Step by Step Guide to Upgrading Heroes While Staying Active in Clan Wars

Introduction

Ever felt the sting of sitting out a crucial Clan War just because your Barbarian King or Archer Queen is napping? Or maybe you’ve delayed upgrading heroes, fearing it’ll hurt your war performance? You’re not alone. Hero upgrades are among the most strategic—and stressful—parts of Clash of Clans progression. But what if you could keep your heroes improving and remain a war asset for your clan? Let’s break down the best ways to upgrade heroes efficiently without sacrificing your role in Clan Wars.

Why Hero Upgrades Are a Double-Edged Sword

Heroes are the backbone of high-level attacks and defense. Their abilities can swing the tide of war, but upgrading them takes them out of action for days. For active war participants, this creates a dilemma:

• Upgrade now and miss wars?
• Delay upgrades and fall behind?

The solution is a smart, step-by-step approach—one that balances hero progress with war readiness.

Step 1: Understand Hero Downtime and War Cycles

The Reality of Hero Downtime

Each hero upgrade can sideline your hero for 1–8 days depending on level and hero type. This means:

• Barbarian King/Archer Queen: 12–72 hours (early levels), up to 7–8 days (late levels)
• Grand Warden/Royal Champion: 2–8 days

Know Your Clan’s War Schedule

Is your clan a back-to-back war machine, or do you war on weekends only? Understanding your clan’s rhythm is the foundation of your upgrade plan.

Example: If your clan does wars every 3 days, you have windows between wars for short upgrades. If wars are less frequent, longer upgrades become viable.

Step 2: Prioritize Hero Upgrades by Impact and Availability

Which Hero First?

• Queen > King > Warden > Royal Champion (in most cases)
• Queen upgrades yield the most immediate attack improvement for most Town Halls.
• Warden upgrades are crucial for TH11+; his ability can be game-changing in war.

Stagger Your Upgrades

Avoid upgrading all heroes at once. Keep at least one hero available for war attacks. For example:

• Upgrade Queen, keep King and Warden available.
• Next cycle, switch: upgrade King, keep Queen and Warden.

Pro Tip: For TH13+, consider upgrading Warden during periods when your clan is less active in wars, as his ability is often more critical than the King’s.

Step 3: Time Upgrades Around War Participation

The "Hero Napping" Trick

• Start upgrades immediately after using heroes in war attacks.
• If war day ends at 8pm, begin the upgrade at 8:01pm. You’ll have nearly the full upgrade duration before the next war.

Plan for War Leagues

Clan War Leagues (CWL) are predictable—one week each month. If you’re a key war attacker, avoid upgrades during CWL. Use the weeks before or after for longer hero upgrades.

Use Shorter Upgrades for Frequent Wars

If your clan wars often, focus on:

• Lower hero levels (shorter upgrade times)
• Using Books of Heroes or Hammers for instant upgrades
• Pausing upgrades for critical wars (especially if you’re a top attacker)

Step 4: Maximize Resources and Builder Efficiency

Resource Management

• Save Dark Elixir/Elixir ahead of time so you can upgrade heroes as soon as they’re available.
• Use Clan Games, Season Challenges, and events to stock up on Books of Heroes, Hammers, and potions.

Builder Planning

• Always keep one builder free for hero upgrades.
• Use Builder Potions right after starting a hero upgrade to shave hours off downtime.

Example: If you have 6 builders and 3 heroes, rotate upgrades so a builder is always working, but you never have all heroes down at once.

Step 5: Leverage Magic Items for Instant Upgrades

Books of Heroes

• Instantly finish any hero upgrade—best used on the longest upgrades (late levels).

Hammers of Heroes

• Earned in the League Shop, these let you upgrade a hero instantly and without resource cost.
• Use them for the most expensive upgrades, especially at high Town Hall levels.

Hero Potions

• Temporarily boost hero levels by +5 for one hour.
• Perfect for war attacks if your hero is underleveled, but doesn’t help if your hero is upgrading (and thus unavailable).

Tip: Combine a Book of Heroes with a Builder Potion for minimal downtime.

Step 6: Communicate With Your Clan

Set Expectations

• Let your clan know when you plan to upgrade a hero.
• If you’re a top attacker or key base, coordinate with leaders to avoid being out during crucial wars.

Use Substitute Attackers

• If your hero is down, see if someone else can fill your war spot temporarily.
• Some clans rotate members to ensure everyone can upgrade heroes without hurting war performance.

Step 7: Adapt to Your Town Hall Level and Clan Needs

Lower Town Halls (TH7–TH9)

• Hero upgrades are shorter; you can often squeeze them in between wars.
• Prioritize getting heroes to key milestone levels (e.g., Queen to 20 at TH9).

Higher Town Halls (TH10–TH15)

• Upgrades are longer and more expensive; plan around major events (CWL, clan events).
• Focus on Queen and Warden for attack strength; King and Royal Champion for cleanup and tanking.

Rushed or Recovering Bases

• Focus on one hero at a time for fastest catch-up.
• Use all available magic items to accelerate progress.

Step 8: Optimize With Real-World Examples

Scenario 1: The Weekend Warrior

• Your clan wars on weekends only.
• Upgrade Queen on Monday; she’s back for Friday prep.
• Upgrade King on Friday night after war starts.

Scenario 2: The Back-to-Back Clan

• Your clan wars every 2 days.
• Use Books of Heroes for the Queen and Warden.
• Stagger upgrades: Queen up, King and Warden ready; then swap.

Scenario 3: The CWL Specialist

• Hold off on upgrades during CWL week.
• Use Hammers of Heroes for instant upgrades right after CWL ends.

Conclusion: Progress Without Sacrifice

Upgrading heroes is a marathon, not a sprint—but with the right strategy, you don’t have to choose between stronger heroes and clan war participation. By understanding your clan’s schedule, prioritizing upgrades, leveraging magic items, and communicating with your team, you can keep your heroes climbing while staying in the war lineup.

Don’t let hero downtime bench your war ambitions. Plan smart, upgrade efficiently, and lead your clan to victory—one level at a time!

Ready to take your hero upgrades to the next level? Share your own upgrade tricks or challenges in the comments—let’s build smarter, stronger clans together!