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A base layout is the specific arrangement of buildings, walls, traps, and heroes within a Clash of Clans village. The layout determines how defensive buildings target attackers, how walls channel troop movement, and how traps create hidden damage zones across the village grid.
A Clash of Clans base layout occupies a 44×44 tile grid. Every building, wall segment, trap, and decoration must fit within this grid. The placement of each element creates the defensive behavior of the entire base — Archer Towers select the nearest enemy, Mortars target groups of troops, and walls force ground units to path around or break through barriers.
Base layouts serve different strategic purposes. A war base prioritizes preventing 3-star attacks by spreading high-value defenses across the grid. A farming base centralizes resource storages behind walls to protect Gold, Elixir, and Dark Elixir from raiders. A trophy base protects the Town Hall to preserve trophies for league progression.
Supercell allows players to save up to 9 base layouts per village. This slot system lets players maintain separate bases for different purposes — 2-3 war layouts, 1-2 farming layouts, and 1 trophy layout is a common allocation. Players can switch between saved layouts instantly from the Layout Editor.
The base layout also determines trap activation patterns. Giant Bombs, Spring Traps, Seeking Air Mines, and Tornado Traps are hidden from attackers. Their positions within the layout create surprise damage that disrupts attack plans. A well-designed layout places traps along the most probable troop paths to maximize their defensive impact. Read the complete Trap Placement Guide for detailed positioning strategies.
Every Town Hall level from TH3 to TH18 introduces new buildings that expand layout possibilities. TH7 unlocks the Barbarian King. TH9 adds the Archer Queen and X-Bows. TH11 introduces the Eagle Artillery and Grand Warden. TH14 brings Pets. TH16 adds the Merged Headquarters. TH18 introduces the Guardian System. Each addition increases the complexity of effective base design.
Base design determines which defenses cover which areas, how long attackers need to clear buildings, and whether troops path into trap kill zones. A strong layout creates overlapping defensive coverage, forces attackers into time-consuming pathing, and concentrates damage on high-value troop groups.
Defensive coverage is the primary function of base design. Every defense has a specific range — Cannons reach 9 tiles, Archer Towers reach 10 tiles, X-Bows reach 11-14 tiles depending on mode, and the Eagle Artillery covers nearly the entire map. Overlapping these ranges creates crossfire zones where troops take damage from multiple defenses simultaneously.
Time management determines attack outcomes. The 3-minute attack timer is the defender's strongest ally. Bases that force troops to walk long distances between buildings consume attack time. A base with trash buildings (Army Camps, Barracks, Builder Huts) placed in distant corners forces attackers to deploy cleanup troops, splitting their army and extending the attack duration.
Troop pathing is controlled by wall placement. Walls do not deal damage — they redirect ground troop movement. A single wall gap can funnel an entire army into a Giant Bomb kill zone. Closed compartments force Wall Breakers or siege machine usage. Strategic wall placement channels Hog Riders past Spring Traps and Valkyries into dead-end compartments. The Base Compartment Design Guide covers these principles in detail.
Hero positioning affects attack difficulty. The Barbarian King, Archer Queen, Grand Warden, and Royal Champion each patrol a fixed area around their altar. Placing hero altars inside compartments where they can engage attacking troops while protected by nearby defenses amplifies their defensive value. The Archer Queen's 5-tile range makes her particularly effective when placed behind walls where melee troops cannot reach her.
Clan Castle placement creates uncertainty. Defensive CC troops (Super Minions, Head Hunters, Ice Golems) engage attackers as a hidden variable. Centralizing the Clan Castle forces attackers to trigger and deal with CC troops during the most critical phase of their attack — the core push.
The six primary base layout types are war bases, farming bases, trophy bases, hybrid bases, CWL bases, and legend league bases. Each type optimizes for a different objective — preventing stars, protecting resources, maintaining trophies, or balancing multiple goals simultaneously.
War Bases prioritize anti-3 star defense above all else. The Town Hall can be exposed or semi-exposed because conceding 2 stars is acceptable if the base consistently prevents 3-star attacks. War bases use maximum compartmentalization, spread defenses widely, and place trash buildings in time-wasting positions. Every competitive clan requires dedicated war base designs. Explore top-rated layouts at TH18 War Bases and TH11 War Bases.
Farming Bases protect resource storages (Gold Storage, Elixir Storage, Dark Elixir Storage) by placing them inside walls near defensive buildings. The Town Hall is often placed outside or at the edge as a "free shield" — attackers take the Town Hall for trophies and leave resources untouched. Farming bases are optimal for players actively upgrading buildings and troops.
Trophy Bases centralize the Town Hall behind maximum wall layers and defenses to prevent attackers from reaching it. These bases sacrifice resource protection for trophy defense. Trophy bases are used during trophy pushes and league advancement.
Hybrid Bases balance Town Hall protection with resource security. The Town Hall sits in a protected central position while storages occupy inner compartments. Hybrid bases suit players who want to maintain trophies while protecting upgrade resources.
CWL Bases are war bases optimized for the Clan War Leagues format. CWL uses 15v15 matchmaking with a single attack per player per round. CWL bases must defend against the strongest possible attacker, so they prioritize anti-meta strategies. The Clan War Base Strategy Guide covers CWL-specific design principles.
Legend League Bases defend against 8 daily attacks from top-tier players in the Legend League (5,000+ trophies). These bases rotate frequently to prevent opponents from sharing attack replays. Legend League bases prioritize anti-2 star design because preventing stars directly affects trophy gains and losses at this level.
Building a strong base requires understanding the defensive buildings, wall segments, and traps available at each Town Hall level. Lower Town Halls (TH3-TH9) focus on simple compartments and splash damage placement, while higher Town Halls (TH10-TH18) require advanced strategies involving Inferno Towers, Eagle Artillery, and Scattershots.
Town Hall 3 through Town Hall 6 form the foundation of base design. At TH3, players have limited walls (75 segments) and only Cannons, Archer Towers, and a Mortar for defense. The optimal TH3 layout centers the Mortar within a single compartment with Cannons and Archer Towers covering the perimeter. Walls form 2-3 basic compartments.
TH4 adds an Air Defense, introducing the need to protect against Balloon attacks. TH5 adds a Wizard Tower — the first splash defense that targets both ground and air. TH6 adds a second Air Defense and the Air Sweeper. At these levels, centralize splash defenses (Mortar, Wizard Tower) and spread point defenses (Cannons, Archer Towers) around the perimeter. Browse tested designs at TH7 Base Layouts for the next step up.
TH7 is the first major milestone. It unlocks the Barbarian King, a third Air Defense, and the Dark Elixir Drill. The Barbarian King adds a mobile ground defense with 3,000+ HP that patrols near his altar. Place the Barbarian King altar inside a central compartment where he engages troops that breach the outer walls.
TH8 introduces the Dark Elixir Storage (a high-priority target for attackers) and a fourth Air Defense. At TH8, Hog Rider attacks and Dragon attacks dominate the meta. Anti-Hog bases require double Giant Bomb placement between defenses. Anti-Dragon bases centralize all 4 Air Defenses with Air Sweepers covering the likely Dragon approach vector.
TH9 is the most strategically complex mid-level Town Hall. It adds the Archer Queen, X-Bows, and the Archer Queen altar requires careful positioning. X-Bows offer 11-tile range on ground mode or 14-tile range on ground+air mode. Set at least 1 X-Bow to air mode to deter LaLo attacks. TH9 bases need 6-8 compartments with the Archer Queen placed deep enough to survive Queen Walks from the edge.
TH10 introduces Inferno Towers — the most impactful defensive building in the game. Two Inferno Towers set to the correct mode (single vs multi-target) counter the majority of meta attacks. Read the Inferno Tower Guide for detailed mode selection strategy.
TH11 adds the Eagle Artillery with its 200-housing-space activation threshold and map-wide range. TH11 base design revolves around Eagle Artillery placement — its 7-tile dead zone must be defended by point defenses while its range covers the outer base. TH11 also adds the Grand Warden altar, which should be placed where his passive Life Aura benefits nearby defenses.
TH12 introduces the Giga Tesla inside the Town Hall and the Workshop (Siege Machines). TH13 adds the Scattershot, which deals splash damage at long range and replaces one traditional defense slot. TH13 also upgrades the Town Hall to Giga Inferno mode.
TH14 unlocks Hero Pets, which add passive abilities to each hero. The base must account for the Royal Champion + Seeking Shield Pet combo that can snipe buildings at range. TH14 also provides Poison Spell Tower functionality.
TH15 introduces the Monolith — a single-target defense that deals percentage-based damage, making it devastating against high-HP troops like Golems and Root Riders. TH15 also adds the Spell Tower and the Recall Spell for defense.
TH16 adds the Merged Headquarters and multi-Archer Towers. TH17 introduces Reflector defenses and the Overgrowth Spell Tower. TH18 features the Guardian System, which provides an area shield to nearby buildings.
At TH14-TH18, build bases with 10-15 compartments, spread Inferno Towers across separate sections, and offset the Eagle Artillery from the Town Hall by 4-6 tiles. Explore the latest competitive designs at TH15 Anti-3 Star Bases and TH18 Base Layouts.
The five key defense placement principles are: centralize high-value defenses, spread splash coverage evenly, create overlapping range zones, separate same-type defenses into different compartments, and position defenses to cover the most probable attack paths from every angle.
Principle 1: Centralize High-Value Defenses. The Eagle Artillery, Inferno Towers, X-Bows, and Scattershots form the defensive core. Place them in inner compartments protected by 2+ wall layers. These defenses deliver the highest DPS and have the longest range — centralizing them maximizes their coverage area.
Principle 2: Spread Splash Damage Evenly. Wizard Towers (7.5-tile range, 50 DPS splash), Mortars (11-tile range, area splash), and Bomb Towers (6-tile range with death bomb) must cover different base sections. If two Wizard Towers cover the same area, one section has double coverage while another section has zero splash defense. Distribute splash defenses so every 10×10 tile section of the base has at least one splash source.
Principle 3: Create Overlapping Range Zones. No defense should stand alone. Every Cannon and Archer Tower should overlap range with at least 2 other defenses. This creates mutual protection — troops targeting one defense take fire from adjacent defenses simultaneously. The optimal overlap places defenses 5-7 tiles apart: close enough to share coverage but far enough that a single Freeze Spell cannot disable both.
Principle 4: Separate Same-Type Defenses. Never place 2 Inferno Towers in the same compartment. Never cluster both X-Bows together. Never position Air Defenses adjacent to each other. Attackers use Lightning Spells, Freeze Spells, and targeted strikes to eliminate specific defense types. Separating same-type defenses forces attackers to spend more spells across wider areas.
Principle 5: Cover All Attack Angles. A base that defends well from the south but poorly from the north is exploitable. Evaluate your base from all four sides: north, south, east, and west. Each approach should face similar defensive density. Place Air Defenses in a diamond pattern covering all 4 quadrants. Place Inferno Towers in a triangle (at TH11) or diamond (at TH12+) pattern.
These principles apply universally across TH11 Base Layouts, TH15 Base Layouts, and every level between. Test your base against the common attack strategies listed below to verify coverage.
Compartments are enclosed sections of a base created by continuous wall rings that contain 1-3 buildings each. They force ground troops to break through multiple wall layers, consuming Wall Breakers, siege machine charges, and attack time while exposing troops to crossfire from adjacent defensive zones.
Compartmentalization is the structural foundation of every competitive base. A single open base with all buildings inside one wall ring collapses to a single Wall Breaker or siege machine entry. A base with 12 separate compartments requires 12 individual breaching actions — each consuming troops, spells, or time that the attacker cannot afford.
Compartment sizing determines defensive density. Small compartments (3×3 or 4×4 tiles) house 1-2 buildings and force Wall Breakers to open each section individually. Large compartments (6×6 or larger) house 3-4 buildings but provide attackers with more value per wall break. The optimal mix uses small compartments around the perimeter and medium compartments in the core.
Wall thickness amplifies compartment strength. Single-layer walls (1 tile thick) are destroyed by a single Wall Breaker pair. Double-layer walls (2 tiles thick) require a second Wall Breaker pair or a Jump Spell to bypass. The Base Compartment Design Guide details how to implement double-walling for high-value compartments.
Compartment interconnection affects troop flow. Compartments that share walls create predictable pathing — troops move from one section to the adjacent one. Offset compartments that share only partial walls create unpredictable turns. When Valkyries enter one compartment and find no adjacent wall opening, they must break through a new wall, losing momentum and taking additional damage.
Dead-end compartments serve as troop traps. A compartment with only one wall opening pulls troops inside but offers no exit to the next section. Troops must break a wall to continue, giving surrounding defenses 3-5 extra seconds of free fire. Place Giant Bombs or Spring Traps inside dead-end compartments for maximum trap value.
At TH10-TH13, build 8-12 compartments. At TH14-TH18, build 10-15 compartments. Count your compartments by tracing continuous wall loops — each enclosed area is one compartment. If your TH15 base has fewer than 10 compartments, redistribute walls to create additional enclosed sections.
Anti-3 star design prevents attackers from destroying all buildings by spreading defenses wide and using time-wasting building placement. Anti-2 star design protects the Town Hall specifically to prevent attackers from earning the second star. War bases use anti-3 star; Legend League bases often use anti-2 star.
Anti-3 star bases accept that the Town Hall will fall. The Town Hall may sit in a semi-exposed position to bait attackers into committing troops early. The real defensive strength lies in widespread building distribution: Army Camps in opposite corners, Builder Huts along distant edges, and high-HP storages in outer compartments all consume attack time.
The key metric for anti-3 star bases is "percentage defense." Each building destroyed adds to the attacker's destruction percentage. If an attacker reaches 99% but runs out of time or troops before clearing the final Builder Hut in a corner, the defense succeeds. Anti-3 star bases force this scenario by placing 3-4 trash buildings in positions that require 30+ seconds of troop movement to reach.
Anti-3 star compartment design spreads defenses across 10-15 sections rather than concentrating them in a dense core. Inferno Towers sit in separate quadrants. The Eagle Artillery occupies an offset compartment away from the Town Hall. Wizard Towers cover the outer ring rather than clustering in the core. This distribution ensures that even after a successful core dive, the attacker faces significant cleanup resistance. See the full Clan War Base Strategy Guide for war-specific anti-3 star techniques.
Anti-2 star bases centralize the Town Hall behind maximum protection. Double walls surround the Town Hall compartment. Inferno Towers and X-Bows cover the immediate area. The Clan Castle sits adjacent to the Town Hall so defensive CC troops engage any push toward the core. Anti-2 star design sacrifices outer building defense for concentrated Town Hall protection.
Anti-2 star is optimal in Legend League where each star directly costs or earns trophies. In war, anti-3 star is superior because the third star determines war outcomes — losing 2 stars is the expected result against equal-level attackers.
Choose anti-3 star for Clan Wars, CWL, and ranked mode. Choose anti-2 star for Legend League, trophy pushing above 5,500 trophies, and situations where preventing the Town Hall fall is critical.
Counter common attack strategies by identifying the troops that each strategy relies on and placing defenses, traps, and buildings specifically to disrupt those troops. Anti-air bases counter Electro Dragons and LaLo. Anti-ground bases counter Hog Riders, Root Riders, and Witch attacks.
Countering Queen Charge (QC): The Archer Queen combined with 4-5 Healers can systematically destroy an entire base section. Counter QC by placing Seeking Air Mines 3-4 tiles from likely Queen walk paths to eliminate Healers. Single-target Inferno Towers burn through the Queen's HP faster than Healers can restore it. Air Defenses positioned near the base edge pull Healers into range and shoot them down. For a deep dive, read the Queen Charge Strategy Guide.
Countering LaLo (Lava Hound + Balloon): Lava Hounds tank Air Defense fire while Balloons destroy defenses underneath. Counter LaLo by spreading Air Defenses in a wide diamond pattern — never cluster 2 Air Defenses within 8 tiles. Place Seeking Air Mines near Air Defenses to damage Lava Hounds before they absorb full defensive fire. Red Air Bombs (Air Bombs) placed between defenses catch Balloon groups. Air Sweepers should face the most likely Lava Hound entry direction. View anti-air layouts at TH11 Anti-Air Bases.
Countering Electro Dragon Spam: Electro Dragons chain lightning jumps between buildings within 2 tiles. Counter E-Drag spam by spacing buildings 3+ tiles apart to break chain lightning paths. Single-target Inferno Towers destroy Electro Dragons (5,100 HP) in 4 seconds once ramped. Centralize Air Defenses where E-Drags must path through Inferno Tower range to reach them.
Countering Hog Riders: Hog Riders jump walls and target defenses in sequence. Double Giant Bomb placements between defenses eliminate Hog packs instantly. Spring Traps between defensive buildings eject 3 Hog Riders per trigger. Space defenses so Hog Riders must cross trap zones as they circuit the base.
Countering Root Riders: Root Riders destroy walls automatically as they walk, neutralizing compartments. Counter Root Riders with single-target Inferno Towers (1,680 max DPS burns through their 8,800 HP), spread compartments so wall destruction does not chain-open adjacent sections, and place the Monolith (TH15+) where Root Riders must path through its percentage-based damage.
Countering Witch Slap: Witches spawn skeletons that overwhelm single-target defenses. Multi-target Inferno Towers handle skeleton swarms. Bomb Towers deal area damage to skeleton groups. Wizard Towers with splash damage cover key choke points where skeleton waves funnel through gaps.
Change your war base every 2-3 wars to prevent opponents from analyzing previous attack replays. Update your base after every major game update that adds new buildings, rebalances defenses, or introduces new troop mechanics that shift the attack meta.
Base rotation frequency depends on the base type and your competitive level.
War bases require the most frequent rotation. Opponents in Clan Wars can watch replays of every previous attack on your base. After one war, attackers know your trap positions, CC troop type, and hero patrol paths. Rotating war bases every 2-3 wars eliminates this intelligence advantage. Maintain 3 different war bases in your saved layouts and cycle between them. The Clan War Base Strategy Guide covers rotation schedules in detail.
CWL bases should rotate monthly. CWL runs for 7 consecutive days each month, and within a single CWL week, changing your base mid-season can be effective if your base gets 3-starred in the first 2-3 rounds.
Legend League bases require the most aggressive rotation — change daily or every 2 days. In Legend League, all 8 daily opponents can share your base layout through screenshots. Top Legend players maintain 5-9 different base designs and rotate each day.
Farming and trophy bases need updating only after game balance changes. When Supercell releases a major update (new Town Hall level, troop rebalance, or defense stat changes), evaluate whether your current base still performs effectively against the new meta.
Post-update changes are critical. When TH18 launched, every TH17 base became outdated because the new Guardian System defense changed core design requirements. Similarly, when Supercell buffed Root Rider DPS in mid-2025, anti-Root Rider bases needed immediate redesign to account for the faster wall destruction speed.
Check this site regularly for newly verified base layouts. We test and verify bases against the current meta within 2 weeks of every major game update. Browse TH18 Base Layouts and TH15 Base Layouts for the latest designs.
Copy base layouts by tapping a share link (link.clashofclans.com) on a mobile device with Clash of Clans installed. The game opens the Layout Editor with the shared base loaded. Save it to one of your 9 available layout slots to keep the design permanently.
Clash of Clans uses share links to transfer base layouts between players. Each share link contains encoded data specifying the exact position of every building, wall segment, trap, and decoration. Links do not expire — a base shared in 2023 still imports correctly in 2026.
Copying on Mobile: Tap any base share link on iOS or Android. The device opens Clash of Clans and loads the Layout Editor with the shared base. Tap the green "Save" button to store the layout. You can save up to 9 layouts per village.
Copying from Desktop: Click the "Copy Base Link" button on any base layout page. Send the link to your phone via WhatsApp, Telegram, email, or any messaging app. Open the link on your phone to trigger the in-game import. Some sites (including this one) generate QR codes for quick scanning.
Sharing Your Own Bases: Open the Layout Editor in Clash of Clans. Select a saved layout. Tap the "Share" button to generate a unique link.clashofclans.com URL. Send this link to clanmates, post it in Discord servers, or share it on social media.
Important Limitations: You can only import bases designed for your current Town Hall level or lower. A TH10 player cannot import a TH11 layout. When importing a base at the correct TH level after a game update, newly added buildings appear as unplaced — position them manually.
For the complete step-by-step process including troubleshooting, read the How to Copy a Base in COC guide. Every base layout on this site includes a one-tap copy button that works on both mobile and desktop browsers.
Eagle Artillery, Clan Castle, and Inferno Towers in separate core compartments
Each compartment holds 1-3 defenses with walls connecting to form a defensive grid
Diamond pattern, 5-7 tiles from core. Cover all approach angles against LaLo
Double Giant Bombs between defenses. Seeking Air Mines near Air Defenses
Offset buildings outside walls to pull troops sideways, not inward
Place Army Camps and Barracks in corners to drain attacker time
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.