The Clash Royale team is always on top of game balance and with most patches we find specific units being modified increasing their viability on the ladder and in challenges. Sometimes we find a long-forgotten unit actually becoming viable by something as simple as an increase in its damage range or DPS. October 1st's balance patch brought many changes, but one change stood out among the rest and it was for the Royal Giant. For the purpose of this article, let’s call him the RG. The big guy received an interesting change in his playstyle. While he received an insane damage boost of 60% he also received a nerf on his range bringing him from a 6.5 down to a 5.0.

These changes have made him both easier to counter but significantly more lethal when left unanswered. After a balance change is made you immediately start to see changes in the decks you encounter. As you can imagine, right now there are RGs everywhere! Since the big guy is the new trend, I wanted to share some tips on what units can serve as a counter to the RG and important facts on placement when using the unit yourself.

When facing an RG, your defense is going to depend a lot on where the enemy places this unit because this is going to affect the amount of elixir they will have available to support that push and inflict tower damage. With a cost of 6 elixir, an RG at the bridge can easily be taken out before it lands two hits on your tower because the opponent won’t have much elixir to counter your defense (unless we’re talking about over time). A very good way to ensure the enemy won’t be able to spend resources on supporting his push is by counter-pushing on the opposite lane with a heavy hitter.

The enemy will be faced with the decision of defending that push and abandoning their RG or sticking to their lane and accepting the damage on the opposite side. Three of my favorite units for a counter-push are the Hog Rider, Lumberjack, and Bandit because, if left unattended, these will surely deal massive damage to a tower. Due to the reduction in range, when there is not much support behind the RG you can easily take him out with a Mini P.E.K.K.A., Hunter, Barbarians, or a combination of a structure to distract with lesser units such as Archers or any of the Goblins.

When your opponent is playing the RG in the back, as in most cases during normal elixir time, your best shot is to try a bridge rush on the opposite lane to make sure your opponent has to keep spending his resources in defense and will have little left to support the RG by the time he reaches the bridge. An immediate reaction could represent a stronger push on that opposite lane knowing that the enemy only has 4 elixir to defend at the start of your push.

If you’re interested in trying out the big guy for yourself, your best bet is to hide the RG as much as possible to catch your opponent off-guard when you bring him out. If you need to throw him out early game, it is almost always best to place him in the back and keep him safe while you replenish your elixir pool. While building your deck you should also take into consideration that the R.G. should not be seen as a strong tank unit, you should always have another reliable damage sponge to keep your win condition in hand for when needed. Now that his range has been significantly reduced, you also have to support him while he takes his stroll across the bridge and keep your playstyle fresh and unexpected to make sure you can trick your opponent into dwindling his/her defenses.

Since his update, I have seen the RG in many decks but one I find both fun and challenging is one used by the well known Chief Pat and it's the following:

Royal Giant - P.E.K.K.A - Spear Goblins - Goblin Gang - The Log - Fireball - Bats - Furnace

(Deck by Chief Pat)

With all new decks and varying elixir averages come different strategies and ways of playing. While you may struggle at first, these also prepare you mentally to know how to react when faced with a deck or playstyle you already have experience with. I hope you find this deck as fun as I did and that this guide helps you better understand the ins and outs of the new Royal Giant.

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