Updated for Town Hall 18 (October 2026).
This tier list ranks all 43 pieces of Hero Equipment, hero by hero, for Town Hall 16 to 18 war and Ranked attacks. The short version: Spiky Ball, Action Figure, Dark Crown, Eternal Tome, Electro Boots and Fire Heart are the first pieces to level for their heroes, and each hero section below ends with the pairs that work in 2026.
Tiers compare pieces for the same hero only, since each hero has its own two slots.
How we ranked them
The rankings rest on four things:
- Official Supercell statements about use, which carry the most weight: Electro Boots as the most-used piece (January 2025), Royal Gem and Lavaloon Puppet as low performers, and the jump in Life Gem use (March 2026).
- Dated balance changes, listed in each row.
- Max-level stats from our equipment page and the six hero pages: damage, hitpoints, duration and number of targets.
- Ore cost as a tiebreaker. A maxed Common costs 27,260 Shiny and 1,920 Glowy Ore, a maxed Epic 56,060 Shiny, 3,720 Glowy and 480 Starry, so a Common that does the same job ranks higher.
The list reflects every official change up to the August 30, 2026 update. The last balance post (July 9, 2026) targeted Dragon armies and left equipment numbers alone.
What the tiers mean: S is the default pick in most attacks, A is strong in the right army, B is situational, and C is a piece you only use until something better is unlocked.
Top picks at a glance
| Hero | S tier | Default pair |
|---|---|---|
| Barbarian King | Spiky Ball, Earthquake Boots | Spiky Ball + Earthquake Boots |
| Archer Queen | Action Figure, Magic Mirror | Action Figure + Magic Mirror |
| Minion Prince | Dark Orb, Dark Crown | Dark Orb + Dark Crown |
| Grand Warden | Eternal Tome, Fireball | Eternal Tome + Fireball |
| Royal Champion | Electro Boots | Electro Boots + Haste Vial |
| Dragon Duke | Fire Heart | Fire Heart + Flame Blower |
Barbarian King equipment tier list
| Equipment | Tier | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Spiky Ball (Epic) | S | At level 27 it hits 8 buildings for 3,250 damage each and adds +222 DPS and +3,290 HP to the King. |
| Earthquake Boots | S | Breaks Walls of any level in an 8-tile radius and takes 40% of each building’s max HP at level 18; since February 2026 it also damages defending ground troops. |
| Giant Gauntlet (Epic) | A | Buffed January 28, 2026: at level 27 he stays giant for 19 seconds and takes 60% less damage while hitting in a wide splash. |
| Stick Horse (Epic) | A | Jumps Walls and attacks 33% faster for 30 seconds after deployment, with +4,606 HP at level 27, the biggest HP boost in his kit. |
| Rage Vial | B | +155% damage and faster movement for 10 seconds at level 18; the Common partner for the Gauntlet in compartment pushes. |
| Snake Bracelet (Epic) | B | Passive: a Snake for every 300 damage he takes, up to 54 at level 27, plus +4,050 HP. |
| Vampstache | C | Heals 300 per hit at level 18. Supercell buffed its damage in February 2025 because it was being passed over. |
| Barbarian Puppet | C | 44 raged Barbarians at level 18, buffed in February 2025 as a starter piece; outclassed once you own an Epic. |
Best pairs: Spiky Ball with Earthquake Boots for most armies, since the Boots’ percentage damage softens what the ball then finishes. Supercell’s February 2025 nerf to the Boots targeted this pairing, and it is still the best one. Giant Gauntlet with Rage Vial turns him into a compartment clearer. Without Epics, run Earthquake Boots with the Rage Vial.
Archer Queen equipment tier list
| Equipment | Tier | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Action Figure (Epic) | S | Summons a level 10 Giant Giant to tank and gives her 1 second of invisibility; +713 HP and 40 HP per second of self-healing at level 27. |
| Magic Mirror (Epic) | S | Two clones of the Queen with 3,216 HP each for 30 seconds at level 27, plus a short invisibility that lets the clones draw fire. |
| Healer Puppet | A | Three level 8 Healers at level 18 from a Common piece, so a Queen Walk doesn’t need Healers from your army camps. |
| Frozen Arrow (Epic) | A | Every shot slows its target by 65% at level 27 (cut from 75% in September 2024), plus +168 DPS. |
| Monolith Arrow (Epic) | A | Shots add 14% of the target’s max HP while 180 or less housing space is deployed, falling to 10% and then 5% past 250. Best when she goes in early. |
| Invisibility Vial | B | 7.8 seconds of invisibility with +1,740 damage per shot at level 18; still the answer to a single-target Inferno Tower. |
| Giant Arrow | B | Reworked May 26, 2026: level 18 damage cut from 2,000 to 1,500 but doubled against Air Defenses, so it now earns its slot in air attacks. |
| Archer Puppet | C | 35 cloaked Archers at level 18, buffed in February 2025 as a starter piece; little impact at Town Hall 16+. |
Best pairs: Action Figure with Magic Mirror is the standard war setup, with the Giant Giant and the clones soaking damage for her. For a Queen Walk, put the Healer Puppet next to the Frozen Arrow or Monolith Arrow. In air attacks, the Giant Arrow with the Invisibility Vial or Magic Mirror can take out an Air Defense on the way in.
Minion Prince equipment tier list
| Equipment | Tier | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Orb | S | Slows the defenses and troops it passes by 50% for 18 seconds at level 18 and adds +1,140 HP; the Common half of his standard pair. |
| Dark Crown (Epic) | S | Gains up to +30% HP and +30% damage in three steps as 60, 120 and 180 housing space of your troops fall, with +1,200 HP at level 27. |
| Meteor Staff (Epic) | A | A meteor hits the nearest defense every 5 seconds for 850 splash damage at any range (level 27). |
| Metal Pants | A | Cuts incoming damage by 70% for 15 seconds at level 18; the pick when Seeking Air Mines are the threat. |
| Noble Iron | B | Buffed January 28, 2026: his first 10 shots reach 12 tiles and deal +770 damage each, then the effect is spent. |
| Henchmen Puppet | B | Two level 7 Henchmen and a short invisibility; its +188 DPS is the biggest damage boost among his Commons. |
| Portal Pendant (Epic) | Not ranked | Arrives in the Portal Panic Medal Event, October 8 to 25, 2026. Supercell had not published its stats on October 2. |
Best pairs: Dark Orb with the Dark Crown in most armies. Swap the Crown for the Meteor Staff in dragon armies, or for Metal Pants if you have no Epics. The August 30, 2026 update fixed Totems from the Totem Spell counting as 20 housing space, which had been charging the Dark Crown faster than intended, so expect it to power up a little slower in Totem armies than it did over the summer.
Grand Warden equipment tier list
| Equipment | Tier | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Eternal Tome | S | 8.2 seconds of immunity for every unit in his aura at level 18; since June 2025 it also covers troops that walk in after activation and lasts 1 second after they leave. |
| Fireball (Epic) | S | Hits the nearest defense for 4,100 damage in a 6-tile splash at level 27; Supercell trimmed its radius in February 2025 to keep it in check. |
| Healing Tome | A | A heal of 150 HP per second for 20 seconds that moves with him and heals heroes at the full rate (level 18). |
| Life Gem | A | Buffed January 12, 2026 to +120% HP (capped at 1,200) for nearby troops; Supercell said in March 2026 that its use rose sharply once the dominant TH18 armies were toned down. |
| Rage Gem | B | +50% damage aura for nearby troops at level 18, but it doesn’t stack with a Rage Spell. |
| Heroic Torch (Epic) | B | The January 12, 2026 buff took it to 27.5 seconds of wall-walking with 15% damage reduction at level 27; strong for ground armies, but it usually costs you the Tome. |
| Lavaloon Puppet (Epic) | C | Supercell reported low use and hit rates in January 2025; the 2026 buff gives three Lavaloons from level 21, which mostly helps air attacks. |
Best pairs: Eternal Tome with the Fireball for most war attacks. Eternal Tome with the Healing Tome for slow ground pushes such as Root Riders or Super Hog Riders. Eternal Tome with the Life Gem when the army is mid-health units like Balloons, Hog Riders and Miners. The Tome stays in almost every setup because a well-timed press carries the whole army through the core’s heaviest damage, including the Giga Bomb at Town Hall 17 and up.
Royal Champion equipment tier list
| Equipment | Tier | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Electro Boots (Epic) | S | Supercell named it the most-used equipment in the game in January 2025 and cut its aura to 200 DPS at level 27; it still damages everything around her nonstop. |
| Haste Vial | A | Doubles her attack speed and raises her movement speed for 10 seconds at level 18, on top of a +16% passive attack speed boost. |
| Hog Rider Puppet | A | Buffed January 12, 2026: 10 level 12 Hog Riders at level 18, plus a short invisibility while they tank. |
| Rocket Spear (Epic) | A | Her next 10 throws reach 10 tiles and deal +980 damage each at level 27, aimed at the nearest defense. |
| Frost Flake (Epic) | B | Freezes the 7 defenses closest to her at level 27; useful support, but it adds no damage to her own charge. |
| Seeking Shield | B | 2,500 damage to each of 4 targets, defenses first, at any distance; best for opening a funnel. |
| Royal Gem | C | A 2,400 HP heal at level 18. Supercell said it had the lowest use and hit rate of her kit before its February 2025 buff. |
Best pairs: Electro Boots with the Haste Vial for a fast charge, or with the Hog Rider Puppet when the enemy has swarms. Rocket Spear with the Seeking Shield picks off defenses from range. Without Epics, the Haste Vial with the Hog Rider Puppet works in most armies.
Dragon Duke equipment tier list
| Equipment | Tier | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fire Heart | S | Heals 150 HP per second at level 18 (cut from 175 in May 2026) and explodes for 3,000 the first time he falls; Healers can’t heal flying heroes, so his sustain comes from here. |
| Rocket Backpack (Epic) | A | Flies him across the base untargetable, burning everything on the line for 2,150 damage at level 27 (trimmed from 2,200 in May 2026). |
| Flame Blower | A | A 2,500-damage cone at level 18 for burst inside a compartment; since the August 30, 2026 fix it fires in the direction he faces. |
| Stun Blaster | A | Stuns nearby defenses and troops for 7.5 seconds at level 18; the war pick when an Inferno Tower or Monolith sits in his path. |
| Revenge Deck (Epic) | B | Throws a 225-damage card at anything that hits him and heals 60 per counter at level 27; as a passive it competes with Fire Heart. |
| Electro Fangs | B | His hits chain to up to 4 targets for 400 damage, 20% less per jump; another passive fighting Fire Heart for a slot. |
Best pairs: Fire Heart with the Flame Blower for general play, or with the Stun Blaster in war. Fire Heart with the Rocket Backpack suits solo runs through the middle of a base. Supercell’s July 2026 balance post said Dragon armies led by the Duke and Dragon Riders were the most popular Town Hall 18 war army, at roughly 20% of attacks, then cut his trap damage reduction rather than his equipment.
Which pieces to level first
Ore is the limit for almost everyone. Spend it in this order:
- One S-tier piece per hero you use in war. Commons stop at level 18 (Blacksmith 7, Town Hall 14) and Epics at 27 (Blacksmith 9, Town Hall 16), so check your Blacksmith cap before you buy.
- The Common half of each best pair (Earthquake Boots, Dark Orb, Eternal Tome, Haste Vial, Fire Heart), which needs about half the Shiny Ore of an Epic and no Starry Ore.
- A second Epic for the heroes you attack with most. Since June 2026 the Hero Journey in the Hero Hall hands out Epic Equipment as your heroes level, so check what it has given you before you spend medals.
For armies built around these pairs, see the Town Hall 18 attack strategies and the troop tier list.
Hero equipment tier list FAQ
What is the best hero equipment in Clash of Clans right now?
Per hero: Spiky Ball for the King, Action Figure for the Queen, Dark Crown with the Dark Orb for the Prince, Eternal Tome for the Warden, Electro Boots for the Champion and Fire Heart for the Duke. Supercell called Electro Boots the most-used piece in the game in January 2025, and it is still her first pick after that month’s nerf.
Is the Giant Arrow still worth using after the May 2026 change?
In air attacks, yes. Its level 18 damage dropped from 2,000 to 1,500, but that now counts double against Air Defenses, so the arrow hits one for 3,000. In November 2025 Supercell said 2,000 was the amount needed to destroy a Supercharged Town Hall 18 Air Defense. In ground attacks other Queen pieces do more.
What is the best equipment for the Dragon Duke?
Fire Heart in one slot, since it is his main source of healing, with the Flame Blower for damage or the Stun Blaster to lock down defenses in war. The Rocket Backpack is the Epic to add for solo runs.
Where does the Portal Pendant rank?
It isn’t ranked yet. The Minion Prince’s new Epic arrives in the Portal Panic Medal Event from October 8, 2026, and the Portal Challenge lets you test it from October 6. We’ll place it once its stats are out.
Sources: in-game Blacksmith and equipment data; Supercell: Hero Equipment balance changes (January 2025), Let’s Get Crafty update (Eternal Tome), January 2026 balance changes, January 28, 2026 balance changes, February 2026 update, State of Gameplay (March 2026), State of Gameplay part 2 (May 2026), Anime Fury update, July 2026 balance update, August 2026 update, Cosmic Curse: Portal Panic.
