Clash Royale: Best Free-2-Play Decks (2025)

Image: Brett Moss / Supercell

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Human Made

I've been playing video games pretty much nonstop ever since I got my first 360. I love racing games, MMOs, and shooters, but I'll play just about anything.

Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

The one biggest problem with Clash Royale is how much money the game wants to convince you to spend. From leveling up cards to season passes to evolution shards, the game wants your money for almost everything. I’ll look at three good decks that mostly utilize epic or lower quality cards, starting with one that’s been around for years and years.

Deck 1 – Hog Cycle

Hog Rider
Ice Golem
Fireball
Archers
Ice Spirit
Tombstone
Zap
Skeletons

This one is a classic. It’s cheap since it contains just commons and rares all focused on spamming Hog Rider as often as possible. There are also a handful of options if you want to switch to other cards. Zap is good, but The Log or Barbarian Barrel are also strong options. If you have them, I’d recommend using them. You can also choose between Tombstone and Cannon, but I just prefer Tombstone. This deck archetype is called “Hog Cycle” since the whole theme is spamming Hogs. It’s been around forever, and there are a bunch of different versions.

Hog Rider is obviously a must-include in this deck. Ice Golem is also a requirement since it’s so good for defending against so many troops. Fireball could be switched with a different spell (maybe even Earthquake), but I prefer it since it’s so versatile. Archers are a great support card that can help defend against everything from Balloons to enemy Hog Riders, so I prefer it over Firecracker, which is often included. Then we have the really cheap cards. Ice Spirit and Skeletons are just here to distract enemy troops cheaply so you can play more Hog Riders.

You have to be aggressive with this deck, but you also have to be very knowledgeable about the game. Knowing how to counter a big push with such limited cards takes a lot of time to get used to. It’s worth practicing with this deck in challenge modes where you don’t lose anything if you want to really learn it.

Deck 2 – Golem Attack

Golem
Baby Dragon
Valkyrie
Arrows
Bomb Tower
Minions
Snowball
Dart Goblin

This deck is probably the most expensive on this list since Golem is an Epic card, but I don’t think it’s that hard to upgrade an Epic to a decent level these days without spending money. Golem decks are high-elixir with high rewards, so you have to be very careful about how you play. You want to cast Golems in the back of the arena so you have time to build up enough elixir to properly defend it. Wasting a Golem push is hugely expensive, so you can’t afford to do it even once. From there, you need support troops.

Baby Dragon is an all-time good support card for Golem, as he clears swarms of all kinds. Valkyrie is also good since she is so tanky. Dart Goblin is good back-up, too, since he has such high DPS. From there the last couple of cards are just Bomb Tower for basic defense and Minions for some extra air support.

Like any Golem deck, the key here is to be extremely patient. It’s usually much easier to do well with Golem in double elixir, so sometimes it’s best to play defense until then. This deck is also strong for getting 3-crown victories, as if you get Golem across the bridge with an army of support, there’s a quick and clear path to total victory.

Deck 3 – Wild Recruits

Wild Barbarians
Royal Delivery
Royal Recruits
Firecracker
Musketeer
Fireball
Skeletons
Goblin Gang

This deck utilizes mostly commons for a really aggressive playstyle. I’ve talked a lot recently about Royal Recruits, and that doesn’t seem to be stopping soon. They’re incredibly strong at defending against almost any kind of push, and the counter push they make is excellent. Then I also like Wild Barbarians as a more direct win con. They’re fast and pair well with the Royal Recruits, so they make a good pair.

The rest of this deck is pretty standard. Royal Delivery is good at countering small swarms and fits thematically with the other Recruits. Firecracker is a very strong defensive support card, even though she was recently nerfed in the August update. Goblin Gang is a great swarm for countering any number of things, and Fireball is just the best generic spell to use.

I’d recommend aggressively using Royal Recruits as a counter as soon as you get a good opportunity. Then back them up with either Firecracker or Musketeer. Wild Barbarians work best when you know your opponent is low on elixir, or in double elixir when you don’t have to worry about it as much. Once you figure out the right times to make big pushes with this deck, it works like a charm.

Clash Royale: Best Free-2-Play Decks (2025)

You can still have a lot of fun in Clash Royale without spending money.

Deck 1 – Hog Cycle

Deck 2 – Golem Attack

Deck 3 – Wild Recruits

Visit the HGG Shop, Traveler?

Join the Discussion

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Clash Royale: Best Royal Recruits Decks

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Clash Royale: Best Free-2-Play Decks (2025)

You can still have a lot of fun in Clash Royale without spending money.

Deck 1 – Hog Cycle

Deck 2 – Golem Attack

Deck 3 – Wild Recruits

Clash Royale Navigation

Visit the HGG Shop, Traveler?

Join the Discussion

Clash Royale: Best Ways to Spend Gems and Gold

Clash Royale: All Cards Ranked (2025)

Clash Royale: Spirit Empress Guide

Clash Royale: Best Royal Recruits Decks

Clash Royale: Merge Tactics Beginner’s Guide

Clash Royale: 7 Best Win Cons (2025)