Discover Lava Hound Decks for Clash Royale to Reign Supreme

Clash Royale's Lava Hound: Mastering the Ultimate Beatdown Strategy

The Lava Hound, a legendary air troop in Clash Royale, reigns supreme as a formidable win condition, targeting enemy buildings with its impressive 3581 HP (at tournament levels). While its damage output is minimal, its demise unleashes six devastating Lava Pups, ensuring continued pressure. This massive health pool makes it a top contender in the game's meta.

Lava Hound deck strategies have evolved alongside new card releases, remaining a consistently strong choice. With the right card synergy, these decks can propel you to the top of the leaderboards. Let's explore some of the most effective Lava Hound decks currently dominating Clash Royale.

How Lava Hound Decks Function

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

The strategy centers on overwhelming pushes, deploying the Lava Hound at the back, even if it means sacrificing a tower. This methodical approach necessitates calculated trades, often sacrificing tower health for strategic advantage.

The Lava Hound's consistent win rate and usage across all skill levels mirrors that of Log Bait decks. However, its popularity surged with 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 where unlocked.

Top-Tier Lava Hound Decks in Clash Royale

Here are three leading Lava Hound decks to consider:

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

Detailed breakdowns follow below.

LavaLoon Valkyrie

This popular deck combines two powerful aerial win conditions. While its 4.0 average elixir cost isn't the lowest, its faster cycle surpasses other Lava Hound decks.

Card List:

The Valkyrie and Guards serve as ground troops, with the Valkyrie acting as a mini-tank against swarms (Skeleton Army, Goblin Gang) and X-Bow decks. Guards provide sustained DPS against units like Pekka or Hog Rider.

The core push involves simultaneous deployment of the Lava Hound and Balloon, utilizing the Hound as a tank for the Balloon to reach the tower. Even a single Balloon hit can be decisive.

Inferno Dragon provides air DPS against high-HP units (Golem, Giant), while Evo Zap resets towers/troops and Fireball eliminates counters (Musketeer) or targets the tower directly. Skeleton Dragons support the Balloon push.

Lava Hound Double Dragon

Evolution cards significantly impacted the meta, but many Lava Hound decks saw minimal changes. However, the Lava Hound Double Dragon deck is an exception.

Card List:

While the Lava Hound remains the primary win condition, the Evo Bomber delivers significant tower damage when used strategically. The Evo Goblin Cage counters almost any win condition (except those countered by Lightning or Rocket). Guards provide DPS and tower defense. Air support comes from the Inferno Dragon and Skeleton Dragons.

Lightning eliminates defensive troops/buildings and deals tower damage, while Arrows handle swarms and defenses. Arrows' higher damage than Log or Snowball allows for effective spell cycling.

Lava Lightning Prince

This deck, while not the strongest, serves as an accessible entry point. It utilizes powerful meta cards, making it relatively easy to play despite its higher elixir cost.

Card List:

Evo Valkyrie's tornado effect pulls in both air and ground troops. Evo Skeletons provide DPS. The Prince offers a secondary pressure point, with his charge damage capable of eliminating units and dealing significant tower damage. Air support is provided by Skeleton Dragons and Inferno Dragon. The push begins with the Lava Hound, ideally timed to benefit from the Royal Chef's level-up buff. The Prince can be substituted with Mini-Pekka for a lower elixir cost.

Conclusion

Lava Hound decks require adaptation, particularly for cycle deck players. Their slower, methodical approach prioritizes overwhelming pushes from the back. The decks presented offer a solid foundation, but experimentation with card combinations is key to finding your optimal playstyle.