Updated for Town Hall 18 (October 2026).
Town Hall 4 is where you get your first hero. Since the May 26, 2026 update, the Hero Hall and the Barbarian King unlock here instead of at TH7. TH4 also adds the Air Defense, the Spring Trap, a second Archer Tower and the Balloon, your first air troop. The upgrade to Town Hall 5 costs 150,000 Gold and takes 6 hours.
What Town Hall 4 unlocks
| New at TH4 | Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hero Hall | 1 | 30,000 Elixir, 1 hour. Unlocks the Barbarian King and one hero slot for attacks. |
| Barbarian King | Hero | Comes with the Barbarian Puppet and Rage Vial equipped |
| Air Defense | 1 | Air only, range 10 tiles |
| Archer Tower | +1 (2 total) | |
| Spring Trap | 2 | Launches one ground troop of up to 10 housing space off the map |
| Walls | +25 (75 total) | |
| Gold Mine and Elixir Collector | +1 each (4 each) | |
| Balloon | Barracks level 6 | Air troop, 5 housing space, goes for defenses and drops splash bombs on ground targets |
| Army Recipe Cookbook | – | Starter Army suggestions matched to your Town Hall |
Still not available at TH4: spells (TH5), pets (TH14), siege machines (TH12) and Hero Equipment upgrades, which need the Blacksmith at TH8.
Reaching Town Hall 4 also starts the Town Hall upgrade boosts for the first time. For 3 days after you first log in at TH4, your troops fight at the highest level TH4 allows and your collectors produce at double speed. Upgrading to TH5 and TH6 gives the same 3-day boost.
How the Barbarian King works at Town Hall 4 to 6
The King you get at TH4 is a limited version. He stays at level 1, his stats scale with your Town Hall, and you cannot change his equipment or upgrade him until TH7:
| Town Hall | Share of level 1 stats | Damage per second | Hitpoints | Health recovered by ability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 50% | 51 | 722.5 | 100 |
| 5 | 75% | 76.5 | 1,083.75 | 150 |
| 6 | 100% | 102 | 1,445 | 200 |
He fights on attack only. The Hero Hall gives one hero slot at TH4, but there is no Hero Banner to place him on defense until Town Hall 7, which is also when his upgrades unlock. His Barbarian Puppet summons 8 enraged Barbarians at TH4 and TH5 when you trigger his ability, and the Rage Vial speeds him up and adds damage.
Max levels at Town Hall 4
Defenses and traps
| Defense | Max level | At max |
|---|---|---|
| Cannon | 5 | 23 damage per second, 600 hitpoints |
| Archer Tower | 4 | 25 damage per second, 500 hitpoints |
| Mortar | 2 | 25 damage per shell |
| Air Defense | 2 | 110 damage per second, 850 hitpoints |
| Walls | 4 | 800 hitpoints |
| Bomb | 2 | 24 damage |
| Spring Trap | 1 | Capacity 10 housing space |
Army and resource buildings
| Building | Max level | At max |
|---|---|---|
| Army Camp (2) | 4 | 40 each, 80 housing space total |
| Barracks | 6 | Adds the Balloon |
| Laboratory | 2 | |
| Clan Castle | 2 | 15 troop housing space |
| Hero Hall | 1 | 1 hero slot (attack only) |
| Gold Mine and Elixir Collector | 8 | 1,900 per hour, holds 50,000 |
| Gold Storage and Elixir Storage | 8 | 225,000 each |
Troops and hero
| Unit | Max level at TH4 |
|---|---|
| Barbarian, Archer, Goblin | 2 |
| Giant, Wall Breaker | 2 |
| Balloon | 2 |
| Barbarian King | 1 (50% stats) |
Fully upgraded, a TH4 village stores 500,000 Gold and 500,000 Elixir including the Town Hall’s own 50,000.
Upgrade priority at Town Hall 4
- Hero Hall. One hour and 30,000 Elixir puts a hero in every attack from then on, which is the biggest single jump in attack strength at this level.
- Laboratory to level 2, then start researching. Giants, Wall Breakers and Balloons all have their level 2 waiting behind it.
- Air Defense. Players at TH4 and above can now bring Balloons, and until the Air Defense is up, only your Archer Towers can shoot at them.
- Barracks to level 6 for Balloons.
- Army Camps to level 4, taking your army from 70 to 80 housing space.
- One Gold Storage to level 7. Two level 6 storages and the Town Hall hold 140,000 Gold, and TH5 costs 150,000, so you cannot start TH5 without this.
- Collectors toward level 8.
- Defense upgrades, Air Defense and Mortar before Cannons and Archer Towers.
- Walls with whatever Gold is left over.
Armies that work at Town Hall 4 in 2026
You have 80 housing space, 15 more from the Clan Castle, and the Barbarian King. The Army Recipe Cookbook unlocks here and suggests Starter Armies for your Town Hall, which is a reasonable place to begin if you have not built your own.
- Giants and Balloons. Most TH4 bases have one Air Defense. Send Giants and the King at it from one side, then follow with Balloons once it is busy or down. Both Giants and Balloons go for defenses, so they clear a path for each other.
- Giants, Wall Breakers and Archers. Still the steadiest ground army: Giants tank, Wall Breakers open a compartment, Archers clean up. Drop the King with them and use his ability when he gets low; the Barbarian Puppet adds a wave of extra Barbarians right where he is fighting.
- Goblins for loot. When you only want Gold and Elixir, a large Goblin group backed by a few Giants still farms well, because Goblins deal double damage to resource buildings.
Training is free and instant, and heroes no longer need time to heal, so the King is ready again the moment a battle ends.
Base building at Town Hall 4
- Center the Air Defense. Balloons look for defenses, and the Air Defense cannot shoot ground troops, so keep Archer Towers and the Mortar close enough to cover it.
- Put the two Spring Traps between defenses, on the paths Giants take from one defense to the next. A level 1 Spring Trap throws a single troop of up to 10 housing space off the map, which covers a Giant at 5.
- Spread the Archer Towers apart. They are your only answer to air apart from the Air Defense.
- Keep the Mortar central with ground defenses covering its blind spot.
- With 75 Walls, build two or three compartments around the Town Hall, Air Defense, Mortar and storages.
- Nothing to place for the King on defense. Hero Banners start at TH7, so plan space for one then.
What is different for new players in 2025-26
- The Hero Hall and Barbarian King moved from Town Hall 7 to Town Hall 4 in the May 2026 update. The Hero Hall’s first level now costs 30,000 Elixir and takes 1 hour.
- Troops train instantly and for free, and the King never needs to regenerate.
- Regular Battles carry no trophy risk. Trophies and Leagues only matter in Ranked Battles, which open at TH7.
- New accounts unlock the Builder Base at Town Hall 6, not at TH4 as many older guides say. Accounts from before the change can still reach it at TH4.
Before you upgrade to Town Hall 5
- Hero Hall built and the Barbarian King in your army.
- Air Defense, second Archer Tower, both Spring Traps and the fourth collectors placed.
- At least one Gold Storage at level 7 so you can hold 150,000 Gold.
- Laboratory running a long research so it keeps working through the 6-hour Town Hall upgrade.
- Clan Castle at level 2 for 15 donated troops.
Town Hall 4 FAQ
What is the best Town Hall 4 base?
One with the Air Defense and Mortar in the middle, Archer Towers spread to cover both, Spring Traps on the paths between defenses, and storages split across two or three walled compartments. Keep army buildings outside as a buffer.
What is the best Town Hall 4 upgrade order?
Hero Hall first, then the Laboratory, Air Defense, Barracks and Army Camps. Raise one Gold Storage to level 7 before you try to start Town Hall 5, then fill in defenses and Walls.
What are the max levels at Town Hall 4?
Cannon 5, Archer Tower 4, Mortar 2, Air Defense 2, Walls 4, Bomb 2, Spring Trap 1, Army Camp 4, Barracks 6, Laboratory 2, Clan Castle 2, Hero Hall 1, collectors and storages 8. All troops reach level 2. The King stays at level 1 with half his normal stats. The max levels page covers every Town Hall.
Can the Barbarian King defend my base at Town Hall 4?
No. From TH4 to TH6 he can only attack. He starts defending once you place his Hero Banner at Town Hall 7.
Can I upgrade the Barbarian King at Town Hall 4?
No. He stays at level 1 until TH7. His stats still rise when you reach TH5 (75%) and TH6 (100%).
More Town Hall guides
Previous: Town Hall 3 guide. Next: Town Hall 5 guide. See also the Town Hall overview, max levels by Town Hall and the heroes guide.
Sources: Supercell release notes for the May 2026 update, the Clash Anytime update (Mar 24, 2025) and the Battle and Ranked modes announcement (Oct 2025); in-game data.
