TH15 Upgrade Overview
TH15 introduces two major new systems: the Druid hero and the Spell Tower defense. Both change how TH15 is played — the Druid provides healing support that sustains ground armies, and the Spell Tower periodically freezes or speeds up troops depending on its mode.
TH15 is also the level where Legendary hero equipment becomes broadly expected for competitive war performance. If your equipment is below competitive levels, prioritizing Blacksmith upgrades is as important as building upgrades.
First 24 Hours at TH15
- Build the Spell Tower — New TH15 defense. Build and start upgrading immediately.
- Build the Druid Altar — New hero. Build him and start upgrading. He uses Elixir, not Dark Elixir.
- Build all new buildings — TH15 adds new slots across defense categories. Build everything before starting upgrades.
- Upgrade Giga Inferno — TH15 Giga Inferno becomes multi-target at higher levels. Start the Town Hall weapon upgrade immediately.
Priority 1: Hero Equipment
At TH15, competitive war attacks require well-upgraded Legendary equipment. If you arrived at TH15 with underpowered equipment, this is the first priority.
Immediate targets:
- Giant Gauntlet to level 15+ (King) — below level 15 Giant Gauntlet is noticeably weaker in the 3-star window
- Frozen Arrow to level 15+ (Queen) — makes Queen Walk dramatically more consistent
- Healing Tome to max (Warden) — the burst heal + Eternal Tome combination sustains armies through TH15 multi-Inferno fire
Ore farming at TH15:
- Complete every Clan Games to max tier for equipment shards
- Participate in every Raid Weekend — Capital Gold buys ore in the Capital Shop
- Complete seasonal event challenges — they frequently award Starry Ore (Legendary equipment upgrades)
Priority 2: Druid
The Druid is a Elixir-funded hero — he doesn’t compete with Dark Elixir hero upgrades. Build him immediately and keep him upgrading constantly.
Why Druid matters:
- His healing aura passively heals nearby ground troops throughout the attack
- His bear-form transformation during ability has massive HP and deals high damage
- At level 15+, his healing output per second is enough to sustain a Yeti push through Eagle Artillery fire that would otherwise kill the army
Target: Druid to level 20 by mid-TH15, level 30 by end of TH15.
Never leave the Druid idle. He’s Elixir-funded — there’s no excuse not to have him constantly upgrading.
Priority 3: Archer Queen and Grand Warden
Dark Elixir allocation order:
- Archer Queen — Target level 85-90 at TH15. A maxed Queen with Frozen Arrow is the cornerstone of TH15 attack.
- Grand Warden — Target level 60-65. Warden ability range and Healing Tome burst heal both scale with level.
- Barbarian King — Target level 80-85. Giant Gauntlet compensates for lower King levels but he still needs to be close to max.
- Royal Champion — Target level 40-45. Hog Rider Puppet equipment fills the gap between lower RC levels and higher ones.
Priority 4: Spell Tower
The Spell Tower is TH15’s signature defense and requires early focus.
Two modes:
- Freeze mode: Periodically fires a freeze effect that stops all troops in a radius for several seconds. Against ground attacks, this can stop a Root Rider + Super Witch push cold.
- Speed mode: Boosts nearby troops (affects defensive CC troops). Less common in 2026 meta.
Upgrade priority: Get the Spell Tower to level 3+ in the first 2 months. The level-up at level 3 significantly increases the freeze radius and frequency.
Placement: Centralize the Spell Tower near the Town Hall cluster. A freeze effect that catches the main attack push near the TH is maximally disruptive.
Priority 5: Key Defenses
Tier 1
- Eagle Artillery — TH15 Eagle deals enormous damage at max level. Priority alongside Spell Tower.
- Scattershots × 2 — At TH15, Scattershots need to be on anti-air mode vs. Super Dragon attacks and anti-ground for Root Rider armies. Upgrade both to max early.
- Inferno Towers (both) — Max Infernos counter equipment-buffed heroes most effectively.
Tier 2
- Air Defenses — TH15 has 7 Air Defenses. Keep them at max — under-leveled ADs are easy targets for Electro Dragon Zap strategies.
- Monolith — TH15 Monolith is more powerful than TH14. Max it alongside Eagle Artillery.
Tier 3
- Wizard Towers, X-Bows, Cannons — Steady upgrade targets. Lower priority than the unique TH15 defenses above.
TH15 Upgrade Timeline
Month 1:
- Spell Tower built and at level 3+
- Druid built and at level 15+
- Queen at level 85+
- All new buildings built
Month 2-3:
- Eagle Artillery maxed
- Both Scattershots maxed
- Warden at level 60+
- Giant Gauntlet at level 18+
Month 3-5:
- Monolith maxed
- Both Infernos maxed
- All 7 Air Defenses maxed
- Frozen Arrow at level 18+
Month 5-7:
- Remaining defenses maxed
- Queen at level 90+
- Druid at level 30+
- All equipment at phase 3 levels
Common TH15 Mistakes
Not building the Druid immediately. Players familiar with the main four heroes sometimes overlook the Druid. He’s a free Elixir upgrade that provides healing output in every ground attack — leaving him unbuilt is unambiguously wrong.
Setting Spell Tower to Speed mode. In 2026, defensive CC troops at TH15 don’t need speed boosts — they need the freeze disruption against incoming attacks. Keep the Spell Tower on Freeze mode for defense.
Underpowered equipment at TH15. A TH14 player with level 10-12 Common equipment attacking TH15 war bases will fail attacks that correctly-equipped players would 3-star. Prioritize equipment upgrades over building upgrades if equipment is below par.
Upgrading Cannons and Archer Towers before Scattershots. TH15 Scattershots are the most impactful non-unique defenses. Cannons and Archer Towers upgrading while Scattershots sit at level 1 is a significant defensive weakness.
