Xbow Control Guide by CMcHugh

Hey guys, I'm here to talk about a deck that I've been having much success with on ladder (I would not recommend this deck in tournaments/challenges). Before I get into the guide, I'll suggest a few replacements you can make to meet your play-style.
 

Minions for Ice Spirit / Fire Spirits - Minions are great at distracting enemy inferno towers as well as being an extra air defense.

Archers for Musketeer - Archers are an extremely reliable counter to graveyard, so it makes sense to make this exchange if you're struggling against it.

Mega Minion for Musketeer - This change is based off preference alone, both of these cards are a strong defensive option.


Deck Rundown:

To start off, this deck list is NOT your usual X-bow deck. You are more reliant on building an elixir advantage by stacking collectors. Since there are no 'heavy hitting' spells, you have to make every offense count. Some particularly favorable match ups with this deck include: Lava Hound, Hog, and spell bait decks.

Play-by-Play vs Specific Archetypes:

Against Royal Giant - Surprisingly, this deck matches up pretty well against RG, and more so when they don't have a spell to deny collectors. The key to beating Royal Giant with this deck is too play extremely passive. If you know they have RG, DO NOT drop your X-bow until they decide to use it offensively (Defensive X-bows can be placed to take out enemy furnaces or huts). Eventually when they decide to go on the offensive, you'll be able to continuously keep their RG out of cycle when dropping your X-bow.

Against Tanks (Golem, Giant, Lava Hound) - As a siege player, seeing big tanks such as Golem or Giant can be quite discouraging. You can handle them by playing your X-bow at the optimal time and making your opponent play into your hand. If a Golem is played behind one's king tower, that is an immediate sign that you should drop X-bow in the other lane. A 4-3 Inferno plant is sufficient to deal with most pushes, along with the help of a musketeer (placed out of lightning range). If at any point, your opponent over-commits heavily with a spell like lightning, a devastating counter push can be made with your remaining defensive units. *When defending against Graveyard, the main focus is to take out their tank ASAP, while a log, ice golem, or fire spirits can clean up the skellies.

Against Zap Bait - This is a relatively easy match up because this deck has all the tools required in handling swarm troops. Usually one good X-bow ends up winning you the game.

Against Hog - Because of the extremely fast pace of hog decks, you will need to take some damage at first to get a collector or two down. Skilled hog players will usually try for a tie, but the key to overcoming their defense is first gaining an elixir advantage, then playing your X-bow whenever their hog is not in cycle. From my experience, a quick drop of X-bow + Ice Golem, followed by a musketeer (played out of fireball range) is sufficient in handling the opposition's defense.

Overall, most of my success with this deck is due to being patient and waiting for my opponent to make a mistake. Sometimes I win games with 1 second left on the clock in overtime. An X-bow can take out half the health of an arena tower in less than 15 seconds, so you shouldn't be in a rush to win the game in regulation.

I hope you all found this helpful, and please let me know how this deck works for you! See you in the Arena!

- CMcHugh

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