Top Lava Hound Decks in Clash Royale

The Lava Hound, a Legendary air troop in Clash Royale, is renowned for its impressive 3581 HP at tournament levels and its ability to target enemy buildings. While it inflicts minimal direct damage, its true strength lies in its demise, spawning six Lava Pups that can attack anything within range. With such a substantial health pool, the Lava Hound remains one of the most formidable win conditions in the game.

As new cards are introduced, Lava Hound decks continue to evolve, yet they remain a robust win condition. With the right card synergy, these decks can propel you to the top of the ladder. Here, we present some of the best Lava Hound decks tailored for the current Clash Royale meta.

How Does a Lava Hound Deck Work?

Lava Hound decks operate similarly to Beatdown Decks, substituting the traditional Giant or Golem with the Legendary Lava Hound as the primary win condition. These decks typically employ a mix of air troops for support, complemented by one or two ground units for defense or distraction. The strategy often involves initiating a powerful push by deploying the Lava Hound at the back of the King Tower, sometimes at the cost of sacrificing a tower to gain a strategic advantage. These decks are characterized by their slow, methodical pace, requiring patience and tactical trade-offs.

The Lava Hound has consistently maintained a solid win and usage rate across all skill levels, much like Log Bait decks. Its popularity surged with the introduction of Royal Chef, a champion building that enhances troop levels, making it an ideal match for the Lava Hound. If you have unlocked Royal Chef, it's highly recommended to use it as your Tower Troop when deploying a Lava Hound deck.

Best Lava Hound Decks in Clash Royale

Below are three of the top Lava Hound decks you might want to experiment with in Clash Royale:

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

LavaLoon Valkyrie

The LavaLoon Valkyrie deck is a favorite among players, combining both aerial win conditions. Though it's not the most elixir-efficient with an average cost of 4.0, it boasts a faster cycle compared to other Lava Hound decks.

This deck features the Evo Valkyrie and Guards as its ground troops. The Evo Valkyrie serves as a mini-tank, adept at dealing with swarm troops like the Skeleton Army or Goblin Gang, and can also tank hits from X-Bow decks. Guards provide significant ground DPS, particularly effective against units like Pekka or Hog Rider, offering great value due to their durability.

To maximize the deck's potential, launch a simultaneous push with the Lava Hound and Balloon. Start by placing the Lava Hound at the back, followed by the Balloon on the bridge as soon as the Lava Hound arrives. The goal is to ensure the Balloon reaches its target, as a single hit can be decisive. The Inferno Dragon provides excellent air DPS, capable of handling high-HP units like Golem or Giant. For spells, use Evo Zap to reset enemy towers or troops and Fireball to clear out counters like Musketeer or deal direct damage to the enemy tower. Skeleton Dragons can be used to push the Balloon forward or out of enemy building range.

Lava Hound Double Dragon

The introduction of evolution cards significantly altered the Clash Royale meta, although most Lava Hound decks were less impacted. However, the Lava Hound Double Dragon deck stands out as an exception.

While the Lava Hound remains the primary win condition, the Evo Bomber adds substantial damage potential to the tower when used effectively. The Evo Goblin Cage is a versatile defensive option, capable of stopping almost any win condition, including the Royal Giant, unless countered by Lightning or Rocket.

Guards continue to provide DPS support and protect against ground troops. Without a Balloon, the strategy shifts to breaking through with the Lava Hound alone. For air support, the combination of Inferno Dragon and Skeleton Dragons remains unchanged. Use Lightning to eliminate defensive troops or buildings while dealing significant damage to towers, and Arrows to clear swarms or units defending your push. Arrows also offer higher damage than Log or Snowball, making them useful for spell cycling in later game stages.

Lava Lightning Prince

The Lava Lightning Prince deck may not be the most powerful, but it serves as an excellent starter deck for those new to this archetype. Despite its heavier elixir cost, the deck is user-friendly, incorporating some of the meta's strongest cards.

The Evo Valkyrie is often the preferred evolution card for Lava Hound decks due to its ability to generate a small tornado, pulling in both air and ground troops with each swing. The Evo Skeletons provide versatile DPS, capable of dealing with most threats unless quickly removed.

The inclusion of the Prince adds a secondary pressure point on the enemy tower, leveraging its charge damage to clear the field and deal significant damage to towers. Skeleton Dragons handle swarms, while the Inferno Dragon tackles tanks and mini-tanks. As with other Lava Hound decks, initiate your push with the Lava Hound behind the King Tower, ideally timing it to benefit from Royal Chef's level-up buff.

For a lower elixir cost, consider substituting the Prince with a Mini-Pekka.

Mastering Lava Hound decks in Clash Royale requires adapting to a slower, more methodical playstyle focused on building overwhelming pushes rather than quick tower damage. The decks listed here provide a solid foundation, but experimenting with your own card combinations can help you find the perfect fit for your playstyle.