Advanced Strategy Guides - Pro Techniques & Tactics

Building placement is one of the most overlooked yet critical skills in Clash Royale. While beginners randomly place Teslas and Cannons in the middle of their territory, advanced players know that precise building placement can win or lose matches.

The difference between a Tesla placed 1 tile too far forward and perfect placement can mean stopping a push entirely or taking 1000+ tower damage. Every building has optimal spots that maximize defensive value, pull troops into kill zones, and even activate your King Tower.

This guide will teach you the exact placements for every defensive and offensive building, from defensive Teslas and Cannons to offensive X-Bows and Mortars. Whether you're defending a Giant push or setting up a siege attack, these placements will elevate your gameplay.

Understanding Building Mechanics

Before diving into specific placements, you need to understand how buildings interact with troops and why placement matters so much.

Building Targeting Priority

Building-targeting troops (Hog Rider, Giant, Golem, Royal Giant, Balloon, etc.) will always attack the nearest building instead of going straight for your towers. This is the foundation of defensive building strategy.

By placing a building strategically, you can pull these troops away from your towers, forcing them to waste time while your towers and troops deal damage.

The Pull Range Concept

Every building has an invisible "pull range" - the area where it can attract building-targeting troops. Understanding this range is critical for optimal placements.

4-Tile Range Buildings

Tesla, Cannon, Tombstone, Goblin Cage: Standard defensive buildings with moderate pull range. Can be placed 3-4 tiles from the river and still pull troops.

5-Tile Range Buildings

Inferno Tower: Larger pull range allows for more flexible defensive positioning.

Offensive Buildings

X-Bow, Mortar: Don't pull troops but require precise placement for offense and defense.

Pro Tip:

Buildings placed too close to your Princess Tower will take unnecessary tower damage. Buildings placed too far won't pull troops effectively. The sweet spot is typically 3-4 tiles from the river.

Tesla Placement Mastery

Tesla is arguably the most versatile defensive building in Clash Royale. It targets both air and ground, retracts underground when not attacking, and has excellent DPS. Proper Tesla placement can shut down virtually any push.

1. Standard Center Placement (Most Common)

Position: 4 tiles from the river, exactly in the center

Best Against: Hog Rider, Giant, Royal Giant, Balloon, Ram Rider

This is your default Tesla placement. It pulls building-targeting troops to the center where both Princess Towers can hit them. The troop takes damage from Tesla + both towers while being pulled away from any specific tower.

Why it works: Troops get stuck in the center and take triple damage (Tesla + both towers). Works against 90% of building-targeting pushes.

2. King Tower Activation Placement

Position: 3 tiles from river, 2 tiles away from King Tower (inside your territory)

Best Against: Hog Rider, Ram Rider (requires precise timing)

This advanced placement pulls troops close enough to your King Tower that they'll hit it while targeting the Tesla, activating it for the rest of the match. This is game-changing because your King Tower provides an extra 1800+ HP of defense.

How to execute: Place Tesla when Hog Rider crosses the river. The Hog will be pulled toward the King Tower side, and its attack will clip the King Tower.

3. Anti-Prediction Placement

Position: Opposite lane from the push

Best Against: Double lane pressure, prediction spells

When your opponent sends troops in both lanes or you suspect they're going to Earthquake/Lightning your standard Tesla spot, place it in the opposite lane. It will still pull building-targeting troops but dodge prediction spells.

Advanced variation: Against Royal Giant players who predict your center Tesla, alternate between center and anti-prediction placements to keep them guessing.

4. Aggressive Tesla Placement (Offensive Support)

Position: 1-2 tiles from river on opponent's side

Best Against: When supporting your own push

In cycle decks or when you have an elixir advantage, placing Tesla offensively can provide air defense for your push while threatening the opponent's tower. This is risky but powerful when timed correctly.

Best scenario: Your Hog Rider is attacking, opponent drops Minions to defend. Drop Tesla on their side to kill Minions while protecting your Hog.

Common Tesla Mistakes

Too close to tower: Your tower takes splash damage from support troops
Too far forward: Doesn't pull troops far enough, opponent's tower can damage it
Same spot every time: Good players will predict and spell your Tesla

Cannon Placement Mastery

Cannon is the cheapest defensive building (3 elixir) and a staple in cycle decks. While it can't target air, its fast deploy time and low cost make it essential for defending ground pushes efficiently.

1. Defensive Cannon (Standard Placement)

Position: 4 tiles from river, center or slight anti-clockwise from center

Best Against: Hog Rider, Giant, Royal Giant, Goblin Giant

This is your go-to Cannon placement. It pulls building-targeting troops to the center for maximum tower damage. The slight anti-clockwise placement (toward the left from your perspective) helps with troop pathing.

Cycle deck users: This placement is perfect for Hog 2.6 and 2.9 cycle decks. Cannon survives longer when both towers can shoot the pull.

2. King Tower Activation with Cannon

Position: 3 tiles from river, 1 tile diagonal from King Tower

Best Against: Hog Rider (timing-dependent)

Similar to Tesla, Cannon can activate King Tower against Hog Rider. This requires perfect timing - place the Cannon as Hog crosses the bridge. The Hog will swing at the Cannon and clip your King Tower.

Difficulty: High. This requires practice. If your timing is off, the Hog will get 2+ hits on your Princess Tower.

3. Opposite Lane Cannon (Pressure Defense)

Position: Opposite lane, 3-4 tiles from river

Best Against: Split pushes, spell bait

When defending split lane pressure (Giant in one lane, Hog in other), place Cannon in the weaker threat lane. It will distract that push while you use troops to defend the main threat.

Advanced use: If your opponent always Earthquakes your center Cannon, mix in opposite lane placements to waste their spell.

4. Aggressive Cannon Support

Position: 2 tiles in front of your push, on opponent's side

Best Against: Defensive buildings, distracting enemy troops

In aggressive cycle decks, placing Cannon on the opponent's side can tank for your Hog Rider or pull defensive troops away from your push. This is a high-risk, high-reward play.

Best timing: When you have an elixir advantage and your opponent just used their spell.

Cannon vs Tesla: When to Use Which?

Use Cannon when: Facing ground-only threats (Hog, Giant, Royal Giant), trying to cycle fast, need elixir efficiency

Use Tesla when: Facing air threats (Balloon, Lava Hound), need longer-lasting defense, want retract mechanic to avoid spells

X-Bow Placement: Offense and Defense

X-Bow is unique - it's both an offensive win condition and a defensive building. Mastering X-Bow placements is essential for siege players. One tile can mean the difference between locking onto the tower or getting destroyed.

1. Offensive X-Bow (Bridge Lock)

Position: On your side of river, 1 tile from bridge (center tile)

Range to Tower: 11.5 tiles (just enough to lock on)

This is the classic X-Bow placement for offense. Place it in the center, 1 tile from the bridge. It will lock onto the opponent's Princess Tower and deal devastating damage if undefended.

Support required: Always protect X-Bow with Tesla, Knight, Archers, or Ice Golem. Never place X-Bow without backup.

2. Defensive X-Bow

Position: In front of your King Tower, facing the push

Best Against: Giant, Golem, Lava Hound pushes

When defending huge beatdown pushes, X-Bow becomes a defensive turret. Its 6-second lifetime and high DPS can shred tanks when combined with your towers and troops.

When to use: Against overwhelming beatdown pushes where you're desperate for DPS. This is a last-resort defensive play.

3. Anti-Tank Placement (Opposite Lane Pressure)

Position: Opposite lane from opponent's tank push

Strategy: Force opponent to split elixir

When your opponent drops Golem or Lava Hound in the back, immediately place X-Bow in the opposite lane. This forces them to choose: defend the X-Bow or commit to their push. Either way, you gain an advantage.

Advanced tactic: This works best early in the match to learn their defensive cards and cycle their counters.

4. Center X-Bow vs Side X-Bow

Center X-Bow: Easier to support with troops from both sides. Harder for opponent to surround.

Side X-Bow (left or right): Can avoid certain splash damage and defensive buildings. Riskier but can surprise opponents.

Most players use center placement 90% of the time. Side placement is situational and requires deep game knowledge.

X-Bow Placement Mistakes

Placing X-Bow without elixir for support: It will get destroyed instantly
Placing too close to bridge: Opponent's tower can damage it before it locks on
Not reading opponent's counters: Never X-Bow into their Rocket or Lightning when they have 6+ elixir

Mortar Placement: Siege Warfare Tactics

Mortar is similar to X-Bow but with key differences: shorter range (11.5 vs 12), cheaper cost (4 vs 6 elixir), and blind spot (troops too close can't be targeted). These traits require different placement strategies.

1. Standard Offensive Mortar

Position: 3 tiles from bridge, center

Lock Range: 11.5 tiles (just reaches tower)

Unlike X-Bow, Mortar must be placed slightly further back from the bridge. This protects it from direct tower damage and gives you more time to defend the blind spot with troops.

Support cards: Knight, Archers, Skeletons to cover the blind spot where Mortar can't hit.

2. Defensive Mortar (Rare but Effective)

Position: Behind King Tower, facing the push

Best Against: Large beatdown pushes, Graveyard

Mortar's splash damage makes it surprisingly good defensively. Place it behind your King Tower to deal area damage to entire pushes. This is especially effective against Graveyard since Mortar hits multiple skeletons per shot.

Bonus: If the push is stopped, your Mortar is already in position for a counter-attack.

3. Opposite Lane Mortar (Pressure Play)

Position: Opposite lane from opponent's push

Strategy: Force split defense

When your opponent drops a tank in the back, immediately pressure opposite lane with Mortar. This prevents them from building a huge push and forces awkward defensive plays.

Best case: They ignore your Mortar and you get 500-1000 free damage. Worst case, they defend and you're even on elixir.

4. Mortar Bait Placement

Position: Slightly off-center (left or right of centerline)

Purpose: Bait out defensive buildings or spells

Sometimes you don't want Mortar to lock on - you want to bait out their Earthquake, Rocket, or defensive building. Placing Mortar slightly off-center forces them to commit resources, then you can place your REAL Mortar in a better position.

Mind game: Against spell users, alternate between bait Mortars (expecting spell) and real Mortars (after they used spell).

Mortar vs X-Bow: Key Differences

Cost:

Mortar (4 elixir) is more cycle-friendly than X-Bow (6 elixir)

Blind Spot:

Mortar can't hit close troops; X-Bow can hit everything in range

Damage Type:

Mortar deals splash damage; X-Bow is single-target DPS

Play Style:

Mortar is more forgiving and cycle-focused; X-Bow requires perfect defense

Advanced Building Techniques

Now that you understand individual building placements, let's cover advanced techniques that separate good players from great ones.

1. Troop Pulling and Kiting

Building placement determines where troops path. By placing buildings strategically, you can pull troops into your King Tower's range or away from support troops.

Example: Giant + Wizard Push

Place Tesla 4 tiles from river, slightly toward the OPPOSITE lane from where the Giant is coming. The Giant will walk diagonally across your territory, separating from the Wizard behind it. Your troops can then kill the Wizard while the Giant wastes time walking.

This technique - called "kiting" - is essential against beatdown decks where separating the tank from support wins the defense.

2. Pre-Placement for King Tower Activation

Against predictable decks (Hog Cycle, Balloon Cycle), you can pre-place buildings to guarantee King Tower activation.

Technique:

Place Tesla/Cannon in King activation position BEFORE the push comes
The building expires or gets destroyed
Opponent sends Hog/Ram Rider thinking your building is on cooldown
Place building again in same spot - instant King activation

This is a mind game that works once per match. Use it when King activation will win you the game.

3. Spell Dodging with Building Placement

Good players will predict your building placement and spell it. To counter this:

Vary your placements: Don't use the same spot every time
Delay placement: Wait until the last second so they can't predict
Bait spells: Place building knowing they'll spell it, then place your real defense

Against Earthquake users: Tesla's retract mechanic helps it survive partial Earthquake damage. Against Rocket users, varying placement is your only defense.

4. Double Building Defense

Against massive beatdown pushes (Golem + Night Witch, Lava Hound + Balloon), sometimes you need two buildings at once.

Technique:

Place one building (Tesla) in the center to pull the tank. Place another building (Cannon, Tombstone) in the opposite lane to distract support troops or pull air troops.

This is expensive (7+ elixir) but necessary when facing 15+ elixir pushes. The key is using your buildings to buy time while your towers and troops chip away at the push.

5. Defensive Building into Counter-Push

In Mortar and X-Bow decks, you can place your win condition defensively, then convert it to offense if the defense succeeds.

How it works:

Opponent pushes with Giant + Musketeer
Place Mortar defensively to help kill the push
Your troops survive (Knight, Archers)
Mortar retargets to opponent's tower with surviving troops protecting it

This is the "perfect defense into counter-push" that wins games. It requires elixir advantage and good reads on opponent's remaining cards.

Matchup-Specific Building Strategies

Different decks require different building placement strategies. Here's how to adapt your buildings against common archetypes.

Against Hog Cycle

Best Buildings: Cannon, Tesla

Placement: Center, 4 tiles from river. Focus on King Tower activation early if possible.

Key: Don't over-commit. Hog Cycle players bait out your building then punish opposite lane. Always save 3-4 elixir for defense.

Against Golem/Giant Beatdown

Best Buildings: Inferno Tower, Tesla, double buildings

Placement: Center pull to maximize tower damage on tank. Place second building for support troops.

Key: Don't place building too early. Wait until tank crosses river so support troops are behind it, then place building to separate them.

Against Lava Hound

Best Buildings: Tesla (only building that targets air)

Placement: Opposite lane pressure with X-Bow/Mortar, or center Tesla to kill Lava Pups after Hound pops.

Key: Tesla alone won't stop Lava Hound. Use it to kill support (Balloon, Minions) and Pups, while your towers deal with the Hound.

Against Royal Giant

Best Buildings: Tesla, Cannon (with support troops)

Placement: Anti-prediction placements. Royal Giant outranges center buildings, so vary placement each time.

Key: Never place building in same spot twice. Good RG players will predict and Earthquake/Lightning your building location.

Against Graveyard

Best Buildings: Tombstone (spawns Skeletons), Cannon (cheap cycle)

Placement: Next to tower where Graveyard is placed to distract Skeletons and tank damage.

Key: Tombstone is specifically strong against Graveyard because it spawns 4 Skeletons that distract Graveyard Skeletons. Pair with Poison or Arrows.

Final Thoughts: Practice Makes Perfect

Building placement mastery takes time. Even pro players misplace buildings occasionally. The key is understanding the principles behind each placement and adapting to different situations.

Building Placement Checklist:

Am I placing this building in range to pull the target troop?
Is my building far enough from my tower to avoid splash damage?
Can my opponent predict and spell this placement?
Do I have elixir to support my building with troops if needed?
Is there a King Tower activation opportunity?

Start with the standard placements outlined in this guide. As you gain experience, you'll develop intuition for when to use advanced placements like King activation, spell dodging, and opposite lane pressure.

Practice Drill:

Play 20 matches focusing ONLY on building placement. Use a deck with Cannon or Tesla. After each match, review: Did my buildings pull troops effectively? Did I take unnecessary tower damage because of misplacement? Did I miss King activation opportunities? This focused practice will improve your placements faster than mindlessly grinding matches.