Invested Riders

Introduction

A Plasma Monkey Fan is back, and misses the times when the Princes were the cool boys (Sorta)... This is a Hog Cycle Deck that has been turned into a Hog Double Prince deck with a "Defend until Double Elixir" attire.

This deck is also good in 2v2, so try reading the tips, then turn them into something that can be effective in 2v2.

Deck Information[]

Deck Created by: A Plasma Monkey Fan

Minimum Recommended King Level: 10

Maximum Recommended King Level: 13

Arena Required: Miner's Mine (Wrong?)

Average Elixir Cost: 3.9 (Wrong?)

More Statistics: Go to Deck Builder

Card Roles[]

Ice Spirit: Your main cycle card (Originally was Log). Can be used to support the Hog Rider, Executioner/Mega Minion on defense, or to just simply cycle to your next card. Pretty similar to the Ice Golem, who has been replaced by the DANK Prince.

Mega Minion: What's that, you hate air units? Have no fear, the Mega Minion is here. Can handle Balloon, Baby Dragon, and other beefy air troops with the help of an Ice Spirit or Tornado. If he survives the opponent's counter push, you can place a Hog Rider or Dank Prince for a small push. Add Ice Spirit or Tornado if you want to. He can also chip away at ground units who can't attack air, like Bowler for example.

Hog Rider: The deck's main demolisher (Prince can also do ok). Pair him with any other available troop card(s). This will give him a stronger chance to do bigger damage against buildings or the tower. Trick your enemy in utilizing this card to give them a hard time countering it. While your building a Double Prince push on one lane during Double Elixir, summoning a Hog Rider on the other will force the opponent to make a move, making your push more deadly.

Tornado: Nice Goblin Barrel/Hog Rider/Miner you got there, would be a shame if I Tornado them to my King Tower, making defending much easier since I can Tornado your cards in the middle of my side, so all three towers can go ham on your troops. Also, DarkExeNado is terrifying and can shut down a lot of things, or even just Dark Prince + Tornado and Executioner + Tornado alone.

Dark Prince: A secondary pressure unit after Hog Rider. Can be used on defense to chip ground support, and can deal with swarms pretty well. ATTACK, CHARGE!!! The power of the Dank Prince cannot be underestimated...

Prince: He is the high damage dealer in the deck (Lightning is cool too). On defense, he is a very reliable tank killer, and can wipe out practically all ground units who don't do that much damage. He can help you in defense until Double Elixir, and can counter push if he survives the opponent's push.

Executioner: It's always good to have at least two Anti-air units, and the Executioner is the second after Mega Minion. He does splash as well, which is helpful. Both Mega Minion and Executioner are also investment cards, so you can place them in the back if you want your opponent to make a move.

Lightning: The electric card in the deck, and it's a beefy one too, AND It's your Elixir Collector killer! Can reset/wreck Inferno Tower, Inferno Dragon, and Sparky, and destroy all the Fireballies while damaging the opponent's tower, making Golem less intimidating. This card can also protect your trio on offense since it stuns/resets troops, and just obliterates others. But it doesn't take out swarms. If the opponent uses Minion Horde or Skeleton Army to usually counter you, try adding Ice Spirit, Tornado, and/or Executioner to your pushes. Lightning also takes out spawners, and once again, buildings. Since most buildings/spawners are 3-5 elixir, it seems like a negative elixir trade, but if you can chip the tower, it's an ok trade.

Substitutes[]

Ice Golem: If you miss the Ice Golem and want to use him, say bye-bye to Ice Spirit or the Dark Prince. It's your pick.

Mega Minion: Mega Minion isn't your style? If you want more offense, use normal Minions. If you want this deck to be faster, use Bats.

Tornado: ExeNado or DarkNado not your style? Well, nobody is stopping you from using the Giant Snowball.

Dark Prince: The Dank dude brought speed to the deck, but Valkyrie is fine too.

Prince: Mini Pekka is ok, but Ice Spirit needs to push and protect him. Got that covered? Well then, play with the pancake eater!

The Double Prince tactic and the support[]

Nobody is stopping you from placing those two together at once. This IS a Double Prince deck after all... Right?

Troop Breakdown:[]

Prince + Dark Prince + Ice Spirit:[]

This can be your primary of secondary push. Prince should be dropped closer to your Princess Tower while Dark Prince and Ice Spirit closer to the river. Get ready with Tornado in your hand in case. Use this to start off the game if you have the right cards in hand, the enemy usually won’t be ready for it. You can even send a lone Hog Rider to bait out counters.

The Prince![]

The Prince is the hard hitting defensive card. Use the Prince to take care of tanks such as the Golem, Mega Knight, Giant, and even other win conditions. Protect the Prince with Ice Spirit, and pair him with the Dark Prince for a deadly push (If you gain enough elixir). A Prince under the support of his brother, the Mega Minion, Executioner with Tornado, and/or even Lightning is hard to stop. Now, what can Mr. Dank Prince do in this deck?

The Dark Prince:[]

The Dank Prince is really good at taking care of small units like Goblins and Skeletons. When charging, he can even take out a pack of Barbarians and support troops such as Musketeer. His shield makes him a great defensive unit, and if they don't have a tank or glass tank in hand, he can easily get to the tower. Pairing him with Prince is deadly, and sending him with Hog Rider and Ice Spirit is also very good. If Double Elixir is upon you, save up for Lightning if you want.

The Mega Minion[]

The Mega Minion is very well at both of two aspects offense and defense. Additionally, he is extremely cheap. You can compare him with Mini P.E.K.K.A and Musketeer. Although he is excellent, he still can be decent. Aside from that, the Mega Minion is better than Minions if he soaks damage while it costs the same amount of Elixir. It’s harder to gather and upgrade the Mega Minion because it is a rare card.

Against pushes[]

Push in Clash Royale download game can be anything. Nevertheless, we often stick with two most common types: “Tank + Damage + Splash” and “Trifecta”.
For instance, we will talk about the Giant + Musketeer + Witch combo. Put down a mini-tank as the Mega Minion tries to take out supports and other small units behind. Kill the Giant with your Prince. Dark Prince + Mega Minion is the best choice as they can obliterate the opponent’s push and generate a strong counter attack after that.
It’s not difficult to defeat Trifecta! It takes one defensive unit (Prince or Dark Prince) and one Mega Minion to stop it. Do not forget to cause the death of the Musketeer first or she will shred your Mega Minion! Use the Princes to distract the Musketeer, and the Mega Minion or Executioner to end her.
Against Giant + Balloon, lay the Mega Minion in between the Giant and Balloon. Don’t position him too far away or he will chase the Balloon until it hits your Tower!

The Executioner (This is a long one since he's important)[]

The Executioner has medium hitpoints and deals solid damage, but unlike other splash damage dealers, he (or his ax) deals damage twice. He throws his ax and it will deal also damage on its way back – slicing through everything like a hot knife through a piece of butter.

Executioner is better then Wizard[]

The secret portion of the Executioner are not his main stats; it’s more his battle dynamic and how he deals the damage.

Executioner-versus-wizard-splash-damage-1

As you can see, other ranged splash damage dealers like the Wizard just hit the first target and then there is splash damage dealt. The Executioner throws his axe and it goes through the whole range and deals splash damage the whole time – to ground and air units. This makes him a lot more effective against larger groups or also against fast moving units as well when they just walk into the axes’ radius on its way back. Do you know the situation when a Wizard is surrounded and gets killed? Well, the Executioner will also deal damage on his back in a small radius – so he’s perfect to be placed within groups of low hitpoint units.

Executioner and Tornado (This deck)[]

Executioner and Tornado are seriously Husband and Spell. This will draw together all units into the Executioner axe for extra great damage.

Always try to make Ice Spirit and Hog Rider pushes and support that with the Princes, Tornado, or (Double Elixir) Lighting. Having these two spells in your deck will make you immune to baiting and gives you perfect possibilities to defend.

The Lightning[]

The Lightning spell has lots of uses. We're going to talk first about the basic ones

Best at killing Medium-Size units:[]

Unlike Fireball, Lightning CAN kill medium health units (Musketeer, Wizard, Ice wizard, Electro Wizard, etc.). It's not a bad idea to lightning a wizard and the tower, but it's a very bad idea to not lightning 2 medium health units next to the tower.

Stun Effect:[]

Since the Lightning got the 0.5 sec stun effect it became much better. It may sound minor, but this can reset Inferno towers, Sparkys, Inferno Dragons, Prince and Dark prince. Those are the most important, just like zap, it can let a unit take one less shot.

There are only 3 Bolts:[]

You want to get the best value out of those 3 bolts. You need to know that the bolts target the highest health units. In some situations, it may be a good idea to lightning another troop instead of the tower. If there are 3 or more support units behind the tank, it may be a good idea to not hit the tank too.

Lightning never strikes the same thing twice:[]

This saying also applies in Clash Royale. It can't hit the same unit twice, even if the first bolt hits a shield, and the troop is still alive. However, it can strike the units that are spawned when another unit dies (Battle Ram, Tombstone, Lava Hound).

Strategy/What to do[]

The match[]

The First (Two) Minutes
- If you want to push, use the Prince + Dark Prince + Ice Spirit push I listed up top, or Hog Rider instead of either Prince. This deck has it's offense!
- You should just defend any pushes the opponent might be thinking about playing. If you see a Goblin Barrel, a Miner, or any other enemy melee troop/win condition, your #1 priority is to tornado it to your King Tower. Whether you succeed or not, you should be on the defensive side since this deck shines at double elixir. Place your Mega Minion/Executioner in the back to invest elixir or to see what cards your opponent has. Place your Hog Rider or Dank Prince on your bridge to force your opponent to either spend elixir (His/Her push will be weaker), or to just make a move.
- If your Prince or other cards survives/defeats the opponent's push, and they are currently trying counter push, do so. Place a Hog Rider, Dank Prince, and/or Ice Spirit to assist... Or just hover your Tornado so if your opponent plays a Musketeer or something, just Tornado her to the opponent's tower so your Dank Prince/Executioner can hit both her and the tower for good damage. You can also hover the Lightning if you have enough elixir to just significantly damage or take out the opponent's counters to your push.
- Once you know what the opponent has, you just have to play smart to win the match.
Double Elixir
- Oooo, things are getting spicy. You can turn your offense game on, you can now effectively use Double Prince, and can play the amazing combos I listed below. Go ham!

Around this time, you've studied their deck So... you can do a Hog Dark Prince/Prince push, a Hog Lightning push, a simple Hog Ice Spirit push, or even a Hog/Prince push with the Executioner/Mega Minion.

Offense[]

If you wan't to build a push, place your Mega Minion/Executioner in the back and then wait for your opponent to make a move. If it's an offensive one, defend with Tornado, Prince, or Dank Prince. If he places a medium-size troop in the back, continue building your push. If he places a tank in the same lane as your Mega Minion/Executioner, you might want to place your Hog Rider or Dank Prince on the opposite lane, and save your troops for defending/countering, then counter pushing.
Want to be aggressive? Go ahead! Just make sure you can defend as well. Like they say, saving a card can be the best thing you can do.

Defense (Note: Don't forget about the Ice Spirit)[]

Prince can take out tanks/ground win conditions fairly well, but so can the Mega Minion, so don't think it's just him.
- If they have a strong tank, start with a Prince/Dark Prince at the back of the King Tower. After that, deploy the Mega Minion to start dealing damage. That should kill the tank and allow a counter push.
Tornado + Splash has always been good, so ExeNado and DarkNado is effective against ground. If you have enough elixir, you can play DarkExeNado, but I personally like to call it DEATH!

Tips for playing[]

Bait and strike!
- Ya know, the Dank Prince can bait out Hog Rider counters. Once that happens, place a Mega Minion/Executioner in the back, and when they reach the bridge, place the Hog Rider with or without the Ice Spirit or Tornado.
Always keep Counter Pushing in mind
- Building an effective push after defending is one of the best things you can do! Hog Rider and Prince are fast and can destroy a tower within seconds.
Timing
- Always wait for the perfect time to strike. You can play the waiting game if you want though

Combos[]

I kinda already listed the combos, but if you didn't catch the hint, here they are!

Hog Rider + Prince:[]

The two damagers in the deck. If you decide to play Prince in the back, feel free to add Ice Spirit, Tornado (To Tornado away troops from the Hog), or even Lightning (Because you can).

Hog Rider/Dank Prince + Ice Spirit:[]

Ahhhh, the "LOL I'm forcing you to make a move" combo... ;)
- You can even send the Hog/Dank Prince alone if you want to... The opponent will need to spend elixir, making his push more managable.

The Counter Push[]

Contains the following combos: Hog Rider/Dank Prince + Executioner + Ice Spirit (or even Tornado), Hog Rider/Dank Prince + Mega Minion + Ice Spirit, Prince + Ice Spirit + Executioner. If you want to save your Lightning so you can chip the opponent's counters, feel free!

Alternate Combos/Help[]

ExeNado (Air Wrecker + Start of a Counterpush)

Mega Minion + Ice Spirit (Air Wrecker + Start of a Counterpush)

Dark Prince or normal Prince in the back (Start of a Counterpush/Defend tactic if opponent places a Valkyrie + Hog Combo or anything similar)

Deck archetype matchups[]

There is no such thing as a perfect deck, so if you see a deck page where people think a deck has a chance to beat any other deck, it's all a lie... Ok, maybe that was dark, but still... Here are what you'll be facing either in Challenges, Ladder, or even 2v2 if you play it (I usually do)!

Don't forget about Lightning or Hog Rider! Those two cards are invaluable!

Here is the currrent Meta:

Hog Cycle:[]

You will need skill and thinking to stall and control the Hogs! use Counter Attacks or your own Hog to force out the opponent's elixir and don’t make too many negative elixir trades. If you managed to stall to Double Elixir, start pushing! 6-8

Golem:[]

LOL! 10/10

Giant:[]

Prince the Giant, use Dark Prince/Executioner with or without Tornado or Ice Spirit to end the Giant's support, and counter push every once in a while. 7/10 Counter Attack with or without Hog Rider as much as possible.

Three Musketeers:[]

Use value Lightning or Dark Prince on the splits (Two Musketeers), and Executioner Prince, and/or Mega Minion/Ice Spirit on the other lane. Control your elixir usage very carefully, and you'll succeed. 6-8/10

LavaLoon:[]

The Hog Rider and Dark Prince can pressure LavaLoon users (Pretty funny to watch). This will make their push weaker and easier to deal with. The Tornado can hold the Hound/Balloon/Support cards in place while the Executioner wrecks them. Ice Spirit can even freeze them for longer, and Mega Minion will always beat the Balloon, Lava Hound, and can clean up. If they use ground support, Prince and Dark Prince can handle that! During the match, use Lightning wisely or don't use it/save it. Overall, you should be fine against LavaLoon, and should counter push or down right push throughout the match. 7/10

P.E.K.K.A:[]

Use Mega Minion between the fight of the P.E.K.K.A who should be attacking your Prince or Dark Prince. Once you do so, either use Ice Spirit to keep the Princes alive for an extra swing or two, or Tornado the P.E.K.K.A. in the middle of your side so both Princess Tower's (King Tower too if he's activated) will go ham on the P.E.K.K.A. and probably end her. ExeNado can also kill all the supports and chip the P.E.K.K.A. too. They are more scenarios, but it's all about using what you got. 6/10

Miner Poison:[]

You should be fine if you counter the opponent effectively and counter push. You can even Tornado him to your King Tower lol7/10

Log Bait:[]

Log Bait: The Goblin Barrel, Dart Goblin, or Princess may damage your tower, but the four said cards in the Zap Bait section can handle those three overall. However, I won't be shy at all to say that this deck is mediocre against Log Bait. 4/10

Mortar:[]

Mortar: Executioner can chip the Mortar at range as well as distract it. He can also penetrate through an Ice Golem or anything to defend the Mortar. You mainly want to use him to take out the Mortar, since once the Prince/Dark Prince is in range, the Mortar will no longer target them and will start attacking it's next unit which could be your tower. The Mega Minion also flies so the Mortar won't target it, but Ice Spirit can distract the Mortar and avoid the shells due to the little guy's speed. But in general, this deck does a great job against a Mortar deck. 7/10

Graveyard Poison:[]

You will do ok since Prince can counter the opponent's ground cards, and the Executioner, Tornado, and/or Dark Prince can handle the Graveyard. Push with Hog Rider every once in a while. 6.5/10

X-Bow:[]

Similar to the Mortar, the Executioner can penetrate through the X-Bow's defense, but this time, the Prince, the Dark Prince, and the Mega Minion are usable. Use the same strategy you did with the Mortar but keep in mind that the X-Bow is more expensive. >:) 8/10

Mega Knight[]

The Princes can easily shut down the Mega Knight, and even it's support if Executioner or Mega Minion is unnecessary. Against Mega Knight Miner however, you want to save your Mega Minion or Dark Prince for the Miner, and counter push with a Hog either on the same lane (to bait out the Mega Knight or it's supports, increasing the chance for the opponent to place a lone Mega Knight in the back), or on the opposite lane of your troops for quick damage. 7/10

Royal Hogs[]

The Dark Prince and Executioner can take them out, and you can Tornado them to your King Tower.

Bridge Spam[]

The Princes and the Mega Minion + Ice Spirit can end the Battle Ram's life and it's offensive friends, while ExeNado can defend you're tower pretty effectively. 7/10'

Alternate Cards[]

The Three Wizards[]

The Three Wizards are pretty good, but they all can be countered by splash or high damage. Here is a minor description about them.

The Wizard is a medium-ranged troop with both moderate hitpoints and moderate area-damage output. A Wizard card costs 5 Elixir to deploy.
The Ice Wizard is a medium-ranged troop with moderate hitpoints and low area damage. An Ice Wizard card costs 3 Elixir to deploy. The Ice Wizard's attacks will slow his targets' movement and attack speed by 35%.
The Electro Wizard is a double-target, ranged troop with moderate hitpoints and damage. His attacks briefly stun his targets for 0.5 seconds. His minor area damage upon deployment also stuns and deletes swarms.

Wizard lacks HP, Ice Wizard's damage is literally depressing, and the Electro Wizard is pretty vunerable. All three of them can be countered by most cards in their face. When they're behind a tank, the Dark Prince and Executioner can handle that!

These decks with Royal Ghost:[]

The Royal Ghost may be tough to counter as he is invisible but using techniques and units such as the Prince, Dark Prince, or even the Executioner can put a halt to this spooky legendary. Using the Mega Minion/Executioner once he's distracted can overkill him, and start a counter push. This gives the Hog Rider more value.

1. You should know that he usually isn't used in defense, but rather joining pushes
2. He does moderate area-damage and has good health
3. You should never really ignore the Royal Ghost

These decks with Lumberjack:[]

The most menacing effect of Lumberjack is the rage spell once it's killed. To counter:

1. Put a unit at the center when you are defending and it will be lured easily, forcing it to leave the rage spell on the "not so ideal spot".
2. Aside from being a single-target unit, Lumberjack also doesn't attack aerial units. Making it an easy target for the Mega Minion.
3. The Lumberjack has pretty decent hit points. However, it's not that great, making it pretty vulnerable to a high damage unit like your Prince.

Just keep it mind that it will leave a rage spell once killed. This means there are usually support troops at his back.

Dead Decks, but I will still list them[]

Zap Bait:[]

Dark Prince, Ice Spirit, Executioner, and Tornado... These cards can own Goblins, Minions, and Skeletons. Save your Lightning for the Inferno Tower/Inferno Dragon, and you're Mega Minion or even the Dark Prince for the Princess. Once you're good, send in the Hog Rider!

Miner Cycle:[]

Save your Dark Prince or Mega Minion for the Miner, and let the baiting/counter pushing begin! 8/10

Rocket Cycle:[]

Rocket Cycle: Don't clump all your troops together (especially during Double Elixir), and you will have a better chance of victory. If you're gonna place any card in the back, it should be the Mega Minion or Dark Prince. Always keep your Executioner away from the Princess Tower as well. Stay safe, play smart, and you will have hope or nope... Yeah, this deck isn't made to wreck Rocket Cycle. 6/10

Royal Giant Furnace:[]

Royal Giant Furnace: Prince the Royal Giant, Dark Prince or Lightning the Furnace, and start pushing or playing the waiting/baiting game. 8/10

Splashyard:[]

Similar to Graveyard Poison, but keep in mind that there's a lot of splash, so don't clump your troops together too much. 7/10

Overall[]

Defend, Counter push, Invest, build, and like the Dark Prince always says: