Hog Beatdown is brutal at 5000–6000 trophies because you’re defending two win conditions at once: a fast Hog Rider that chips constantly, then a heavy Giant + Witch (or similar) push that snowballs when you overspend. If you don’t have a clear plan, you’ll either bleed to Hog damage or get overwhelmed by the support troops behind the tank.
This counter-guide gives you the best Top counters to Hog Beatdown in this trophy range, plus exact placements and spell timings you can copy right away.
Counter Hog Beatdown by controlling the river with Goblin Cage
Goblin Cage is one of the safest answers to Hog Beatdown because it does two jobs: it pulls Hog Rider reliably and then gives you a Brawler to soak or punch into the follow-up.
Best Cage placements vs Hog Rider
- Place Goblin Cage 4 tiles from the river and centered (standard building spot). This pulls Hog to the middle and prevents side-stepping.
- If they Hog at the bridge on one lane and you’re low on elixir, you can drop Cage one tile toward that lane to guarantee the pull.
- Versus Hog + small spell pressure, wait until Hog crosses the river, then place Cage so the Hog gets only 0–1 hits.
How to use the Brawler vs the beatdown push
After Cage pulls Hog, don’t waste the Brawler. Use him as:
- A mini-tank to meet Giant in the middle
- A Witch body-blocker so your support unit can kill her
- A counterpush anchor (Brawler + 1 support card = forcing defense)
Action item: Put Goblin Cage in your deck if you’re struggling—practice the centered placement until you consistently hold Hog to 0–1 hits.
Delete the Giant + Witch core with Hunter + Valkyrie
Most Hog Beatdown builds at 5000–6000 rely on Giant in front and Witch behind. Your goal is to kill the Witch quickly while not letting Giant tank forever.
Hunter positioning that actually works
Hunter is your burst damage tool, but only if you place him correctly.
- Versus Giant: drop Hunter 2–3 tiles away so all pellets connect. Too far = weak damage.
- Versus Hog: place Hunter close to the center so he shoots point-blank (often denies a hit).
- If Witch is behind Giant, place Hunter to target Giant first, then add Valkyrie to spin down the Witch.
Valkyrie to erase Witch skeleton value
Valkyrie is the cleanest Witch partner-counter because she:
- One card answers Witch + Skeleton swarm value
- Protects Hunter from getting surrounded
- Stays alive for a counterpush
Simple defense pattern:
- Pull/stop tank (Cage or your units in the middle)
- Drop Valkyrie so she walks into Witch’s range
- Place Hunter to melt the Giant while Valkyrie clears Witch and Skeletons
Action item: In your next 10 games vs Hog Beatdown, prioritize saving Valkyrie for Witch instead of spending her on random bridge fights.
Use Arrows to win the “support troop” war (without falling behind)
Arrows are a high-win-rate spell in this matchup because they delete the cheap support that makes Hog Beatdown scary—especially Witch skeletons and other swarm cards that protect the tank.
Arrows timing tips
- Don’t Arrows the first Witch you see if you can kill her with Valkyrie; save Arrows for when they stack value (Witch + swarm, or swarm protecting Hog).
- If they add cheap support behind Giant (like small swarms), Arrows it early so your Hunter doesn’t get distracted.
- If you’re using Goblin Cage, Arrows can also protect your Brawler from getting stalled by swarm so your counterpush stays threatening.
What Arrows should (and shouldn’t) hit
Good Arrows value:
- Witch skeletons + extra swarm support
- Swarm defending your Brawler/Hunter counterpush
- Multiple small troops that would force you to overspend
Bad Arrows value:
- Solo Hog Rider (you should defend with units/buildings)
- One low-impact troop with no follow-up
Action item: Track your Arrows each game—aim for at least one “two-target” Arrows in the midgame instead of panic-spelling single cards.
Turn defense into a counterpush that punishes Hog Beatdown
You don’t win this matchup by defending forever. Hog Beatdown wants you to spend 8–12 elixir on defense, then they reset with another Hog. Your win condition is a controlled counterpush that forces them to defend without giving them a clean Hog lane.
The safest counterpush recipe
After a good defense, push with:
- Surviving Brawler/Valkyrie in front
- Add 1 medium-cost support (like Hunter behind)
- Hold 3–4 elixir to stop the next Hog Rider
Key rule: if you can’t defend Hog after you counterpush, don’t counterpush.
Lane choice vs Hog Beatdown
- If they’re building a Giant + Witch push in one lane, counterpush opposite lane only if you have a building ready for Hog.
- If you defended a Hog with Cage and your Brawler survives, counterpush same lane to force them to spend on defense instead of setting up Giant.
Action item: For the next session, commit to “one-support counterpushes” only—no stacking 3 units behind a mini-tank unless their Hog is out of cycle.
What to do next (quick action steps)
- Add at least one hard answer: Goblin Cage or Hunter (ideally both).
- Save Valkyrie for Witch—treat her as your Witch removal tool.
- Use Arrows for stacked value, not single targets.
- After every defense, counterpush with 2 cards max and keep elixir to stop Hog.
Action item: Screenshot this checklist and follow it for 20 ladder games at 5000–6000 trophies.
Closing: more counter-guides you’ll want next
If you liked this counter-guide, you’ll also improve fast by learning:
- How to deny Hog Rider hits with building placements
- How to stop Giant support stacks without overspending
- Best mid-ladder spell timing (Arrows vs swarms)
Related resources: check other Clash Coach AI counter-guide articles under the hog-rider, giant, and witch tags.