CoC Upgrade Priority Guide 2026 — What to Upgrade First at Every Town Hall
The complete Clash of Clans upgrade priority guide for 2026. Learn what to upgrade first at every Town Hall from TH7 to TH18, avoid common mistakes, and progress efficiently.
Table of Contents
Knowing what to upgrade first in Clash of Clans is the single most important skill separating casual players from competitive ones. Every builder minute wasted on the wrong upgrade is time stolen from your war performance, trophy pushing, and overall progression. Whether you just hit Town Hall 7 or you are grinding through Town Hall 18, this guide breaks down exactly what to upgrade first, why it matters, and which mistakes to avoid at every stage of the game.
The Golden Philosophy of CoC Upgrades
Before diving into Town Hall-specific priorities, you need to internalize one rule that applies everywhere:
Offense first. Always.
Clash of Clans is an offensive game at its core. Your trophies come from attacking. Your war stars come from attacking. Your loot comes from attacking.
The Universal Upgrade Hierarchy
| Priority | Category | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clan Castle | More troops = better offense and defense |
| 2 | Army Camps | More housing space = bigger armies |
| 3 | Barracks + Dark Barracks | Unlock new troops faster |
| 4 | Laboratory | Troop upgrades are the longest investments |
| 5 | Heroes | The most impactful units in the game |
| 6 | Spell Factory | Spell upgrades and new unlocks |
| 7 | Defenses | Protect loot and trophies |
| 8 | Walls | Last priority, use leftover gold/elixir |
Start your Laboratory and Hero upgrades immediately upon reaching a new Town Hall. Never let your Laboratory sit idle.
TH7TH7 — Your First Dark Elixir Milestone
- 1Clan Castle to Level 4 — 25 troop capacity
- 2Army Camps to Level 6 — 200 housing space for full Dragon attacks
- 3Laboratory — Dragons to Level 3, Giants to Level 5
- 4Barbarian King — Push to Level 5-10
- 5Spell Factory — Lightning and Healing Spells
Defense priorities: Air Defenses > Mortars > Archer Towers > Cannons > Teslas
Base layouts: TH7 Bases
TH8TH8 — Dark Troops and GoWiPe Era
- 1Place new buildings immediately
- 2Laboratory — Hog Riders Level 3+, Golems Level 1+, Pekka Level 3
- 3Barbarian King to Level 10
- 4Army Camps
- 5Defense: Air Defenses > Mortars > Teslas
GoWiPe (Golems, Wizards, Pekka) is the dominant TH8 war strategy.
Base layouts: TH8 Bases
TH9TH9 — The Grind Begins
Day 1: Upgrade Clan Castle to Level 5, drop Archer Queen immediately, start Lab.
Hero priorities: Archer Queen to Level 30 is THE #1 priority. She is the most impactful upgrade at TH9. Rotate heroes — never have both upgrading during war.
Lab priorities: Lava Hound Level 2 > Balloons Level 6 > Hog Riders Level 5 > Dragons Level 4
X-Bows are your strongest defensive buildings — prioritize them early.
Base layouts: TH9 Bases
TH10TH10 — Miners, Bowlers, and Heroes to 40
- 1Inferno Towers — Place immediately
- 2Army Camps to Level 8 — 240 housing space
- 3Lab: Miners Level 3+ > Bowlers Level 2+ > Hogs Level 6
Push both BK and AQ to Level 40. Always prioritize AQ.
Base layouts: TH10 Bases
TH11TH11 — Grand Warden Joins
Grand Warden — Start immediately. His aura and Eternal Tome ability change every attack. Push to Level 20 fast.
Eagle Artillery — Your strongest defense. Upgrade immediately.
Lab: Electro Dragons > Miners Level 4 > Bowlers Level 3
Hero targets: GW 20, AQ 50, BK 50. Priority: GW(to 20) > AQ > BK.
Base layouts: TH11 Bases
TH12TH12 — Siege Workshop and Yeti
Week 1: Siege Workshop > Giga Tesla > Army Camps Level 9 > Clan Castle Level 7
Siege Machine priority: Wall Wrecker > Battle Blimp > Stone Slammer
Lab: Yeti Level 2+ as soon as possible
Hero targets: AQ 55, GW 30, BK 55. Priority: AQ > GW > BK.
Base layouts: TH12 Bases
TH13TH13 — Royal Champion and Scattershot
Royal Champion — Place immediately. Push to Level 25.
Scattershot — Devastating splash defense. Upgrade in first wave.
Lab: Super Troops unlock, Yeti Level 3, Headhunter Level 2
Hero targets: RC 25, AQ 65, GW 45, BK 65. Priority: RC(to 25) > AQ > GW > BK.
Base layouts: TH13 Bases
TH14TH14 — Pets System
Pet House — Build immediately. Best pets to level first:
| Pet | Hero Pairing | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| L.A.S.S.I | Archer Queen | High-jump targeting |
| Mighty Yak | Barbarian King | Destroys walls |
| Electro Owl | Grand Warden | Targets same unit |
| Unicorn | Royal Champion | Heals hero continuously |
Hero targets: AQ 75, BK 75, GW 50, RC 40. Priority: AQ > RC > GW > BK.
Base layouts: TH14 Bases
TH15TH15 — Monolith, Spell Tower, Recall Spell
Monolith — Percentage-based damage. Most feared defense. Upgrade to Level 2 first.
Spell Tower — Automatically casts spells on troops. Set to Rage or Freeze mode.
Recall Spell — Game-changing strategic tool. Upgrade early.
Lab: Root Rider > Recall Spell > Super Witch
Base layouts: TH15 Bases
TH16TH16 — New Defenses and Troop Meta
- 1Build all new defensive buildings immediately
- 2Upgrade Clan Castle to maximum
- 3Key troops: Druid (new support troop), Root Rider remains powerful
Hero priority: AQ > BK > RC > GW (Elixir-based, upgrade separately).
Defense: New defenses > Monolith > Scattershot > Spell Tower > Infernos
Base layouts: TH16 Bases
TH17TH17 — The Penultimate Town Hall
Offense first — always. Heroes are in the high 80s-90s. Keep Lab running constantly.
Focus: Eagle Artillery > Monolith > Scattershot > Infernos > Spell Tower > X-Bows > Air Defenses > Walls.
Base layouts: TH17 Bases
TH18TH18 — The Latest Content
TH18 brings the highest-tier defenses, new hero equipment upgrades, and additional pet slots. Hero Equipment system matures here.
Priority: All new TH18 buildings > Monolith > Eagle Artillery > Scattershots > remaining defenses.
Base layouts: TH18 Bases
Common Upgrade Mistakes to Avoid
- 1Rushing TH without maxing troops — Your attacks underperform in wars
- 2Upgrading walls before heroes — Heroes are active, walls are passive
- 3Letting the Laboratory sit idle — Always queue an upgrade
- 4Ignoring Clan Castle — First building to upgrade at every TH
- 5Upgrading both heroes during wars — Stagger so one is always available
- 6Skipping Spell Factory — New spells shift the meta
- 7Hoarding resources — Spend DE on heroes immediately, it can be stolen
- 8Neglecting Builder Base — OTTO gives you the 6th Builder
FAQ
Should I max out before upgrading TH?
Max your Lab (troops), Heroes, and Army Camps. Defenses and walls can be slightly behind.
How many Builders should I have?
Get all 6 (5 + OTTO) as fast as possible. More builders = more parallel upgrades.
Best Dark Elixir farming strategy?
Low TH: Mass Hog Rider on collector bases. High TH: Super Goblin farming. Always target exposed Drills.
How long to max a Town Hall?
Browse all our Clash of Clans guides and find the best base layouts for your Town Hall:
Follow this priority order, stay consistent, and you will outpace players who have been playing longer but without a plan.