The Lava Hound, a Legendary air troop in Clash Royale, is renowned for its massive health pool of 3581 HP at tournament levels, making it a formidable win condition. While it inflicts minimal damage, its true strength lies in its ability to spawn six Lava Pups upon destruction, which can target anything within their range. Over time, as new cards have been introduced, Lava Hound decks have evolved, yet they remain a solid choice for climbing the competitive ladder. Here, we explore some of the best Lava Hound decks tailored to the current meta of Clash Royale.

How Does a Lava Hound Deck Work?

Lava Hound decks operate similarly to Beatdown Decks, but instead of using a Giant or Golem, they leverage the Lava Hound as the primary win condition. These decks often incorporate a mix of air troops for support, with minimal ground units to defend or distract the opponent's cards. The strategy typically 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. These decks are slow and methodical, requiring players to strategically trade tower health for a chance at victory.

Historically, Lava Hound decks have maintained a strong win and usage rate across all skill levels, akin to Log Bait decks. Their popularity surged with the introduction of the Royal Chef, a champion building that can level up troops, synergizing exceptionally well with the Lava Hound. If you have the Royal Chef unlocked, it's highly recommended to use it as your Tower Troop when running a Lava Hound deck.

Best Lava Hound Decks in Clash Royale

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

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

Detailed information about these decks follows.

LavaLoon Valkyrie

The LavaLoon Valkyrie deck is a popular choice among Lava Hound enthusiasts, combining two powerful flying win conditions. With an average elixir cost of 4.0, it's not the cheapest, but it offers a quicker cycle compared to other Lava Hound decks.

This deck utilizes Valkyrie and Guards as its ground troops, each serving distinct roles. The Evo Valkyrie acts as a mini-tank, effectively dealing with swarm troops like the Skeleton Army or Goblin Gang, and can tank hits from X-Bow decks. Guards provide ground DPS against units like Pekka or Hog Rider, offering sustained value due to their durability.

The strategy involves deploying both the Lava Hound and Balloon in a single push. Start by placing the Lava Hound at the back, then position the Balloon on the bridge as the Lava Hound reaches it. The Lava Hound tanks for the Balloon, ensuring it reaches its target. A single Balloon hit can be crucial in determining the outcome of the match.

The Inferno Dragon serves as an excellent air DPS troop, capable of handling high-HP units like Golem or Giant. For spells, Evo Zap resets enemy towers or troops, while Fireball clears out counters like Musketeer or directly damages the enemy tower. Skeleton Dragons can push the Balloon forward or out of range of enemy buildings.

Lava Hound Double Dragon

The introduction of evolution cards significantly altered the Clash Royale meta, though most Lava Hound decks didn't see much benefit. However, the Lava Hound Double Dragon deck stands out as an exception.

In this deck, the Lava Hound remains the primary win condition, but the Evo Bomber adds significant tower damage when used strategically. The Evo Goblin Cage can halt almost any win condition, including the Royal Giant, making it a formidable defensive tool unless countered by Lightning or Rocket.

Guards continue to provide DPS support and protect your tower from ground troops. Without a Balloon, the focus shifts to breaking through with the Lava Hound. Air support comes from the familiar combination of Inferno Dragon and Skeleton Dragons.

Lightning is used to eliminate opponents' defensive troops or buildings while dealing substantial damage to their towers. Arrows clear out swarms or units defending your push, and their higher damage compared to Log or Snowball makes them useful for spell cycling later in the game.

Lava Lightning Prince

The Lava Lightning Prince deck may not be the strongest, but it serves as an accessible entry point for those new to the Lava Hound archetype. Despite its higher elixir cost, it's relatively easy to play due to its inclusion of strong meta cards.

The Evo Valkyrie is considered the best evolution card to pair with a Lava Hound deck, as its Evo form generates a small tornado that pulls in both air and ground troops. Evo Skeletons provide versatile DPS, capable of handling most threats unless quickly removed.

The Prince adds a secondary pressure point, with its charge damage capable of clearing the field and dealing significant damage to towers. Skeleton Dragons manage swarms, while the Inferno Dragon tackles tanks or mini-tanks. As with the LavaLoon deck, start your push with the Lava Hound behind the King Tower, timing it to benefit from the Royal Chef's level-up buff.

For a lower elixir cost, you can replace the Prince with a Mini-Pekka.

Mastering Lava Hound decks in Clash Royale requires patience, as they adopt a slower, methodical approach focused on building overwhelming pushes from the back. The decks outlined here provide a solid starting point, but experimenting with different card combinations will help you find what best suits your playstyle.