Overview
The Hog Glider is the eleventh Builder Base troop, unlocked at Builder Barracks Level 11 (Builder Hall 9). It is a uniquely two-phase unit: it starts as a flying troop that dives directly onto defenses, crashing into them and stunning the target for up to 6.0 seconds at max level (the Stunning Glide ability unlocks at Level 15). After the crash — whether successful or destroyed in flight — a Hog Rider drops to the ground and continues attacking defenses as a fast melee ground troop. At max Level 20, the Glider has 700 HP, deals 260 crash damage, and stuns for 6.0 seconds; the spawned Hog Rider has 1,533 HP and 139 DPS. Each Army Camp slot holds 2 Hog Gliders.
The Hog Glider targets defenses exclusively in both its flying and ground phases, bypassing all resource buildings and obstacles. Like Builder Base Hog Riders, the Hog Rider phase can jump over Walls, making it wall-agnostic even in ground mode. The stun mechanic is its defining characteristic: a crashed Glider completely disables its target defense for 6 seconds — long enough for Boxer Giants or Power P.E.K.K.As to destroy even a Crusher without taking any retaliation damage. Be aware that if multiple Gliders crash into the same defense, only the last stun applies — earlier stuns are overwritten. Levels 19–20 require Builder Hall 10 (Star Laboratory Level 10) to research.
📊 Stats & Upgrade Path (Lvl 15–20)
| Level |
Glider HP |
Crash DMG |
Stun Duration |
Hog Rider HP |
Hog Rider DPS |
Research Cost |
Star Lab Req. |
| 15 |
600 |
180 |
5.0s |
1,267 |
112 |
N/A (unlock) |
9 |
| 16 |
650 |
220 |
5.0s |
1,267 |
112 |
4,000,000 Elixir |
9 |
| 17 |
650 |
220 |
5.0s |
1,393 |
125 |
4,200,000 Elixir |
9 |
| 18 |
650 |
220 |
6.0s |
1,393 |
125 |
4,400,000 Elixir |
9 |
| 19 |
650 |
220 |
6.0s |
1,533 |
139 |
5,400,000 Elixir |
10 |
| 20 |
700 |
260 |
6.0s |
1,533 |
139 |
5,800,000 Elixir |
10 |
Glider Key Attributes: Targets: Ground Defenses only (air phase) | Attack Type: Melee crash | Movement Speed: 24 (flying) | Stunning Glide unlocks at Level 15. Hog Rider Key Attributes: Movement Speed: 32 (fastest Builder Base ground troop) | Attack Speed: 1s | Range: 0.75 tiles | Spring Weight: 12 (can be ejected by Spring Traps). Units per camp: 2 Hog Gliders. Stun is overwritten by the last Glider to crash — do not stack multiple on same target.
⚔️ Attack Strategies
Crusher Stun Lock
Deploy 2 Hog Gliders onto the Crusher immediately before sending Boxer Giants or Power P.E.K.K.As. The 6.0-second stun completely disables the Crusher, allowing your tanks to destroy it without taking a single hit. Since Crushers have very high HP and deal massive area damage, neutralising them this way is often the single most impactful action you can perform in a Builder Base attack. Time the Giants’ arrival to occur during the stun window, not before it.
Surgical Stun on Mega Tesla
Send a single Hog Glider directly at the Mega Tesla before deploying your main air army (Baby Dragons, Drop Ships). A max-level Mega Tesla can one-shot a Hog Glider mid-flight, but the Glider still delivers its crash and 6-second stun on landing. During this stun, your air troops safely pass over the Tesla’s kill zone. Deploy the air army with a 1–2 second delay after the Glider’s crash to ensure the stun has begun before troops enter Tesla range.
Power P.E.K.K.A + Hog Glider Combination
The most reliable BH9–10 ground attack. Deploy Hog Gliders to stun key defenses (Crusher, Roaster, Lava Launcher), then release Power P.E.K.K.As into the base. P.E.K.K.As’ shield ability absorbs incoming damage while Glider stuns remove the most dangerous retaliating defenses. After each stun expires, the dropped Hog Rider (speed 32) continues clearing smaller defenses, keeping pressure across the base simultaneously with the P.E.K.K.As.
Hidden Tesla Bait & Redirect
Hog Gliders flying over Hidden Teslas will switch target and crash into the Tesla instead of their intended target when the Tesla pops up. Use this as a feature, not a bug: identify where Hidden Teslas are placed by sending a sacrificial Boxer Giant first — then deploy Gliders specifically toward the Tesla zone. The Glider stuns the Tesla for 6 seconds, completely shutting down its chain-lightning during the critical initial army push phase.
Stun Spacing (One Glider Per Target)
Never send more than one Hog Glider to the same defense in rapid succession. Multiple Gliders landing on the same target waste their stun (the last stun overwrites previous ones, not adding to them). Instead, spread Gliders across multiple high-value defenses simultaneously — Crusher, Mega Tesla, and Roaster all stunned at the same time creates a 6-second window where your main ground army can advance almost completely unopposed through the base.
Hog Rider Phase Cleanup
After the Glider phase, the dropped Hog Riders (139 DPS at max, speed 32) become your fastest ground cleanup troops. Because they target defenses and can jump Walls, they’ll reach deeper buildings faster than any other ground troop. Deploy a second wave of Hog Gliders from the Clan Castle (if available) timed to arrive as the ground Hog Riders are engaging mid-base defenses, creating a second stun wave on inner defenses as your tanks push deeper.
🛡️ Defense Tips
Firecracker and Air Bomb Placement
Firecrackers and Air Bombs are the primary aerial counters to Hog Gliders. Position them along the most likely flight paths to high-value defenses. A max Firecracker with Air Bombs clustered near the Crusher can destroy the Glider mid-flight before it delivers the stun — the Hog Rider still drops, but without the stun it is far easier to manage. Stack 2–3 Firecrackers covering the same flight corridor for overlapping fire.
Mega Tesla as Glider Counter
A sufficiently upgraded Mega Tesla can destroy a single Hog Glider in flight (preventing the stun) AND heavily damage the resulting Hog Rider on the ground simultaneously. Position the Mega Tesla where it has maximum flight-path coverage for incoming Gliders. Even if the Glider survives and stuns the Mega Tesla, the Tesla’s ground attack will instantly resume after the 6-second stun — catching the exposed Hog Rider mid-fight.
Frontline Cannon Sacrifice
Place Cannons and Archer Towers on the outer edges of your base to absorb the first wave of Hog Glider crashes. These relatively unimportant defenses soak up stuns and crash damage, ensuring that Gliders waste their 6-second stun windows on low-priority targets rather than the Crusher or Mega Tesla at the core. The resulting ground Hog Riders are then left to fight through higher-DPS inner defenses without tank support.
Spring Traps for Hog Riders
The ground Hog Rider has a Spring Weight of 12, making it ejectable by Spring Traps. Place Spring Traps along the paths Hog Riders will take after crashing — typically the shortest route to the next nearest defense. A Spring Trap placed just inside the first Wall layer beyond the crash point will eject the Hog Rider before it can deal sustained DPS to inner defenses, completely neutralising the ground phase of the Hog Glider combo.
🎯 Advanced Tips
Stun Overwrite Mechanic
The stun from multiple Gliders crashing the same target does NOT stack — only the last stun timer applies. If you send 3 Gliders onto a Crusher in 3 seconds, the Crusher is only stunned for 6 seconds total from the last hit, not 18. Space Gliders to hit different targets, or if you must double-hit a very high HP defense (like Crusher), send both Gliders at exactly the same time so they crash simultaneously — the effective stun window remains 6 seconds but both crash damages apply.
BH10 Upgrade Priority
Levels 19 and 20 require Builder Hall 10 (Star Laboratory Level 10). The upgrade from Level 18 to 20 increases Hog Rider HP from 1,393 to 1,533 (+140) and crash damage from 220 to 260 (+40). While modest, the Hog Rider HP increase directly improves its survivability in the ground phase against max BH10 defenses like the X-Bow and Mega Tesla. Prioritise Levels 19–20 early at BH10 since the research cost is relatively low (5.4M–5.8M Elixir) compared to other BH10 upgrades.
Flying Unit Defence Targeting
The Hog Glider in flight is classified as an air unit — it can be targeted by Firecrackers, Air Bombs, and Mega Teslas. However, Guard Posts (which are classified as defenses) will NOT be targeted by Hog Gliders despite being a defensive structure. This means Guard Post troops will engage and damage Gliders and Hog Riders freely without ever drawing their stun or crash, making Guard Post placement near high-value defenses a strong counter-strategy.
Lava Launcher Splash Awareness
After the Hog Rider drops to the ground, it becomes highly vulnerable to Lava Launcher splash damage. The Lava Launcher’s lava ball creates a persistent lava pool on impact — a Hog Rider walking through it takes continuous burn damage. Identify Lava Launcher positions and predict lava pool placements before deploying ground Hog Riders. Direct them away from anticipated lava zones or stun the Lava Launcher with another Glider before the Hog Rider enters its splash radius.