In-Depth Horde Tactics
Any tactic that relies primary on sheer numbers
Common Types
Standard Archer-Barb
This style uses just barbs and archers, with perhaps some wall breakers to get into the base.
Farming Archer-Barb-Goblins
Another very common version of this attack. Goblins held to insure a loot haul.
Giants – Archer - Barb/Goblin
This style uses 5 – 10 giants in junction with the standard units of a horde. This gives a considerable boost to resistance to splash damage towers. However, giants are significantly more expensive than barbs or archers, so when using this style of attack use giants only as needed.
GOLDSTAR
This specifically uses a Pekka as a tanking unit with the Archers and Barbs for extra insurance and to preoccupy splash towers. A golem could do this but won’t bring a high attack value to the field, not to mention the cost in DE.
BAM
This horde tactic is unique in that it brings an air unit to the field. By far the fastest troop combination in the game. This can be a great combination for taking advantages of weaknesses in a base. You can also raid ridiculously often.
Resource
http://forum.supercell.net/showthrea...less-Barbarian
Archer-Barb and a Balloon
This is a lower TH level tactic used before there are many air defenses. I have not used this tactic extensively but you use one balloon to take out critical defenses once air defenses are down. You can find some youtube videos on using this tactic
Barb-Archer and Healer
This style bring along a healer or two as well. The healer is either deployed immediately or after the air defenses are taken down. This depends on how centralized the air defense is.
Identifying a Good Target
First off any target with most of their loot in collectors is a good target for this type of tactic. If you find this type of base simple spread you units out to reduce splash effectiveness.
Splash towers located on the outer perimeter of the base, meaning it can be destroyed before entering the base itself – is a good target. Your strongest spread out, remember that
If splash towers are clustered together so that a single lighting strike can take out 2+ splash towers
Once factoring which splash towers you can take out before reaching loot, how many are left? If once you breach the main defenses are you free to take the loot, or if your forces can stay spread out under limited splash fire it’s a good target.
Lots of free-bee buildings. In my experience – in particular with BAM – even if you spend 1 and a half minutes just destroying army camps, barracks and other things meant to push back the spawn point – well that’s less to distract your forces
A Bad Target
Maxed splash towers
Well defended splash defenses covering 2 or more storages
Playground defenses, this means everything is behind at least 1 layer of walls. This forces you to send your forces in through a gap in the wall, meaning they will bunch up – this is bad unless no splash towers are covering those breaches
Designs that cause your forces to bunch up in front of a wizard tower or place you under the fire of 2 mortars while trying to take out a high hp building
Heavy segmentation can be bad if it means your forces are bunching up. I don’t consider this an effective base build but it can be expensive to breach and cause your forces to bunch up for splash damage.
(new) Interior pockets large enough for big bombs. If you don't have giants or other tanking units along these bases can be to unpredictable to be worth a shot. If your troops bunch in on an interior pocket that turns out to be a big bomb it could spell the end of your raid after your initial flood is blown to bits.
Tactics
Take your time at the beginning of the battle to size up your opponent. This tactic is meant to win the most gold per minute. Thus you are looking for easier targets, unless the loot is significant and you have your lightening to back you up.
Use your archers (and minions if using them) to clear off any free buildings. Even if it takes a minute and thirty seconds. Getting these out of the way means your army doesn’t run off to take them out mid-battle.
Check for bombs and lure the CC or heros. If you have only a handful of minions they are great for taking out the Barbarian King. Its very important to check for big bombs, as they can blow half your army to bits. Luring CC is also extremely important as horde units are typically rather poor at handling CC troops.
Spread out the deployment of your troops. Do not deploy all barbs or archers in one spot. This reduces the effectiveness of splash damage. You can either do this by spreading out the deployment over an area or deploying in squads of 5 at a time.
Take out any splash defenses that can be easily reached immediately.
Watch your troops careful. The AI can often send troops running around the perimeter of the base without actually going to the loot
If you do have to send troops through a narrow gap into the range of a splash defense, don't deploy your troops in mass until they can spread out. A wizard tower can take out 8+ units in a few shots if they bunch up. Deploy them in such as way as to take up the available space without "stacking" several units into a single space. Then once the tower in the choke point is out, you can deploy in greater numbers again.
Don't be afraid to deploy archers out the outside of a wall to attack a defense tower from another side. Just don't overdue it so that once the tower in question is down, you have 10 archers running off in a random, unhelpful direction.
If all the loot is in collectors just spread your troops around the perimeter and clean up. Easiest way to get loot.
(new) Spell Use
Lightening - Great for taking out mortars and wizard towers. Best used on bases that put 2 splash defenses next to each other. This requires 3 -2. Once you level rage up to 5, this tactic is obsolete. From there on it should only be used to kill off CC troops.
Rage - Your troops have a high DPS in general. Dropping a high level rage spell at just the right time means you can deal a lot of damage in a hurry. This is ideal for bases with a large interior pocket, as your archers can do some serious clean up from that center pocket.
Tip - Don't place the rage spell directly on your troops. Place it slightly in front, so that as they advance they keep the advantage of the rage spell.
Healing - If you bring Giants or hogs a healing spell may be worth bringing. However, horde units themselves work poorly with healing spells and your better off with other spells.
Jump - Haven't used much personally but can be used to replace wallbreakers. If the training time of the spell was lower, I'd say it would be worth using. Still a jump spell combined with a rage and a few goblins can not be sneezed at. Its particularly effective if that single jump spell will get your troops into all the compartments they need to be in.
Maneuvers
There are some basic tactics you can deploy depending on base types.
Fan and funnel - If a base affords a way to breach the center but the path is not direct, you can deploy tanks in the center and archers in mass in a semi-circle around this center push. Tanks should be distracting any splash damage. Once any buildings that would cause barbarians or other melee units to run off to the sides are eliminated, send the remaining units in waves to the center (assuming that is where the loot is). If splash defenses are down just deploy in mass.
Pincer - Bases with long and narrow designs, typically with a center compartment that melee units can travel through - are vulnerable to this tactic. First breach the base and the center, then send your melee units down the middle. Make sure these units are distracting defenses along the sides of the base as they charge down the center. Deploy archers along the outer rim of the base. Keep these units spread out so that a single splash attack don't do significant damage, and deploy a large number. Do a lot of damage very quickly. This tactic is also good against under levels defenses that cannot mow down horde units fast enough.
Flood - If your facing several outside compartments that if broken all together allow your units to stay spread out, a flood tactic is effective. It does require a large number of wall breakers (around 15) to maintain this tactic against a strong base, as your not going for cost effective in their use. You must deploy units quickly and spread out. That is why breaking several compartments at once works best. Deploy units in large waves that keep replacing the units mowed down in the previous wave. Make sure to keep walls open so your troops don't get hung up on a wall. Keep your troops along, progress quickly if possible.
Watch out for high hp buildings covered by splash when using a flood. A TH you don't want to destroy, in particular, may be a big obstacle as it will slow you down and allow mortar fire to catch up to you.
Surround - This typically is a collector tactic. Just deploy all your horde units in a circle around the base and go for buildings outside the wall. Deploy quickly, but keep a few in reserve to help areas that don't manage to wipe out the buildings. Keep them spread out to limit splash damage. This is also used to get an easy 50% win, if enough buildings are either on the outside of the walls or can be easily destroyed by your archers without breaching said walls.
Videos
http://www.youtube.com/embed/Sl7s3oN...yer_detailpage
http://www.youtube.com/embed/GHJMsdP...yer_detailpage
