Lab vs Barracks: What to Upgrade First for Maximum Attack Power

Introduction

What if the fastest route to stronger attacks is not unlocking a flashy new troop, but squeezing 15 to 30 percent more power from the troops you already use? The Lab versus Barracks debate sits at the heart of every new Town Hall and every fresh upgrade cycle. One path promises new compositions. The other quietly multiplies the damage, health, and spell potency of everything you deploy. Choose right and you snowball wins and loot. Choose wrong and you stall for weeks.

This guide gives a clear, data-informed framework to decide whether to upgrade the Laboratory or the Barracks first for maximum attack power across farming, war, and leagues, with Town Hall specific recommendations and real in-game examples.

The Core Question: What Creates More Attack Power Today and Tomorrow?

Attack power is your army’s effective ability to secure stars and loot consistently. Two levers shape it:

• Multipliers that scale your entire army every raid. Think troop and spell levels from the Laboratory. These impact all strategies you already run.
• Unlocks that add new strategic options. Think Barracks and Dark Barracks levels. These open new comps and sometimes hard counters to current meta defenses.

In most cases, multiplicative gains beat new options in raw throughput. A 15 percent dps and hp bump across your main troops, plus stronger spells, translates into more destroyed bases per hour and more reliable 3-star odds. That is why the base rule is simple: Lab first. But there are important exceptions.

What Each Building Really Does for Your Army

Laboratory

• Boost type: Multiplicative. Upgrades raise troop hitpoints and damage, and raise spell effects like heal per second or freeze duration.
• Scope: Affects every attack that uses the upgraded unit or spell. Often improves multiple compositions at once.
• Strategic side effect: Unlocks Super Troops by meeting base troop level requirements, broadening high-impact options without a separate building upgrade.
• Efficiency: Does not use a builder while researching. Once the Lab building itself is upgraded at a new Town Hall, you can keep research running 24/7 without tying a builder.

Barracks and Dark Barracks

• Boost type: Additive. Primarily unlocks new troops and occasionally accelerates your training plan by enabling more efficient compositions.
• Scope: Affects only the comps that include the new troop. Does not increase the stats of existing units.
• Strategic side effect: Access to a new archetype can be meta-defining at certain Town Halls for both farming and war.
• Efficiency note: Scheduling matters. Depending on current game rules and events, upgrading your Barracks may restrict or slow training for troops that use that building. Plan these upgrades during sleep or downtime, and avoid war windows if it would limit your lineup.

Why Lab First Usually Wins

1. Instant ROI across all raids

• A typical Lab level for a core troop yields around 10 to 20 percent more dps and hp. On armies like Miners, Hogs, Balloons, Yetis, and Dragons, that margin converts borderline 2-stars into confident 3s and reduces failed farms.
• Spell upgrades are often even more impactful. Heal longevity for Hogs and Miners, Freeze duration for air and smash, Rage scaling for Queen Charge all scale the entire plan.

2. Research unlocks Super Troops

• Many top-tier strats hinge on supers: Super Archer blimps, Super Barb or Super Goblin farming, Super Wizard blimp value, Super Miner micro. Without base troop levels from the Lab, these options vanish.

3. More loot per hour, not just per hit

• Stronger armies fail less, so you burn fewer armies to win the same loot. Over a week, this compounding efficiency can outpace any single troop unlock from the Barracks.

4. Time economy

• The Lab works while you are offline and does not consume a builder after you upgrade it. Keeping it active 24/7 is one of the biggest progression accelerators in the game.

When Barracks First Makes Sense

There are high-impact breakpoints where the troop you unlock defines the Town Hall’s best attack and farming routes. If the new troop becomes your mainline comp for months, unlocking it early can outperform a Lab-first approach for immediate results.

Key examples by Town Hall bracket:

• TH7 Dragons via Barracks: Unlocking Dragons early unlocks the iconic TH7 air meta for both war and farming. If you just hit TH7 and your Lab cannot yet make a decisive upgrade, getting Dragons online fast pays off.
• TH9 Baby Dragons: While not a main war comp, Baby Dragons accelerate funneling and safe farming, improving consistency. Lab is still high priority, but Baby Dragons are a strong early Barracks target.
• TH10 Miner: Mass Miner with heal is a foundation for both farming and war-friendly two-star plans. If you will commit to Miners, Barracks to unlock them early is justified.
• TH11 Electro Dragons: E-Drags deliver fast, low-effort farming and comfortable war hits on many base styles. Early Barracks for eDrags can jumpstart your TH11.
• TH12 Yeti: Yeti smash is a reliable path with Healers and Bowlers. Unlocking Yetis early often accelerates both loot and war wins.
• TH13 Dragon Rider: Air comps spike in power with Riders alongside Loons and Dragons. If you are an air-first player, early unlock is compelling.
• TH14 Electro Titan: Titans transform ground smash with aura dps and anti-skeleton cleanup, pairing with Healers and Bowlers. Early Barracks can be meta-defining.
• Higher TH Dark Barracks unlocks like Root Rider and Headhunter levels meaningfully improve kill squads and hero control.

Rule of thumb: If a Barracks unlock changes your primary main comp right now, doing the Barracks right after you upgrade the Lab building is often optimal.

A Practical Decision Framework

Use this checklist whenever you hit a new Town Hall or plan your next upgrade block.

1. Day 1 at new Town Hall

• Upgrade the Laboratory building immediately so you can start high-impact research.
• Queue the first research that directly boosts your current best comp. For most players this is one of: Heal, Rage, Freeze, Balloons, Hogs, Miners, Dragons, Healers, or Electro Dragons depending on TH.

2. Inspect Barracks unlocks

• Ask: Will this new troop become my main farm or main war hit for the next 2 to 4 weeks? If yes, schedule Barracks early. If not, postpone.
• Avoid Barracks downtime in war windows if it limits training. Overnight or during work or school is best.

3. Keep the Lab busy 24/7

• Never let the Lab sit idle. Chain long researches overnight and short ones during active play windows. Use Books and Hammers for bottleneck troops and spells.

4. Balance resource and builder flow

• The Lab consumes Elixir or Dark Elixir without tying a builder. Barracks consumes a builder and Elixir. If your Elixir is capped and builders are free, Barracks becomes a better time sink once the Lab is already researching.

Data-Driven Examples: What Moves the Needle

• Spells first is often optimal. A Heal upgrade can extend multiple additional seconds of total healing on clustered Miners or Hogs, often the difference between a wipe and a hold. Freeze gains turn single-target Infernos and Scattershots into manageable threats for air and smash.
• Healers and Queen Charge. Upgrading Healers boosts hps and survivability for the queen, enabling deeper charges, which compound value across every smash or hybrid plan.
• Balloons and LavaLoon. Loon upgrades add both hp and dps, swinging loon pathing survivability through splash. Combined with Freeze and Haste levels, this is a high-ROI path even before unlocking a new air troop.
• Miners and Hogs. Miner level increases interact multiplicatively with Heal level. A common pattern at TH10 and TH11 is Heal first, then Miners, then Hogs.

Town Hall Specific Guidance

TH7 to TH9

• Priority: Lab building, then Dragons or Baby Dragons depending on your plan.
• Reasoning: TH7 Dragons carry both farming and war. At TH8 and TH9, spells and Healer upgrades elevate Queen walks while you transition into more complex comps.
• Suggested path: Lab building, Clan Castle and Army Camps as parallel priorities, then Barracks for Dragons or Baby Dragons if not unlocked, then keep Lab pushing spells and core troops.

TH10 to TH11

• TH10: If you will use Miners, do Barracks early to unlock them, but start Lab research first and aim for Heal and Miner research right away. If you prefer air, push Loons and Freeze in the Lab.
• TH11: E-Drags are an early unlock that radically simplify farming. Do Lab building first, then Barracks for eDrags, then pump Rage, Freeze, and eDrag or Loon levels.

TH12 to TH13

• TH12: Yetis are a powerful and forgiving smash core. Unlock them early via Barracks after starting Lab research on Healers, Rage, and Yetis or Bowlers.
• TH13: Dragon Riders elevate air. If your clan meta is air friendly, unlock Riders early. Otherwise, continue Lab-first on spells and core units, then Barracks.

TH14 and above

• TH14: Electro Titans are meta-defining in many layouts. Lab building first, then Barracks for Titans, then Healers, Rage, and Valk or Bowler if your comp demands.
• High Town Halls also rely on Super Troops. Ensure Lab levels meet Super unlock requirements. The ability to run Super Archer blimps or Super Goblin farming often outweighs any single Barracks upgrade not tied to your main war comp.

Special Cases and Caveats

• Siege Workshop at TH12 plus is a higher priority than either Lab or Barracks when first unlocking siege machines. Access to Wall Wrecker, Battle Blimp, and later siege options is a massive force multiplier for both offense and clan support.
• Clan Castle capacity upgrades are top tier. More housing space improves every attack and amplifies the value of donations. This sits alongside or just after the Lab building on day one of a new Town Hall.
• Hero upgrades are a separate axis. If you run wars or Legends, plan hero upgrades around your attack schedule. However, as far as raw attack power per builder hour, Lab research plus Camps and Clan Castle often outrank early hero levels.
• Training downtime. If your current game version restricts training during Barracks upgrades, schedule them when you do not need key troops. Some events and quality-of-life changes reduce this pain, but treat it as a planning constraint.

ROI Mindset and Scheduling Tips

• Stagger your bottlenecks. Start a long Lab research before logging off for the night, then queue a Barracks or Dark Barracks upgrade with a builder. You wake up with both progressions ticking.
• Draft a two-week plan. List your main comp. Identify the single highest-impact spell and two troops for that comp. Those go first in the Lab. If a Barracks unlock will replace your current comp, schedule it immediately after Lab building.
• Use magic items wisely. Books and Hammers are best spent on upgrades that unlock entire strategies or that you will use in war and CWL. Examples: Rage, Freeze, Healers, Miners, E-Drags, Yetis, Electro Titans, or a Barracks level that unlocks your primary comp.
• Protect Dark Elixir. If your heroes need Dark Elixir, target Elixir-based Lab upgrades first when possible so that you can keep heroes upgrading without starving your army.

Quick Reference: Lab First vs Barracks First

Choose Lab First when:

• You already have a functional comp and want more consistency.
• The Barracks unlock does not change your main comp immediately.
• You need Super Troop access gated by base troop levels.
• You play frequently and benefit from 24/7 research efficiency.

Choose Barracks First when:

• The new troop becomes your primary comp right now for farming or war at your TH breakpoints such as Dragons at TH7, Miners at TH10, Electro Dragons at TH11, Yetis at TH12, Dragon Riders at TH13, Electro Titans at TH14.
• Your current comp is underpowered and the unlock solves a hard counter in the meta.
• You can schedule the upgrade to avoid disrupting war hits.

Example Progression Plans

• Air-first TH11 plan

1. Upgrade Laboratory building
2. Start Rage or Freeze research
3. Upgrade Barracks to unlock Electro Dragons
4. Research Electro Dragons, then Balloons
5. Research Freeze and Haste next

• Ground-first TH12 plan

1. Upgrade Laboratory building
2. Start Healers or Rage in Lab
3. Upgrade Barracks to unlock Yetis
4. Research Yetis and Bowlers
5. Research Jump and Freeze

• Hybrid TH10 plan

1. Laboratory building
2. Heal in Lab
3. Barracks to unlock Miners
4. Research Miners, then Hogs
5. Freeze and Rage

Conclusion

If you want the most attack power as fast as possible, upgrade the Laboratory building first, then keep it researching non-stop. Lab upgrades multiply every army you use and unlock high-value Super Troops. However, when a Barracks level unlocks your primary Town Hall-defining troop such as Dragons at TH7, Miners at TH10, Electro Dragons at TH11, Yetis at TH12, Dragon Riders at TH13, or Electro Titans at TH14, schedule that Barracks upgrade immediately after your Lab is online. Pair these with top-tier spell research and you will feel your attacks tighten, your fail rate drop, and your loot per hour soar.

Use the framework, plan your windows to avoid training disruptions, and treat the Lab as your relentless engine of power while Barracks unlocks your next evolution. That is how you convert upgrades into wins, and wins into unstoppable progression.