Deck:Classic Hog Cycle

Strategy (with a grain of salt)

 * Starting off the game, place a Hog Rider, naked, at the bridge. If you do not have him, cycle, cycle, cycle, 'till you get him.
 * The first few seconds of the game is knowing what Hog Rider counters your opponent has and their card rotation. Keeping these in mind while you battle is the key to victory.
 * Defend, defend, defend! Kite P.E.K.K.A.s and Mega Knights with Ice Golems and do the damage with Musketeers. The Cannon is also essential at defense. Try not to let your opponent touch your Tower, because this deck is all about grabbing one Tower and stalling.
 * Never place the Musketeer behind your King's Tower. The opponent can rush the other lane, and you just wasted an essential defense.
 * When cycling to the Hog Rider, you can place split the Skeletons behind your King's Tower, then the Ice Spirit or Ice Golem in front, and finally the Hog Rider. If this isn't your cycle, find another creative way.
 * If you discover that your opponent has several good Hog Rider counters, start spell cycling their Towers with the Fireball. This tip is only for those who have a maxed Fireball in the Leauges. I personally do not recommend you to try this deck if you have an underleveled Fireball.
 * Use The Log the push back their push and also gain some free damage on the enemy's Tower.
 * DO NOT try to get more than one crown. If you do so, the opponent can make a devastating counterpush.
 * Against Golem decks, rush the other lane when the opponent places down a Golem. Free damage if he/she ignores it. Then defend, stall, and cycle Fireballs to the damaged Tower until the HP goes to 0.

Card Alternatives
No card in this deck can be substituted. Every single card here has a very important role. Taking one out and replacing it with another will defeat the entire purpose and create a whole other deck. You do need a high level The Log, which is quite hard for free-to-play players.

DeckShopPro's free-to-play scale rated this deck a 3.3.

Synergies
These are some card synergies in this deck.

And here's DeckShopPro's rating:

Hog Rider Synergies (Offensive Synergies)
Hog Rider + Skeletons: This should be your main push at the first minute or so in the game. It's extremely deadly even if it only costs 5 Elixir. Those Skeletons? Boy, they'll wreak absolute havoc on your opponent's Tower.

Ice Golem + Hog Rider: Good ol' simple push here. Can take out a Tower by itself. The Ice Golem tanks and slows down all troops when dead and the Hog Rider is your damage dealer.

Hog Rider + Ice Spirit: Once again, another good ol' simple push that can deal devastating damage. Quite simple.

Hog Rider + Fireball: The Fireball will take care of any moderate health unit the opponent places down, letting the Hog Rider get some damage done. It's best to cast the Fireball as a prediction, because it does travel quite slow.

Hog Rider + The Log: Just like the synergy above. The Log will bulldoze any swarm the enemy has, allowing damage no matter what!

Defensive Synergies
There are so many different defensive combos you can make with this deck, some with three or four cards. I'm only listing the very helpful, easy ones.

At this time, let your Hog Rider rest. If there's an opportunity to counterpush, GOOO!

Ice Golem + Musketeer: Simple tank and spank. The Ice Golem tanks while the Musketeer spanks. Use the Ice Golem to kite units into the other lane and place your Musketeer slightly in front of your King's Tower, in the middle of your Princess Towers, preventing the opponent from getting a value Fireball or Rocket off. Of course, this won't completely stop any push, but it's probably the first thing you should do when defending a massive push.

Cannon + Ice Spirit: If your enemy is running their own Hog cycle deck, use this easy combo to counter their Pig Pushes. Pull the Hog Rider with a Cannon and use the Ice Spirit ONLY if there is an enemy Ice Golem or Ice Spirit supporting the Hog Rider. Also use the Ice Spirit if the opponent Fireballs your Cannon. Against Golem or other beatdown decks, this startegy is especially effective, resulting in positive Elixir trades whatever they do

Ice Golem + Skeletons + Musketeer + Cannon: Simple, 10 Elixir combo that can really leave a mark on your enemy's pushes. It's just like the first combo, but with some Skeletons and a Cannon. The Cannon and Musketeer will be the main destroyers, while the Ice Golem and Skeletons are just there to stall. You can obviously get more Ice Golems and Cannons down because hey, you're playing the fastest cycling deck!

Ice Golem + Cannon + The Log: Once again, another simple defense but this time, The Log is rolling on the Arena floor. It will push back all enemy troops in its path and stun them for a very short time. Very worth it, especially when you are defending for the last few seconds of the game.

Cannon + Ice Golem + Ice Spirit: Very similar to the synergy above, but the Ice Spirit here is used to freeze and/or stun enemy troops, buying your Cannon and Towers more time to whittle down the enemy's pushes.

'''NOTE: I actually think that there is no such thing as a defensive synergy in this deck because you know what? You can play all of the defensive cards in any order you would like to defend. Defensive sequences and ways to counter each deck will be listed below.'''

Counters to Your Cards
This section lists some common counters to the cards in this deck. Most of them are negative Elixir trades but are deadly when there‘s a counterpush coming with that unit. The section below lists ways to counter those counters.

A * means that the card isn't exactly in the meta, but was never outclassed or had a very low usage rate before.

Meta Hog Rider Counters

 * Mega Knight
 * P.E.K.K.A.
 * Goblins*
 * Goblin Gang
 * Goblin Hut
 * Three Musketeers
 * Prince
 * Dark Prince
 * Lumberjack
 * Electro Wizard
 * Tesla
 * Minion Horde*

Meta Musketeer Counters

 * Mega Knight
 * P.E.K.K.A.
 * Goblin Gang
 * Ice Spirit
 * Prince
 * Dark Prince
 * Knight*
 * Lumberjack
 * Royal Ghost
 * Minions*
 * Minion Horde*

Deck Match-Ups
This deck does ok against most decks. This section will tell you how well this deck fairs against it from this scale:

A: Amazing. Completely destroys that deck.

B: Good. You're going to have to really Fireball them out, though.

C: OK. Only those with real skill can beat those decks.

D: Roast Pork. In other words, you need to be a pro in order to win.

F: Very, very roast pork. You have to be like a top player to win.

Siege
X-Bow: C 

This deck doesn't fair too well with the X-Bow. Experienced players will realize how quick you cycle and thus try to either defend and counterpush or just do it. Their X-Bow and Tesla can destroy your Hog Rider, so it's best not to use him. To win, Fireball cycle. Usually, X-Bow decks are cheap, especially X-Bow cycle (the cheapest and best has an average Elixir cost of 2.9), so be prepared to see alot of X-Bows in a short amount of time. To counter the nasty thing, use the Ice Golem, Musketeer, Cannon at the bridge, Ice Spirit, and on and on. See the section about defenisve sequences for more information.

-- Mortar: C

Just like the X-Bow, the Mortar is a tough match-up. It's dead zone and versatility is insanely hard to beat. Especially when the player is skilled. And Mortar-Rocket cycle is going to be even worse. Against these decks, just defend and sneak in a Fireball to their Towers every now and then. You can also pressure them with a Hog Rider but that doesn't always stop them from sending the doomsday bringer. To counter this thing and most of the deck, spam your defenses at the bridge. Like, really bad spam. Don't forget to place an Ice Golem slightly in the other lane to stop the Mortar from shooting your Tower.

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Beatdown
Golem Beatdown: F

Golem beatdown is hard. Real hard. Especially for your plump hog. But it's still beatable. When you see the Golem for the first time, rush the other lane with a Hog Rider + Skeletons combo. If the enemy ignores it, great. If the enemy doesn't however, it's time to defend for your life. In order to beat Golem decks, you need a fast reaction and a Fireball on their Tower every now and then (even before double Elixir). Just stall with all your defenses, building a massive wall of Musketeers. Keep your defenses far apart from each other so a spell won't hit them all.

Counters to Other Cards
This is a list of the common cards you will see in the meta, and which cards/combos to use to counter that card.

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Tanks
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Mega Knight:
The Mega Knight is a definetly a tough one, especially when you look at the opponent's huge fat push that'll roast your hog in seconds. But don't EVER underestimate the power of pork, because your seemingly weak cards can WRECK that Mega Knight. Of course, you can spam emotes but that's when your hard work pays off.

Here's how (and it isn't easy):
 * 1) First, place a reactive Cannon to possibly bait a spell for your Musketeer. Remember, you're going to hands are going to get a work out, so be sure to quickly fan them.
 * 2) If the opponent uses a spell for the Cannon, you know it's time. If not, more defense.
 * 3) Once the Mega Knight reaches your side of the bridge, you can kite him in the other lane with an Ice Golem. The Towers will gun him down. (Then quickly place a Musketeer right beside your Princess Tower to kill those support units. Also use an Ice Spirit + Skeletons combo for some chip damage. Sometimes you have to Fireball them.)
 * 4) Once the Mega Knight finished his exercise, take him on another walk and keep planting Cannons. At this point the opponent is probably try-harding, bridge-spamming. That's when you go.....

HOG RIDEERRRRR!!!!!

If your opponent ignores him, great, If not, ok. Continue spamming defenses and occasionally sneaking a Fireball at the enemy Princess Tower until it goes down to 0.

Congratulations, you won! Now, this "guide" isn't going to be that helpful in the real game where the pushes are huge but only highlights the main parts of defense.

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Golem:
Another tough cookie, especially when you are facing Golem-Double Prince. Because of the complexity of countering an entire Golem push, I will only tell you how to counter a lone Golem. It actually isn't that hard. ***************************************************************************************************************************
 * 1) Place a reactive Cannon so it will pull the Golem.
 * 2) Use those 1 Elixir Skeletons to deal massive damage to the Golem itself. This combo can actually make the Golem explode in rage that a 4 Elixir combo can completely shut him down.
 * 3) Use the Musketeer or an Ice Spirit to finish off those pesky little Golemites
 * 4) Laugh and BM and do whatever annoys your opponent.

P.E.K.K.A.:
Once again, another tough one. This time, you're dealing with a pretty slow assassin, so it'll be easier to turn off her power. However, an entire P.E.K.K.A. push is a whole other thing. I'll just be covering how to shut down a lone warrior. It's very similar to the Golem, only this time you have to sacrifice some Skeletons and a snowman. Congratulations, you countered one of the most dangerous troops in the game with the power of pork!
 * 1) Place a reactive Cannon to pull the P.E.K.K.A. into the kill zone, where the two Princess Towers can simutaneously attack her.
 * 2) Once she's about to swing and laugh, deploy an Ice Golem in her face. He'll soak up two hits.
 * 3) Then here come the heroes! Delpoy some live bones right on her as a distraction.
 * 4) Right after you do that, drop the Musketeer right behind the Cannon but in front of your King's Tower. She'll gun her down easily along with the help of your Towers.

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Giant:
Man, how many tough ones am I going to add? Well, guess what? Another tough one. This time you are countering a more versatile tank than those mentioned above. The opponent can have more than one Giant down on the Arena floor at once, so be wary of what you have. Hint: Countering him is very similar to countering the Golem, but with less Elixir. Of course, coutering an entire Giant + Sparky push is a whole other thing, just like those other huge fat hog roasting pushes out there.
 * 1) Place a reactive Cannon, once again, to pull the Giant into the kill zone.
 * 2) Then deploy some Skeletons to destroy him.
 * 3) That's it! You actually don't even need step 2. A Cannon pulling the Giant to the farthest place possible actually works too. The only reason why step 2 was there is because many players aren't used to pulling a Giant that far.

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Lava Hound:
Only difference with the other tanks is that this one is flying. Ever since the Lava Hound got buffed, Lavaloon is back in the meta and stronger than ever. Therefore, it is essential to know how to counter it, as it will easily destroy you. The hard part is not the Lava Hound itself; it's the Lava Pups. This, again, only shows you how to counter a lone Lava Hound. ***************************************************************************************************************************
 * 1) Know the proper Cannon placement for a Lava Hound at the farthest edge of the Arena, which is the most common delpoyment space. This is extremely important as a misplanted Cannon can completely cost you the game.
 * 2) Once the Cannon has been placed down, place a Musketeer slightly next to it to gun the Lava Hound down.
 * 3) Cycle to another Cannon and keep taking the Lava Hound someplace. This will buy you a lot of time.
 * 4) Once the Lava Hound itself is defeated, you have to deal with the Lava Pups. The best way to do this is using an Ice Golem to soak up all the damage and your leftover Musketeer to gun them down. In some cases, you have to Fireball them.

Moderate - Moderately High Hitpoint Units -

The Prince is back in the meta along with his counterpart, the Dark Prince, after their big royal buffs. They're insanely strong nowadays and its crucial in understanding how to properly counter them. They each have their own weaknesses, and its important to know them.

There are two main differences between the two that you need to understand in order to properly counter them. These differences are their strenghts and main weaknesses. They are listed below: Therefore, countering each of them will be a little different, but will involve similar units and strategies. Let's start with a favorite:
 * The Prince is single-target but deals high damage.
 * The Dark Prince deals moderate damage but has area damage.

The Prince!
*************************************************************************************************************************** Countering the Prince with this deck is quite easy, as you can just spam away. Now his main weakness is his attack type: single-target. Thus he can be easily swarmed with a Skeleton Army or Goblin Gang, resulting in an easy positive Elixir trade. However, those counters can be easily destroyed as well with spells like The Log. This deck prevents that. Completely. Here's how: Nope. It's called skill. Now moving on, how to counter Mr. Dark Prince:
 * 1) First play a Cannon to pull him. Almost all defenses start with a reactive Cannon.
 * 2) When he charges towards your territory, kite him near the Cannon with an Ice Spirit. This also disables the Prince's powerful charge.
 * 3) Finally, deploy some 1 Elixir Skeletons right on top of him and poof! He's gone! Magic, right?

The Dark Prince:
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Countering the Dark Prince is quite similar to countering the Prince but without the Skeletons and Ice Spirit. Instead, you're using the Ice Golem because of his splash damage. And that, my friends, is how a royal dynasty dies.
 * 1) Once again, play a reactive Cannon to pull him towards the center of your terittory.
 * 2) When he intrudes into your space, kite him with an Ice Golem. The Cannon and Towers will gun him down.
 * 3) Done! It's that easy, believe it or not, mainly due to the Dark Prince's lower hitpoints.

But wait.... there’s more! What about both of them together? How are you going to deal with that?

Well, that’s pretty easy as well.

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Countering the Double Prince
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Countering two Princes is pretty easy if you have the right cards and skill. All you have to do is seperste the synergy. The main reason why people pair them together is because they cover each other’s weaknesses. The Prince takes care of the high hitpoint units while the Dark Prince takes care of the swarms and squishy stuff. Seperating them seperates their synergy, thus exposing their weaknesses. Here's how:

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Three Musketeers:
Cancer for some, but definetly not for those with this deck! Three Musketeer decks are sort of-sort of not in the current meta, but it's always good to know how to counter them. The Fireball is basically good game, well played here. You can (a) cycle faster than the opponent and constantly throw Fireballs at their Elixir Collectors, and (b) also easily kill their Three Musketeers. If the opponent is using Heal.... forget that. Nobody uses Heal. Of course, it's not that easy when you're talking about real gameplay, but that's basically how to counter them alone.
 * 1) Throw a Fireball on them.
 * 2) Ice Golem in their faces
 * 3) 3 Elixir profit.
 * 4) BM.

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Lumberjack:
Man he's everywhere ever since that buff. Not only in Golem decks, but in Three Musketeers, some Giant decks, a few Hog cycle, and a lot more. He's a formidable opponent who deals insane damage when ignored and really butchers your hog. This is how to avenge him properly (Make sure there's nothing near that spilled grape juice). ***************************************************************************************************************************
 * 1) Place a Cannon to draw his attention. You have to be quick, because the Lumberjack is very fast. There is a chance that you may miss the timing and he chops up your Tower pretty bad.
 * 2) If you suceed, place an Ice Golem slightly next to him so he gets distracted. That ice is pretty durable. Meanwhile, the Cannon and your Towers chip him down till all that's left is his Rage spell, spilled on the Arena floor doing absolutely nothing (maybe making the grass grow?)

Royal Ghost:
Still pretty strong after his huge nerf. Don't underestimate him, because he will do heavy damage to your Tower. He isn't that hard to counter; just wake him up and he's literally a sitting duck. All the moderate hitpoint units mentioned in this section are not that much of a burden to deal with. ***************************************************************************************************************************
 * 1) Place a Cannon in the middle to draw him.
 * 2) Once he's about to smack it, place an Ice Golem in front of him. Do not place the Ice Golem in front of the Cannon. Make sure the Cannon is behind the Royal Ghost and the Ice Golem is in front.
 * 3) Let your Tower and Cannon gun him down.
 * 4) You won.

Hog Rider:
This deck does okay in the face of a mirror match. Hog Riders do get barbequed by this deck, even though it's also using the same power of pork. It's easy countering a lone Hog Rider; not so much when there's alot of stuff supporting him. It's good to know how to counter a lone Hog Rider, still.

He can be countered with one thing: the Cannon.

Just place it slightly in the other lane to drag him into the kill zone, where both Towers can easily target him. The Princess Tower's and Cannon's DPS will shred him apart.

The Cannon is also extremely helpful against entire pig pushes. You can possibly create a counterpush with the remaining cards on the Arena when you finished defending.

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The Three Wizards
- The three Wizards are all very powerful, but they all have their weaknesses. They can be easily countered if the cards in this deck are used correctly. It is crucial to know each of their strengths and weaknesses, just like the Princes above. So you see each of their weaknesses there, right? The Wizard doesn't have the most health, the Ice Wizard barely tickles, and the Electro Wizard is extremely fragile. Here's the funny part: all three of them can be completely countered with an Ice Golem in their faces for a positive Elixir trade. Yep. That's right. An Ice Golem can completely shut them down (of course, only with the help of your Tower). But there are a lot more ways to counter them. They are listed below:
 * The Wizard deals moderately high splash damage and has moderate hitpoints.
 * The Ice Wizard deals very low splash damage, but slows troops with each attack and has moderately high hitpoints, considering he can survive an equivalent level Poison.
 * The Electro Wizard does not do splash damage, has the least health and slowest attack speed out of the three, but can stun two units at a time.

Countering the Wizard
These combos all use the Ice Golem, except for three.
 * Ice Golem + Ice Spirit
 * This combo allows your Ice Golem to survive with a bit more health so you can counterpush with a Hog Rider right after the Wizard dies.


 * Ice Golem + Cannon
 * Similar to the first, but your Ice Golem survives with more health, allowing for a deadlier counterpush with the Hog Rider.


 * Ice Golem + Skeletons
 * This time, Larry is coming in to help pick that Wizard's nose. The Skeletons' relatively high DPS coupled with your Princess Tower will shred that Wizard, allowing for, once again, HOG RIDEERRR!


 * Skeletons
 * Yep. Just Skeletons. Don't underestimate their power even after that nerf. Surround him - this will take some practice - and watch the Wizard try to take them all out. Guess what? He can't. So say goodbye to that Wizard and hello to a 4 Elixir advantage.


 * Musketeer
 * Not the most effective strategy, but you're still getting a 1 Elixir advantage. She'll survive with few hitpoints, thus making this not as effective. However, you can create a counterpush with an Ice Golem in front.


 * Cannon
 * Again, not the most effective strategy but still gets the job done. Only thing is, you are getting a 2 Elixir advantage.

Countering the Ice Wizard

 * Skeletons
 * Yep. That's right. Surround him and he's done, similar to the Wizard.