5 Elixir
Overview
Balloon is a 5-elixir Epic troop that targets buildings exclusively, floating over ground defenses to deliver devastating 640 damage per hit directly to towers. In the February 2026 meta, Balloon commands an 8.84% usage rate with a dominant 80.6% win rate on Ladder, making it one of the strongest win conditions in the game. Its medium speed demands proper tanking to reach the tower, but a single connection often decides the match. On death, Balloon drops a 240-damage bomb across a 3-tile radius, punishing defenders who cluster troops beneath it.
Strategy
When to Play
Never lead with a naked Balloon at the bridge -- it needs a tank in front to absorb the opponent's anti-air response. The ideal moment is when your opponent commits 5+ elixir in one lane or just spent their air counter (Musketeer, Wizard, Minions). In single elixir, focus on counterpushing: defend, then send Balloon behind surviving troops. In double elixir, build full pushes pairing Balloon with Lumberjack or Ice Golem at the bridge.
Placement & Pathing
Place Balloon behind your tank at the bridge so it crosses with cover. Against Tesla or Cannon in the center, deploy Balloon on the outer tile so its building-targeting AI locks the tower instead of walking into the kill zone. Against Tornado, vary between center and edge placement to make pulls unpredictable. Against Inferno Tower, offset Balloon slightly and let your tank absorb the ramp-up damage.
Tank Pairings
The top-performing deck right now is Lumberjack Balloon (88.9% win rate) -- Lumberjack tanks, dies, and drops Rage that accelerates Balloon's hit speed and movement. Ice Golem is the budget alternative whose death slow buys Balloon extra time. Miner sent to the tower moments before Balloon crosses forces the opponent to choose which threat to address. Lava Hound creates the classic LavaLoon combo where the Hound absorbs all anti-air while Balloon melts the tower.
Matchups
Strong Against
Ground-heavy decks (Hog 2.6, Royal Giant) -- They rely on Cannon, Tesla, or ground swarms that cannot touch Balloon. Force awkward air responses or take massive tower damage.
Beatdown mirrors (Golem, Giant) -- Punish slow back-end tank placements with an aggressive opposite-lane Balloon rush. They lack elixir to defend both lanes.
Spell bait decks -- Their answers (Inferno Tower, Minion Horde) fall to prediction spells. Lightning or Arrows clear the path for free connections.
Countered By
Tornado + air splash (Executioner, Baby Dragon) -- Tornado pulls Balloon away from tower while splash melts it. Balloon's hardest counter; requires split-lane pressure to break.
Rocket -- Eliminates unsupported Balloon outright for a +1 trade. Bait Rocket with other threats before committing.
Minions + Musketeer combos -- High-DPS air targeting from multiple angles shreds Balloon before it connects. Spell away at least one layer to break through.
Tips
Death damage value: Even if Balloon is shot down before connecting, its 240 death damage across a 3-tile radius kills Skeletons, Bats, and weakens Minions -- never assume a downed Balloon means zero value.
Lumberjack Rage timing: Deploy Lumberjack at the bridge 1 tile ahead of Balloon so it dies and drops Rage exactly as Balloon reaches the tower -- the speed and attack boost is devastating.
Freeze synergy: Save Freeze for when Balloon reaches the tower and the opponent deploys defensive troops -- a well-timed Freeze guarantees 3-4 hits, enough to destroy a tower.
Opposite-lane pressure: When the opponent drops a heavy tank at the back, rush Balloon with a cheap tank in the opposite lane -- they cannot defend both without leaking massive damage.
Bait air counters first: Force the opponent to play Musketeer or other air answers on defense before sending Balloon -- outcycling their air counter is the key to consistent connections.
Track Tornado rotation: Tornado completely shuts down Balloon pushes. Count cards and only push when Tornado is out of the opponent's hand.
Common Mistakes
Naked Balloon at the bridge: Sending Balloon alone gives the opponent full freedom to counter with any air-targeting troop for a positive elixir trade -- always pair it with a tank.
Ignoring elixir count: Committing Balloon + Lumberjack (9 elixir) when the opponent has full elixir and their counter in hand results in a wasted push and devastating counterpush.
Same-lane repetition: Always pushing the same lane lets the opponent stack defensive buildings and troops -- switch lanes to force repositioning and catch them off-guard.
Panicking after a failed push: One blocked Balloon does not mean the game is lost. Defend efficiently, cycle back, and wait for a better opening -- patience wins with Balloon.
Clumping support troops under Balloon: Stacking Musketeer, Bats, and other support directly behind Balloon invites massive Fireball or Poison value -- spread your support to avoid spell wipes.