Lava Hound's Dominance: Unlocking the Power

Clash Royale's Lava Hound: Mastering the Legendary Air Troop and Top Deck Strategies

The Lava Hound, a legendary air troop in Clash Royale, directly targets enemy buildings. Boasting a substantial 3581 HP at tournament levels, its damage output is minimal. However, its demise unleashes six Lava Pups, attacking any nearby units. This massive health pool makes the Lava Hound a formidable win condition.

Lava Hound deck strategies have evolved with new card introductions. It remains a powerful win condition, and the right card combinations can propel players to the top of the ladder. Here are some top-performing Lava Hound decks in the current Clash Royale meta.

Understanding Lava Hound Decks

Lava Hound decks function as Beatdown decks, but instead of relying on Giants or Golems, they utilize the Lava Hound as their primary win condition. They typically incorporate various air support troops, with only one or two ground units for defense or distraction.

The strategy involves overwhelming pushes, deploying the Lava Hound at the back, even at the cost of tower health. These decks are slow and deliberate, often requiring tactical tower health sacrifices for advantageous trades. Their win rate and usage remain consistently high across skill levels, comparable to Log Bait decks. The Royal Chef's introduction significantly boosted the Lava Hound's popularity due to its troop-leveling capabilities. If unlocked, the Royal Chef is an ideal Tower Troop for Lava Hound decks.

Top Lava Hound Decks in Clash Royale

Three prominent Lava Hound decks currently stand out:

• LavaLoon Valkyrie
• Lava Hound Double Dragon
• Lava Lightning Prince

Let's explore each in detail.

LavaLoon Valkyrie

The LavaLoon Valkyrie deck, a popular choice, combines two powerful flying win conditions. Its 4.0 average elixir cost is higher than some alternatives, but its faster cycle is advantageous.

Here's the card composition:

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 distinct ground defense roles. The Valkyrie counters swarm troops (Skeleton Army, Goblin Gang) and tanks for X-Bow decks. Guards provide sustained DPS against units like Pekka or Hog Rider.

The Lava Hound and Balloon are deployed together for a powerful push. The Balloon's success hinges on the Lava Hound's tanking capabilities. Even a single Balloon hit can be decisive.

The Inferno Dragon excels against high-HP units (Golem, Giant). Evo Zap resets towers or troops, while Fireball eliminates counters (Musketeer) or deals direct tower damage. Skeleton Dragons push the Balloon forward or out of range.

Lava Hound Double Dragon

Evolution cards significantly impacted the meta, but many Lava Hound decks adapted minimally. The Lava Hound Double Dragon deck is an exception.

Card composition:

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

The Evo Bomber inflicts substantial tower damage with strategic placement. The Evo Goblin Cage effectively counters most win conditions (including Royal Giant), unless countered by Lightning or Rocket. Guards provide DPS and tower defense. The Inferno Dragon and Skeleton Dragons provide air support. Lightning eliminates defensive troops or buildings, while Arrows handle swarms. Arrows' higher damage compared to Log or Snowball allows for later-game cycling.

Lava Lightning Prince

The Lava Lightning Prince deck, while not the strongest, serves as an accessible entry point. It utilizes powerful meta cards.

Card composition:

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, a strong Lava Hound pairing, creates a small tornado with each swing. Evo Skeletons provide DPS. The Prince offers additional tower pressure with its charge damage. Skeleton Dragons and Inferno Dragon provide air support. The push starts with the Lava Hound, ideally timed to benefit from the Royal Chef's level-up buff. The Prince can be substituted with a Mini-Pekka for a lower elixir cost.

Conclusion

Lava Hound decks require adaptation, especially for cycle deck players. Their slow, methodical approach emphasizes overwhelming pushes from the back. The decks detailed above provide a solid foundation, but experimenting with card combinations is crucial for finding the optimal playstyle.