Best Arena 5 DecksBuilder's Workshop

Ice Golem adds a cheap, tanky defensive/mini-tank option in front of Hog Rider pushes, keeping the deck's average elixir low enough to out-cycle slower opponents.

Play defensively and efficiently every exchange — this deck wins by cycling back to Hog Rider faster than your opponent can cycle back to their answer.

Every card here is cheap, which means a single big spell (Fireball or bigger) can two-for-one you if you group troops together carelessly on defense.

Open with Ice Golem centrally to see how your opponent's deck handles a tank before committing anything else.

Barbarians give this Giant shell a real defensive answer to enemy tanks, something the earlier pure-chip Giant decks at this trophy range often lack.

Hold Barbarians for the moment your opponent commits a real push — once they're spent, build your own Giant push behind Musketeer while the board is clear.

Barbarians lose value fast against swarm troops that can pick them off one at a time — use Zap or Archers on Goblin-style swarms instead and save Barbarians for tanks.

Don't reveal Barbarians early — bait with Minions or Archers and keep your full-strength answer in hand.

Tesla's hidden placement punishes opponents who commit to a push expecting no building, and Valkyrie cleans up anything Tesla can't one-shot on its own.

Keep Tesla in reserve until you actually need a defensive building — placing it too early lets your opponent simply route around it with their next push.

This deck has no dedicated win condition beyond chip damage from Musketeer and Archers — games can run long, so play patiently rather than forcing pushes.

Lead with Knight or Archers to gather information; save Tesla for the first real tank push you see.