Overview
Giant Beatdown (Bomber/Rage) is an aggressive heavy push archetype that combines Giant's tanking power with explosive Rage-boosted support troops. Currently performing at 57.3% win rate with 2.0% usage in ranked play, this deck excels at overwhelming opponents with fast, devastating pushes once double elixir hits. The combination of Dark Prince's splash damage, Bomber's area denial, and Mini P.E.K.K.A's tank-killing power creates versatile offensive and defensive options. Success requires elixir discipline in single elixir, identifying the right moment to Rage, and protecting your support troops from spells. This deck punishes slow defensive setups and control decks but must carefully manage elixir against cycle and bait archetypes.
Strategy
Opening Play
Start passively with Bomber, Mega Minion, or Dark Prince in the back to build elixir and scout your opponent's deck. Avoid committing Giant early unless you identify a clear defensive gap. Use this phase to understand their win condition and primary counters—knowing whether they run Inferno Tower, swarm cards, or air counters shapes your entire game plan. If they reveal a building, prepare to apply pressure to bait it out before your main push.
Single Elixir
Focus on positive elixir trades and defending efficiently with your splash damage cards. Dark Prince handles swarms with his charge and 360° splash, while Bomber provides unmatched ground splash from behind your towers. Mini P.E.K.K.A defends against opposing tanks and then transitions into counterpushes. Build small advantages by defending efficiently—every 2-3 elixir saved compounds into your massive double elixir pushes. Apply light pressure with Giant + one support to test their defensive cards, but never overcommit. The goal is reaching double elixir with an elixir advantage or equal footing.
Double Elixir
This is where the deck dominates. Build Giant pushes with multiple support troops (Dark Prince, Bomber, Mega Minion), then drop Rage when they're engaged with defenders. The 30% speed and attack boost turns your push into an unstoppable force—Giant reaches the tower faster, Dark Prince charges repeatedly, and Bomber obliterates swarms before they react. Apply opposite-lane pressure if they overcommit to defense, splitting their elixir. Stack support troops behind Giant, use Fireball to clear clustered defenders, and time Rage for maximum impact. Win through overwhelming force—your pushes should require their entire hand to defend.
Matchups
Favorable Matchups
- Log Bait: Your splash damage (Bomber, Dark Prince, Zap) hard-counters their swarm cards. They struggle to defend Giant pushes without buildings. Use Zap on Goblin Barrel, Bomber to clear Goblin Gang, and Dark Prince to splash Princess. Rage pushes overwhelm their light defenses.
- Cycle Decks: They lack the defensive firepower to stop Raged Giant pushes. Your Mini P.E.K.K.A shuts down their Hog/Miner/Battle Ram while your beatdown pushes steamroll their cheap defenses. Force them to overcommit defensively, then punish with massive pushes.
- Graveyard: Bomber hard-counters Graveyard spawns, and Dark Prince's splash clears supporting swarms efficiently. Defend their pushes cost-effectively, then counterpush with Giant in the opposite lane. They can't afford to support Graveyard when facing a Giant push.
Unfavorable Matchups
- Inferno Tower/Dragon Decks: Inferno's ramping damage melts Giant before he reaches the tower. Zap provides brief reset relief, but dedicated Inferno decks will outlast you. Apply split-lane pressure to bait their building, use Fireball + Zap to reset Inferno, and consider sacrificing Giant for chip damage while building counterpushes.
- Fast Cycle (Hog 2.6, X-Bow Cycle): They outcycle your expensive cards and defend efficiently with buildings. Your slow cycle means they can Hog opposite lane while you're building pushes. Defend reactively with Mini P.E.K.K.A and Dark Prince, apply constant pressure to prevent them settling, and avoid overcommitting—they punish heavy investments.
- Air-Heavy Decks (LavaLoon, Balloon Cycle): Mega Minion is your only reliable air defense. If they stack air threats, you lack the firepower to handle both Lava Hound and Balloon. Use Fireball on clustered air troops, position Mega Minion carefully, and apply opposite-lane pressure with Giant to force difficult defensive decisions. Win through chip damage and tower trades if necessary.
Tips
Rage timing: Drop Rage when your Giant and support troops are fully engaged with defenders, not at the bridge. Premature Rage wastes its duration before troops reach valuable targets.
Elixir discipline: Never drop Giant in single elixir without an elixir lead or clear defensive advantage. One bad push can lose you the game against faster decks.
Dark Prince charge: Let Dark Prince walk 3 tiles before engaging to activate his double-damage charge. Position him behind Giant so he charges into defenders with maximum impact.
Fireball value: Save Fireball for 4+ elixir trades—Musketeer stacks, Wizard, Electro Wizard, or building + support troop combos. Don't waste it on single targets unless critical.
Bomber positioning: Keep Bomber protected behind tanks or in defensive positions away from spells. His splash is invaluable but he's fragile—losing him to Fireball cripples your defense.
Mini P.E.K.K.A counterpushes: After defending with Mini P.E.K.K.A, immediately support him with Giant in front. His high DPS converts defensive stands into devastating offense.
Split-lane pressure: If they over-defend one lane, switch lanes or apply pressure to both sides. Your versatile support cards (Dark Prince, Mega Minion) work in either lane.
Spell cycling: In overtime or close games, use Fireball for tower damage (229 at level 11). Don't let spell damage go unused—chip wins games.
Common Mistakes
Raging too early: Dropping Rage at the bridge before troops engage wastes half its duration. Wait until your push is committed to the tower and defenders arrive.
Overcommitting in single elixir: Building expensive pushes before double elixir leaves you vulnerable to counterpushes. Defend efficiently and build small advantages instead.
Ignoring air threats: Relying solely on Mega Minion for air defense fails against double air threats. Use Fireball proactively and position Mega Minion to maximize coverage.
Poor Giant placement: Placing Giant at the bridge telegraphs your push and gives opponents time to build defenses. Start Giant behind your King Tower to build elixir for support troops.
Wasting Mini P.E.K.K.A offensively: Using Mini P.E.K.K.A as a primary offensive card leaves you defenseless against tanks. Keep him available for defensive stands, then counterpush.
Fireball panic: Using Fireball reactively on swarms instead of saving for high-value targets wastes your primary spell. Use Zap and splash troops for swarms.
Neglecting opposite lane: Defending one lane while ignoring the other lets opponents build unchallenged pushes. Always threaten pressure to split their elixir.