations

Before you read onward I would like to suggest that you wonderful readers out there check out the video linked to game-play of the deck on my own YouTube Channel. Doing this should give you insight into how I would handle myself in battle and I would also explain my thought process so that you understand why make the decisions that I do. Aside from deck guides (both written and video format) I also upload some videos which are casual, contain funny moments/montages (at the end of some videos not all) and I also give my insight into the game with quick tips etc when I have the chance. If you all do enjoy the deck and have success with it and you're interested in what I do then make sure to visit my channel and consider subscribing for more Clash Royale content. I hope that you all enjoy the deck and guide and have a ton of success and fun while using it!

Cheers everyone! 🍻

Overview

Alright folks so before I get this deck guide started let me just say that I am not the creator of this deck. I picked it up from a friend who shared it over Twitter after defeating pro player Trainer Luis in the 20 wins challenge who then acknowledged the player and deck in his tweet and said he even picked up the deck afterwards. My friend, who shared the deck, informed me that the deck was originally made and used by Loupongi, a Nova pro player for CR, so all credit for the creation of this deck goes to him. Now that credit has been given where it was deserved let's get on with the guide!

Alrighty folks so this deck may be used as a 1v1 deck but I would highly recommending using it in either challenges or events like the Sudden Death Challenge as I cannot vouch for how effective it may be on the higher end ladder play. As you can see this deck comprises of many cards which may be thrown into the category of "bait" with these cards being the Goblin Barrel, Goblin Gang and Bats. If you've got experience with bait decks in general then you'd understand that these cards can be used somewhat loosely in order to force your opponent into using cards they may not wish to so that you can then use another one of your cards freely, usually cards like the Goblin Barrel are used to punish users for using their spells and ideal counters to the card previously.

The mindset you'll need to adopt when using this deck is to chip with the Miner and your Goblin cards whilst defending as cheaply as you can with your swarm cards. If your opponents slip up on defense or they over commit on offense and you’re able to stop their push easily with a troop such as a Mega Knight then you can begin to go a little heavier on offense.

Offense

As mentioned before this deck contains three win conditions which include the Miner, Goblin Barrel and Balloon. Your main damage will primarily consist of chip damage over time. Try baiting out spell such as Zap, Arrows and The Log while defending in order to have a better shot at using your Goblin Barrel with greater success. If you’ve got a Mega Knight left over from defense then do not hesitate to go on the offensive with a Balloon behind it during double elixir. Be mindful of users who carry Inferno Dragons/Towers as you lack any form of a spell which may reset the charge. If it’s possible then you can try using bats predictively against these cards to distract them in hopes of getting your Balloon to land at least 1 hit on the tower or at least in hopes of getting the death damage off on the tower.

If you’re running up against a bait deck user then use the Goblin Gang and Bats interchangeably on defense against the Goblin Barrel to avoid being predicted with a precast The Log. Also be ready to deal with a Princess at the bridge as she can wreck both of your counters easily. If you know that you can’t manage the Goblin Barrel then always reserve your Arrows spell for it and make sure that they never out cycle them unless you’re confident you can improvise defense with the troops mentioned previously. If it comes down to it and you have got the elixir then consider a Mega Knight being dropped behind the crown tower (timing and placement is key for efficiency) to kill all of the Goblin Barrel’s Goblins. From there try to orchestrate a counter push of some sort and be ready with the Miner for the Princess as they’ll be busy defending the Mega Knight with a Knight and Ice Spirit or Ice Spirit and Inferno Tower. If you can get him down fast enough and in the right position you can possibly predict the Princess’ placement and have him move onto the tower for chip damage. If they get into the habit of using Inferno Tower and you’ve got the Miner timing and placement locked down then always be 1 step ahead of them and ready those Bats to distract!

Defense

When playing this deck it is important that you be mindful not to over commit as doing so will leave you at the mercy of your opponent when they have cards in hand such as Zap, Arrows, Poison or The Log in rotation if they hit you hard in the opposite lane. If this happens then you'll be likely to lose a lot of HP off of your tower unnecessarily. If you have the Mega Minion in rotation you may use it as a defensive unit which is more solid to use when you are low on elixir. If your opponent uses a beat-down deck then your main priority is killing those support units with either your Bats/Goblin Gang is they’re single target and alone (this can be done to help bait spells) or by using the Mega Knight on them to finish them off very quickly and then move onto the tank (be wary of hybrid decks etc that pack the Inferno Dragon as they can use it against you when you drop your Mega Knight on their supporting units).

If you find yourself in a sticky situation where you’re low on elixir and your opponent has a push which may easily get past your swarm units then consider using a defensive Miner to tank it and spank with Bats/Mega Minion/Goblin Gang while the unit is being distracted. Defensive Miners are only for those situations where you know you do not need him for an Elixir Collector or Princess or if you absolutely need to hold your enemy off a little longer (usually when the timer is close to a finishing countdown after you’ve secured enough towers to win the game) against units that can target anything in general.

Tips & Tricks

• When pushing with the Balloon against a user who is always using a Rocket spell on defense against it, make sure that you get your Miner in front of the balloon ahead of time so that the Balloon still poses a threat to them while your Miner is tanking for it.

• If you’re nearing max elixir and you do not need to reserve your Goblin Gang for any particular defense then consider rushing a lane with either a solo Goblin Gang or combo it with the Miner to see how your opponent reacts. If they are not aware that you have the Goblin Barrel then this can give you a window of opportunity to use the barrel freely when you manage to bait them out of their spell when they see the Goblin Gang coming at them. Remember not to always rush into doing bold moves like this. You need to be absolutely sure you can afford to defend whatever they throw back at you if they manage to find a cheaper way of dealing with your 6 elixir push.

• At times you can trick your opponent into using their Zap spells on your Bats so that your Inferno Dragon can have free reign over their tanking units and burn them down to ashes.

• If you wish to conserve you’re Arrows spell for any particular reason against a user who packs a Goblin Barrel of their own then try using your Goblin Gang behind the crown tower that is being targeted a few moments before the barrel crash lands. Doing this should allow your Goblins to spread around the crown tower where the enemy Goblins will be spawned thus distracting them and stopping them effectively. Be wary of your opponent using a predictive The Log against your defensive Goblin Gang or if they drop a Princess at the bridge simultaneously to snipe your tower whilst splashing your Goblins.

• Another alternative to dealing with an enemy Goblin Barrel when you have sufficient elixir and either don’t wish to use your Arrows spell or when simply don’t have it in hand is to use your Mega Knight behind the targeted crown tower. If timed and placed correctly you can completely negate all damage that could be suffered as the Mega Knight can potentially splash and be rid you of all of those pesky Goblins.

• If you are sure your opponent will be using their Princess on defense and you are confident about where you expect to see her deployed then go right ahead and drop the Miner to get in their ASAP and dispose of her should your opponent get tricked into placing her down to defend after seeing the Miner be deployed ahead of time. Prediction plays can often off set your opponent and turn the tides in your favor.

• If the battle is intense and you know your opponent can’t focus on multiple threats at once cast a duke barrel during a strong push to trick them into using their spells whilst avoiding the loss of your Goblins. Even if one or two of the Goblins are taken down by the spell, so long as one survives and a unit is tanking for it then it will deal significant amounts of damage while annoying the daylights out of your foe.

• When dropping your Mega Knight against units such as Barbarians and Elite Barbarians drop him a little ahead of where they are moving towards. This ensures that they all still get splashed but do not get shoved around the Mega Knight to have a chance to slice off any HP from him unnecessarily.