Best Hero Upgrade Order in CoC: TH1-TH18 Priority List

Clash of Clans has been around since 2012, and in that time, Supercell has transformed how we think about mobile strategy games. At the core of your village sits your Town Hall, the building that dictates everything you can build, train, and upgrade. But it's your heroes that really run the show during attacks. These powerful units don't die permanently; they regenerate after battles, and they get stronger with each level you pump into them.

The Barbarian King arrived first back in 2012, followed by the Archer Queen in 2013, the Grand Warden in 2016, the Royal Champion in 2020, and the Battle Machine, making its way to the Home Village more recently. Each one plays a different role in your army, and figuring out which to prioritize can mean the difference between dominating wars or watching your attacks fall apart.

This guide walks you through the best hero upgrade order for every Town Hall level, so you can spend your resources wisely and build a stronger attacking force faster.

How Heroes and Hero Upgrades Work in Clash of Clans?

Heroes in Clash of Clans regenerate after battles instead of needing to be trained again. Each one has a unique ability that activates during combat, and they keep getting stronger with each level you invest in them.

You unlock heroes at these Town Hall levels:

• Barbarian King at TH7

• Archer Queen at TH8 (with Hero Hall level 2)

• Minion Prince at TH9 (with Hero Hall level 3)

• Grand Warden at TH11

• Royal Champion at TH13

However, upgrading heroes takes time and resources. Most heroes use Dark Elixir for upgrades, though some switch to regular Elixir at higher Town Halls. The higher the level, the longer they take to heal after battles, and the more expensive each upgrade becomes.

Dark Elixir becomes your main bottleneck. You need it for hero levels, dark troops, and spells. Focusing on one hero at a time gives you a powerful unit that actually impacts your attacks. Splitting resources between multiple heroes leaves you with several weak ones that can't carry their weight in wars or trophy pushing.

Which hero you prioritize depends on how you play. Air attack strategies need different heroes maxed than ground strategies. War players have different priorities than farmers. Your attack style should guide your upgrade decisions.

Also Read: How to Upgrade Your Town Hall Level Fast in Clash of Clans

Town Hall 1-6: Before You Get Heroes

There are no Clash of Clash heroes that unlock at TH1-6. Your focus at this time should be on building a strong foundation for when heroes become available at TH7. During these levels, max out your base defenses, troops, and resource collectors during this time. Make sure to learn basic attack strategies and practice funneling with regular troops.

Dark Elixir Storage becomes available at TH7, so you won't see it before then. However, remember that rushing through early Town Halls just to get heroes faster usually backfires because you'll have a weak base that can't defend loot properly.

Focus on maxing Barracks, Army Camps, and Clan Castle during this phase as these directly impact your attacking power and help you farm Dark Elixir once heroes unlock.

First Hero Upgrades in Clash of Clans: Town Hall 7-8

TH7 unlocks the Barbarian King in Clash of Clans, and he maxes at level 10 for TH7 and level 20 for TH8. At this point, you should build Dark Elixir Storage immediately when you reach TH7, as you can't unlock the King without it. Get your Dark Elixir Drills running too for passive income.

TH8 brings the Archer Queen (Hero Hall level 2 required), and she maxes at level 10 for TH8. Your upgrade priority should be Archer Queen first since she has a longer range, hits air units, and fits more attack strategies than the King.

This is a standard upgrade path for CoC Heroes during TH7 and 8: Queen to 10 → King to 20 → Queen to 20

Every fifth level unlocks ability improvements (levels 5, 10, 15, 20 give major power spikes). During upgrading heries and unlocking abilities in Clash of Clans, make sure to farm in Gold II or Crystal leagues for 1,000-1,500 Dark Elixir per raid and use Barch or Giants, so you're not spending Dark Elixir on troops.

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Best Hero Upgrade Order for Town Hall 9 and 10

TH9 adds the Minion Prince (Hero Hall level 3 required). He's an air unit that maxes at level 10 for TH9 and level 20 for TH10.

This is the best Hero Upgrade Order for TH9 and TH10:

• TH9: King 30, Queen 30, Minion Prince 10

• TH10: King 40, Queen 40, Minion Prince 20

Priority order: Archer Queen → Barbarian King → Minion Prince. The Queen remains your strongest hero for most attack strategies. Get her to 30 first at TH9, then focus on the King.

The Minion Prince is situational at these levels. He works well for air attacks but isn't versatile enough to prioritize over your main heroes. Upgrade him last unless you run heavy air strategies.

At TH9, you only have two Hero Slots, meaning you can only bring two heroes into battle despite having three available. Pick the Queen and King for most attacks.

TH10 unlocks three Hero Slots, so you can finally use all three heroes in attacks. Dark Elixir farming becomes easier here with better drills and loot opportunities.

Keep one hero upgrading constantly while using the other two for attacks. This keeps your offense strong while making steady progress.

TH11-TH12 Hero Upgrade Priority in CoC

TH11 unlocks the Grand Warden, which is the first support hero you get in Clash of Clans. He maxes at level 20 for TH11 and level 40 for TH12. He's unique because he upgrades with regular Elixir instead of Dark Elixir.

Here is how you should Max hero levels when reaching Town Hall 11 and 12:

• TH11: King 50, Queen 50, Minion Prince 30, Grand Warden 20

• TH12: King 65, Queen 65, Minion Prince 40, Grand Warden 40

TH11 unlocks four Hero Slots, meaning you can finally use all your heroes in one attack.

Priority order: Archer Queen + Grand Warden together → Barbarian King → Minion Prince. Upgrade the Queen and Warden simultaneously since they use different resources. The Warden's 20 levels take less time than the Queen's 10 levels, so they finish around the same time.

The Grand Warden provides a Life Aura that boosts troop HP within range, plus his Eternal Tome ability makes troops invincible temporarily. He's critical for pushing through tough bases but weak on his own.

TH12 focuses heavily on the Grand Warden. Getting him from 20 to 40 takes around 90 days, making him your main grind. Keep the Queen upgrading alongside him while using the King and Minion Prince for attacks.

Use Books of Heroes on the Queen and King, not the Warden. His upgrades are already faster and cost less than Dark Elixir heroes.

Also Read: Complete Guide to Builder Base Troops in Clash of Clans

Best CoC TH13-TH15 Strategy for Hero Upgrades

TH13 unlocks the Royal Champion, the fifth hero who targets defenses first. She maxes at level 25 for TH13, level 30 for TH14, and level 40 for TH15.

When Upgrading Heroes through TH13 to TH15, max hero levels in this order:

• TH13: King 75, Queen 75, Minion Prince 50, Grand Warden 50, Royal Champion 25

• TH14: King 85, Queen 85, Minion Prince 60, Grand Warden 60, Royal Champion 30

• TH15: King 90, Queen 90, Minion Prince 70, Grand Warden 65, Royal Champion 40

Note: A recent update moved 5 hero levels for King, Queen, and Warden from TH15 to TH14 for smoother progression.

Priority order: Royal Champion → Archer Queen → Grand Warden → Barbarian King → Minion Prince. The Royal Champion gets 25 levels at TH13, the biggest jump for any hero, taking 104 days to max.

Royal Champion jumps over walls and hunts down defenses, making her critical for taking out key structures like Infernos and Eagle Artillery. Get her to level 25 before moving other heroes past their TH12 levels.

TH14 unlocks Pets that pair with heroes for extra abilities. Focus on maxing your Royal Champion and Queen first since they benefit most from pet support.

TH15 sees major hero jumps: King and Queen gain 10 levels each, Minion Prince gains 10, Grand Warden gains 5, and Royal Champion gains 10. This Town Hall has the heaviest hero grind, so prioritize Queen and Royal Champion simultaneously.

Epic Hero Equipment becomes available and maxes at level 24 at TH15. Common equipment stays at level 18 from TH14.

Clash of Clans TH16 to TH18: Max Hero Levels

TH16, TH17, and TH18 represent endgame Clash of Clans with the highest hero levels and most complex strategies.

When you are at this late stage of Clash of Cland, TH16 to TH 18, you should max hero levels like this:

• TH16: King 95, Queen 95, Minion Prince 80, Grand Warden 70, Royal Champion 45

• TH17: King 100, Queen 100, Minion Prince 90, Grand Warden 75, Royal Champion 50

• TH18: King 105, Queen 105, Minion Prince 95, Grand Warden 80, Royal Champion 55

TH16 gets smaller hero jumps: King and Queen gain 5 levels, Minion Prince gains 10, Grand Warden gains 5, Royal Champion gains 5. Epic Hero Equipment maxes at level 27 here.

TH17 introduced the Hero Hall system in November 2024. You must upgrade the Hero Hall before you can upgrade heroes. Each hero gains 5 levels at TH17.

TH18 unlocks Guardians instead of a Town Hall weapon. These defensive units defend during wars and ranked battles. Heroes gain 5 more levels each.

Priority order stays consistent: Archer Queen → Royal Champion → Grand Warden → Barbarian King → Minion Prince. The Queen and Champion dominate attack strategies at these levels.

Hero Equipment remains at the same max levels (common: 18, epic: 27) across TH16-TH18. Focus shifts to unlocking and upgrading the best equipment combinations rather than level grinding.

All four Hero Slots are available, letting you use King, Queen, Warden, and Champion together. The Minion Prince competes for slots with attack-specific strategies.

Farm efficiently and use Books of Heroes strategically since each level takes longer and costs more Dark Elixir than ever before.

Also Read: Clash of Clans Battles and Ranked Modes Explained

Resource Planning for Hero Upgrades in Clash of Clans

Dark Elixir creates the biggest bottleneck for hero upgrades across all Town Hall levels. Smart resource management separates players who max heroes quickly from those stuck grinding for months. Here's how to maximize your Dark Elixir income and protect what you earn:

Farming and Collection:

• Max your Dark Elixir Drills first at each Town Hall for passive 24/7 income

• Farm in Gold II through Crystal III for the best balance of loot and easy targets

• Use cheap armies like Barch or Super Goblins that don't cost Dark Elixir

• Target dead bases with full collectors for 2,000-4,000 Dark Elixir per raid

• Push for 5 stars daily to claim Star Bonus rewards

Storage and Protection:

• Upgrade your Dark Elixir Storage immediately to prevent overflow

• Place storage in your base core surrounded by high-HP buildings and defenses

• Use compartments and traps to slow attackers reaching your storage

Strategic Timing:

• Keep one or two heroes available for attacking while others upgrade

• Save Books of Heroes and Hammers for upgrades, taking 7+ days

• Trade CWL medals for magic items or resources at the Trader

• Participate in Clan Games and Season Pass for regular Book and Hammer rewards

Follow these practices and your hero upgrades stay on track without long farming breaks.

Conclusion

Hero upgrades define your strength in Clash of Clans, so prioritizing the right heroes at each Town Hall saves you months of wasted Dark Elixir and keeps your attacks competitive.

Also, efficient farming beats raw playtime. Target dead bases, use cheap armies, and protect your storage with smart base design. Books and Hammers from Clan Games and Clan War Leagues cut weeks off your longest upgrades.

Your play style determines your hero priority. War specialists max Queen and Champion first. Farmers focus on the Warden. Trophy pushers balance all heroes evenly. Upgrade heroes that match how you actually play and you'll see faster results.

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