Why Hog Rider Is Still Relevant
Hog Riders have been in COC since 2012 and remain viable at TH9-TH12 in 2026. They’re one of the few ground troops that target defenses directly — skipping resource buildings and traps to attack the nearest defense.
At TH9-TH10, Mass Hogs is one of the most consistent 3-star strategies. At TH11-12, Super Hog Riders extend this viability with higher HP and area damage.
How Hog Riders Work
Defense targeting: Hog Riders jump over walls and target defenses. They ignore resource buildings, army camps, and non-defense structures unless no defenses are nearby.
Healing: Hog Riders receive a healing bonus when they jump over walls — they regenerate HP each time they clear a wall section. This makes Heal Spells and their natural jump-healing synergize for very high effective HP.
Cluster weakness: Hog Riders deployed in a tight cluster hit the same defenses together and die together to Giant Bombs. Spread deployment is essential.
Strategy 1: Mass Hogs (TH9-10)
The classic Hog Rider strategy. Fill your army with Hogs, use Heal Spells to keep them alive through the base, and clean up with a few Wizards or Archers.
Troop Composition (TH9)
| Troop | Count |
|---|---|
| Hog Rider | 28-32 |
| Wizard | 4-6 |
| Archer | 8-10 (cleanup) |
Spells: Heal × 3, Poison × 1
Clan Castle: Valkyrie or Witch for cleanup
Troop Composition (TH10)
| Troop | Count |
|---|---|
| Hog Rider | 32-36 |
| Witch | 2-3 |
| Archer | 6-8 |
Spells: Heal × 3, Poison × 1, Rage × 1
Execution
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Scout Giant Bombs. This is the most important pre-attack step. Giant Bombs kill large Hog clusters. Look for Giant Bomb placements (usually in chokepoints or near high-value defenses).
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Lure and kill CC troops. Hog Riders don’t engage CC troops cleanly — they’ll ignore them to chase defenses. Lure CC to the edge, kill with your own CC troops + Poison Spell.
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Deploy Hogs in two groups. Send approximately 60% of your Hogs at one side of the base, 40% at the other. This splits their pathing and reduces Giant Bomb clustering risk.
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Heal Spell timing. Deploy Heal Spells when Hog HP drops to 50-60% — typically when they’re mid-base facing Infernos or multiple defenses simultaneously. Don’t drop Heals preemptively.
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Wizards / Witch cleanup. Once Hogs have cleared defenses, most bases have surviving resource buildings and army camps. Deploy Wizards/Witches to clean up.
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Poison on defense CC. Use Poison immediately when CC troops are lured out. Valkyries and Golems in the CC will kill your Hog cluster if left unmanaged.
Strategy 2: Queen Walk + Hogs (TH10-11)
Combines a Queen Walk to eliminate key defenses (usually the Infernos or Eagle Artillery) with a Hog push through the cleared lane.
Why Combine Them
- Queen Walk removes the defenses most dangerous to Hog clusters (single-target Infernos burn Hogs faster than anything else)
- Hog jump-healing keeps them alive much longer once Infernos are cleared
- The combination 3-stars TH10-11 bases that Mass Hogs alone struggles with
Execution
- Queen with 4 Healers walks the Inferno Tower side of the base.
- Once Infernos are down, deploy the full Hog push through the same side.
- Warden Eternal Tome as the Hog cluster reaches the Eagle Artillery burst.
- Heal Spells on Hogs mid-base as they take sustained fire from remaining defenses.
Strategy 3: Super Hog Rider (TH11-12)
Super Hog Riders are faster, have higher HP, and deal area damage on their jump attacks compared to standard Hogs. Available when regular Hog Rider is level 11+ (boosted with Dark Elixir or Super Potion).
Advantage over Mass Hogs: Super Hogs’ area jump damage destroys clustered defenses faster and their HP survives Giant Bombs better than regular Hogs.
Troop Composition (TH11-12)
| Troop | Count |
|---|---|
| Super Hog Rider | 18-22 |
| Witch | 3 |
| Super Barbarian | 4 (funnel) |
Spells: Heal × 2, Rage × 2, Freeze × 1, Poison × 1
Execution: Same fundamentals as Mass Hogs, but with fewer total units needed due to the higher individual HP and damage.
Giant Bomb Detection
Giant Bombs are the #1 killer of Hog strategies. Learn to identify likely placements:
Common Giant Bomb locations:
- Gaps in walls that appear intentional (designed to funnel Hogs through)
- The tile directly behind a high-value defense (Mortar, X-Bow)
- Chokepoints between two compartments
- Near Air Defenses that Hogs must path around
Testing for Giant Bombs: Deploy 1-2 cheap troops along the path your Hogs will take before sending the main Hog wave. If a Giant Bomb fires on cheap troops instead of your Hogs, it’s a free trade.
Spell Usage Deep Dive
Heal Spell Positioning
The Heal Spell creates a healing zone. Hogs don’t stay still — you need to lead them by placing the spell slightly ahead of where they currently are, so they walk into the zone and stay in it while fighting.
Common mistake: Placing Heal Spell directly on current Hog position. Hogs will move forward out of the zone within seconds. Lead them by 3-4 tiles.
Rage vs Heal
- Rage: Use when Hog speed and DPS matters more than sustain — mid-base burst to quickly destroy Eagle Artillery or Infernos before they do too much damage
- Heal: Use for sustained tanking through long defensive sequences
Typical TH10 loadout: 3 Heals, 1 Poison. Advanced TH11 loadout: 2 Heals, 1 Rage, 1 Poison, 1 Freeze.
Common Hog Rider Mistakes
Deploying all Hogs in one group. One cluster of 32 Hogs walking into a double Giant Bomb is an instant wipe. Always split into at least two groups.
Not luring the CC. Hog Riders ignore enemy CC troops to chase defenses — your Hog pack will have a Valkyrie carving through them from behind. Always lure and kill the CC before deploying Hogs.
Dropping Heal too early. Hogs at full HP don’t benefit from Heal. Wait for damage to accumulate — usually at the second or third defensive cluster mid-base.
Skipping cleanup troops. Hogs destroy defenses, not resource buildings. A base with all defenses down but 30 surviving buildings won’t get you 100% without dedicated cleanup. Always bring Witches, Archers, or Wizards for the final 20%.
