Lava Decks Dominate Royale Arena

Mastering the Lava Hound Deck in Clash Royale: A Guide to Three Top-Tier Strategies

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 death triggers the deployment of six damaging Lava Pups, making it a formidable win condition. This guide explores three of the best current Lava Hound decks, offering insights into their mechanics and strategies.

How Lava Hound Decks Function

Lava Hound decks operate as Beatdown decks, utilizing the Lava Hound as their primary win condition, unlike Giant or Golem-based strategies. They typically incorporate multiple air support troops and one or two ground units for defense and distraction. The core strategy involves a methodical push, deploying the Lava Hound at the back, often sacrificing some tower health for a favorable trade. The Royal Chef champion card significantly enhances Lava Hound decks by boosting troop levels.

Top Lava Hound Decks

Three standout Lava Hound decks currently dominate the Clash Royale meta:

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

Let's delve into the specifics of each.

LavaLoon Valkyrie

This popular deck combines two powerful air win conditions. Its 4.0 average elixir cost is balanced by a faster cycle compared to other Lava Hound decks.

The Valkyrie serves as a mini-tank against swarm troops (Skeleton Army, Goblin Gang), while Guards provide ground DPS against units like Pekka or Hog Rider. The Lava Hound and Balloon are deployed together; the Hound tanks while the Balloon aims for the tower. Inferno Dragon counters high-HP units, Evo Zap resets towers/troops, and Fireball eliminates counters or targets towers directly. Skeleton Dragons support the Balloon push.

Lava Hound Double Dragon

This deck leverages evolution cards effectively. The Evo Bomber inflicts significant tower damage, and the Evo Goblin Cage counters almost any win condition, unless countered by Lightning or Rocket.

Guards provide DPS support, and the Inferno Dragon and Skeleton Dragons provide air support. Lightning eliminates defensive troops or buildings, and Arrows handle swarms. Arrows' higher damage compared to 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.

Evo Valkyrie's tornado effect pulls in both air and ground troops. Evo Skeletons provide DPS. The Prince offers secondary tower pressure. Skeleton Dragons and Inferno Dragon provide air support. The push begins with the Lava Hound, ideally timed to benefit from the Royal Chef buff. Mini-Pekka can replace the Prince for a lower elixir cost.

Conclusion

Lava Hound decks require a different approach than cycle decks, focusing on a slow, powerful push. Experimentation with card combinations is key to finding the best strategy for your playstyle. These three decks provide a solid starting point for mastering this powerful archetype.