So, I wanted to talk about my time slogging through Arena 5 in Clash Royale. It felt like a real roadblock for a bit, you know? I was trying all sorts of stuff, and mostly just watching my towers crumble. It was frustrating, to say the least. I figured I’d share what I ended up doing and how I got there, deck-wise.

At first, I did what a lot of folks probably do. I just jammed in my highest level cards, or the ones that looked coolest. Prince, Mini P.E.K.K.A., Baby Dragon, maybe a Witch if I had her leveled. Seemed like a good idea, right? Wrong. My elixir average was through the roof, and I’d get swarmed by cheaper stuff, or they’d just defend my big push and then roll me over on the counter. Man, those were some quick losses.
Finding My Feet (Sort Of)
After getting pummeled enough times, I started to actually pay attention to what was beating me. And also, what cards just felt, well, useful when I did manage to play them right. The Hog Rider started to stand out. And Zap! Zap was like a magic trick once I saw how other people used it. It wasn’t just about damage; it was that stun, resetting stuff like Sparky (though not much Sparky in Arena 5, thankfully) or making troops retarget. Little things, but they added up.
I realized I needed a plan, not just a pile of cards. I needed something that could actually take down a tower consistently, and stuff to protect it, and myself, without costing an arm and a leg in elixir.
My Go-To Arena 5 Hog Deck – The Breakthrough
So, my first real successful deck I built myself for Arena 5 was centered around the Hog Rider. It wasn’t super original, I saw bits and pieces of it from others, but I tweaked it ’til it felt right for me.
Here’s what I ended up running, more or less:

- Hog Rider: Obviously. This guy became my main win condition. Get him to the tower, that was the goal.
- Zap: This was key. Used it to clear Skeletons or Goblins attacking my Hog, or to stun the tower for that extra hit. Sometimes even to make an Inferno Tower reset.
- Valkyrie: She was my ground defense champion. Plop her down in a swarm of Barbarians or a Skeleton Army, and watch her spin. Also good for starting a counter-push behind the Hog if she survived.
- Musketeer: My main air defense and ranged support. She could pick off Baby Dragons or Minions, and then walk up behind the Hog or Valkyrie to help out.
- Goblins (the stabby ones): Cheap, fast, good for distracting a Prince or Mini P.E.K.K.A., or adding some quick DPS to a push. Sometimes Skeletons, if I felt I needed even cheaper cycle.
- Fireball: My panic button and direct damage. Good for Barbarians, Minion Hordes if I baited out Arrows, or finishing off a tower.
- Cannon: Cheap defense. Pulled Giants, Hogs, Golems (if I saw one) away from my towers. Kept me alive so many times.
- Archers or Spear Goblins: More cheap air defense and chip damage. Flexible spot, really. Sometimes Minions, but Arrows were everywhere.
Playing it was all about small, quick pushes with the Hog, usually supported by Zap or maybe Goblins if I had the elixir. Defend with Valkyrie, Musketeer, and Cannon, then try to turn that defense into a counter-attack. It wasn’t foolproof, Minion Horde could still be a pain if I didn’t have Fireball or Zap ready, but it got me climbing.
Trying a Different Flavor – The “Baby Giant” Push
After a while, I wanted to try something a bit beefier, just to see. I noticed a lot of people were using Giant in Arena 5, usually with a Wizard behind it. So, I cobbled together my own version of that.
The core pieces I used were:
- Giant: The big guy. Drop him in the back, build up a push.
- Wizard: Unlocked in Arena 5 and a beast for splash. Put him behind the Giant, and he’d clear out swarms like nobody’s business.
- Arrows: Essential for dealing with Minion Hordes, which were a huge threat to this kind of push.
- Mini P.E.K.K.A.: My tank killer on defense, and also a scary threat if he got to the tower behind the Giant.
- Knight: Just a solid, all-around card. Good on defense, decent health, could support the push.
- Spear Goblins: Cheap ranged support, good for chipping away or helping against air troops.
- Bomber: More ground splash, especially good against Barbarians if the Wizard was out of cycle or busy.
- Fireball: Backup spell, for pesky defensive buildings or grouped troops.
This deck played slower. You had to be patient, build up elixir, and protect that Wizard. If the opponent had a good defense against ground pushes or could separate my Giant from his support, it was tough. But when that Giant and Wizard combo connected with the tower, man, it did some serious damage. It taught me a lot about patience and when to commit to a big push versus when to hold back.
Key Things I Picked Up in Arena 5
Honestly, grinding through Arena 5 taught me a few big lessons that I still use today.

- Elixir management is everything. Sounds obvious, but really learning not to just spam cards when they’re available was huge. Trading elixir effectively became my main focus.
- Know the common threats. Prince, Baby Dragon, Minion Horde, Hog Rider – you see these a LOT. Having answers in your deck for them is crucial.
- Don’t overcommit on a push. It’s easy to throw everything into an attack, but if they defend it well, you’re left wide open for a counter-attack with no elixir.
- Cheap cycle cards are amazing. Goblins, Skeletons, Spear Goblins – these little guys let you get back to your key cards faster and can make some surprisingly good defensive plays for their cost.
So yeah, that was my journey through Arena 5. It was a bit of a grind, lots of trial and error, but figuring out these decks and strategies felt pretty good. Hopefully, sharing my process helps someone else out there who’s hitting that same wall!