Clash Royale: Mastering the Lava Hound Deck
The Lava Hound, a legendary air troop in Clash Royale, targets enemy buildings and boasts a massive 3581 HP at tournament levels. While its damage output is minimal, its death triggers the deployment of six damaging Lava Pups, making it a formidable win condition. The Lava Hound's high health pool makes it a powerful strategy, and its effectiveness has only grown with the introduction of new cards. This guide explores several top-tier Lava Hound decks for the current Clash Royale meta.
How Lava Hound Decks Function
Lava Hound decks operate as Beatdown decks, but substitute the Giant or Golem with the Lava Hound as the primary win condition. They typically incorporate various air support troops, with only one or two ground units for defense or distraction. The strategy often involves a methodical push, deploying the Lava Hound at the back, even at the cost of some tower health. This slow, deliberate approach prioritizes a winning trade, even if it means sacrificing some tower health. The Lava Hound's consistent performance across skill levels has been enhanced by the introduction of the Royal Chef. This champion building's troop-leveling ability synergizes exceptionally well with the Lava Hound, making it a crucial inclusion in any Lava Hound deck that has the champion unlocked.
Top Lava Hound Decks
Here are three leading Lava Hound deck variations:
- LavaLoon Valkyrie
- Lava Hound Double Dragon
- Lava Lightning Prince
Let's delve into each deck's composition and strategy.
LavaLoon Valkyrie
This popular deck combines two powerful air win conditions. While its 4.0 elixir cost isn't the lowest, its faster cycle offers an advantage over other Lava Hound decks.
| Card Name | Elixir Cost |
|---|---|
| Evo Zap | 2 |
| Evo Valkyrie | 4 |
| Guards | 3 |
| Fireball | 4 |
| Skeleton Dragons | 4 |
| Inferno Dragon | 4 |
| Balloon | 5 |
| Lava Hound | 7 |
The Valkyrie and Guards serve as ground support. The Valkyrie counters swarm troops (Skeleton Army, Goblin Gang), while Guards provide sustained DPS against units like Pekka or Hog Rider. The Lava Hound and Balloon are deployed together; the Hound tanks for the Balloon, aiming for direct tower damage. The Inferno Dragon handles high-HP units, Evo Zap resets towers/troops, and Fireball eliminates counters or deals direct tower damage. Skeleton Dragons provide additional support and can reposition the Balloon.
Lava Hound Double Dragon
This deck leverages evolution cards effectively. While the Lava Hound remains the primary win condition, the Evo Bomber delivers significant tower damage, and the Evo Goblin Cage counters most win conditions.
| Card Name | Elixir Cost |
|---|---|
| Evo Bomber | 2 |
| Evo Goblin Cage | 4 |
| Arrows | 3 |
| Guards | 3 |
| Skeleton Dragons | 4 |
| Inferno Dragon | 4 |
| Lightning | 6 |
| Lava Hound | 7 |
Guards provide DPS and tower defense. The absence of a Balloon necessitates a different approach to breaking through with the Lava Hound. The Inferno Dragon and Skeleton Dragons provide air support, Lightning eliminates defenses, and Arrows handle swarms. Arrows' higher damage compared to Log or Snowball allows for effective spell cycling.
Lava Lightning Prince
This deck, while not the strongest, is a good starting point. It utilizes powerful meta cards and is relatively easy to play.
| Card Name | Elixir Cost |
|---|---|
| Evo Skeletons | 1 |
| Evo Valkyrie | 4 |
| Arrows | 3 |
| Skeleton Dragons | 4 |
| Inferno Dragon | 4 |
| Prince | 5 |
| Lightning | 6 |
| Lava Hound | 7 |
The Evo Valkyrie's tornado effect pulls in both air and ground troops. Evo Skeletons provide DPS. The Prince offers additional tower pressure. Skeleton Dragons and Inferno Dragon handle air threats. The push strategy remains similar to the LavaLoon deck, aiming to utilize the Royal Chef's buff. The Prince can be substituted with a Mini-Pekka for a lower elixir cost.
Conclusion
Lava Hound decks require a different approach than cycle decks, focusing on a slow, powerful push. These three decks provide a strong foundation, but experimentation with card combinations is key to finding your optimal playstyle.
