Hog Riders > Dragons?

With the change to the Hog Rider, I can't see how Level 3 dragons can be favorably compared to level 5 hog riders.

For 20 unit spaces, you can get:
1 dragon with 180 dps and 2300 hp.
or
4 hog riders with combined 360 dps and 2100 hp.

So, the dragon does half the damage for almost the same number of hp.

But... dragons don't need to worry about cannons and mortars, you might argue.
Well, especially at the higher trophy levels, air defenses do a LOT more damage than cannons. Hog riders are immune to high level ADs that deal out 200+ dps each.

Dragons are better against high level splash from wizard towers... but, hog riders do pretty well against these as well. They are basically giants that hit harder and can jump over walls. Forget about mortars against high HP troops.

You can put a healer on a pack of hog riders, not a pack of dragons.

Hog riders attack faster (1.0 sec vs 1.5) and move way faster (24 vs 16).

Hog riders can't get hit by air mines, which do significant damage to dragons. Not sure how many giant bombs there are around.

Only advantage I can see for dragons is that a lot of people aim their xbows to ground only, in which case dragons are immune. This is a decent advantage.

I plan on exchanging my dragons for hog riders in a primarily air-based attack of minions and balloons... I think the main complaint bout hog riders is that they leave others behind and get killed... but if they are supported by balloons and minions... maybe used with a healer, I suspect they will be quite a force.

Disclaimer: I never use hog riders... but plan on spending the next 6 weeks or so (eek!) or so using my lab to get them maxed so I can pity-da-fool who mess with Mr. T.

Tell me why I shouldn't before I waste an immense amount of time and DE on this upgrade.

Dragons cost elixir. Hog riders cost DE. Most people have excess of elixir, few have an excess of Dark elixir

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Originally Posted by Boltflare

Dragons cost elixir. Hog riders cost DE. Most people have excess of elixir, few have an excess of Dark elixir

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Not at high trophy counts. The opposite occurs there.

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Originally Posted by zachUVA

Not at high trophy counts. The opposite occurs there.

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But what the OP says is directed to all people.

For farmers de is much more valuable. I find that hog riders would take too much time in the lab and too much de. Also a pure barbarian army does loads more damage, and a pure giant army has much more health. But the problem is splash damage would reduce it by a lot.

Also as a th8 its easy 100% lots of bases with a ton of loot with dragons, as I wake up when its about 2am ish in the US (time zone difference) and find very good loot, and some days I wake up to pleasant 350k+ gold raids and a 100% due to poor air defence. Although to be honest I prefer balloons with dragons. Dragons can tank and balloons can do a ton of damage.

Simple reason for not liking hog riders: u take the example of lvl 5 hog rider, which not many people have, and u assume that the person u r attacking has high lvl ADs. Also, u took the top lvl of hog rider, but the second-top for Dragons.

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Originally Posted by Asdasda23

Simple reason for not liking hog riders: u take the example of lvl 5 hog rider, which not many people have, and u assume that the person u r attacking has high lvl ADs. Also, u took the top lvl of hog rider, but the second-top for Dragons.

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I was comparing the top available troops for my TH (9). But, the comparison to level 4 drags is not much different:

For 20 unit spaces, you can get:
1 level 4 dragon with 190 dps and 2400 hp.
or
4 hog riders with combined 360 dps and 2100 hp.

Thread is primarily for people who use level 3 dragons... not really too many farmers in the 1500 range use level 3 dragons (except perhaps for an overnight cook when you have your purple storages full and you just want to smash someone... but high level balloons are way better for that anyway). I am talking mostly to trophy pushers and high level farmers (above 2000 cups). DE is easy to collect above 2000.

Everyone (who can remain comfortably) above 2000 has high level AD. There are not too many bases around above 2000 cups for which the combined damage of the cannons is greater than the combined damage of the air defense.
Ex.
4 level 4 AD = 4×160 = 640dps.
6 level 10 Cannons = 6×65 = 380dps.

One more thing... Mr T is much better against Inferno Towers.

I think this sums up the problem with hogs in general:

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Originally Posted by resnullius

i think the reason hog riders are so unpopular is the fact that you need a lot of upgraded hogs to do any real damage. they're also not really a tank class, and they tend to leave your other troops behind walls -- at which point they get picked off.

in your example, 15 hog riders cost 90 units. with non-dark elixir troops, 90 units affords me 10 giants (more hp), 10 wall breakers (holes for all troops), and 5 wizards (the wizards alone have roughly the dps of 10 hog riders).

in other words, you'd have better tanks, more dos, and holes for any other troops you might be using. the hog riders, which cost tons of dark elixir to upgrade, simply aren't worth it. unlike minions, which serve a unique purpose, hog riders' uniqueness -- being able to jump walls -- doesn't help an army over all unless the ENTIRE army is comprised of hogs.

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Originally Posted by Forte

I think this sums up the problem with hogs in general:

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That would be a bit more convincing if it weren't for the fact that now Hogs are only 5 housing spaces and he is comparing them to Dragons, not Giants

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Originally Posted by Forte

I think this sums up the problem with hogs in general:

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Right, but that was before the update... now 15 hog riders cost 75 units, not 90. The math doesn't support that argument any more. Which 15 unit spaces would you give up from that army of giants, wbs, and wizards?

Edit: Supergoji beat me to it.

Grogg makes a pretty convincing argument here. And considering that the only real counter argument to this is that dragons cost elixir while 4 hogs cost 200 DE, I'd have to agree with you.

Alright, time for a stat increase for dragons :p