Solid X-Bow Cycle Deck for Trophy Pushing (Updated)

Hey Guys!!! Snappy coming to you today with a brand new guide on a really solid deck.

It’s one of the best decks in the game if played well and needs a lot of skills, especially on ladder if your cards are underleveled.

About me:

I reached 4,580 cups early this season with a lvl 5 X-bow, lvl 12 commons and lvl 9 rares. I’m also the highest trophy player with a lvl 5 X-bow on the ladder, beating the second highest by 102 trophies!!

It’s really hard since most of the opponents are higher levelled than u, which is why playing this deck on ladder will definitely improve your gameplay.

I play for a clan called Nova EG Hydra (which is a CWA x Nova Alliance Clan).

The X-Bow Cycle Deck

X-Bow

It’s always been prevalent in the meta but now has exploded into it.

Last season, 4 out of 10 players used the same X-Bow deck.

It is really good against Hog Rider, P.E.K.K.A since you can out cycle them easily. You can otherwise just draw the game if you aren’t feeling comfortable.

Knight – The Tanker

This card is interchangeable with Ice Golem, but I prefer Knight on the ladder and if you are starting out, here’s why:

On ladder, you usually matchup against people who run off-meta decks (off-meta decks are those decks where you can’t figure out the deck by just seeing the first few cards your opponent plays).

So in some cases you might get caught off guard. Where the Ice Golem doesn’t help at all.

Knight also helps against those pesky Elite Barbarians, Royal Giants, Bridge Spam and other decks.

Knight is also good since it’s a common card, that means you can level him up for ladder much faster than his alternative, the Ice Golem.

Ice Golem is the other option for the tank, Ice Golem helps against more aggro decks because of the freezing effect. It slows down troops, can be combined with zap to take out Horde, counters Graveyard, etc. It also can kite troops to the opposite lane.

Archers

This card is your number one defensive support, helps against a lot of matchups.

It is what saves you against Night Witch decks, Lava Hound decks and do some extent bait decks.

Personally i wouldn’t cycle them at the back as soon as I hit 10 elixir at the start of the game because it’s a 3 elixir investment. Your opponent could:

• Rush in with a tank + GY
• Ignore and pump up

It’s really an important card and can’t be subbed to Dart Goblin or Spear Gobs

Ice Spirit

This card still provides a lot of value of 1 elixir despite the nerf, it’s a really good card concept wise.

Pretty sure if it was 1 elixir and just freeze, it would still be used.

Helps against some games where you need to distract a troop or freeze it (like an inferno dragon over your xbow). The freeze mechanic also resets troops, in case you didn’t know.

Skeleton

This card is pretty sweet too, for 1 elixir it provides a lot of value.

It can counter Musketeers, Miners, Mini P.E.K.K.A, Elite Barbs (yes, you heard it right).

It also cycles well and can act as a distraction unit while your Tesla or Archers snipe the troops.

Tesla

Still one of the most busted defensive buildings in the game.

It one shots Minions, counters P.E.K.K.A along with Skeletons, counters Giant, Bridge Spam, and much more.

Since it doesn’t stay “up”, your opponent can’t get spell value out of it, though be warned it can’t be placed like other buildings. It requires special placements when placed reactively and when placed passively because of it’s “activation box”.

The Log

The Log is used over Zap, but you can switch them up.

Log is used so that you can kill Goblins from that Goblin Barrel, or push back troops while getting that sweet chip damage on the tower.

Zap can be used if your Zap can kill Goblins from the barrel.

Then you can use Zap to kill Goblins and Minions with the help of Ice Golem.

Fireball:

Usually your game ender, you wanna get the opponents tower down to spell cycle range.

But in some games you can’t. Since Fireball deals significant damage, you can always Fireball a 4 or more elixir troop so that it dies once it reaches your side of the arena (if unsupported).

Fireball is what takes out Minion Hordes, 3 Musketeers, Elixir Collectors if your xbow is out of cycle, Lava Pups + Balloon etc.

Card Substitution

Best Tips

General Tips:

• When you play on the ladder, you don’t want to play X-bow early unless they pump up first.
• Your really do not want to play X-bow if they start out with a Golem or Giant at the back, since it could be Giant/Golem Double Prince.
• U really don’t want to overcommit on defense or offense, cuz even a slight mistake and you could easily lose the game.
• You want to count opponents elixir all the time and know the cards in their hand.

Ladder:

• Never play X-Bow till you know what your opponent is playing.
• Only play X-Bow at the beginning if they pump up first.
• Always Fireball the Pump.
• While approaching the 2 minute mark, you don’t need to Fireball pumps anymore. you can just push with an X-bow and then defend later. You can win a game where your opponent has 3 Collectors on the ground since you can always cycle back to Fireball quickly, do that only when your opponent’s tower is significantly low.
• Against beatdown, the main damage you get is from the starting.
• Against Royal Giant, draw the game.

Challenges

• You can afford to spend a little more Elixir on offense or defense since you really can’t get punished because of the level discrepancy.
• You can play X-Bow in the first 30 seconds if both the players are making passive plays.
• If you feel that your opponent is gonna kill your X-Bow no matter what, then just let it die and focus on defense.
• This is really tough to do for a new player, knowing when to use X-Bow and when to not. When to defend the X-Bow and when to let it die. Well it usually comes with experience but I will help you with more detailed guides against every single deck archetype.
• Remember that X-bow is always a 1 tower game, if you lose a tower. Draw it. And if you have to lose a tower let it be on the same one that you are pushing on, because if it’s the other tower then your opponent can drop troops right on your X-Bow.

Matchups

Bait

It’s a favored matchup, you usually win this game if your opponent makes a mistake.

In single elixir time, keep The Log for Barrel, while in double elixir u can use Skeletons or Archers to counter it while using Log on offense.

Keep Ice Spirit in hand for Inferno Tower.

Beatdown

It’s not a favored matchup especially Giant, but it’s easy to draw.

Never go opposite lane since they will just trade towers and you will be a sad panda.

Play defensive if needed.

Cycle

You usually do well against cycle decks.

Don’t spend a lot of elixir on defense, take a bit of damage if needed.

Mirror Games

Play defensive X-Bow and progress into an offensive X-Bow.

Use cycle cards to tank opponent’s support troops.

Bridge Spam (Includes Hog Rider)

Save Tesla at all times.

Against E Barbs you can use Knight + Ice Spirit or skeles and ice spirit if u pull it to the center.

Play defensive against the bridge spam.

Detailed Guides for Matchups

Updating…