Updated for Town Hall 18 (October 2026).
Town Hall 8 gives you your second hero, the Archer Queen, plus the Blacksmith for Hero Equipment, the Bomb Tower, Skeleton Traps, Dark spells, and the P.E.K.K.A, Valkyrie and Golem. This guide covers every TH8 max level, what to upgrade first, the armies people use in 2026, and how to set up a TH8 base that holds against them.
What Town Hall 8 unlocks
| Category | New at TH8 |
|---|---|
| New defenses and traps | 1 Bomb Tower, 2 Skeleton Traps |
| More of what you have | +1 Archer Tower (5), +1 Mortar (4), +1 Wizard Tower (3), +1 Hidden Tesla (3), 50 more Walls (225) |
| More traps | +2 Spring Traps (6), +2 Air Bombs (4), +1 Giant Bomb (3), +1 Seeking Air Mine (2) |
| Resource buildings | A 3rd Gold Storage and Elixir Storage, a 2nd Dark Elixir Drill |
| Army buildings | Dark Spell Factory, Blacksmith |
| Troops | P.E.K.K.A, Valkyrie, Golem |
| Spells | Poison, Earthquake |
| Heroes and equipment | Archer Queen (Hero Hall level 2); Earthquake Boots for the King from the Blacksmith |
The Queen has been a TH8 unlock since the TH17 update in November 2024; older guides put her at TH9. One catch: the Hero Hall still has a single hero slot and a single Hero Banner at TH8. You own two heroes but bring one into each attack, and one defends. A common split is the King on attack and the Queen on defense, or the other way around if your army is built around her. The second slot arrives at TH9.
Max levels at Town Hall 8
Defenses and traps
| Building | Count | Max level |
|---|---|---|
| Cannon | 5 | 10 |
| Archer Tower | 5 | 10 |
| Mortar | 4 | 6 |
| Air Defense | 3 | 6 |
| Wizard Tower | 3 | 6 |
| Hidden Tesla | 3 | 6 |
| Air Sweeper | 1 | 4 |
| Bomb Tower | 1 | 2 |
| Walls | 225 | 8 |
| Bomb | 6 | 5 |
| Spring Trap | 6 | 3 |
| Air Bomb | 4 | 3 |
| Giant Bomb | 3 | 3 |
| Seeking Air Mine | 2 | 1 |
| Skeleton Trap | 2 | 2 |
Army, resource buildings and heroes
| Building or hero | Max level | What the cap means |
|---|---|---|
| Army Camp (4) | 6 | 200 housing space |
| Barracks | 10 | P.E.K.K.A |
| Dark Barracks | 4 | Valkyrie, Golem |
| Spell Factory / Dark Spell Factory | 3 / 2 | 7 spell slots in total |
| Laboratory | 6 | Research cap for the army table below |
| Clan Castle | 4 | 25 troops and 1 spell |
| Hero Hall | 2 | 1 hero slot |
| Blacksmith | 1 | Common equipment to level 9, Epic to 12 |
| Gold Mine and Elixir Collector (6 each) | 12 | |
| Gold and Elixir Storage (3 each) | 11 | |
| Dark Elixir Drill (2) / Storage | 3 / 4 | |
| Barbarian King | 20 | |
| Archer Queen | 10 |
Troops and spells
| Unit | Max level at TH8 |
|---|---|
| Barbarian, Archer, Giant, Goblin, Wall Breaker, Balloon, Wizard | 5 |
| Minion, Hog Rider | 4 |
| Healer, Dragon, P.E.K.K.A | 3 |
| Valkyrie, Golem | 2 |
| Lightning, Healing, Rage Spells | 5 |
| Poison, Earthquake Spells | 2 |
Town Hall 8 upgrade priority
- Build everything new first. The extra storages raise how much Gold and Elixir you can hold, and the second drill doubles your Dark Elixir income for two heroes.
- Upgrade the Hero Hall to level 2. It unlocks the Queen, and the game won’t let you start TH9 until the Hero Hall is at its TH8 maximum anyway.
- Take the Laboratory to 6 and keep it running.
- Upgrade the army buildings your attack uses: Dark Barracks to 4 for Valkyries and Golems, Dark Spell Factory to 2 for Poison and Earthquake, Barracks to 10 if you want P.E.K.K.As.
- Level the Queen and King whenever you stop attacking for a while. An upgrading hero can’t attack, but still defends in Ranked and war.
- Build the Blacksmith early. Equipment levels raise hero stats, and the Blacksmith’s ore storage has a cap, so ore you can’t spend has nowhere to go.
- Upgrade the Air Defenses, Bomb Tower and Wizard Towers, then the remaining defenses and Walls.
Armies that work at Town Hall 8 in 2026
Golems with Valkyries
The most common Ranked army at TH8, where you will often face TH9 bases. One or two Golems take the hits while Wall Breakers open the first compartment and Valkyries (8 housing space each) spin through the core behind them. Wizards clear the edge buildings that would pull the Valkyries off course. Bring Poison for Clan Castle troops and Healing Spells for the Valkyries.
Hog Riders
For war, where you meet TH8 bases at your own level, Hog Riders at level 4 are a strong pick. They jump Walls and go straight for defenses. Clear the Clan Castle troops first, keep a Healing Spell ready for Bomb Tower and Giant Bomb spots, and avoid pathing them over spaces where two Giant Bombs could sit, since a pair will kill Hogs even through a heal.
Mass Dragons
Ten Dragons still fill 200 housing space, and Dragon level 3 with Lightning level 5 handles many TH8 bases. Use Lightning (and an Earthquake if it fits) on one Air Defense, then attack from that side.
How to build a Town Hall 8 base
A good TH8 base has to stop Dragons from the air and Hogs or Golem-Valkyrie pushes on the ground. Build around these points:
- Keep all three Air Defenses well inside the walls, with Wizard Towers and the Air Sweeper covering them. Set the two Seeking Air Mines and the Air Bombs on the routes to them.
- Put the Bomb Tower in the core. It hits only ground troops, and when it’s destroyed it drops a bomb that splashes ground troops around it, which punishes Hogs and Valkyries that clump on it.
- Pair two of your three Giant Bombs between defenses on likely Hog paths, and use the third where Valkyries will cluster.
- Choose a target for each Skeleton Trap. Each one is set to ground or air, not both, so match them to what hits you most.
- Build small compartments. Golem-Valkyrie attacks depend on Wall Breakers opening a path, and every extra wall layer around the core costs them time.
- Place the Town Hall in the middle for Ranked and war, since destroying it gives the attacker a star. It no longer gives you a shield if it falls.
- For farming, spread the storages so one push can’t reach them all and keep the Dark Elixir Storage deep inside, since Dark Elixir pays for both heroes.
Trophy, war and farming versions
A Ranked (trophy) base protects the Town Hall above all, because one star from it is enough to win. A war base is judged on stars too, but every trap in it is armed for every enemy attack, so trap placement pays off more there than anywhere else. Some war bases also pull the Town Hall away from the center and use its high hitpoints to shield other buildings, trading an easier two stars for a harder three. A farming base for regular Battles cares about loot: storages split across compartments and Dark Elixir in the deepest one.
The video and three layouts below are from an earlier version of this guide: a farming base, a trophy base and a war base. They may be missing buildings TH8 has gained since, such as the Blacksmith and Skeleton Traps. Use them for the compartment layout and fit your newer buildings in.
Before you upgrade to Town Hall 9
- Every building TH8 allows is placed, and the Hero Hall is at level 2. Builder’s Huts and an unbuilt Clan Castle don’t block you.
- The King is close to 20 and the Queen close to 10. TH9 raises both caps to 30, so going up early leaves a long hero queue.
- Your main army is maxed for Lab 6.
- You have 2,500,000 Gold for the upgrade, which takes 2 days.
- Upgrading during a Ranked tournament moves you up to the TH9 league floor (Skeleton League 3) when it ends.
Town Hall 8 FAQ
What is the best Town Hall 8 base?
One that protects the three Air Defenses against Dragons, keeps the Bomb Tower and Wizard Towers on the core, and puts paired Giant Bombs on Hog paths. For Ranked and war, center the Town Hall.
What should I upgrade first at TH8?
New buildings, then the Hero Hall for the Archer Queen, then the Laboratory. After that, the army buildings for your attack and the air defenses.
What are the max levels at Town Hall 8?
Cannons and Archer Towers 10, Walls 8, Air Defense and Wizard Tower 6, Bomb Tower 2, Barbarian King 20 and Archer Queen 10. The tables above list everything.
Can I use both heroes in one attack at TH8?
No. The Hero Hall has one slot at TH8, so you pick one hero per attack. A second slot opens at Town Hall 9.
Next: Town Hall 9 guide. Previous: Town Hall 7 guide. See also the Town Hall overview, Hero Equipment and max levels for every Town Hall.
Sources: in-game data; Supercell release notes for the Town Hall 17 update (November 2024), Town Hall 16 update (Hero Equipment), Clash Anytime (March 2025) and Battle and Ranked modes (October 2025).
