Lava Hound's Reign: Unlocking Victory Decks

The Lava Hound, a legendary air troop in Clash Royale, targets enemy buildings. Its high health (3581 HP at tournament levels) makes it a formidable win condition, despite dealing minimal damage. Upon death, it spawns six Lava Pups, adding further offensive pressure. Its durability has cemented its place as a top-tier win condition.

The evolution of Lava Hound decks reflects the game's meta shifts. While remaining a strong win condition, optimal deck compositions have changed over time. With the right synergy, these decks can easily climb the leaderboards. Here are some of the most effective current Lava Hound decks.

How Lava Hound Decks Function

Lava Hound decks employ a beatdown strategy, utilizing the Lava Hound as the primary win condition instead of units like the Giant or Golem. Support typically consists of air troops, with one or two ground units for defense or distraction.

The strategy involves a methodical, overwhelming push, deploying the Lava Hound behind the King Tower, even at the cost of tower health. This deliberate approach often requires sacrificing tower health for a favorable trade. The Lava Hound's consistent win rate across skill levels mirrors that of Log Bait decks. The Royal Chef card significantly boosted its popularity, as its troop-boosting ability synergizes exceptionally well with the Lava Hound. If unlocked, the Royal Chef should always be used as your Tower Troop in a Lava Hound deck.

Top Lava Hound Decks in Clash Royale

Here are three currently effective Lava Hound decks:

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

Details on each deck follow.

LavaLoon Valkyrie

This popular deck utilizes both air win conditions. While its 4.0 elixir cost isn't the lowest, its faster cycle differentiates it from other Lava Hound decks.

The Valkyrie and Guards serve as ground support. The Valkyrie counters swarm units (Skeleton Army, Goblin Gang) and tanks for X-Bow decks. Guards provide sustained DPS against units like the Pekka or Hog Rider.

The Lava Hound and Balloon are deployed together. The Lava Hound tanks for the Balloon, aiming for maximum tower damage. Even a single Balloon hit can significantly impact the match.

The Inferno Dragon provides air DPS against high-HP units (Golem, Giant). Evo Zap resets towers/troops, and Fireball eliminates counters (Musketeer) or deals direct tower damage. Skeleton Dragons push the Balloon or reposition it out of range.

Lava Hound Double Dragon

The introduction of Evolution cards significantly impacted the meta, but many Lava Hound decks weren't drastically altered. The Lava Hound Double Dragon deck is an exception.

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 (including the Royal Giant), proving difficult to break through unless countered by Lightning or Rocket.

Guards provide DPS and tower defense. The Inferno Dragon and Skeleton Dragons handle air support. Lightning eliminates defensive troops/buildings and deals tower damage. Arrows counter swarms and defend against pushes, offering better damage than Log or Snowball for later-game cycling.

Lava Lightning Prince

This deck, while not the strongest, serves as a good starting point. It utilizes powerful meta cards and is relatively easy to play.

The Evo Valkyrie is a strong pairing with the Lava Hound. Evo Skeletons provide DPS. The Prince offers secondary tower pressure, dealing significant damage. Skeleton Dragons and Inferno Dragon handle air support. The push begins 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.

Lava Hound decks require a different approach than cycle decks, prioritizing a slow, overwhelming push from the back. These decks provide a solid foundation, but experimentation with card combinations is key to finding what suits your playstyle.