Best Trophy Pushing Armies for Every Town Hall Level in Clash of Clans
Clara Sophie Wagner
Indie Games & Visual Aesthetics Specialist
Published
Updated
6 min read
Trophy pushing in Clash of Clans requires selecting army compositions that balance reliability, offensive power, and ease of execution. While farming armies focus on resource extraction, trophy pushing armies prioritize securing stars—either through full three-star base wipes against equal Town Halls or guaranteed two-star town hall snipes against higher-level bases. Because unlockable units, spell capacities, and hero slots change dramatically at each Town Hall bracket, the optimal army strategy evolves as players progress through the game.
Trophy Pushing Strategy Tier List
The table below outlines the primary trophy-pushing strategy for each Town Hall tier, alongside the core units and spells required to execute the attack.
| Town Hall Level | Recommended Army Strategy | Essential Units & Spells | Primary Objective |
|---|---|---|---|
| TH2 – TH4 | Giant-Archer / Balloon-Archer | Giants, Archers, Balloons, Wall Breakers | Core breach & defense distraction |
| TH5 – TH6 | Giant-Wizard-Healer | Giants, Wizards, Healers, Heal Spells | Sustained ground push through splash damage |
| TH7 – TH8 | Mass Dragons (Zap Drag) | Dragons, Lightning Spells, Rage | Air Defense removal & direct pathing |
| TH9 – TH10 | Witch Slap / Mass Miners | Witches, Golems, Miners, Heal/Jump Spells | Distraction skeletons & wall-bypassing damage |
| TH11 – TH13 | Electro Dragons / Zap Witches | Electro Dragons, Witches, Super Wall Breakers | Chain damage & core overwhelmer |
| TH14 – TH17+ | Hydra / Root Rider Smash | Dragons, Dragon Riders, Root Riders, Valkyries | Wall neutralization & high-HP core push |
Early Town Halls (TH2 to TH6)
At lower Town Hall levels, defenses are limited in number and range. Attacks rely heavily on simple tank-and-support dynamics to clear defensive buildings before cleaning up the remainder of the base.
Town Hall 2 to Town Hall 4
At Town Hall 2 and 3, armies lack spell support and specialized units. The standard combination consists of Giants deployed ahead of Archers. Giants draw fire from Mortars and Archer Towers, while Archers behind them destroy defenses safely from a distance. Wall Breakers should be deployed in pairs to open outer compartments. At Town Hall 4, Balloons become available. Because Balloons target defenses exclusively and bypass walls entirely, deploying a line of Balloons after eliminating or distracting the single enemy Air Defense guarantees high-percentage outcomes.
Town Hall 5 and Town Hall 6
Town Hall 5 introduces the Wizard Tower, which deals splash damage capable of wiping out clustered Archers instantly. To counter this, armies shift to Giant-Wizard compositions supported by Heal Spells. At Town Hall 6, the Healer troop is unlocked. Deploying one or two Healers behind a dense group of Giants creates a self-sustaining tank core. Wizards and Archers follow behind to clean up remaining structures. Luring and destroying enemy Clan Castle troops with Archers near the corner of the map remains essential before committing main forces.
Mid-Level Town Halls (TH7 to TH10)
Mid-level Town Halls mark a transition toward heavy air attacks and specialized ground strategies as heroes and dark elixir troops become available.
Town Hall 7 and Town Hall 8: Mass Dragons
Unlocking Dragons at Town Hall 7 completely shifts the trophy pushing meta. Mass Dragons (often paired with full Lightning Spells) is the most reliable strategy for these levels. The execution requires using Lightning Spells to destroy the most dangerous or central Air Defenses before deploying Dragons in a wide line. Deploying a few King or Archer units on the flanks creates a funnel, preventing Dragons from drifting around the perimeter and ensuring they push directly into the core of the base.
Town Hall 9: Witch Slap and Queen Charge
Town Hall 9 introduces the Archer Queen and X-Bows. While Mass Dragons remain viable, ground strategies like Witch Slap offer higher consistency against anti-air layouts. Witch Slap utilizes two Golems (or Giant tanks) alongside a line of Witches and Healers along the flanks. The continuous stream of summoned Skeletons distracts single-target defenses, allowing the Archer Queen and bowler units from Clan Castle donations to punch through the center using Jump and Rage Spells.
Town Hall 10: Zap Dragons and Mass Miners
At Town Hall 10, players gain access to Siege Machine donations from higher-level Clan mates, drastically changing attack power. Zap Dragons: Utilizing 8 to 9 Lightning Spells paired with Earthquake Spells allows players to eliminate two Air Defenses immediately, making the remaining base vulnerable to a line deployment of Dragons supported by a Stone Slammer or Siege Ballista. Mass Miners: Miners ignore walls entirely by burrowing underground. Deploying a full army of Miners with continuous Heal Spells across the base core allows players to clear dense layouts quickly, particularly against bases with single-target Inferno Towers.
High-Level Town Halls (TH11 to TH13)
At higher tiers, base layouts feature complex splash defenses such as the Eagle Artillery, Scattershots, and Giga Weapons embedded directly inside the Town Hall.
Town Hall 11: Electro Dragons and Zap Witches
Town Hall 11 unlocks the Grand Warden and Super Troops. Electro Dragons excel at trophy pushing due to their chain-lightning ability, which damages adjacent structures. Against compact base designs, a line of Electro Dragons supported by Air Balloons (to trip Seeking Air Mines) and the Grand Warden’s Eternal Tome ability can secure two or three stars with minimal planning. For bases with spread-out structures where Electro Dragon chain lightning loses value, Zap Witches (using Lightning and Earthquake Spells to destroy the Eagle Artillery) provide a safer ground alternative.
Town Hall 12: DragBat and Hybrid
Town Hall 12 introduces the Giga Tesla inside the Town Hall, which explodes upon destruction and deals massive damage to surrounding units. DragBat: Combines standard Dragons with Bat Spells and Freeze Spells. Dragons clear the main defenses and the Town Hall, while Bat Spells spawned on the flank wipe out remaining point defenses once Splash damage buildings (Wizard Towers and Multi-Infernos) are frozen or destroyed. Hybrid (Miners & Hog Riders): A Queen Charge clears one quadrant of the base and destroys the enemy Clan Castle troops. Miners and Hog Riders are then deployed together alongside the Grand Warden, overwhelming the remaining compartments.
Town Hall 13: Yeti Smash and Dragon-Rider Hydras
Town Hall 13 adds the Royal Champion hero and Scattershot defenses. Yeti Smash utilizes Yetis, Super Wizards, and Bowlers supported by Healers and a Log Launcher. As Yetis take damage, they spawn YetiMites that jump over walls to target key defenses. This army is highly effective at carving through the center of dense TH13 bases while maintaining high hero survivability.
Endgame Town Halls (TH14 to TH17+)
Endgame trophy pushing involves managing high-tier Hero Equipment, Pet synergies, and heavy defenses like the Monolith, Spell Towers, and merged defenses.
Town Hall 14: Hydra Comps
The Hydra army consists of a mixture of Dragons and Dragon Riders. Dragon Riders target defenses specifically, while standard Dragons clear surrounding trash structures. Pairing Hydra with a Battle Blimp carrying Super Archers or Sneaky Goblins allows players to gut the Town Hall and core defenses before deploying the main air fleet.
Town Hall 15 to TH17+: Root Rider Smash and RC Charge
At the highest Town Hall levels, Root Riders serve as the premier ground tank. Root Riders break through walls automatically simply by walking into them, eliminating the need for Jump Spells or Wall Breakers. Root Rider & Valkyrie Smash: Root Riders lead the push to open paths continuously, followed by upgraded Valkyries and Heroes who benefit from the open base geometry to wipe out internal structures quickly. Royal Champion (RC) Charge Mass Dragons: At TH16 and TH17+, players frequently lead with an RC Charge using high-level Hero Equipment (such as the Rocket Spear or Seeking Shield) to clear a major defensive section before deploying Dragons across the remaining layout.
The Universal High-League Push Strategy: Sneaky Goblin Sniping
For players attempting to push into Legend League while under-leveled (for example, a Town Hall 11 pushing against Town Hall 15 or 16 bases), standard three-star strategies are ineffective due to severe stat disadvantages. The standard method for pushing trophies against higher Town Halls is the Sneaky Goblin Snipe: Town Hall Snipe: Deploy Sneaky Goblins (boosted Goblin Super Troops) targeting the Town Hall. Because Sneaky Goblins remain invisible for several seconds after deployment, a targeted group combined with a Jump Spell, Invisibility Spell, or Battle Blimp guarantees the destruction of the Town Hall for 1 star. 50% Percentage Collection: Use single Sneaky Goblins or Baby Dragons around the exterior perimeter to clear unprotected collectors and army camps. Securing 50% total base destruction awards the second star. Consistency: While this method rarely yields three stars against higher bases, securing consistent two-star victories yields 10 to 20 trophies per attack without risking zero-star losses.
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