Clash of Critters Best Teams

The picks nearly every high-scoring Horde pair runs. Bring these, then fill the rest of your deployment with element coverage for the wave you're facing.

▼ Zobos advance down the lanes

Lane 1Lane 2Lane 3

FrontZapantler (Voltfawn)Pierce DPS — up front for the Lightning position buffToucanzam (Sparkeet)Front-row Lightning bufferFlex holderManteeny or an Ignitoad front-liner

2ndRockwu (Punchimp)Main DPS — hits three lanes from one unitSonarbat (Zaplet)Wide Fragile spreader; do the bat-swapFlexSecond holder / element coverage

3rdTideon (Droppit)Slow + Fragile across the lanesCheerspring (Cheerling)Core support — dead centre, towers around itEcstamira (Funglet)Spore field — Fragile + ally ATK/speed

4thPandarrior (Pandaroo)ATK-speed / damage-reduction auraSealord (Sealing)Water DPS + Weak — inside Waveflutter's wave

BackSolaflora (Buddi)Healer / stun — against the wallWaveflutter (Dewgrub)Sleep/Slow CC — behind Cheerspring, in its wave bubbles

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• The board is a sensible arrangement — creators pin Cheerspring dead centre, Waveflutter behind it, Solaflora against a wall and the Lightning units up front, and leave the rest to taste. The empty slots are for element coverage against the wave you're facing.
• There is no single "best team" in Clash of Critters — every Horde wave and every stage throws a different mix of Zobo elements, so you adapt your deployment to what's attacking. This list is the reliable spine; the flex slots are element coverage.
• Cheerspring and Waveflutter are treated as mandatory on both players' sides. Get Waveflutter to Tier 3 first — it does almost nothing below that.
• The "bat-swap": each player drops their Sonarbat on the ally's side so both teams pick up its damage boost.
• Only run one of each buff/aura unit (Pandarrior, Solaflora past two, Ecstamira, Ashlarva) — most of those effects don't stack with a second copy.
• Dojo badges, feed level and star level move the needle more than pushing one extra evolution tier — invest there before rushing a T4.
• Two independent recent Reddit reports (r/ClashofCritters) say Rockwu (Punchimp) and Toucanzam (Sparkeet) took a Horde-specific balance pass and no longer carry Horde the way they used to — both are still worth running (one poster: "still meta everywhere else but not meta in horde"), just don't expect them to solo-carry a wave the way they do in campaign/bossing.
• The current top-voted community Horde formation (r/ClashofCritters, 96 upvotes, Sep 2026) gets by with Cheerlet (Cheerling T2) and Seaswirl (Sealing T3) rather than this comp's Cheerspring/T3 and Sealord/T4 — a viable lighter-investment version of this core if you haven't pushed those two lines that far yet.

Flex / subs: Manteeny or an Ignitoad (Poakie) front-liner to hold the line · Frostluna / Ice Cat for single-target Water damage · Ashlarva instead of / alongside Solaflora for the fire-square heal · Blitzmane (Zappur) as a front-line R1 with a damage-boost buff

A cheaper Horde comp that can reach roughly 900–1000 kills without deep investment, built around Waveflutter's CC and Ignitoad's lava.

▼ Zobos advance down the lanes

Lane 1Lane 2Lane 3

FrontIgnitoad (Poakie)A second one widens the burn (if you have the copies)Ignitoad (Poakie)Lava zone — needs to be up front

2nd

3rdTideon (Droppit)Slow + Fragile so the burn hits harderRockwu (Punchimp)Filler DPS

4thCheerspring (Cheerling)Core support — centre

BackSolaflora (Buddi)Healer — against the wallWaveflutter (Dewgrub)Sleep/Slow — behind everything, in its wave bubbles

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• This is a different playstyle to the standard meta comp, not a replacement for individual picks in it — Ignitoad makes its own formation rather than slotting into the usual one.
• It works because Ignitoad's Tier-3 level-7 skill drops a big burning zone in front of you, and Waveflutter keeps everything in that zone slept and slowed while it cooks.
• You don't need both a grass frog (Frugagon) and the fire toad — the toad here is Ignitoad (Poakie), the Fire line.
• Push feed level and star level on Waveflutter and Ignitoad before spending on a new evolution tier.
• Same Horde-specific nerf report as `horde-meta-core` applies to Rockwu (Punchimp) here — still usable, just not the stand-out pick it is outside Horde.
• If Poakie isn't at Ignitoad (T4) yet, recent Reddit formations (r/ClashofCritters) get real use out of Sizzribb (T2) instead — this comp's own build is themed around Poakie's full kit, but T2 keeps the slot functional in the meantime.

Flex / subs: Manteeny as a second front-liner · Sonarbat (Zaplet) for extra Fragile · Any Tier-2 healer you already have instead of Solaflora

Built aroundLightning×3Rock×2

Goldrush rewards raw arena damage and team Auras. This is the group creators build their Goldrush formations around.

▼ Enemies advance down the lanes

Lane 1Lane 2Lane 3

FrontClawzor (Cribbler)Damage king — hard left so the claw sweeps acrossMeteorax (Rubblet)Rock tank + Rock Aura

2nd

3rdRockong (Punchimp)Three-lane AoE DPS + Rock Aura at T4Boltallion (Zapuni)Lightning DPS + attack-speed Aura

4thCheerspring (Cheerling)Healer where the round needs one

BackZapantler (Voltfawn)Second Lightning carry to stack the Aura

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• Auras are the single biggest long-term investment for Goldrush — the Rock Aura and the Lightning attack-speed Aura are the ones to chase. That means taking those lines to Tier 4.
• Cribbler ("the crab") is close to irreplaceable here — no other unit's DPS comes near it in most Goldrush situations.
• Godzilla (Rockzilla) also shows up in story stages and the Dojo — it's a genuine all-rounder outside of Boss Challenge and Horde.
• Power in Goldrush is calculated at a fixed Tatari level (Lvl 500), so star level, evolution and Aura matter far more than your account level.

Flex / subs: Stormlion (Zappur) for the Lightning Aura plus a damage-boost buff · Ashlarva instead of Cheerspring for a fire-square healer · A Grass carry (Frugagon or Thornwisp) for lanes stacked with Rock Zobos

Built aroundRock×2

Boss Challenge is a long fight against one big health bar with mixed-element adds, capped at a fixed Tatari level so food, stars, badges and formation decide it. The core is one two-lane carry, a debuffer that scales the longer the fight runs, an Aura tank and doubled healing.

▼ Boss and mixed-element adds advance down the lanes

Lane 1Lane 2Lane 3

FrontDreadclaw (Cribbler)Carry — hard left so the claw sweeps into lane 2Meteorax (Rubblet)Rock tank + Rock AuraPyrodaemon (Pyropup)Guardian — holds the add lane, Weak debuff

2nd

3rdFlex — element coverageA DPS or tank in whatever element the boss floor's adds are weak toPandarrior (Pandaroo)Ramping bamboo damage + Slow

4thCheerspring (Cheerling)Heal + buff + invincibility — dead centre

BackChrysolaria (Ashlarva)Second healer — fire-ring heal against the wall

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• There is no single 'best team' in Clash of Critters — Boss Challenge floors mix Zobo elements and the game flags each lane green or red on the element cycle (Lightning > Water > Fire > Grass > Rock > Lightning). This is a reliable spine; the flex slot and any spare deployment room are for the countering element of the floor in front of you.
• This is a labeled synthesis of loadoutgg's own material — the Boss Challenge section of the Badge Dojo & Modes guide (fixed Tatari-level cap, mixed elements, green/red lane flags), the Aura advice from the Economy & Auras guide (Rock Aura = team damage reduction), and each Tatari's own skill on its loadoutgg page (Cribbler's two-lane hit + Shredded + heal-triggered ATK, Pandaroo's ramping shoots, Ashlarva's healing ring). Community creators consistently describe the same 'tank + sustained carry + support/healer + Aura' shape.
• Because power is capped at a fixed Tatari level here, food grade, star level and Dojo badges on these six move the needle far more than pushing one of them an extra evolution tier.
• Run only one of each Aura or buff unit — a second Rubblet doesn't stack the Rock Aura.

Flex / subs: Rockong (Punchimp) for a second Rock Aura at T4 and three-lane add clear · Solaflora (Buddi) instead of Ashlarva for a Grass-square healer with an ATK buff · Sonarbat (Zaplet) in the flex lane for wide Fragile if the boss floor is a pure single-target race

Built aroundGrass×5

The coverage deck you slot in when a stage or boss floor stacks Rock Zobos in the lanes and your main team's lanes flag red. Grass beats Rock for 200% damage, so an all-Grass block turns those red lanes green.

▼ Rock Zobos advance down the lanes

Lane 1Lane 2Lane 3

FrontOrchitoria (Manteeny)Grass tank + AoE — front-holds the heaviest Rock laneOrchitoria (Manteeny)A second front-liner if the stage is all-Rock across every lane

2ndChronerva (Hootlet)Slow-stacking damage zone

3rdFrugagon (Frugling)Main Grass DPSEcstamira (Funglet)Spore field — Fragile + ally ATK/speed

4thPandarrior (Pandaroo)Ramping damage + Slow

BackSolaflora (Buddi)Grass healer — centre, behind everything

▲ Your base

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• Built straight from Clash of Critters' own element cycle as documented on loadoutgg's How It Works page: Grass beats Rock (200% damage dealt, and Rock only does 50% back). During deployment the game flags each lane green or red on this cycle — this deck is what you drop into the red Rock lanes.
• It's a labeled synthesis: the roster is every Grass unit whose loadoutgg skill page gives it a clear role in a holding block (Manteeny tank/AoE, Frugling burst, Pandaroo + Hootlet stacked Slow, Funglet Fragile, Buddi heal). No competitor 'best Grass team' page was used.
• Don't field this as your whole account — the game punishes single-element rosters. This is a swap-in block for the lanes that need it, run alongside your main team's other elements.
• Fire Zobos mixed into the same stage will shred these Grass units (Fire beats Grass), so check every lane's flag before committing — put a Water or Rock unit where Fire is coming down instead.
• Hootlet is pinned at Chronerva (T3) here for the slow/utility role this comp actually needs — the line's own tierNote flags real DPS as a T4 (Hypnostrix) extra, worth chasing later but not required for this comp's job.

Flex / subs: Cactobud for a Grass DPS that stacks Sting, or Budboo for Poison · Sackling as a second Grass tank with a Liquid Shield · Frugling copies over spreading into a fourth Grass line if you're short evolutions elsewhere

Built aroundLightning×5

The block to drop into a Water-heavy stage or a Water boss floor. Lightning beats Water for 200% damage, and Lightning's kit — pierce, Paralyse, attack-speed Aura — is built for punishing the slow, sustain-leaning Water Zobos.

▼ Water Zobos advance down the lanes

Lane 1Lane 2Lane 3

FrontZapantler (Voltfawn)Pierce + Paralyse — front for the Lightning position buffToucanzam (Sparkeet)Lightning tank + Charged ATK link

2ndStormlion (Zappur)Damage wave + Knockback

3rdBoltallion (Zapuni)Splash DPS + Lightning attack-speed Aura at T4Gigagnash (Cavyzap)Electricage zone — chews clumped Zobos

4thCheerspring (Cheerling)Heal + buff + invincibility — centre

Back

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• Straight off Clash of Critters' own element cycle (loadoutgg How It Works page): Lightning beats Water — 200% damage out, 50% back. This is the deck for the lanes that flag red with Water Zobos, including the Water boss floors the standard Horde note already calls out Zapantler for.
• Labeled synthesis: the five Lightning units are chosen for how their loadoutgg skill pages fit a punish block — Voltfawn pierce/Paralyse, Zapuni splash + Aura, Cavyzap zone, Sparkeet link-tank, Zappur knockback — with Cheerling as the one support that keeps the element intact. Not taken from any competitor team page.
• Keep Voltfawn and Sparkeet in the front row for the Lightning position buff, and take Zapuni to T4 for the attack-speed Aura — that Aura is most of this deck's damage ceiling.
• Rock Zobos mixed into the stage counter Lightning (Rock beats Lightning) — put a Grass or Water unit in any lane the flag shows red for Rock rather than forcing a Lightning unit there.

Flex / subs: Kittazap as a front Lightning Guardian whose punches ramp as enemies close · Voltmare (Zapuni) copies for a second attack-speed Aura carrier · Any highly-invested Lightning DPS you own in the mid lane — this deck scales with investment more than with the exact five

Built aroundWater×6

The Badge Dojo is run one element at a time, so unlike every other mode you deliberately want a mono-element block here. This is a Water climb: a self-shielding tank wall, a two-lane carry, and stacked Slow so the floor never overruns you before the timer.

▼ The Water Dojo master's wave advances down the lanes

Lane 1Lane 2Lane 3

FrontGlideflip (Waddledo)Ice-shield wallClawzor (Cribbler)Two-lane carry + ShreddedGlideflip (Waddledo)Second wall if all three lanes push

2ndFrostluna (Frostnip)Ice block — Slow

3rdTideon (Droppit)Slow mistSealord (Sealing)Ricochet DPS + Weak

4th

BackSomnrayna (Lullely)Sustain — drains healthy allies, tops up hurt ones

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• This is the one place a single-element deck is correct: loadoutgg's Badge Dojo & Modes guide notes the Dojo is 'a tower challenge run separately per element', and clearing floors buys a badge that lifts every Tatari of that element account-wide — so you push the Dojo of the element your main team already runs, with that element's units.
• Labeled synthesis: the six Water picks are chosen from their loadoutgg skill pages for a stall-and-grind shape (Waddledo shield wall, Cribbler two-lane carry, Droppit + Frostnip stacked Slow, Sealing Weak, Lullely as the stand-in for the healer Water lacks). Not from a competitor team page.
• Dojo floors gate on how many evolved Water Tatari you own, so the roster and the climb advance together — you can't out-level the gate, only out-evolve it.
• Swap the element wholesale for whichever Dojo you're actually pushing — the structure (shield wall + two-lane carry + double Slow + one sustain unit) ports to Lightning, Grass, Fire or Rock.

Flex / subs: Maskfry for a Water support that Pulls the wave back off your wall · Dumbopus for extra Water AoE and an Octobuddy that hits on death · Frostluna / any invested single-target Water DPS over Sealing on the harder floors

A third Horde archetype next to the standard meta core and the Ignitoad burn build: bring almost no raw damage and instead stack every enemy-weakening debuff in the game — Fragile, Weak, Shredded, Slow — so one modest carry deletes waves it normally couldn't touch.

▼ Zobos advance down the lanes

Lane 1Lane 2Lane 3

FrontClawzor (Cribbler)Carry — hard left, claw sweeps into lane 2Flex front-linerManteeny or an Ignitoad to hold the centre lane

2ndSonarbat (Zaplet)Five-lane Fragile — do the bat-swap

3rdTideon (Droppit)Three-lane Slow + FragileCheerspring (Cheerling)Core support — dead centreEcstamira (Funglet)Spore Fragile + ally ATK/speed

4thSealord (Sealing)Weak debuff — inside Waveflutter's wave

BackWaveflutter (Dewgrub)Sleep/Slow CC — behind everything

▲ Your base

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• This is a labeled synthesis, not a sourced 'meta team' — Clash of Critters has no single best Horde comp and the debuff names here (Fragile, Weak, Shredded, Slow) are taken directly from these units' roles as already written on loadoutgg's own Horde meta core team and their individual Tatari pages. The idea is only to push that same 'wide Fragile spreaders so your damage lands harder' line the Modes guide describes to its extreme.
• It differs from the two existing Horde builds on purpose: the standard meta core is a balanced spine, and the Butterfly + Toad build is an Ignitoad lava formation. This one is a debuff-amplification deck where the single carry (Cribbler) is almost interchangeable.
• The whole deck falls apart if the debuff casters die, so Cheerspring and Waveflutter protecting the mid rows is non-negotiable — Waveflutter does almost nothing below Tier 3.
• Run only one of each buff/aura unit (Funglet, Cheerspring) — a second copy of those effects doesn't stack. Extra Fragile spreaders (a second Zaplet) do help.

Flex / subs: A second Sonarbat (Zaplet) in the centre for even more Fragile coverage · Solaflora (Buddi) as a second healer / screen-wide stun against the wall · Ignitoad (Poakie) in the flex front slot to add a burning zone under the debuff stack · Pandarrior (Pandaroo) as the carry instead of Cribbler on the longest waves — its damage ramps the longer it's planted

The handful of lines that carry a new account through the story chapters while you figure out the rest.

▼ Zobos advance down the lanes

Lane 1Lane 2Lane 3

FrontHellhound (Pyropup)Fire tank + Weak debuffStoodbeak (Waddledo)Water tank — leaves an ice sculpture on deathSerrabloom (Manteeny)Grass tank + AoE

2nd

3rdRockwu (Punchimp)Main DPS

4thCheerspring (Cheerling)Heal + ATK/DEF buff — centre

BackZapantler (Voltfawn)Pierce Lightning DPS — covers Water lanes

▲ Your base

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• Fill the open lanes with whatever covers the stage's elements — a common healer, Frugling for Grass, Frostnip for single-target Water.
• Later story stages mix three elements in a single stage, so you can't lean on one element — keep a tank and a DPS in at least Fire, Water, Grass and Lightning.
• Common OP-common Tatari (Capybara and similar) heal while they attack and can plug gaps until your rarer lines are built.
• Evolution priority for a new account: Waveflutter (Dewgrub) to T3, Cheerspring, Tideon (Droppit), Rockwu (Punchimp), and one tank — see the Progression Guide.
• Don't over-invest in Penguin (Waddledo): once its Tier 3 is settling your campaign and Dojo stages, move resources to Cribbler and your Goldrush core.
• The Rockwu (Punchimp) Horde-specific nerf reported on r/ClashofCritters doesn't affect campaign — this comp's Punchimp pick is unaffected outside Horde Invasion.

Flex / subs: Frugling (grass frog) for Grass AoE · Frostnip (Ice Cat) for single-target Water damage · Any common healer you have while Cheerspring is still low