Best Hog Rider Deck for Ladder (Patch 2.6)

The eight cards are Hog Rider, Musketeer, Ice Golem, Cannon, Ice Spirit, Skeletons, Fireball and The Log. Four of them cost 1 or 2 elixir, so the average sits at 2.6.

Low elixir is not a license to spam. It means that after the opponent spends their answer, you are already holding Hog again. If they still have a building in cycle, wait. Play Skeletons or Ice Spirit and take the other lane once that building is down.

Do not open with Hog. Scout with Skeletons, Ice Spirit or Ice Golem and see which lane they defend. Then place Ice Golem at the bridge and Hog right behind it. Ice Spirit can follow to freeze the tower. That push is about 7 elixir and still leaves Musketeer and Cannon for the counterattack.

Defend cheaply. Against Giant, Golem or P.E.K.K.A, plant Cannon in the middle so both the tower and the Cannon shoot. Keep Musketeer behind it, aimed at air and the backline, and out of spell range of your tower. Use Skeletons to pull aggro and Ice Golem to kite high-damage troops into the middle.

On the counter-push, Ice Golem plus Hog is enough. If Musketeer is still alive, let her walk and add Ice Spirit only if you can afford it. Save Fireball for a stacked backline — Musketeer, Wizard, Witch, Electro Wizard — ideally clipping the tower too. Hold The Log for Goblin Barrel, Skeleton Army, Princess and Dart Goblin.

Against beatdown, the seconds they spend building in the back are your window. Chip the tower with Hog so they have to turn around. When their tank reaches the bridge, Cannon and Musketeer should already be down. Never attack with more than Ice Golem, Hog and Ice Spirit.

In the mirror, the player who Hogs into a standing building loses. Cycle Ice Spirit and Skeletons until their building is out of hand or tucked in a corner, then attack the other lane. A Fireball that only trades for one 4-elixir ranged unit is usually a loss unless it also hits the tower.

Against Goblin Barrel and bait, The Log is your last line. Roll it as the Barrel lands so it also clears a Princess or a Gang if they are nearby. Cannon can catch a Barrel, but do not drop it every wave or their Rocket and Poison will tear the defense apart.