Updated for Town Hall 18 (October 2026).
Clash of Clans runs on a dozen currencies. Gold, Elixir and Dark Elixir build the Home Village, Builder Gold and Builder Elixir build the Builder Base, and Capital Gold builds the Clan Capital. Gems speed things up, three Ores upgrade hero equipment, and reward currencies like Raid Medals, League Medals and Sparky Stones buy items and cosmetics. Below is where each one comes from, what it pays for, and which buildings hold it.
Every resource at a glance
| Resource | Where it comes from | What it buys | Held in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Gold Mines, raiding, Star Bonus, Loot Cart, war loot | Defenses, traps, Walls | Gold Storages, Town Hall |
| Elixir | Elixir Collectors, raiding, Star Bonus, Loot Cart, war loot | Army buildings, research, Hero Hall, Blacksmith, Pet House, Grand Warden, Walls from level 5 | Elixir Storages, Town Hall |
| Dark Elixir | Dark Elixir Drills (Town Hall 7+), raiding, war loot | Five of the six heroes, Dark troop and spell research, pets, the Monolith | Dark Elixir Storage, Town Hall |
| Gems | Achievements, obstacles, Gem Mine, Clan Games, real-money purchase | Builder’s Huts, speed-ups, resources, Ores, magic items | No storage |
| Builder Gold | Builder Base attacks, Builder Base Gold Mines | Builder Base buildings and Walls | Builder Base Gold Storages, Builder Hall |
| Builder Elixir | Builder Base defenses (Elixir Cart), Elixir Collectors | Star Laboratory research, hero machines | Builder Base Elixir Storages, Builder Hall |
| Capital Gold | Forge, Raid Weekends, Season Challenges | Clan Capital buildings and upgrades | Up to 35,000 held |
| Raid Medals | Raid Weekend rewards | Trader offers (including Ores), Clan Castle reinforcements | Up to 5,000 held |
| Shiny, Glowy and Starry Ore | Star Bonus, Clan Wars, Trader, Hero Journey | Hero Equipment upgrades | Blacksmith (cap rises with its level) |
| League Medals | Clan War Leagues | League Shop items, skins, Epic equipment | Up to 2,500 held |
| Sparky Stones | Supercharges and Crafted Defense upgrades | Fancy Shop cosmetics | Up to 5,000 held |
Home Village resources
Gold
Gold pays for anything that shoots or explodes: defenses, traps and Walls. You produce it in Gold Mines and keep it in Gold Storages, but at mid and high Town Halls most of your Gold comes from attacks: loot taken in regular multiplayer Battles, the daily Star Bonus, and the war win bonus from Clan Wars and Clan War Leagues.
Walls are the big Gold sink late in the game. From level 5 up you can pay for a wall segment with either Gold or Elixir, so you can dump whichever storage is full. A Wall Ring counts as 1,000,000 Gold or Elixir toward a wall upgrade, and since August 30, 2026 using one no longer needs a free Builder.
Elixir
Elixir covers army and hero progress: the Barracks and other army buildings, Laboratory research for Elixir troops and spells, the Hero Hall, the Blacksmith, the Pet House, the Clan Castle and Grand Warden upgrades. It comes from Elixir Collectors and raids and is kept in Elixir Storages.
Older guides say training troops costs Elixir. It has not since June 27, 2022, when training became free. What does cost Elixir now is donating: since March 24, 2025 the player who fills a Clan Castle request pays Elixir (or Dark Elixir for Dark troops).
Dark Elixir
Dark Elixir unlocks at Town Hall 7, together with the first Dark Elixir Drill and the Dark Elixir Storage; you get a second drill at Town Hall 8 and a third at Town Hall 9. It pays for every hero except the Grand Warden, research for Dark troops and spells, pet upgrades and the Monolith. Drills produce slowly, so raiding storages is the real source. Heroes take most of it, and every pet level from Town Hall 14 on competes for the same pool.
Ways to earn and protect Home Village loot
- Regular Battles (the farming mode, Town Hall 2+) let you attack as often as you like with no trophy risk.
- The Loot Cart refunds 10% of what you lost on defense, generated by the game. It was 20% until October 2025.
- War loot goes to the Treasury in the Clan Castle, where only a small slice can be stolen.
- The Hoggy Bank in the Gold Pass menu matches the loot you earn in battles and empties into your storages at the end of the season.
- Resource Potions, Wall Rings and other magic items stand in for resources when your storages are short.
Gems
Gems are the premium currency. New accounts start with 250, and you can earn more without paying:
- Achievements pay out Gems at each tier.
- Clearing trees, bushes and rocks gives up to 6 Gems each, and the rare Gem Box gives 25. See Obstacles.
- The Gem Mine in the Builder Base produces a few Gems a day once repaired at Builder Hall 3.
- Clan Games reward tiers can include Gems, and unwanted magic items can be sold for Gems.
The standard advice holds: spend free Gems on Builder’s Huts first (500, 1,000 and 2,000 Gems for the third, fourth and fifth). More builders speed up everything else. Gems also buy Ore at fixed rates (1 per Shiny, 5 per Glowy, 35 per Starry) when you are short for an equipment upgrade, which adds up fast.
Builder Base resources
Builder Base 2.0 (May 2023) changed how both Builder resources are earned. Builder Base battles are no longer head-to-head and no loot is stolen. Attacking earns Builder Gold, and defending fills the Elixir Cart with Builder Elixir. Both also still trickle in from the base’s own mines and collectors.
- Builder Gold pays for Builder Base buildings, defenses and Walls. It is made by Builder Base Gold Mines and kept in Builder Base Gold Storages.
- Builder Elixir pays for troop upgrades in the Star Laboratory and for the hero machines (900,000 to repair the Battle Machine, 2,500,000 for the Battle Copter). It comes from Builder Base Elixir Collectors and is kept in Builder Base Elixir Storages.
A Wall Ring in the Builder Base is worth 500,000 Builder Gold or Builder Elixir.
Clan Capital resources
Capital Gold
Capital Gold builds and upgrades everything in the Clan Capital. There are no build times there; once the clan has contributed enough Capital Gold, the upgrade finishes. You can hold up to 35,000 at once, and you keep it if you switch clans.
Your main sources are the Forge (Town Hall 6+), where a Builder converts Home Village resources into Capital Gold and a free batch is ready every 23 hours, plus the loot from Raid Weekend attacks, Season Challenge rewards and some Attack Challenges. Clans with a fully maxed Capital Hall can also pour Capital Gold into the Capital Treasury, added in June 2026.
Raid Medals
Raid Medals are paid out at the end of each Raid Weekend to clan members who took part, once the clan’s Capital Hall is at least level 2. You can hold 5,000. They do not build anything. Instead they buy weekly offers from the Trader (magic items, Clan House parts and Ore) and pay for Clan Castle reinforcements in place of Gems.
The Ore deals are the best use for most players: 500 Shiny Ore for 350 medals, 50 Glowy Ore for 300 and 5 Starry Ore for 350, each buyable twice a week.
Ores for Hero Equipment
Ores arrived with Town Hall 16 in December 2023 and only upgrade Hero Equipment at the Blacksmith. You start collecting them at Town Hall 8 once the Blacksmith is built, and the Blacksmith’s level sets how much you can hold.
| Ore | What it upgrades | Best sources |
|---|---|---|
| Shiny Ore | Every level of every equipment piece | Star Bonus, Clan War and CWL attacks, Raid Medal deals |
| Glowy Ore | Every third level | Star Bonus, war attacks, 10 free from the Trader each week |
| Starry Ore | Epic equipment only, every third level after a point | Star Bonus, war attacks against Town Hall 10+ bases, Raid Medal deals |
War attacks pay the full Ore amount if you take at least one star; otherwise you get a share based on your destruction. The Hero Journey track (Town Hall 7+) adds Ore chests, and from Town Hall 10 the Prospector helper from the Gold Pass can turn one Ore type into another once per work day. Event shops sometimes sell Ore as well.
Reward and cosmetic currencies
League Medals
Earned only in Clan War Leagues, based on your clan’s finish and your own stars. They buy Hammers, potions, Gold and Elixir packs, two Epic equipment pieces and league skins. You can hold 2,500; extra medals convert to Gems at a poor rate of 1 Gem per 10 medals.
Sparky Stones
Added with Town Hall 18 in November 2025. You earn 10 for every Supercharge level and 8 for every Crafted Defense module upgrade, up to 5,000 held. They are spent in the Fancy Shop, which only appears once you have earned some.
| Fancy Shop item | Price (Sparky Stones) |
|---|---|
| Charge effect on a decoration or shoveled obstacle | 100 |
| Crafted Statue | 500 |
| Builder Bust | 500 |
| Meteorite Builder skin | 3,200 |
Event medals
Most monthly Medal Events add two temporary currencies: one you collect in multiplayer battles to move along the event track, and a medal you earn on that track and trade at the Trader for skins, Epic equipment and other rewards. They expire when the event ends, so spend them before then.
Resources FAQ
How many resources are in Clash of Clans?
The core eight are Gold, Elixir, Dark Elixir, Gems, Builder Gold, Builder Elixir, Capital Gold and Raid Medals. Counting the three Ores, League Medals and Sparky Stones, there are thirteen permanent currencies, plus temporary event medals.
What is the fastest way to get Dark Elixir?
Raiding in regular Battles. Drills are slow at every level, so look for bases with full Dark Elixir Storages and use the Star Bonus each day.
Can other players steal Builder Base or Clan Capital resources?
No. Builder Base battles have not stolen loot since May 2023, and Raid Weekends never take Capital Gold from defenders.
What should I spend Raid Medals on?
Ore from the Trader, especially Starry and Glowy, unless you need a specific magic item that week.
Sources: Supercell release notes: Clan Capital update (May 2022), Builder Base 2.0 (May 2023), Town Hall 16 update (Dec 2023), Clash Anytime (Mar 2025), Town Hall 18 update (Nov 2025), February 2026 update, Anime Fury update (Jun 2026), August 2026 update; in-game data.
