Your 8-card deck works like this:

• You see 4 cards in your hand at any time
• 4 cards are "hidden" in your deck queue
• When you play a card, the next card in queue moves into your hand
• The card you just played goes to the BACK of the queue

Example: You have Hog, Cannon, Musketeer, Fireball in hand. You play Hog. Now your hand shows Cannon, Musketeer, Fireball, + the next card (let's say Skeletons). Hog Rider is now in position 8 (back of the queue).

This means after playing Hog Rider, you must play 7 more cards before Hog returns to your hand.

Here's the formula for when a card returns to your hand:

If the card is in your hand:

• Position 1 (leftmost): 7 cards until it returns
• Position 2: 6 cards until it returns
• Position 3: 5 cards until it returns
• Position 4 (rightmost): 4 cards until it returns

If you just played the card:

It's at position 8 (back of queue), so you need to play 7 more cards to cycle back to it.

Why this matters: If you know your opponent's Fireball is on 7-card cycle (they just used it), and your Wizard costs 5 elixir, you can calculate if you have time to play Wizard safely or if you should wait 2 more cards.

At the start of a match, your starting 4 cards are randomly selected from your 8-card deck. This is the ONLY random element in card cycling.

Good starting hand: Win condition + supporting cards + spell (Hog, Musketeer, Cannon, Fireball)

Bad starting hand: All expensive cards or all spells (Giant, P.E.K.K.A, Fireball, Lightning)

After the first 4 cards are played, the cycle becomes 100% deterministic - you can predict exactly when each card will return.

The most fundamental technique: playing cheap cards (1-2 elixir) to quickly cycle back to your key card.

How it works:

You need your Hog Rider, but it's 6 cards away. Play Skeletons (1 elixir) → Ice Spirit (1 elixir) → Log (2 elixir) → Knight (3 elixir) → Cannon (3 elixir) → Musketeer (4 elixir). Total cost: 14 elixir. Now Hog is back in hand.

When to use:

• When you need your win condition for a game-winning push
• When you need a defensive card to counter an upcoming push
• When you have an elixir advantage and can afford to cycle

Example deck: Hog 2.6 Cycle is built around this concept. With 6 cards costing 3 elixir or less, you can cycle to Hog Rider extremely fast.

Sometimes you DON'T want to cycle. Holding cards in your hand prevents unwanted cards from appearing.

Scenario:

Your opponent has Giant in hand. You have Inferno Dragon in position 2 (6 cards away). If you cycle normally, Inferno Dragon will rotate out just as they play Giant. Instead, HOLD your current hand - play only 1-2 cards slowly. When they finally play Giant, THEN cycle fast to get Inferno Dragon.

When to use:

• Waiting for opponent to commit their win condition
• Preserving elixir for a big defensive sequence
• When cycling would give opponent a free tower hit

Instead of cycling cards randomly, play them defensively to get value WHILE cycling.

Example:

Opponent sends Skeleton Army at your tower. Instead of spending 4 elixir to kill them, place Skeletons (1 elixir) to distract them. You cycled AND got value. Now play Ice Spirit (1 elixir) to freeze them. You cycled 2 cards for only 2 elixir while defending effectively.

Good defensive cycle cards: Skeletons, Ice Spirit, Knight, Cannon, Tesla - all provide value while helping you cycle.

Bad cycle cards: Spells used on nothing, cards played at the bridge with no support (wasted elixir and gave opponent free king damage).

Apply constant low-cost pressure while cycling back to your win condition.

Example:

You just played Hog Rider (7 cards away). While cycling back to it: Play Knight at bridge (forces response), then Skeletons at bridge (chip damage), then Ice Spirit (freeze tower), then Musketeer behind King Tower (building support). By the time Hog returns, you have a massive push ready AND pressured opponent the entire cycle.

Key principle: Never cycle passively. Every card should threaten damage or build a push. This forces opponent to spend elixir defending, draining their resources.

If your opponent has ONE hard counter to your win condition, you can cycle faster than them to attack when they don't have it.

Scenario:

You play Hog Cycle (2.9 average elixir). Opponent plays Beatdown (4.5 average elixir). They have ONE building (Cannon) that counters your Hog.

Strategy:

1. Attack with Hog → they defend with Cannon
2. You cycle 7 cards (cost: ~20 elixir)
3. They cycle 7 cards (cost: ~31 elixir)
4. You get Hog back BEFORE they get Cannon back
5. Free Hog hits on their tower

This is the foundation of cycle deck strategy. You attack repeatedly, forcing them to cycle through expensive cards while you cycle through cheap ones.

Just like tracking your own cycle, you can track your opponent's cycle to predict when dangerous cards return.

How to track:

1. Note when opponent plays a key card (Fireball, Lightning, their win condition)
2. Count the cards they play after that
3. After 7 cards, you know their Fireball is back

Practical application:

Opponent plays Lightning on your Sparky. You count their next 7 cards: Knight → Musketeer → Zap → Giant → Mega Minion → Skeletons → Arrows. Now you know their Lightning is in hand again. Don't play Sparky yet - wait for them to use Lightning on something else, THEN play Sparky when it's safe.

Advanced players track 2-3 opponent cards simultaneously (their spell, their counter to your win condition, their win condition).

Once you know which 8 cards are in opponent's deck and where they are in cycle, you can deduce their current 4-card hand.

Example:

Opponent's deck: Hog, Fireball, Cannon, Musketeer, Knight, Skeletons, Ice Spirit, Log. You've seen them play (in order): Hog → Knight → Skeletons → Musketeer. This means their current hand is: Ice Spirit, Log, Cannon, Fireball (the 4 cards they haven't played yet).

How to exploit:

You know they don't have Hog Rider right now (it's 3 cards away). You can safely play your defensive building offensively without worrying about defending Hog.

This technique requires intense focus and memory but is used by top 100 players consistently.

In 2x/3x Elixir, cycle so fast that you have TWO copies of your win condition threatening at once.

Example:

You play Hog Rider on left lane. Opponent defends with Cannon. You IMMEDIATELY cycle 7 cheap cards and send another Hog Rider on right lane before they can cycle back to Cannon. They're forced to defend with troops, taking more damage.

Best in 2x Elixir: Elixir regenerates twice as fast, making rapid cycling viable. Hog 2.6 Cycle becomes unstoppable in 2x Elixir because they can cycle to Hog every 10 seconds.

Works with: Hog Rider, Miner, Goblin Barrel, Royal Hogs, Battle Ram - any fast win condition

Make your opponent cycle cards inefficiently by threatening attacks that force awkward defenses.

Scenario:

Opponent has Fireball (4 elixir counter to your Musketeer). You place Musketeer behind your King Tower. They're forced to choose: (1) Use Fireball now for negative elixir trade, or (2) Let Musketeer build a massive push. Either way, you win.

If they use Fireball, you've cycle-baited them into wasting 4 elixir and cycling their Fireball out of hand. Now you can safely play other Fireball-vulnerable cards (Wizard, Witch, Flying Machine).

Advanced version: Bait their cycle card (like Knight) by playing your cycle card (like Skeletons) first. They're forced to Knight your Skeletons, wasting their cycle efficiency.

Make your opponent cycle their key cards out of hand, then punish them.

Example:

Opponent has Inferno Tower (counters your Giant). You send a small Goblin Gang push at bridge. They're forced to use Inferno Tower to defend (wasted, out of cycle). NOW you play Giant while their Inferno Tower is 7 cards away.

Key principle: Bait out their cycle cards with cheap threats, then attack with your real push.

Attack both lanes simultaneously, forcing opponent to cycle awkwardly.

Strategy:

Send Miner to left tower → send Goblin Gang to right tower. Opponent must defend both. They cycle inefficiently (using expensive cards on cheap threats), while you cycle efficiently (spending 6 elixir total to force 8-10 elixir defense).

Result: They fall behind in cycle AND elixir. You gain control of the match tempo.

Pressure constantly so opponent never has elixir to cycle properly.

Technique:

Send Knight → they defend (3 elixir spent). Immediately send Hog Rider → they defend (4 elixir). Send Ice Spirit → they must respond (1 elixir). Send Musketeer → they're at 0 elixir and can't defend properly.

By attacking constantly in waves, you prevent them from building elixir to cycle through their deck. They're stuck reacting with whatever is in hand.

Objective: Count your cycle position without looking at your hand

How to practice:

1. Play a match with Hog 2.6 Cycle
2. After playing Hog Rider, count cards out loud: "1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7... Hog is back"
3. Check if you're right
4. Repeat for 20 matches until counting becomes automatic

Objective: Cycle to your win condition as fast as possible

How to practice:

1. Start a friendly battle
2. Play Hog Rider
3. Cycle 7 cards as fast as possible while defending
4. Track time: how fast can you cycle back to Hog?
5. Goal: Under 30 seconds with defensive value

Objective: Track opponent's Fireball/Lightning cycle

How to practice:

1. Play any match
2. When opponent uses spell, say out loud: "Fireball used, 7 cards away"
3. Count their next 7 cards: "1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7... Fireball back"
4. Verify by watching for Fireball in their next push
5. Practice until you can track without thinking

Objective: Send two win conditions before opponent can defend properly

How to practice:

1. Play Tournament mode (starts at 2x Elixir)
2. Send Hog Rider
3. Cycle 7 cards as fast as possible
4. Send second Hog Rider immediately
5. Goal: Second Hog sent before opponent cycles to their counter

Mastery Checklist:

• Can you count your cycle position for all 8 cards?
• Can you track opponent's key card cycle (spell, counter, win condition)?
• Do you cycle with purpose (defensive value, offensive pressure)?
• Can you out-cycle opponent's counters consistently?
• Can you double cycle in 2x Elixir?
• Do you adapt cycling strategy based on matchup and deck archetype?