Laboratory Priorities: Boosting Troop Power for Every Town Hall Level

Ever wondered why two equal Town Hall levels can feel worlds apart on offense? The answer is rarely just "skill"—it’s the quiet, constant power drip from your Laboratory. One smart research order can turn shaky two-stars into confident triples, save millions of resources, and shave weeks off your grind. This guide shows exactly how to pick your upgrades so your attacks hit harder, sooner, at every Town Hall.

Why the Laboratory Is the Backbone of Your Offense

The Laboratory doesn’t attack, yet it’s the most offensive building you own. Lab upgrades:

• Multiply the value of Army Camps: every extra level scales across your entire 240–320 housing space.
• Supercharge spell efficiency: a better Heal or Rage boosts every unit inside its radius.
• Unlock meta strategies: a single level on Miners, Balloons, or Witches can flip your clan’s war success rate.
• Make Barracks, Dark Barracks, Spell Factory, and Siege Workshop pay off faster: unlocking is only half the story—research completes the weapon.

In short, every offense plan runs through the Lab. Plan it well and your whole army tightens up; plan it poorly and you’ll feel under-leveled even with great layouts and hero mechanics.

Core Principles Before You Touch the Research Button

1. Keep the Lab busy 24/7 An idle Lab is lost power. Queue the next upgrade before the current one finishes. If resources are low, pick a cheaper spell upgrade so the Lab never sits.

2. Favor upgrades that help full armies, not niche troops Spells like Rage, Freeze, Heal, and Poison benefit multiple strategies and often deliver "whole-army" value. Consider them early.

3. Match research to what you actually attack with Are you a Dragon, Hybrid, or Lalo player? Your first upgrades should mirror your go-to army.

4. Manage Dark Elixir like a pro During Barbarian King, Archer Queen, Royal Champion, or Warden (elixir) cycles, prefer elixir-based Lab research. Save Dark Elixir for heroes.

5. Hit power breakpoints A single level can create breakpoints: fewer spells to remove a defense, faster cleanups, or troops surviving key defenses. Prioritize levels that create new interactions.

6. Use magic items efficiently

   • Research Potion: speeds Lab by 24x for 1 hour (roughly 23 hours saved). Use on long upgrades.
   • Book of Fighting and Book of Spells: finish a key upgrade before war day or CWL attacks.
   • Hammer of Fighting: best for very long, high-impact upgrades at new Town Hall unlocks.

Offensive Ecosystem: Tying the Lab to Other Offensive Buildings

• Barracks and Dark Barracks: Unlocks are exciting, but the troop is only dominant once leveled. Set research to match your latest unlocks (Miner at TH10, Electro Dragon at TH11, Yeti at TH12, Dragon Rider at TH13, Electro Titan at TH15, Root Rider at TH16).
• Army Camps: When capacity increases at a new Town Hall, every Lab level gets more valuable. More housing space means each troop upgrade scales harder.
• Spell Factory and Dark Spell Factory: A level on Rage, Freeze, Heal, Poison, Haste, or Bat can outperform any single troop level because it boosts entire waves.
• Siege Workshop (TH12+): Sieges have no levels in the Lab, but their presence changes priorities. If your clan runs Blimp-heavy Lalo, Balloon and Haste upgrades spike in value.

The Upgrade Framework: What to Max First

When you arrive at a new Town Hall:

1. Pick your main army (farming and war). Example: TH9 Lalo, TH10 Hybrid, TH11 Electro Dragons, TH12 Yeti Smash, TH13 Hybrid or Yeti Smash, TH14 air or ground mixes, TH15 Titans, TH16 Root Riders.
2. Upgrade the spells and troops that define that army.
3. Then level the flex pieces you drop into most strategies (Balloons, Wizards, Wall Breakers, Healers, Freeze, Poison).
4. Fill the gaps with cheap, fast upgrades to avoid Lab downtime.

Town Hall by Town Hall Priorities

Below are data-informed priorities. Adapt around your clan’s meta, your hero upgrade plan, and upcoming wars.

TH4–TH6: Foundation and Farming Power

• Core idea: Build reliable 2-stars for progress and farm efficiently.
• Research focus:
  • Barbarians and Archers: cheap, fast farming backbone.
  • Giants and Wall Breakers: core for early Gi-WB pushes.
  • Healer (TH6): unlock and upgrade to support GiHealer.
  • Lightning and Heal: early spells that stabilize any ground army.
• Why: These upgrades push early combat stats over key breakpoints—Giants tank more, WB open walls consistently, and Heal saves pushes versus splash.

TH7: Dragons, Hogs, and Rage Arrive

• Typical armies: Mass Dragons, Hogs, GiHealer.
• Priority order:
  1. Dragons
  2. Rage
  3. Balloons
  4. Heal
  5. Hog Riders (if you will use them) or Minions for cleanup
• Notes: Dragons + Rage is the easiest war plan here. If you prefer ground, Hog + Heal is deadly but requires more spell precision.

TH8: Dark Troops and Dark Spells Change the Game

• Typical armies: Dragons, Hogs, GoHo, Valk-based hits.
• Priority order:
  1. Hog Riders
  2. Heal
  3. Dragons or Valkyries (your preference)
  4. Poison and Earthquake (ZapQuake utility)
  5. Golem (if running GoHo or GoVa)
  6. Balloons (synergy with Dragons)
• Notes: Spells here are huge force multipliers. Poison level increases kill speed vs CC troops. Earthquake creates wall and HP breakpoints when paired with Lightning.

TH9: Queen Unlock, Air Opens Up—Lalo, Witch Slap, GoHo

• Typical armies: LavaLoon, Witch Slap, GoHo, Queen Walk into Lalo or Hogs.
• Priority order:
  1. Healers (Queen Walk reliability)
  2. Balloons
  3. Lava Hound
  4. Haste and Poison
  5. Hog Riders and Golem (if ground-focused)
  6. Jump and Freeze (new flexibility for kill squads)
  7. Witches (if you run Witch Slap)
• Notes: Air users prioritize Balloons + Hound + Haste. Ground users focus Healers + Hogs + Jump. Always elevate Poison—it punishes CC and heroes.

TH10: Hybrid Begins—Miners and Bowlers Enter, Clone and Bat Arrive

• Typical armies: Miner-Hog Hybrid, Bowitch, DragBat.
• Priority order:
  1. Miners
  2. Heal
  3. Hog Riders
  4. Freeze
  5. Bowlers
  6. Bats or Clone depending on your plan
  7. Balloons (universal value)
• Notes: Hybrid thrives on Miner + Hog levels and reliable Heal. Freeze levels add safety versus Infernos and key splashes. Bat demands base reading skill—upgrade only if you plan to use it.

TH11: Electro Dragons, Ice Golem, Invisibility, Warden Support

• Typical armies: Electro Dragons, Queen Charge Miner or Hog, Bowitch.
• Priority order:
  1. Electro Dragons or Miners (commit to your main path)
  2. Healers (for Queen Charges)
  3. Freeze and Rage
  4. Bowlers or Witches (if your clan leans smash)
  5. Ice Golem (defensive freeze on death in kill squads)
  6. Invisibility (unlocks advanced Queen Charge and opener tricks)
• Notes: E-Drags + Rage is the fastest climb option; QC Hybrid excels in higher-skill clans. Invisibility is a high ceiling spell—invest if you practice it.

TH12: Sieges Unlock, Yeti and Headhunter Join the Roster

• Typical armies: Yeti Smash, QC Lalo, Hybrid.
• Priority order:
  1. Yeti
  2. Healers
  3. Balloons
  4. Rage and Freeze
  5. Headhunter (hero control in kill squads and Lalo)
  6. Miners and Hog Riders (Hybrid users)
  7. Poison
• Notes: Sieges change how you enter bases—Balloon value rises with Blimp plays. Headhunters are small but critical for hero takedowns; upgrade them early if you run Lalo or Hybrid.

TH13: Dragon Rider Meta and Strong Smash Options

• Typical armies: Hybrid, Yeti or Bowler Smash, Lalo variants, Drag Rider.
• Priority order:
  1. Dragon Rider or Yeti (based on your comp)
  2. Healers
  3. Balloons
  4. Rage and Freeze
  5. Headhunter
  6. Miners and Hog Riders (if Hybrid remains your main)
  7. Witches or Bowlers for smash styles
• Notes: Dragon Rider synergizes with Lalo and air-heavy plans; massive value in CWL. Spells continue to be the backbone—Rage and Freeze always rate early.

TH14: Mixed Metas—Air and Ground Both Shine

• Typical armies: QC Hybrid, Yeti and Bowler Smash, various air with Riders.
• Priority order:
  1. Healers
  2. Balloons and Dragon Rider
  3. Rage and Freeze
  4. Yeti or Bowlers
  5. Miners and Hog Riders (if Hybrid primary)
  6. Ice Golem and Headhunter
• Notes: Pets arrive at this level but are outside the Lab. Your spell levels decide consistency; small boosts to Freeze and Rage deliver outsized safety against Scattershots.

TH15: Electro Titan Era, Recall Spell, Higher Skill Ceiling

• Typical armies: Electro Titan Smash, Queen Charge Lalo, Hybrid, precision Blimp paths.
• Priority order:
  1. Electro Titan
  2. Healers
  3. Rage and Freeze
  4. Balloons
  5. Invisibility and Recall (if you practice high-skill plays)
  6. Headhunter
  7. Support troops like Wizard and Wall Breakers for clean entries
• Notes: Titans dominate many ring bases and compact cores. Recall enables surgical Queen pathing and advanced blimp rescues; only prioritize if you will use it.

TH16: Root Rider and Late-Game Efficiency

• Typical armies: Root Rider core hits, advanced QC Lalo, Titan variations.
• Priority order:
  1. Root Rider
  2. Healers
  3. Rage and Freeze
  4. Balloons
  5. Headhunter and Ice Golem
  6. Titans if you still run smash
  7. Niche spells for your specific clan meta
• Notes: Root Rider adds pathing control and hybrid-like value in certain layouts. Late Town Halls are decided by spell precision and hero management—your Lab should reflect that.

Universal Upgrade Shortlists by Playstyle

• Air main (Dragons, Lalo, Riders):

  • Balloons, Dragons or Dragon Rider, Lava Hound
  • Rage, Freeze, Haste, Poison
  • Healers for charge-based openings

• Ground main (Hybrid, Titans, Smash):

  • Miners, Hog Riders, Electro Titan, Yeti, Bowlers
  • Heal, Rage, Freeze, Jump, Poison
  • Healers for charge and funneling stability

• War-first player:

  • Spells early, then primary army troops
  • Headhunter, Ice Golem, and Balloons as universal glue

• Farmer during heavy hero upgrades:

  • Choose elixir-only Lab upgrades to protect Dark Elixir
  • Prioritize cheap spells and elixir troops to reduce Lab idle time

Impact Math: Where the Biggest Gains Come From

• Spell upgrades often equal multiple troop levels in value. A stronger Rage or Heal buffs your entire wave. Even a 5–10% effective gain on 250 housing can outperform a single troop’s next level.
• Balloons, Healers, and Wizards are high-frequency supports—small upgrades here affect almost every attack.
• Breakpoints to look for:
  • Freeze duration increases that cover two defenses instead of one.
  • Poison levels that drop enemy heroes and CC faster, saving a second Freeze.
  • Miner or Hog levels that survive an extra splash or trap cluster.

Time and Resource Efficiency Tips

• Start your longest upgrade before sleep. Use Research Potions right after to maximize the overnight shave.
• Pair hero upgrade cycles with elixir-based Lab research. Save Dark Elixir research for windows when your heroes are parked.
• Chain upgrades: end a long troop upgrade with a short spell or support troop so the Lab never idles while you farm resources.
• Use Hammers at new Town Hall unlocks to immediately field meta-ready armies for CWL.

Sample Seven-Day War-Ready Plans

• New TH10 Hybrid-focused:

  • Day 1: Start Miners, pop Research Potion
  • Day 2: Start Heal, short spell fills
  • Day 3–4: Hog Riders
  • Day 5: Freeze
  • Day 6–7: Balloons and support troop levels

• New TH11 Electro Dragon-focused:

  • Day 1: Electro Dragons, Research Potion
  • Day 2–3: Rage
  • Day 4: Freeze
  • Day 5: Healers
  • Day 6–7: Balloons and Poison

Adjust durations to your server timers and your magic item stash.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Upgrading niche troops you rarely use while your main army is under-leveled.
• Burning Dark Elixir in the Lab while heroes are still low and need attention.
• Ignoring spells—most failed triples are spell or pathing errors, not troop choice.
• Letting the Lab idle because you were saving for a big upgrade. Slot a cheap one instead.
• Researching a cool new troop without a practiced plan to use it.

Quick Reference: Always-Value Upgrades

• Spells: Rage, Freeze, Heal, Poison, Haste
• Supports: Balloons, Healers, Wizards, Wall Breakers, Headhunters, Ice Golems
• Mainline troops: Your primary army’s headliners (Dragons, Miners, Hogs, Electro Dragons, Yeti, Dragon Rider, Electro Titan, Root Rider)

Final Thoughts

Your Laboratory is the silent engine behind every star you earn. When you:

• pick a main army per Town Hall,
• prioritize spells and universal supports,
• protect Dark Elixir for heroes,
• and keep the Lab moving with smart use of magic items,

you build an offense that scales from easy farming to CWL and Legends. Open your profile, look at your current targets, and choose the upgrade that wins your next attack—not just the one that looks impressive. The right research order today is tomorrow’s triple.