Defense Buildings

Defense Buildings

In Clash of Clans, having a strong defense is as important as having a capable offense. In many ways, defense is even more important. Defenses serve to safeguard trophies and protect resources from enemy troops. Each defense has its own strengths and weaknesses, and its location in your village should reflect that. For instance, the powerful Mortar is slow-firing, but deals incredible splash damage to ground troops. A downside is that it can't attack troops within four tiles of itself (or air troops at all) - so it should be placed in the center of your village with adequate protection from Air Defenses. On the other hand, Cannons and Archer Towers deal lesser amounts of damage to groups (as they can target and hit only one unit at a time) but attack quicker and work as an effective first line of defense. The Wizard Tower deals incredible splash damage to both ground and air units, but has a relatively short range. Cannon

Summary Cannons are the first defensive structure that a player builds at the start of their Clash of Clans adventure. Cannons are both cheap and quick to upgrade at lower levels. Cannons can shoot any ground units, such as Barbarians, but not any air units, such as Dragons. Defensive Strategy Cannons have a high rate of fire and a decent range, which makes them an ideal deterrent for Wall Breakers (which have extremely low health). Cannons are very useful for keeping Giants from attacking other defenses. **Defend Mortars and Wizard Towers by placing them within range of Cannons. Make sure Cannons are placed within range of Air Defenses, because Cannons are unable to target air units (or at least in range of an Archer Tower or Wizard Tower). Upgrade these structures and Mortars first at lower levels, as they are one of your main ground defenses. They are also the cheapest and most common defensive structure available, which makes them a good initial investment. Offensive Strategy Cannons are one of the few defensive units that cannot attack air units. This makes them easy pickings for Balloons, Dragons or Minions if they are not within range of Air Defenses, Archer Towers or Wizard Towers. Cannons are only able to damage one unit at a time. This makes it very easy to overwhelm them with large groups of Archers or Barbarians. Upgrade Differences Cannons undergo significant visual changes at levels 7, 10, 11 and 12. The Cannon barrel and support platform both increase in size at almost every level. When initially constructed, the Cannon consists of a short dark metal barrel mounted on a crude four-legged wooden platform. At level 2, the Cannon's base receives a wooden stabilizer tied to the legs with ropes. At level 3, the Cannon's leg stabilizer becomes stouter. The base itself rotates 45 degrees within the 3x3 square (ostensibly to accommodate the later, larger upgrades of the Cannon). At level 4, the Cannon barrel receives two decorative latitudinal ridges, one midway along the barrel and one at the rear. The platform's leg stabilizer is removed in favor of a larger and stouter main support platform with much shorter legs. At level 5, the Cannon base's wooden legs are replaced with metal ones and its metal ring which it pivots on gets wider. At level 6, the Cannon base receives a pair of what appear to be metal clamps or straps on opposite sides of the platform to anchor the barrel more firmly to the rotational mount. At level 7, the wooden base is discarded for a white stone or metal platform with four short brass-trimmed legs. The Cannon barrel's decorative center ridge is trimmed with a ring of brass. At level 8, the other decorative ridge around the rear of the barrel also receives brass trimming, as well as a pair of opposing brass straps or clamps securing it to the platform. At level 9, the Cannon receives a third brass-trimmed decorative ridge around the muzzle of the barrel, and two additional brass straps or clamps perpendicular to the original pair. At level 10, the Cannon barrel is entirely made of brass. The rear of the Cannon barrel receives triangular reinforcing plates, and the platform's legs become dark metal trimmed in brass. At level 11, the Cannon barrel is transformed into black metal, and the base receives prominent black footings. At level 12, the Cannon is accented with a red ring around the barrel as well as red crystals on each corner of the base to act as the footing. The brass strap on the base receives a dark red band.

"Archer Towers have longer range than cannons, and unlike cannons they can attack flying enemies.'' Summary Archer Towers are extremely versatile structures. They are able to target both Ground and Air Units, and they have excellent range. This versatility means that they should form the cornerstone of every player's defense. Defensive Strategy Archer Towers can target both Ground and Air Units at an amazing distance. Therefore, it is generally a good idea to place them on the outer perimeter of the village. Doing so allows players to capitalize on the excellent range and provides good coverage for the rest of the defenses. As Archer Towers have the ability to target both Ground and Air Units, a good strategy would be to place all of the other defenses within range of at least one Archer Tower. It is typically a good idea to upgrade Archer Towers before you upgrade Cannons. Although they are more expensive and take longer to upgrade than similar-level Cannons, Archer Towers have more range and can target air units as well as ground units. It is typically wise to put an Archer Tower near a Cannon or Mortar due to the fact that neither of these two defenses can target air units. Offensive Strategy Their ability to target both Ground and Air Units makes Archer Towers formidable defenders. However, Archer Towers are only able to damage one unit at a time. This makes it very easy to overwhelm them with large groups of Archers or Barbarians. When deploying only a few Balloons, it is advisable to keep them away from an Archer Tower, as their slow movement speed makes them an easy target. However, Balloons deployed in large numbers will quickly destroy an Archer Tower while only losing one or two Balloons. After the Archer Towers (and Air Defenses) are taken out, the Balloons will proceed to destroy the rest of the village (although Wizard Towers and time can still be a problem). You can also place a group of Archers (around 15-25) and let them do the work. Upgrade Differences Archer Towers undergo significant visual changes at levels 6, 11, and 12. When initially constructed, the Archer Tower has an open wooden lattice supporting a flat wooden platform; an exterior wooden ladder leads from the ground to the platform level. From levels 2 through 5, the lattice structure and wooden platform both receive additional reinforcement. At level 2, the Archer Tower gets 4 short posts on the top and the wood gets thicker. At level 3, the Archer Tower gets gray stone paddings on the legs and the short posts connect each other on the platform. At level 4, the Archer Tower has the paddings turn into supports and a small green flag is added under the platform. At level 5, the Archer Tower gets a solid stone base which connects each support. At level 6, the lattice supports and exterior ladder is replaced with an interior staircase and solid vertical supports. The wooden platform receives stone battlements and the green flag is extended to cover the interior. At level 7, the stone battlements around the platform are reinforced and the solid stone base is taller to completely obscure the interior. At level 8, the Archer Tower receives metal braces at the bottom of each leg. At level 9, the Archer Tower's flags get shorter to reveal the interior again and the metal on each leg turns into spikes. At level 10, the flags get larger again and golden plates get placed around the whole tower. At level 11, the color scheme completely changes as all the wood is replaced with dark iron, and the battlements receive dark iron shields on each corner with stone skulls in between them. The flag changes from green to orange. At level 12, the tower gains golden guard shields on its bottom and golden spikes all over it with silver corners at the top. The flag is replaced with spikes and the battlement walls become highly polished metal. The archers shoot with fire arrows. The number of and apparent level of the Archers atop the tower also change with level. When first constructed, the Archer Tower has a single Archer on its platform, with the appearance of a level 1 (or 2) Archer, and shoots normal arrows. At level 4, a second Archer appears, and they shoot flaming arrows until the Archer Tower is level 7. At level 5, the Archers' appearance changes to that of a level 3 (or 4) Archer. At level 7, a third Archer appears, and they start shooting purple arrows (until level 11). At level 8, the Archers' appearance changes to that of a level 5 Archer. At level 11, the Archers' appearance changes to that of a level 6 Archer and they shoot fire arrows again.

"The Mortar can mow down hordes of enemies by the splash damage from its shell. Don't let enemies get too close to it!" Summary Mortars are the player's heavy defenses. Whenever an enemy comes into range, it blasts out an explosive shell with a low frequency "ping". Mortars have high damage per attack, deal splash damage, and shoot an explosive shell every 5 seconds. Their splash damage, combined with their long range, make them deadly weapons against large numbers of weaker enemies such as Barbarians, Archers or Goblins. Its major disadvantages are its inability to attack enemies at close range and its low rate of fire. (Tile range of "blind spot" is 4 tiles.) Due to the fact that the Mortar's shell takes a long time to reach its target (over 1 second), fast troops like Goblins can easily dodge its attack if they are moving when the Mortar fires. Mortars cannot target air troops. Defensive Strategy Mortars should usually be placed towards the center of your base, preferably behind at least one set of Walls. Its long range allows the Mortar to attack behind other structures. Since the Mortar deals heavy splash damage, it can quite rapidly eliminate attacking troops; multiple Mortars ensure more destruction and damage. Take care when upgrading, as many players use this as a chance to attack. For this reason it is often a good idea to only upgrade one Mortar at a time. It is smart to form a triangle with your Mortars near the center of your base, as this allows multiple Mortars to attack the same area, thus doing more damage. At each level the Mortar can one-shot a similar-level Archer (at level 1 it can one-shot level 1 Archers, level 2 can one-shot level 2 Archers, etc.). Putting a Mortar and Wizard Tower together makes a smart pair, because the Mortar covers a large area while the Wizard Tower helps protect the Mortar from mass air troops and covers the Mortar's blind spot. It is a good idea to place Mortars near each other, without them being in the same cell if possible. When more than one Mortars' range overlaps, it creates a kill-zone where almost no ground troops can survive. Offensive Strategy The Mortar's blind spot, low rate of fire, and inability to target air troops makes them vulnerable to a wide variety of different attacks. Fast melee troops such as Barbarians or Goblins (after all resource structures are destroyed) can rush to the Mortar and quickly enter its blind spot. Archers can also be effective if they are positioned in a circle around the Mortar or if protected by a meatshield . The Mortar's relatively low hitpoints makes it very vulnerable to Giants and Lightning Spells as well. Finally, their inability to target air troops makes Mortars easy pickings for Balloons, Dragons and Minions if they are not covered by Air Defenses. When deploying troops, try to avoid deploying ground troops in clumps. The Mortar does great splash damage. Upgrade Differences Mortars undergo significant visual changes at levels 4, 6, 7 and 8. When initially constructed, the Mortar consists of a solid black launcher tube with two half-disc gimbals on each side. It fires a gray stone shell. The level 2 and 3 Mortars grow larger and sport an increasingly larger gold trim on the outer rim of the tube. At level 4, the Mortar's gimbals change to a bright golden color. Its shell changes to a black stone. At level 5, the Mortars gold rim gets to its largest size. At level 6, the Mortar's tube turns entirely golden. Its shell becomes a golden fiery ball. At level 7, the Mortar's tube reverts to black with golden trim, but acquires a skull on each gimbal (which turn black as well) and bone fragments on the ground in front of it. At level 8, the Mortar's color is metallic and inside the tube has fire. The golden fiery ball is bigger.

"This anti-air tower is deadly against flying enemies, but can't target foes on the ground. Place it wisely to cover as much airspace as possible." Summary The Air Defense is a powerful Defensive Building with a very high damage-per-second, capable of defending against air-based units. Air Defenses can only target and shoot one air troop at a time. It cannot harm ground-based units, or interfere with them in any way other than potentially distracting them from attacking a more valuable target (e.g. the Town Hall). Defensive Strategy The Air Defense has an excellent range and a very high damage per shot. As the in-game description states, it's best to position them so that they cover as much area as possible. One common strategy for Town Hall 8 and above is to position them in a wide triangle (or diamond, once the fourth Air Defense is available) around the Town Hall. The Air Defense is a popular first target for attackers via ground troops as they are the only defensive structure that cannot target them. Make sure they are defended well, and they will help to keep the skies clear from rampaging Balloons, Dragons, Healers, and Minions. Air Defenses are there for when Archer Towers and Wizard Towers just won't cut it (and they usually don't, for air units at least). If possible, keep your Air Defenses behind your first lines of defense (i.e. behind Cannons and Archer Towers), preferably with a Wall in between. This will prevent a large Giant or Golem assault from quickly destroying the Air Defense and allowing a Healer to be deployed early in the battle. The longer it takes the Giants to destroy the Air Defense, the more time your turrets will have to thin out their ranks before the Healer is deployed. Offensive Strategy The Air Defense is a natural target to attack first, as clearing them helps pave the way for an air assault. Healers are very vulnerable to the Air Defense so it is a good strategic move to destroy this building with Giants before deploying her. They are easily destroyed by any ground-based troop type. It is advisable to keep Balloons away from an Air Defense, as they are capable of destroying Balloons in one or two hits from a great distance. Although Air Defenses are quite effective against Dragons, it is possible to keep an Air Defense occupied with a Dragon or two long enough for a fleet of Balloons to quickly destroy a majority of the ground defenses. A great way to overwhelm the Air Defense is use a large group of Minions since the Air Defense can only target one air unit at a time. Upgrade Differences Air Defenses undergo significant visual changes at levels 4, 7 and 8. When initially constructed the Air Defense consists of a single wooden launch tube with a single red-and-black rocket. The launch tube is banded with metal. At levels 2 and 3, an additional red-and-black rocket is added to the launcher. At level 4, a second wooden launch tube is added, with two rockets in each tube. The rockets change from red and black to yellow and black with black tips. At level 5, the Air Defense adds a fifth black-tipped rocket to one of the launchers. At level 6, the Air Defense adds a third wooden launch tube with 2 black-tipped rockets in each tube. At level 7, the three launch tubes are replaced with a single large wooden launcher with five black-tipped rockets in it. At level 8, the Air Defense's launcher receives a coat of red paint, along with dark metal bands and golden rivets. It is filled with four larger black-tipped rockets that are painted in a yellow and black chessboard pattern, similar to that seen on the V-2 Rocket.

"The Ultimate Arcane Defense! Tower Wizards cast powerful area effect spells that target both flying and ground troops." Summary The Wizard Tower is a spiraling cone-shaped tower of crystalline rock that has a Wizard atop of it. It is capable of inflicting powerful splash damage to both Ground and Air Units, but incapable of dealing damage over a large range. The Wizard Tower, like the Mortar, excels at mowing down groups of Troops. However, unlike the Mortar, it puts out a decent amount of DPS (damage per second), and will also target Air Troops in addition to Ground Troops. Also unlike the Mortar, the Wizard Tower has no blind spot. Although the arcane blasts from the Wizard Tower do less damage per shot than Mortar, it makes up for this by having a much higher rate of fire than the Mortar. This makes the Wizard Tower an excellent choice for defending other structures by blasting troops that get too close. The Wizard Tower's only real weakness is its range, which is among the lowest of all defensive structures. Wizard Towers and Mortars are very complementary; as they both have specific weaknesses that the other unit can address. Taking out Wizard Towers can be tricky despite their relatively short range. It is often a better tactic to avoid them entirely by attacking another part of the village that isn't covered by them. To quickly destroy a Wizard Tower, deploy a few Giants as a distraction while Archers, Wizards or Minions take out the tower. Deploy Troops in a circle around it since this will limit its ability to take out multiple troops with splash damage. Dropping 1 Giant and 5 Archers nearly always works (assuming they are of comparable level to the Wizard Tower). Defensive Strategy An excellent defensive strategy for the Wizard Tower is to put it near your Town Hall because of the Wizard Tower's splash damage and relatively high rate of fire. However, due to its limited range it is sometimes more desirable to put the Wizard Tower near the outside of your village. Another good strategy is to put it near your Mortars, as both cover each other's weaknesses and can decide the outcome of a raid (see Wizard Tower-Mortar combination example below). Putting your Wizard Tower next to your Storages is an excellent way of protecting them against hordes of Goblins due to its splash damage and fast attacks. It is helpful to put Mortars and Wizard towers in range of each other. Example of a Wizard Tower-Mortar combination: The Mortar can cover a very large range so attacking units will have reduced health by the time they come into shorter range of the Wizard Tower, which helps finish them off. In exchange, the Wizard Tower defends the Mortar by destroying units that cannot be attacked by the Mortar (all air units and ground units inside the Mortar's minimum range). Offensive Strategy For attacking, use some units to distract it (Giants, or Barbarians if necessary) and destroy it with Archers or another ranged troop. Melee troops like Barbarians or Giants can destroy a Wizard Tower by themselves if there are enough of them, but because these troops must attack while physically touching the tower (and are therefore grouped up), the Wizard Tower can attack the entire group simultaneously. When deploying units, be careful to ensure that they won't get into a clump as they come into range of the Wizard Tower (for instance attacking a Gold Storage near a Wizard Tower), because the Wizard Tower will destroy the group very quickly. Upgrade Differences Wizard Towers undergo significant visual changes at levels 3, 6, 7 and 8. When initially constructed, the Wizard Tower appears to be solid gray rock. At level 2, the lower portion of the tower begins to show Elixir-colored pink crystal, much like the level 6 Walls. This can be seen if you look closely enough, and can be easily missed. At level 3, the crystals become much more visible. At level 4, the crystalline structure begins to spiral around the tower. At level 5, the entire base of the tower is completely crystalline, with only the top portion of the tower remaining gray rock. The level 6 Wizard Tower has no gray rock left. The entire tower is now constructed of pink crystal, resembling a gigantic level 6 Wall. At level 7, the crystal structures grow prominent upward spikes, and the entire tower darkens considerably to appear very much like a giant level 7 Wall. At level 8, the podium of which the Wizard stands on becomes far wider and more jagged. The spikes are more melted into the tower and it has stone pillars on each side. It also has embers floating around the base, indicating a lava source beneath. The Wizard atop the tower also changes with the Tower's level. Although its physical appearance changes, it always shoots lightning bolts (regardless of what the Wizard unit that it resembles would use). When first placed, the Tower Wizard appears as a level 1 (or 2) Wizard. At level 3, the Wizard atop the tower changes in appearance to that of a level 3 (or 4) Wizard. At Wizard Tower level 5, the Wizard changes its appearance to that of a level 5 Wizard. At Level 8, the Wizard changes its appearance to that of a level 6 Wizard.

"Lay a deadly trap with the Hidden Tesla! Our Wizards have trapped a storm cloud into each of these sneaky towers. When an enemy walks or flies close enough, the tower springs up and fries it using the power of Electrickery!" Summary The Hidden Tesla is a defensive building with a twist: Similar to a Spring Trap or Bomb, it stays hidden and only appears when a ground or air unit gets close. However, unlike a Trap, it does not have to be rearmed after being deployed. The Hidden Tesla is unlocked at Town Hall level 7. Most high level players have them near the Town Hall rather than the storages. A major source of confusion regarding the Hidden Tesla is that while it has a range of 7, it has a trigger range of 6. The Hidden Tesla will not appear unless the enemy units come within its 6-tile trigger range. The only exception to this rule is that Hidden Teslas will reveal themselves once a base has incurred at least 51% damage, as they must be destroyed (along with all other buildings) in order to achieve 3 stars. Once the Hidden Tesla is revealed, it will stay visible and attack units out to its maximum range until it is destroyed. The Tesla does double damage to P.E.K.K.As and prioritizes them over other units. The Tesla deals the most damage of any defensive building that can target both ground and air units. Defensive Strategy The main advantage of the Hidden Tesla is that it is (hopefully) a surprise. Capitalize on that. A well-placed Hidden Tesla can wreak havoc on an attacker's offensive strategy. Unfortunately many players design their villages such that it has only as many 2x2 open spaces as it has Hidden Teslas available, which makes it obvious where they are located. Instead, try to make sure that there are a few different places where Hidden Teslas could be lurking. Be cautious when upgrading the Hidden Tesla as this will reveal its location to future attackers. Combat this by relocating it during the upgrade period. Make sure to place your Hidden Tesla in a space where Troops cannot be placed, as Troops can be placed on a Hidden Tesla. Offensive Strategy Before attacking, look for obvious places where a Hidden Tesla might be located and avoid them. Hidden Teslas will only activate when Troops come close to them. If one happens to trigger, keep in mind that it has a low range. If you cannot destroy it easily, avoid deploying more Troops near it if possible, as Hidden Teslas can put out high amounts of damage. If you see a 2x2 empty square space surrounded by Walls, it is very likely that a Hidden Tesla has been placed there. Be aware that Hidden Teslas are only for Town Hall level 7+. One Giant and a few Archers can quite easily destroy a Hidden Tesla, as it has relatively low health. Some people have free places inside Walls, but place a Hidden Tesla to deceive the enemy. If you have the opportunity to observe a village prior to attacking, such as when planning a revenge, then watch the Villagers. They can reveal the location of Hidden Teslas by walking up to the "empty" spot where the Tesla is hidden and clapping. Upgrade Differences Hidden Teslas undergo significant visual changes at levels 4 and 7. When initially constructed, the Hidden Tesla consists of a tall, slender wooden lattice structure with a wire coiled up one support. The top of the tower has a metal conducting rod protruding from it. On each side of the base of the tower are what appears to be open trapdoors, indicating it buries oneself under the ground until an enemy comes through. The level 2 and level 3 Tesla gain additional metal conductors hanging down from the top of the tower, and a second wire coiled up the support on the opposite side of the tower. The level 4 Hidden Tesla acquires its namesake Tesla coil at the top. At level 5, the metal conductor pieces turn golden yellow, and a third coil of wire appears on the front support. At level 6 the Tesla coil itself turns golden as well. The level 7 Hidden Tesla replaces the Tesla coil with a set of massive horizontal bronze rings. The three smaller wire coils on the tower supports disappear and are replaced with a very thick coil of wire running up the front support. When it fires, the rings glow a steady blue.

"The X-Bow shoots mystical bolts with terrifying power. Load it with Elixir and the X-Bow works automagically. You can set it to target ground units at long ranges, or all targets at reduced range." Summary The X-Bow is a rapid-firing turret that is unique in two ways. First, it must be loaded with Elixir in order to function. Second, it can be configured to target ground units only (at a 14-tile range) or both ground and air units (at an 11-tile range). Supercell posted a teaser video on their Facebook page prior to the X-Bow's release in October 2012: X-Bow Teaser Video Defensive Strategy A well-placed and loaded X-Bow will dominate attacks, but to be most effective it should not be used as a front-line defense. With the longest range of any defense, it is best placed behind all other defenses, typically in the center of a base (near either storages or the Town Hall). Remember to refill your X-Bow with Elixir! An unloaded X-Bow is not only a waste of space, it is a good indicator that your base may be neglected and ripe for attack. Offensive Strategy The X-Bow has essentially no weaknesses unless it is set to ground-only mode, determinable by the way it is angled. If it is horizontal to the ground, it can target ground troops only. If it is tilted up, then it can attack air units as well. In order to attack an X-Bow, treat it like a longer-ranged (and much stronger) Cannon or Archer Tower, but don't forget that many units are not a problem for this tower. Distract it with high-health units (Giants, P.E.K.K.As, etc.) and destroy it with a large group of attackers such as Archers or Barbarians. Important strategy tip! Attacking players can see if the defender's X-Bow is loaded or not. Currently there is no way to tell exactly how much Elixir it has left, but a player can visually tell when it is empty. When it is loaded, you will see a small box containing what appears to be small Elixir bolts. An unloaded X-Bow will be lacking the clip, and the bowstring will be missing as well (see image gallery below). An X-Bow that is empty is completely useless and will not fire. It still must be destroyed to achieve 100% destruction, and troops that preferentially attack defenses (Giants, Balloons, Hog Riders, and Golems) will still target an unloaded X-Bow if it is closer to them than an active defense. Upgrade Differences X-Bows undergo significant visual changes at levels 3 and 4. At level 1, the X-Bow consists of a huge crossbow-like structure mounted on a base made of light-colored wood. At level 2, the X-Bow's base gains gilded legs and rotational mount. At level 3, the X-Bow base becomes solid black with large black spikes on each corner. At level 4, the X-Bow base become golden and the large spikes on each corner turn red, like they are glowing with heat. Trivia It is currently the only defense that can be changed to target different kinds of enemies, i.e. between targeting ground troops only or both ground and air troops (with slightly reduced range). It is also currently one of only two defenses (the other being the Inferno Tower) that needs to be periodically reloaded. In ground-only mode, the X-Bow has the longest range of any defensive building in the game at 14 tiles. When the X-Bow is in ground and air mode, the Mortar has an identical 11-tile range (although the X-Bow can attack both air and ground units at this range unlike the Mortar). It and the Inferno Tower are the fastest-shooting turrets. It was introduced in the Halloween 2012 update. The name "X-Bow" is a play on the word "Crossbow", which the device resembles. The X-Bow is the defensive building with the highest hitpoints (the Inferno Tower has equal hit points at levels 1 and 2 only, and slightly lower hit points at level 3). It is unlocked at Town Hall level 9 due to its large range of capabilities. There is an achievement for destroying a certain amount of X-Bows, and it is called X-Bow Exterminator. The X-Bow will notify you when it is running low on ammunition.

"Set the Inferno Tower's Dark Elixir fueled flame to build up unbelieveble damage to single targets, or to constantly roast multiple targets at once. Healing effects get blocked by its extreme heat!" Summary The Inferno Tower shoots a jet of flame that burns through even the thickest armor. The flame in single-target mode takes a while to heat up, making it most effective against the strongest troops. Stop Heroes, P.E.K.K.As and Golems in their tracks, and shoot Dragons out of the sky with the powerful single target mode Inferno Tower! The Inferno Tower can be overwhelmed by large groups of weaker units, such as the Archer when it is in single target mode. In single-target mode, the Inferno Tower causes progressive damage to a single target. The longer the tower stays focused on the same target, the more damage it does. In multiple-target mode, the Inferno Tower causes constant damage to up to five targets. Troops targeted by the Inferno Tower (in either mode) are not able to be healed, either by Healers or by the Healing Spell. Similar to the X-Bow, the Inferno Tower must be recharged periodically. However, recharging it requires Dark Elixir instead of normal Elixir. Supercell released a teaser video on it: Inferno Tower Video The Inferno Tower doesn't have a favorite target, nor does it deal more damage to any troop more than the others. Defensive Strategy The Inferno Tower in single-target mode is weak against large numbers of Tier 1 (and to a lesser extent Tier 2) troops. Make sure the Inferno Tower is within range of a Mortar or a Wizard Tower so that it is adequately defended. This defense, when set in single target mode, is tailor-made to destroy the most powerful of troops, such as the Dragon, P.E.K.K.A and Golem. As such it is a perfect complement to a Wizard Tower, which is very effective against large numbers of weaker troops but struggles against those with high health pools. Positioning these two structures close by can substantially improve the survivability of both structures (and the rest of your base). The tower's heating effect restricts the healing of its targets, so it is best to place them near the most important buildings like storages or the Town Hall. The multiple target mode can be used to overwhelm groups of Tier 1 troops or Hog Riders easily. Offensive Strategy This structure (especially in single-target mode) wreaks havoc with most common offensive strategies where heavy units go in first to distract defenses and light units follow. Letting your heavy troops get in range of it spells certain doom for them, even high-level Heroes. A combination of Lightning Spells and a group of Minions may be the best way to get at the Inferno Tower if it is behind multiple Walls and defenses. Four level 4+ Lightning Spells will destroy a level 1 Inferno Tower. Five level 4+ Lightning Spells will destroy a level 2 Inferno Tower. Five level 5 Lightning Spells will destroy a level 3 Inferno Tower. Small troops are stronger against the Inferno Tower in single-target mode, as every time it targets a new troop it will have to heat up again. Golems get destroyed in seconds by this strong defensive building, but if you surround it with Archers or Barbarians it will be defeated very quickly. In single-target mode it can only target one unit at a time, so attacker spacing is not an issue (unless a Wizard Tower or Mortar is nearby). Look at the Inferno Tower to see if it is empty or full with Dark Elixir. If it is empty there will be no canister of Dark Elixir attached to the side of the tower, and there will no longer be fire emitting from the top. Also the glowing lava pool present at the bottom will have also disappeared, giving the entire structure the look of ordinary rock or metal (see image gallery below). Upgrade Differences Inferno Towers do not undergo any significant visual changes. When initially constructed, the Inferno Tower consists of a tall, narrow tower of rocks straddling a glowing pool of lava. At the top of the Inferno Tower is a circular focusing lens, and a rectangular-shaped Dark Elixir reservoir is mounted on one side. At level 2, huge red flames are emitted from the focusing lens on the top of the tower, and the prominent sections of rock from the first level become gilded with a red overlay. The rock holding the lens becomes gold and the lens themselves become red and the fire overwhelms the ring. At level 3, its structural supports become thicker and gain spikes. Also, the structure that contains the fire becomes a hollow faceted frame. It was Added on the May 23, 2013 update as part of the 'Fiery Fortress' Update. It is currently the last defense unlocked. It takes up a 2x2 space. This means Inferno Tower, along with the Hidden Tesla, occupy the smallest space in the village of any permanent defensive structure. There are currently only 2 upgrades available, giving the Tower a total of 3 levels. This gives it the least amount of upgrades of any building (aside from the Builder's Hut, which has no upgrades at all). It is similar to the X-Bow due to the fact that both have limited ammunition, must be periodically reloaded and have two modes. Although the Inferno Tower is reloaded with Dark Elixir, it shoots out a continuous line of fire. There is an achievement for destroying a certain amount of Inferno Towers, and it is called Firefighter.

"Walls are great for keeping your village safe and your enemies in the line of fire." Summary Wall placement is a key point in designing a well-defended village. Walls are the main fortification for defense and are capable of withstanding a great deal of damage from attacking enemies. However, the effectiveness of Walls is greatly lowered if they are not constructed to completely enclose the structures they are designed to protect. Any gaps in the continuation of the Wall structure will render it useless, as enemy troops will simply walk through the broken area. An exception to this rule is the funneling strategy, where a player deliberately leaves a gap in order to group troops together and subsequently take them out using the splash damage of defensive units such as Mortars or Wizard Towers. Alternatively (or additionally) you catch your intruders off-guard by filling the openings with hidden traps such as Bombs or Spring Traps. Walls can be bypassed entirely by air units such as Balloons, Dragons, and Minions, and by ground units with the help of a Jump Spell (Hog Riders, though ground troops, can also bypass Walls innately). Wall Breakers immediately target Walls upon deployment, inflicting 40x normal damage to them, but also blow themselves up in the process. The holes created by Wall Breakers allow ground units to gain access to buildings within the Walls, making Wall Breakers the ideal troop for getting past Walls. If there are 2 layers of Walls, the Wall Breaker's blast radius will affect both layers; damaging them or destroying them. Although considered a defensive structure, Giants, Balloons, Hog Riders, and Golems will not target them. Defensive Strategy The main purpose of Walls is to hinder attacking ground (i.e. non-flying) Troops, allowing defenses to damage and kill attackers as they attempt to breach the Walls. Once breaches occur, the attacking Troops have free rein to destroy the defenses and other buildings within the Walls. Therefore when designing a defense, it is crucial that players do not to attempt to envelop their entire village within one big Wall. Instead, it is recommended that players design their Walls in layers or cells so that ground troops have to break through multiple Walls to attack the entirety of the village, while also providing the defenses more opportunity to repel the attack. Note that with this strategy there will inevitably be buildings that cannot be placed within the Walls; that is entirely normal and can even be used to your advantage by placing non-defensive and non-resource buildings such as Builder's Huts, Army Camps and Laboratories immediately outside the Walls to act as another layer for enemy Troops to fight through. If a defender uses a double-walled design, Wall Breakers can hit the inner Walls as well. This is because the unit's bomb inflicts damage to everything within a small radius of its detonation (area attack). Attacking Archers and Wizards are capable of shooting over Walls and attacking the structures behind them. Defenders can use less-important buildings as a "buffer", delaying these ranged units' attacks on more important buildings. In this case, make sure that long-ranged defenses are within range and have ample opportunity to retaliate before these buffer buildings are completely destroyed and the attackers can advance to the Wall. The defensive territory in which an attacker is not permitted to spawn Troops is shown in a white overlay after any building has been moved. An attacking player may be able to spawn Troops behind the Walls if any area gaps exist in this territory. Since every structure has an additional one square perimeter around which Troops cannot be spawned, avoid gaps of greater than two squares to prevent this from happening. Traps, decorations, obstacles and Hidden Teslas are exceptions and do not increase the defender's territory. An outdated practice is to use single standing Wall struts to lure Wall Breakers; however, this tactic no longer works, as Wall Breakers will only target Walls that are two or more consecutive segments. This technique can, however, be used to extend the defender's territory, and thus the outer perimeter of where attackers may spawn Troops. Wall Breakers only target Walls that completely or partially enclose buildings; they will ignore empty compartments and spikes. A common mistake among beginners is the attempting to "close" Wall gaps with buildings, rocks, trees, decorations, etc. This does not work; troops can walk right through the gap as though the obstacles weren't there. Only continuous Wall segments will deter ground troops. Another common mistake made by new players is attempting to use the edges of the map as barriers, thinking that this will allow them to construct Walls on only two or three sides. This also is ineffective, as enemy troops can always be spawned on the darker grass area surrounding the village, even though buildings cannot be placed there by the player. Players should have Walls around the Town Hall, defensive buildings, and Gold/Elixir Storages rather than Army Camps, Barracks, Spell Factory, Laboratory, or Builder's Huts because damage to the latter buildings are relatively inconsequential. This applies particularly if your Town Hall level is low and the Resources are limited. Offensive Strategy Look for gaps or Wall segments that are lower levels than others. Also look for areas within Walls where people have positioned their buildings poorly. Be careful, however, as gaps can often be intentional and may contain Traps or Hidden Teslas. Make good use of Wall Breakers to penetrate Walls quickly. Attack Walls that are out of range of defenses, if possible. Spiking will no longer work, so you can avoid decoys and distractions. Once a section of a Wall is breached, Wall Breakers will ignore that section and attempt to find the next closest Wall that encloses a building. That section may or may not be behind the breached section. Upgrade Differences Level 1 Walls resemble wooden fences. Rope is also tied around them. Level 2 Walls are changed into uncut rock. Level 3 Walls are more smooth and cut stone Walls. Level 4 Walls are changed to solid iron and become taller. Level 5 Walls are carved gold. Level 6 Walls become a tall pink pointy crystal. Level 7 Walls are taller and much sharper. They are dark purple in colour. Level 8 Walls are a thick black crystal with a skull on top. Level 9 Walls have spikes on the sides of the Wall and have fires burning atop them when joined in a corner. Level 10 Walls have strips of lava flowing in a clear pipe on top and have waves of fire going through occasionally. Level 11 Walls have electricity arcs coursing up them when joined at a corner and have waves of blue energy going through them occasionally.

Upgrade facts All explosive traps will have upgrade levels. Upgrading is available soon as new trap is bought from the shop. Traps are upgraded using Builders. Upgrade times and costs are relatively short if compared to building upgrades. Different trap types have different upgrades: Damage, radius... Traps cannot be sold anymore. Traps under upgrade are visible to enemies, remember to replace them. Attacker can deploy troops on top of traps also when traps are under upgrade. Using new traps After a trap is triggered, it stays right where it was, but its status is "Triggered". After a trap has been triggered, it needs to be re-armed. You don't need an available Builder to re-arm the traps. Upgrade levels don't disappear when traps are triggered. Re-arming traps cost gold. Re-arm cost increases when the trap is upgraded. You can re-arm all traps with one button OR re-arm traps one-by-one. Summary Traps are relatively inexpensive structures (although the Giant Bomb and Seeking Air Mine cost 12,500 and 15,000 Gold, respectively) that remain hidden until they are activated by an attacking troop moving into their trigger radius. Once activated, traps must be re-armed in order to be a part of the next defensive Layout. Traps can greatly improve the effectiveness of a village's defense if properly placed. For example if your village successfully repels an attack while you are sleeping, but several of your traps are triggered, any subsequent attacks will not have to deal with those traps until you re-arm them. Although commonly thought of as a trap, the Hidden Tesla is not listed here as it actually a hidden Defensive Building and does not need to be re-armed for re-use. Even though traps are classified as "Defensive Buildings", they are not buildings and do not need to be triggered/destroyed for your enemy to reach 100% destruction (nor do they count toward it). Traps do not need a free builder to be placed or re-armed.