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Proper trap placement can be the difference between a 2-star and 3-star defense. Traps are hidden from attackers during scouting, creating unpredictable damage spikes that disrupt even well-planned attacks.
Traps represent the hidden defensive layer of every Clash of Clans base. Unlike buildings, traps are invisible to attackers during the scouting phase in Clan Wars. This hidden information creates uncertainty — attackers must guess where traps are placed and plan accordingly, or risk losing key troops to unexpected damage.
Effective trap placement targets the most common troop pathing patterns. Traps placed randomly waste their potential. Traps placed along predictable paths — between defenses where Hog Riders jump, at funnel entry points where heroes walk, or in the core where Lava Hounds fly — consistently deliver value across multiple defenses.
Place Giant Bombs between defensive buildings in pairs (double Giant Bomb spots) to eliminate Hog Riders instantly. Position them 2-3 tiles from splash defenses to catch groups of troops bunched together during attacks.
Giant Bombs deal 350 damage at max level in a 3.5-tile radius. A pair of Giant Bombs (double Giant Bomb) deals 700 total damage, which instantly kills max-level Hog Riders (1,120 HP when accounting for a Heal Spell partially mitigating damage). This makes double Giant Bomb placement the single most important trap decision for anti-Hog Rider bases.
Place Giant Bombs between two defensive buildings that Hog Riders will naturally path between. The Hog Rider AI targets the nearest defense, so placing 2 defenses 5-6 tiles apart with 2 Giant Bombs in the gap creates a reliable kill zone. At TH10+, place Giant Bombs near Wizard Towers so the splash damage combines with the bomb damage for guaranteed kills.
Place Seeking Air Mines near Air Defenses and the Eagle Artillery to catch Lava Hounds and Electro Dragons as they path toward these high-priority targets. Never cluster multiple Seeking Air Mines together.
Seeking Air Mines deal 2,100 damage at max level to a single air troop. A Lava Hound has 7,200 HP at max level — a single Seeking Air Mine removes nearly 30% of its health. Against Electro Dragons (5,100 HP), one Seeking Air Mine removes over 40% of its health.
Place Seeking Air Mines 3-4 tiles away from Air Defenses in the direction Lava Hounds or Balloons will approach. Air troops path toward the nearest air-targeting defense, so the mine intercepts them en route. Spread Seeking Air Mines across different base sections — if all 5 mines are in one area, an attacker who avoids that zone wastes zero mines. Distribute them so every possible air attack path encounters at least 1-2 mines.
Place Spring Traps between defensive buildings along paths that Hog Riders, Valkyries, and Yetis will travel. Spring Traps launch troops off the map regardless of HP, making them effective against even the tankiest ground troops.
Spring Traps eject ground troops up to a combined housing space of 18 at max level. A single Hog Rider occupies 5 housing space, meaning one Spring Trap eliminates 3 Hog Riders instantly (15 housing space). Against Yetis (18 housing space each), a Spring Trap ejects exactly one Yeti.
The most effective Spring Trap placement exploits predictable pathing. Place them between two defenses that are 4-5 tiles apart — troops moving from one defense to the next will walk directly over the trap. For anti-Hog bases, place Spring Traps on the outer ring of the base where Hog Riders begin their circuit around the perimeter defenses.
| Trap | Damage (Max) | Radius | Best Placement | Primary Counter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giant Bomb | 350 damage | 3.5 tiles | Between defenses (double GB spot) | Hog Riders, Miners |
| Spring Trap | 18 housing space ejected | N/A | Between outer defenses | Hog Riders, Valkyries, Yetis |
| Seeking Air Mine | 2,100 damage | Single target | 3-4 tiles from Air Defense | Lava Hounds, E-Drags |
| Air Bomb | 230 damage | 3 tiles splash | Near Wizard Towers | Balloons, Minions |
| Tornado Trap | Pulls troops | 5 tiles | Core entrance | All ground troops |
| Skeleton Trap | Spawns skeletons | Ground/Air mode | Near heroes/CC | Queen Charge, cleanup troops |
| Bomb | 92 damage | 3 tiles | Outside walls (anti-wallbreak) | Wall Breakers, Goblins |
Expert Base Designers & Strategy Analysts
The COC Base Layouts Team consists of experienced Clash of Clans players who have competed in Clan War Leagues, Legend League, and ESL tournament qualifiers. The team tests every published base layout against the current meta using Friendly Challenges, analyzes defense logs across 500+ war attacks per season, and verifies trap placements against Queen Charge, LaLo, Root Rider, and Electro Dragon strategies.