Clash Royale Lava Hound Decks: A Comprehensive Guide
The Lava Hound, a legendary air troop in Clash Royale, targets enemy buildings and boasts an impressive 3581 HP (at tournament levels). While its damage output is minimal, its demise unleashes six devastating Lava Pups. This massive health pool makes the Lava Hound a formidable win condition. Its effectiveness has been enhanced over time with new card introductions, solidifying its place in top-tier decks. This guide explores some of the best current Lava Hound deck strategies.
How Lava Hound Decks Function
Lava Hound decks employ a Beatdown strategy, replacing the Giant or Golem with the Lava Hound as the primary win condition. Support typically consists of air troops, supplemented by one or two ground units for defense and distraction.
These decks prioritize overwhelming pushes, deploying the Lava Hound at the King Tower's rear, even at the cost of temporary tower damage. This methodical approach often necessitates sacrificing tower health for strategic advantage. The Lava Hound's consistent win rate across skill levels mirrors that of Log Bait decks. The Royal Chef's introduction significantly boosted its popularity, as the champion building's troop-leveling ability synergizes perfectly with the Lava Hound. If unlocked, the Royal Chef should always be your Tower Troop in a Lava Hound deck.
Top Lava Hound Decks in Clash Royale
Three leading Lava Hound decks currently dominating Clash Royale are:
- LavaLoon Valkyrie
- Lava Hound Double Dragon
- Lava Lightning Prince
Details on each deck follow:
LavaLoon Valkyrie
A popular choice, the LavaLoon Valkyrie deck utilizes both air-based win conditions. While its 4.0 average elixir cost isn't the lowest, its faster cycle speed differentiates it from other Lava Hound decks.
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 units (Skeleton Army, Goblin Gang), and also tanks for X-Bow decks. Guards provide consistent DPS against units like the Pekka or Hog Rider.
The Lava Hound and Balloon are deployed together for maximum impact. The Hound tanks while the Balloon pushes towards the tower. Even a single Balloon hit can significantly impact the outcome. The Inferno Dragon handles high-HP air units like the Golem or Giant. Evo Zap resets towers/troops, and Fireball eliminates counters like the Musketeer or deals direct tower damage. Skeleton Dragons can reposition the Balloon.
Lava Hound Double Dragon
Evolution cards changed the Clash Royale meta, but many Lava Hound decks remained largely unaffected. 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 delivers significant tower damage when used strategically, while the Evo Goblin Cage effectively counters most win conditions (including the Royal Giant), unless countered by Lightning or Rocket. Guards provide DPS and tower defense. The absence of a Balloon requires a different approach to breaking through with the Lava Hound. Inferno Dragon and Skeleton Dragons provide air support. Lightning eliminates defensive troops/buildings, and Arrows handle swarms. Arrows' superior damage to Log or Snowball allows for later-game spell cycling.
Lava Lightning Prince
While not the strongest, this deck serves as a good starting point, featuring 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's tornado effect pulls in both air and ground troops. Evo Skeletons provide DPS. The Prince offers a secondary tower-pressure option, with its charge damage capable of eliminating units and dealing significant tower damage. Skeleton Dragons and Inferno Dragon provide air support. The push starts with the Lava Hound, timed to benefit from the Royal Chef's level-up buff. The Prince can be replaced with a Mini-Pekka for a lower elixir cost.
Conclusion
Lava Hound decks require a different approach than cycle decks. They prioritize building a powerful push from the back. These deck suggestions offer a solid foundation, but experimentation with card combinations is key to finding a playstyle that suits you.
