Loading...
Loading...
Hog Riders jump over walls and target defenses exclusively, moving in a circuit around the base from one defense to the nearest next defense. A typical Hog attack deploys 30-36 Hog Riders with 4 Heal Spells to sustain them through Giant Bomb and defensive fire zones.
The Hog Rider is a 5-housing-space Dark Elixir troop unlocked at TH7. Hog Riders have 1,120 HP and deal 168 DPS at max level. Their defining mechanic is wall-jumping — Hog Riders leap over any wall to reach the nearest defense, making compartmentalization irrelevant for slowing them.
Hog Rider pathing follows a simple rule: target the nearest defense. This creates a predictable circuit where Hog Riders move from one defense to the adjacent closest defense, gradually sweeping the entire base. Experienced attackers can predict this circuit before deploying by examining defense positions on the war base map.
A mass Hog Rider army at TH8-TH9 includes 32 Hog Riders (160 housing space) + 6 Wizards for cleanup + CC Hog Riders or Golem. At TH10+, the composition shifts to Hybrid (Hog Riders + Miners): 16-20 Hog Riders + 15 Miners + heroes. The Hybrid composition combines Hog Rider defense-targeting with Miner HP and resource-building cleanup.
Hog Rider attacks succeed when Heal Spells sustain the pack through Giant Bomb locations and high-DPS zones. Hog Rider attacks fail against bases with double Giant Bomb placements, well-positioned Spring Traps, and spread defense layouts that split the Hog pack into multiple groups.
The Trap Placement Guide covers detailed Giant Bomb and Spring Trap positioning for anti-Hog design.
Anti-Hog bases place double Giant Bomb sets between defenses along the Hog Rider circuit path, position Spring Traps between 2 defenses spaced 4-5 tiles apart, spread defenses to split Hog packs into smaller groups, and use Wizard Towers for splash damage against grouped Hog Riders.
Double Giant Bomb (DGB) Placement is the most critical anti-Hog defensive technique. Two Giant Bombs placed adjacent to each other between two defenses deal 700 combined damage in a 3.5-tile radius. Max Hog Riders have 1,120 HP — a DGB plus one Wizard Tower volley (72 DPS) kills Hog Riders even through a Heal Spell. Place 2-3 DGB sets at different points along the most probable Hog circuit.
Spring Trap Placement eliminates Hog Riders without requiring damage. Each Spring Trap ejects up to 18 housing space — that removes 3 Hog Riders (15 housing space) per trigger. Place Spring Traps between defenses spaced 4-5 tiles apart where Hog Riders must walk directly over the trap. Six well-placed Spring Traps eject 18 Hog Riders — over half a typical Hog army.
Defense Spacing splits the Hog pack. When defenses are grouped tightly, all Hog Riders target the same defense and move as a single pack that Heal Spells easily sustain. Spreading defenses 6-8 tiles apart causes the Hog pack to split into 2-3 groups targeting different defenses. Split groups cannot be covered by a single Heal Spell, dramatically reducing survival rates.
Wizard Tower Placement adds splash damage against Hog groups. Position Wizard Towers 3-4 tiles from defensive buildings so Hog Riders enter Wizard Tower range while attacking the adjacent defense. A Wizard Tower dealing 72 DPS to a group of 8 Hog Riders over 5 seconds deals 360 total damage to each Hog Rider — combined with Giant Bomb damage, this exceeds Hog Rider HP.
Cannon and Archer Tower Ring creates an outer defense circuit. Place 3-4 defenses on the outer base ring with Spring Traps between them. Hog Riders start their circuit on the outer defenses and immediately encounter traps before reaching the core. This outer ring strategy reduces the number of Hog Riders that reach inner defenses by 30-50%.
The Hybrid strategy combines 16-20 Hog Riders with 12-16 Miners deployed together in a crescent formation. Hog Riders target defenses while Miners attack any building, providing HP buffer and cleanup. This dual-troop approach covers both defense elimination and percentage destruction.
Hybrid (Hog Miner) is the evolution of pure Hog Rider attacks for TH10 and above. The pure Hog Rider army struggles at TH10+ because bases have more defenses, more Giant Bomb spots, and stronger splash damage. Adding Miners solves the cleanup problem and provides a sustained ground force that survives alongside Hog Riders.
Deployment Pattern: Deploy the kill squad or Queen Charge first to eliminate CC troops and create a funnel. Then deploy Hog Riders in a line behind the funneled side, followed immediately by Miners 2-3 tiles behind the Hog line. Hog Riders jump walls and target defenses; Miners walk through the gaps and attack surrounding buildings.
Heal Spell Timing determines Hybrid success. Carry 4 Heal Spells (8 spell space) plus 1 Rage Spell (2 spell space). Pre-place Heal Spells on the Hog circuit path before Hog Riders arrive — Hog Riders move fast (24 speed), so reactive Heal placement often misses the pack. Drop the first Heal at the first DGB location, second Heal at the core entrance, third Heal at the base center, and fourth Heal on the exit side.
Queen Charge + Hybrid is the dominant TH11-TH14 attack. The Queen eliminates 1-2 key defenses (Inferno Towers, Eagle Artillery) and CC troops, then Hybrid sweeps the remaining base. This combination leverages both the Queen Charge opening phase and the Hybrid cleanup phase.
Grand Warden in ground mode follows the Hybrid pack and provides the Eternal Tome ability at the critical moment — typically when the pack encounters the Eagle Artillery fire zone or a Giant Bomb set. The Warden's passive Life Aura adds 130 HP to every nearby troop, giving Hog Riders effective HP of 1,250.
Predict Hog Rider pathing by identifying the nearest defense from the deployment point, then tracing a circuit to each subsequent nearest defense. Hog Riders always target the closest defense by straight-line distance regardless of walls, creating a predictable clockwise or counterclockwise sweep.
Nearest Defense Algorithm: Hog Riders use a simple targeting algorithm — attack the nearest defense measured by straight-line distance (ignoring walls). After destroying one defense, they move to the next nearest defense. This creates a predictable circuit that skilled attackers can trace before deploying.
Predicting the Circuit: Open the base scout view. Identify the defense nearest to your intended deployment point. From that defense, find the next nearest defense. Continue tracing until the circuit covers all defenses. The Hog Rider pack will follow this exact path.
Splitting Points: When two defenses are equidistant from the Hog pack's current position, the pack may split — some Hog Riders target one defense while others target the other. Defenders exploit this by placing defenses at equal distances to force pack splits. Each sub-group becomes more vulnerable to Giant Bombs and splash damage.
Defensive Placement to Manipulate Pathing: Place Spring Traps and Giant Bombs between defenses that form natural circuit segments. If you can predict the Hog circuit with 90% accuracy, place traps at the 2-3 most damaging points along that circuit. Move outer defenses 1-2 tiles to create specific pathing through trap zones.
Testing Your Base: Use Friendly Challenges to test Hog Rider pathing against your own base. Request clanmates to attack with pure Hog Riders and watch the replay. The replay reveals the exact pathing, highlighting where traps triggered and where defenses failed. Adjust trap positions based on observed Hog circuits.
Expert Base Designers & Strategy Analysts
The COC Base Layouts Team consists of experienced Clash of Clans players who have competed in Clan War Leagues, Legend League, and ESL tournament qualifiers. The team tests every published base layout against the current meta using Friendly Challenges, analyzes defense logs across 500+ war attacks per season, and verifies trap placements against Queen Charge, LaLo, Root Rider, and Electro Dragon strategies.