Overview
Royal Giant Control is a methodical control archetype leveraging Royal Giant's 5-tile range to apply consistent tower pressure while maintaining defensive superiority. Currently achieving 58.7% win rate with 0.89% usage in ranked play, this deck combines building-targeting pressure with versatile defensive tools. The synergy between Hunter's close-range burst damage, Fisherman's pulling mechanics, and Royal Ghost's invisibility creates unpredictable offensive sequences while shutting down opposing pushes efficiently. Success requires precise support troop positioning, Fisherman hook mastery, and spell value maximization. This deck excels against beatdown and bait archetypes but must carefully navigate cycle decks and air-heavy compositions.
Strategy
Opening Play
Start conservatively with Royal Ghost, Skeletons, or Hunter in the back to build elixir and scout opponent's deck. Avoid committing Royal Giant immediately—at 6 elixir, premature pushes leave you vulnerable. Use this phase to identify their defensive buildings (Tesla, Inferno Tower) and primary counters. If they reveal a building early, note its placement for future predictions. Test defenses with Royal Ghost at the bridge to gauge their swarm card rotation before committing major elixir to Royal Giant pushes.
Single Elixir
Focus on building elixir advantages through defensive efficiency. Hunter provides devastating close-range defense with his 10-pellet shotgun spread—position him where all pellets connect for maximum damage. Fisherman pulls threats away from towers with his 7-tile hook range, either dragging troops toward your defenses or pulling himself to buildings. Use Barbarian Barrel for ground swarms and spell value. Apply calculated Royal Giant pressure when you have elixir lead—place him at the bridge with one support troop (Hunter or Royal Ghost) to chip towers while forcing defensive responses. The goal is accumulating small tower damage advantages through consistent pressure.
Double Elixir
Amplify pressure with Royal Giant + multiple support troops. Drop Royal Giant at the bridge, then support with Hunter behind for defensive coverage and Royal Ghost for invisible flanking. Use Fisherman to hook defenders away from Royal Giant, creating uncontested shooting windows. Fireball clustered defenders (Wizard, Musketeer, Electro Wizard) for positive trades. Apply opposite-lane pressure if they overstack defenders—Royal Ghost and Skeletons are cheap enough to threaten both lanes. Electro Spirit chains to reset Infernos and stun defenders. Win through relentless Royal Giant chip damage—each connection adds up, and his 5-tile range makes him difficult to counter without buildings.
Matchups
Favorable Matchups
- Beatdown (Golem, Giant, Lava Hound): Your defensive tools (Hunter close-range, Fisherman hooks, Royal Ghost invisibility) handle their slow pushes efficiently. Use Fisherman to separate tank from support, Hunter to burst down tanks, and opposite-lane Royal Giant pressure to split their elixir. They can't afford full pushes when defending Royal Giant chip.
- Log Bait: Barbarian Barrel handles Goblin Barrel and Princess, while Royal Ghost invisibility catches them off-guard. Your spell-resistant troops (Hunter, Royal Giant) force difficult trades. Apply constant Royal Giant pressure—they lack buildings to stop him cost-effectively.
- Bridge Spam: Hunter's close-range burst, Fisherman hooks, and Royal Ghost counter aggressive spam efficiently. Their light defenses can't stop Royal Giant without overcommitting. Defend their spam cost-effectively, then punish with Royal Giant + support when they're low on elixir.
Unfavorable Matchups
- Building Cycle Decks (X-Bow, Mortar): Defensive buildings negate Royal Giant's pressure, and they outcycle your expensive cards. Fisherman can't pull Royal Giant to activate King Tower, limiting their defensive options, but they still defend efficiently. Apply constant pressure to prevent them settling, use Fireball on buildings + support troops, and look for opposite-lane opportunities.
- Fast Cycle (Hog 2.6): They outcycle your 6-elixir Royal Giant and defend efficiently with Cannon. Their cheap cycle means they apply opposite-lane Hog pressure while you're building pushes. Defend reactively with Hunter and Fisherman, apply constant Royal Giant pressure to prevent them cycling freely, but avoid overcommitting—they punish heavy investments.
- Inferno Tower/Dragon Decks: Inferno's ramping damage melts Royal Giant before significant chip. Electro Spirit provides brief reset (1-second stun), but dedicated Inferno decks will outlast you. Use Fisherman to hook Inferno Dragon away, Fireball + Electro Spirit to reset Inferno Tower, and consider spell cycling with Fireball if Royal Giant pressure becomes ineffective.
Tips
Hunter positioning: Place Hunter where all 10 pellets connect with targets for maximum damage. At close range (1-2 tiles), he shreds tanks—at distance, his spread makes him inefficient.
Fisherman hook timing: Use Fisherman's 7-tile hook to pull threats away from Royal Giant or separate tanks from support. Hook charges in 1.3 seconds, so position him early to avoid wasted hooks.
Royal Ghost invisibility: Drop Royal Ghost at the bridge without telegraphing—his 3-second invisibility lets him reach towers before opponents react. Use this to catch them without defensive cards in cycle.
Royal Giant placement: Always place Royal Giant at the bridge, not behind tower. His 5-tile range lets him shoot towers from across the river—placing him deep wastes time and elixir building support.
Electro Spirit chains: Electro Spirit's chain stun (0.5 seconds) resets Infernos, Sparky, and stuns defenders. Use it just before Royal Giant enters tower range to maximize shooting windows.
Fireball value: Save Fireball for 4+ elixir trades—clustered defenders (Musketeer + Wizard), buildings + troops, or finishing low-health towers. Don't waste on single targets unless critical.
Barbarian Barrel placement: Use Barbarian Barrel for dual purpose—clear swarms (Goblin Gang, Skeleton Army) while the Barbarian provides tanking. Place it so the barrel knocks back troops and Barbarian survives.
Opposite-lane pressure: If they overstack defenders on Royal Giant, switch lanes with Royal Ghost or Skeletons. Cheap troops threaten towers, forcing them to split elixir and creating openings.
Common Mistakes
Royal Giant behind tower: Placing Royal Giant in the back wastes his bridge deployment advantage. Always place at the bridge for immediate pressure—his 5-tile range doesn't require buildup.
Poor Hunter positioning: Placing Hunter at range wastes his pellet spread—many shots miss. Position him close to targets (1-2 tiles) for maximum damage output.
Wasting Fisherman hooks: Using Fisherman's hook on low-value targets or mistiming the 1.3-second charge wastes his utility. Save hooks for pulling tanks, separating pushes, or defending Royal Giant.
Overcommitting in single elixir: Building expensive Royal Giant pushes before double elixir leaves you defenseless. Defend efficiently and apply light pressure—save big pushes for double elixir.
Ignoring opposite lane: Defending one lane while neglecting the other lets opponents build unchallenged pushes. Use cheap troops (Skeletons, Royal Ghost, Electro Spirit) to threaten both lanes.
Fireball panic: Using Fireball reactively on swarms instead of saving for high-value targets wastes your primary spell. Use Barbarian Barrel and Hunter for swarms.
Electro Spirit timing: Dropping Electro Spirit too early or late fails to reset Infernos or stun defenders effectively. Time it when Royal Giant engages to maximize the 0.5-second stun window.
Neglecting spell cycling: In close games or overtime, Fireball tower damage (229 at level 11) wins games. Don't leave spell damage unused—chip wins matter.