Why Hero Upgrade Order Matters
Heroes are the most impactful permanent upgrades in Clash of Clans. A level 80 Archer Queen changes what attacks are possible at TH14 in a way that no defense upgrade can match. But heroes cost Dark Elixir — a scarce resource at every Town Hall level — so upgrading the wrong hero first has a real cost.
This guide gives the optimal upgrade order at every TH level based on one question: which hero upgrade gives you the most attack and defense value per Dark Elixir spent?
TH9: Archer Queen First, Always
At TH9 you unlock the Archer Queen. She is immediately more valuable than the Barbarian King for one reason: her ability enables Queen Walks.
A Queen Walk at levels 10–20 is already powerful enough to pre-clear one side of a TH9 base before your main army deploys. That changes two-star attacks into three-star attacks.
Priority: Archer Queen → Barbarian King
Push the Queen to level 30 before spending significant Dark Elixir on the King. The Queen’s ability scales better per level in the TH9-10 range.
Target levels by end of TH9:
- Archer Queen: 30
- Barbarian King: 20-25
TH10: Continue Queen, Then Balance
TH10 gives you no new hero, but unlocks higher hero level caps. Continue pushing the Archer Queen toward level 40-45 before balancing with the King.
At level 40+, the Queen Walk becomes strong enough to consistently clear one full side of any TH10 base including defenses, Inferno Towers, and the Eagle Artillery opener. This directly enables 3-star attacks that are not possible with a lower-level Queen.
Priority: Archer Queen (to 40+) → Barbarian King (to 35+)
Do not neglect the King entirely — he plays a role in GoWiPe and Yeti Smash funnels. But the Queen should lead by 10-15 levels throughout TH10.
TH11: Grand Warden Changes Everything
TH11 introduces the Grand Warden. He provides an aura that makes nearby troops temporarily invincible when his ability activates. At max level, the Warden ability covers 14 troops — at low levels, it covers fewer but still provides significant protection.
Priority order:
- Archer Queen (push toward 50)
- Grand Warden (get to 20 fast — his ability becomes reliable here)
- Barbarian King (balance with Queen)
The Warden charges with Elixir, not Dark Elixir. This means upgrading him doesn’t compete with your King and Queen Dark Elixir budget. Always keep the Warden upgrading. There’s no excuse for a neglected Warden.
Target levels by end of TH11:
- Archer Queen: 50
- Barbarian King: 45
- Grand Warden: 30
TH12: Balance All Three
At TH12, all three heroes become equally important for war attacks. The Yeti Smash meta requires a Queen Walk opener (high Queen level) and a Warden ability that covers the full Yeti group (high Warden level). The King provides funnel support.
Priority: Keep all three within 10 levels of each other. If one hero is significantly behind, focus on it exclusively until balanced.
Target levels by end of TH12:
- Archer Queen: 60-65
- Barbarian King: 55-60
- Grand Warden: 40
TH13: Royal Champion Joins — Upgrade Her Last
TH13 introduces the Royal Champion. She is a ranged hero who targets defenses, bypassing walls. Her ability throws a shield that hits multiple defenses.
Despite being new and exciting, the Royal Champion should be upgraded last at TH13. The reason is opportunity cost — her ability is less impactful per level compared to a higher-level Queen or Warden.
Priority: Archer Queen → Grand Warden → Barbarian King → Royal Champion
Push the Queen to level 70+ before investing heavily in the Royal Champion. A level 70 Queen with a level 5 RC outperforms a level 60 Queen with a level 25 RC in almost every attack scenario.
Target levels by end of TH13:
- Archer Queen: 70-75
- Grand Warden: 50
- Barbarian King: 65-70
- Royal Champion: 25-30
TH14: Equipment Changes the Calculation
TH14 introduces Hero Equipment — items that dramatically boost hero stats. With the right Legendary equipment, even a lower-level hero becomes significantly more powerful.
This changes the upgrade calculus somewhat. A Barbarian King with Giant Gauntlet equipped has massively more HP than the same King without it. Equipment upgrades compete with hero levels for impact.
General rule: Continue the same priority (Queen → Warden → King → RC) but invest in equipment upgrades in parallel. A level 60 King with maxed Giant Gauntlet performs similarly to a level 75 King with basic equipment.
Priority: Hero equipment alongside hero levels — don’t neglect either.
TH15-16: Max Everything, Prioritize Equipment
At TH15 and TH16, the game is largely about maximizing equipment alongside hero levels. The gap between maxed equipment and unequipped heroes is larger than the gap between hero level 75 and level 85.
Order:
- Finish leveling all four heroes to max (or near-max)
- Upgrade Legendary equipment to max for your primary attack style
- Keep upgrading — there’s always more room to grow
Quick Reference: Hero Priority by TH Level
| TH Level | Priority Order |
|---|---|
| TH9 | Queen > King |
| TH10 | Queen > King |
| TH11 | Queen > Warden (Elixir) > King |
| TH12 | Balance all three |
| TH13 | Queen > Warden > King > RC |
| TH14 | Queen > Warden > King > RC + Equipment |
| TH15-16 | Balance all four + max equipment |
How to Farm Dark Elixir Efficiently
Heroes cost a lot of Dark Elixir. A few habits make a big difference:
- Never let a hero sit idle. As soon as upgrade completes, start the next level immediately.
- Use a farming base. A Dark Elixir fortress in the core cuts DE losses significantly.
- Attack in Bronze/Silver league. Lower league bases often have full DE drills and weak defenses — fast, cheap loot.
- Use Goblin Knife. Goblins targeted at Dark Elixir storages are the most efficient DE farm raid at any TH level.
