TH10 Upgrade Overview
Town Hall 10 introduces the Inferno Tower, the second X-Bow, and the Grand Warden. It’s one of the most significant Town Hall upgrades in the game. The problem: everything is expensive and there’s a lot to build.
Following the wrong upgrade order at TH10 means spending weeks at a power level that’s weak in both attack and defense. This guide gives the optimal path based on the 2026 meta.
Rule #1: Never Rush TH10
Before anything else — don’t rush to TH11. TH10 has unique advantages:
- You face TH10 opponents in Clan War matchmaking
- The Inferno Tower and second X-Bow make you genuinely competitive in defense
- Grand Warden upgrades are Elixir-based (cheap compared to Dark Elixir)
Rushing past TH10 with un-upgraded defenses and low heroes means entering TH11 with a base that can’t hold against TH11 opponents. Spend the time at TH10 properly.
Priority 1: New Buildings First
When you first arrive at TH10, immediately build:
- Inferno Tower × 2 — Start these immediately. They are your biggest defensive upgrade and unlock new attack strategies for clanmates.
- Grand Warden — Build him and start upgrading. He charges with Elixir, so upgrading him doesn’t compete with Dark Elixir resources.
- Second X-Bow — Build and upgrade alongside the Infernos.
These buildings don’t exist at TH9. Until they’re built, your base is incomplete.
Priority 2: Heroes
This is the most impactful use of your Dark Elixir at TH10.
Archer Queen to level 40-45 — The Queen is the most valuable upgrade at TH10. A Queen Walk at level 40+ clears an entire side of a TH10 base reliably. This unlocks 3-star attacks that are impossible with a lower-level Queen.
Grand Warden to level 20+ — Level 20 Warden provides a meaningful Eternal Tome radius. Keep him upgrading constantly with Elixir.
Barbarian King to level 35-40 — Important but secondary to the Queen. Keep the King upgrading but don’t pause the Queen to rush the King.
Target ratios by TH10 end: Queen 45 / Warden 30 / King 40.
Priority 3: Defenses
Once new buildings are built and heroes are actively upgrading, focus defenses in this order:
Tier 1 — Upgrade Immediately
- Inferno Towers (both) — These are your most impactful defensive buildings. Level 3 Infernos are a major milestone that makes your base genuinely difficult to 3-star.
- X-Bows (both) — Level 4 X-Bows at TH10 are the strongest ground defense in the game at this level.
Tier 2 — High Priority
- Air Defenses × 4 — Electro Dragon attacks dominate TH10 war. Max your Air Defenses before attackers start reliably 3-starring your air defense.
- Eagle Artillery — The Eagle Artillery activates early in attacks (after 100 troops deployed) and deals continuous damage throughout. Getting it to level 2-3 dramatically increases its damage output.
Tier 3 — Secondary Priority
- Scattershot × 1 (TH10 has one) — Strong splash damage. Upgrade after Tier 1 and 2.
- Wizard Towers — Splash damage is valuable but less urgent than the unique defenses above.
- Cannons and Archer Towers — These upgrade significantly at TH10 but are lower priority than the big-ticket items.
Priority 4: Walls
Walls at TH10 can reach level 11 (dark gray) and level 12 (blackish). The HP jump is significant, especially for the core compartments.
Strategy: Don’t upgrade all walls at once. Prioritize walls around your:
- Dark Elixir Storage
- Inferno Towers and X-Bows
- Eagle Artillery
- Core compartment containing the Town Hall
Outer walls can wait — losing outer buildings doesn’t lose wars. Losing the core does.
Priority 5: Troops and Spells
Troop upgrades directly impact your attack performance. Focus on:
Attack-critical:
- Lava Hound — Enables LaLoon, the most consistent TH10 attack
- Electro Dragon — Dominant air troop; high priority
- Hog Rider — Used in multiple strategies; upgrade continuously
Support:
- Balloon — Pairs with Lava Hound; keep upgraded
- Healer — Essential for Queen Walks
- Earthquake Spell — Used in nearly every TH10 strategy
Deprioritize:
- Troops you don’t use in war (Golems if you’re running air attacks, etc.)
- Max out attack troops before army camp capacity troops
The TH10 Upgrade Checklist
Use this as a weekly reference:
Always active:
- Both heroes upgrading (Queen and Warden simultaneously when Elixir allows)
- At least one Builder on Inferno Towers until maxed
- At least one Builder on X-Bows until maxed
Monthly milestones:
- Month 1-2: Both Infernos to level 3, Grand Warden built and to level 10
- Month 2-3: Both X-Bows maxed, Queen to level 40
- Month 3-4: Air Defenses maxed, Eagle Artillery to level 3
- Month 4-6: Queen to level 45, Warden to level 25, remaining defenses maxed
Common TH10 Upgrade Mistakes
Upgrading Cannons and Archer Towers before Infernos. Cannons and Archer Towers are familiar from earlier TH levels — but Inferno Towers are uniquely powerful at TH10. Always prioritize the new buildings.
Neglecting the Warden because he uses Elixir. Players focus all resources on Dark Elixir buildings and let the Warden sit idle. He upgrades with Elixir — there’s no reason not to keep him upgrading at all times.
Maxing walls before defenses. Full level-12 walls with level-1 Infernos is far weaker than level-9 walls with maxed Infernos. Defenses first, walls after.
Leaving Air Defenses at level 6. At TH10, Air Defenses upgrade to level 7 — a significant HP and damage boost. Electro Dragon attacks shred bases with under-leveled Air Defenses.
