HC are an amazing unit given the proper circumstances. Are there times that I wish I had HC? Sure, I think almost all of us have at one point or another. However, the amount of times that a solid spear/sword defense and normal nukes have allowed me less troop loss clearing villages (especially stacks), as well as less troops lost defending far outnumber the times I wish I had HC.
While they can really shine given the proper circumstances, I find it pointless to constantly try to cover every possible problem before they come up. A normal strategy will benefit you over the HC strat roughly 9/10 times, whereas the HC will save you the other 1/10. I'd rather be prepared for those 9/10 times and lose a few more villages when I'm lacking my HC instead of undercutting my whole offensive 90% of the time.