Quick answer: Master 1 (5600-6000 trophies) is dominated by Graveyard Poison and Xbow 3.0 in the February 2026 meta. Both require near-maxed cards (Commons L14+) and deep matchup knowledge to execute consistently at this level.
Clash Royale Master 1 Guide: Best Decks for 5600-6000 Trophies — 2026
What Trophies Is Master 1?
Master 1 spans 5600-6000 trophies. It sits above Challenger 3 (4600-5000) and below Master 2 (6000-6300). At season end, players above 5000 trophies are reset down proportionally — a player finishing at 6000 will typically reset to around 5300. This means the first push back to 5600 each season is the most efficient way to secure your Master 1 progress.
Master 1 represents the top 3-5% of active Clash Royale players. Opponents here run near-maxed decks, execute matchup-specific strategies, and make very few mechanical errors. Card level gaps that were forgiving at Challenger level now consistently cost you games.
Card Level Requirements for Master 1
These are non-negotiable at 5600-6000. One or two levels below minimum creates interactions that change game outcomes — your Musketeer dying to their Fireball when yours should survive, your Hog Rider failing to kill their Cannon before it resets.
| Card type | Minimum | Ideal |
|---|---|---|
| Commons | L14 | L15 (maxed) |
| Rares | L12 | L13 (maxed) |
| Epics | L9 | L10-L11 |
| Legendaries | L5 | L5-L6 |
If your core deck is below these thresholds, card levels are limiting your ceiling. Focus on maxing one deck before pushing past 5600.
Top 4 Decks for Master 1 (February 2026)
Deck 1: Graveyard Poison Control
Cards: Graveyard, Knight, Barbarian Barrel, Poison, Baby Dragon, Tombstone, Electro Wizard, Tornado
Average elixir: 4.1
Graveyard Poison is the most consistent deck at Master 1 in the February 2026 meta. The core combo is Graveyard plus Poison on the opponent's tower: Graveyard spawns Skeletons that deal damage while Poison clears defending troops and chips the tower simultaneously. A clean Graveyard plus Poison combo at the tower deals 800-1200 damage depending on card levels.
Knight is the primary tank for Graveyard. He absorbs tower hits and defensive troop aggression while the Graveyard does its work. Tombstone provides passive defense against Hog Riders and Giant pushes. Electro Wizard resets Inferno Towers and provides air defense. Baby Dragon plus Tornado is your multi-purpose defensive combination — Tornado groups troops into Baby Dragon's splash range for massive value.
The deck's weakness is speed. Against fast Cycle decks (Hog 2.6, Miner cycle), you must defend efficiently and not waste elixir on the combo before you have elixir advantage. The correct window for Graveyard Poison is after you have defended a push and have a Knight alive near the tower as natural tank.
Level requirements: Graveyard L5+, Knight L15, Poison L13, Baby Dragon L11+, Electro Wizard L5+
Primary counters: Fast Cycle with buildings, Miner Poison mirror
Best vs: Beatdown, Xbow, Siege
Deck 2: Xbow 3.0 Siege
Cards: X-Bow, Tesla, Ice Golem, Archers, Skeletons, Ice Spirit, Fireball, Log
Average elixir: 3.0
Xbow 3.0 is the other dominant force at Master 1. It wins through a completely different mechanism than Graveyard Poison: place X-Bow at the river and defend it while it deals direct tower damage. The deck's fast cycle (3.0 average elixir) means you can play 3-4 X-Bows in a game even if the first 1-2 are countered.
Tesla is your primary defensive building, stopping Hog Riders and tanking hits for X-Bow simultaneously. Ice Golem kites heavy troops like P.E.K.K.A. and Mega Knight around the arena, buying time for your towers. Archers handle air and pick off support troops. Ice Spirit provides freeze utility for both defense and X-Bow protection. Fireball plus Log cycle the tower in the endgame.
The X-Bow placement matters enormously. Against most decks, place it in the middle of your side 3 tiles from the river — this position is harder to counter than the bridge placement and gives X-Bow slightly more time to deal damage before the opponent responds.
Level requirements: X-Bow L13+, Tesla L15, Archers L15, Fireball L13+
Primary counters: Graveyard Poison, Lava Hound, Miner Wall Breakers
Best vs: Hog Cycle, Giant Beatdown, any deck without air
Deck 3: Miner Wall Breakers
Cards: Miner, Wall Breakers, Magic Archer, Goblin Gang, Cannon, Fireball, Log, Ice Spirit
Average elixir: 3.0
Miner Wall Breakers is one of the fastest decks at this trophy range. Wall Breakers deal burst damage directly to towers and are difficult to defend without a building, while Miner tanks the initial tower shots and kills defensive troops. Together they create a 5-elixir push that consistently forces 5-6 elixir of defensive response — a positive elixir trade every cycle.
Magic Archer is the key support card. Placed behind your towers, he provides chip damage across the river that pressures the opponent while you build up for a Miner Wall Breakers push. On defense he handles air troops and chains damage to multiple units with his piercing arrow.
This deck rewards aggression and fast decision-making. At Master 1 you need to identify the opponent's Wall Breakers counter (usually a building like Cannon or Tesla) and time your pushes for when that card is out of cycle.
Level requirements: Miner L5+, Wall Breakers L15, Magic Archer L5+, Cannon L15
Primary counters: Buildings-heavy decks, Graveyard mirror
Best vs: Hog Cycle, Xbow, any deck without defensive buildings
Deck 4: Royal Hogs Earthquake
Cards: Royal Hogs, Earthquake, Valkyrie, Musketeer, Ice Spirit, Skeletons, Fireball, Log
Average elixir: 3.6
Royal Hogs Earthquake is the aggressive counter-meta choice at Master 1. Earthquake destroys defensive buildings (Cannon, Tesla, Tombstone, Inferno Tower) in seconds, which removes the most common Royal Hogs counters. With their building counters eliminated, Royal Hogs deal 600-1000 damage per push against an open tower.
Valkyrie supports Royal Hogs pushes by clearing swarm troops and Skeleton Army that would otherwise stop the Hogs. Musketeer provides ranged defensive coverage and pressures air units. The Earthquake plus Fireball combination destroys any building-heavy defensive setup in two spells.
This deck is specifically strong against Xbow 3.0, Hog Cycle, and any control deck that relies on Inferno Tower or Cannon for defense. It struggles against Graveyard Poison, which does not need buildings to defend.
Level requirements: Royal Hogs L15, Earthquake L13+, Valkyrie L15, Musketeer L13+
Primary counters: Graveyard Poison, Lava Hound
Best vs: Xbow 3.0, Hog Cycle, building-heavy control
Deck Comparison Table
| Deck | Win condition | Primary counters | Best vs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graveyard Poison | Graveyard + Poison combo | Fast Cycle, Miner mirror | Beatdown, Xbow, Siege |
| Xbow 3.0 | X-Bow direct tower damage | Graveyard, Lava Hound | Hog, Giant, Siege |
| Miner Wall Breakers | Wall Breakers burst damage | Buildings-heavy decks | Hog, Xbow |
| Royal Hogs Earthquake | Royal Hogs push | Graveyard, Lava Hound | Xbow, Hog, Control |
How to Identify Opponent Archetypes in the First 30 Seconds
Reading the opponent's deck quickly is the skill that separates Master 1 players from Challenger 3 players. You have 30 seconds and their first 1-2 cards to identify their archetype and adjust your game plan.
Graveyard Poison: Their opener is almost always Knight, Tombstone, or Electro Wizard placed defensively. If you see any of these in combination, prepare for a Graveyard push. Do not group your defensive troops — Tornado will drag them into splash damage range.
Xbow 3.0: They open by cycling cheap cards (Skeletons, Ice Spirit) without committing to any push. They are building elixir for X-Bow. The moment you see X-Bow placed, immediately push opposite lane hard before they can defend both.
Beatdown (Golem, Giant, Lava Hound): They place their tank at the back near the King Tower. This tells you immediately: push opposite lane now. They just spent 5-8 elixir and have limited defensive capacity.
Hog Cycle: First card is Hog Rider or Ice Golem at the bridge within the first 20 seconds. Keep your Cannon or Tombstone available and defend efficiently. Do not use a building early unless you need to.
Miner Wall Breakers: They send Wall Breakers to your tower in the first 10-15 seconds. Place a Cannon or Tesla immediately to absorb. If you do not have a building, they will take 400-600 damage from the opener.
Graveyard vs Xbow Matchup
This is the most common high-level matchup at Master 1 and requires specific adaptation from both sides.
Playing Graveyard against Xbow: Xbow 3.0 is a favorable matchup for Graveyard Poison because Graveyard ignores defensive buildings — a Graveyard plus Poison combo will deal full damage regardless of how many Teslas or Cannons the Xbow player has. Your job is to defend X-Bow placement cheaply (use Knight plus Skeletons rather than committing 7+ elixir) and punish with Graveyard on the opposite tower while they repair their defensive setup.
Playing Xbow against Graveyard: This is a challenging matchup. Graveyard ignores your defensive buildings. Your best strategy is to place X-Bow early and often, forcing the Graveyard player to spend elixir defending your X-Bow rather than building up for their combo. Defend their Graveyard pushes with Archers plus Ice Spirit to kill Skeletons quickly. Do not commit both defensive buildings to the same lane.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best deck for 5600-6000 trophies?
Graveyard Poison and Xbow 3.0 are the two most consistent decks at Master 1 in February 2026. Graveyard Poison has the highest win rate against Beatdown archetypes. Xbow 3.0 is more consistent against Hog Cycle and is slightly cheaper to max (mostly commons and rares).
How do I get Master 1 in Clash Royale?
Reach 5600 trophies. To get there: max your deck (Commons L14+ minimum), master one of the top four decks above, push in week 2-3 of the season when matchmaking stabilizes after the reset, and apply strict session limits (stop after 2 losses).
What trophies is Master 1?
Master 1 spans 5600-6000 trophies. Master 2 begins at 6000 (Champion league), and Master 3 runs to 7000.
Can I reach Master 1 without maxed cards?
It is very difficult. At this trophy range, card level interactions (Fireball killing or not killing Musketeer, Cannon surviving or not surviving Hog hits) decide games. L14 commons are the practical minimum. Players with L12-L13 commons at this range are fighting a significant uphill battle every game.
How long does it take to go from 5000 to 6000 trophies?
For a player with a maxed deck and solid matchup knowledge, the climb from 5000 to 6000 typically takes 3-6 weeks with consistent daily play. A player still maxing cards should expect 2-3 months. The 5900-6000 segment is the hardest 100 trophies due to matchmaking pressure from players pushing for Champion league.