Town Hall 5 Guide: Wizard Tower, Spells and Upgrades

What changes at Town Hall 5

The Wizard Tower is the headline. It hits both ground and air troops with splash damage, so it punishes the groups of Archers, Barbarians and Balloons that most TH5 attacks rely on. You also get a third Cannon and a third Archer Tower, two more Bombs (four in total), two Air Bombs and 100 Walls.

Offense gains the Spell Factory, which unlocks the Lightning Spell, and Barracks level 7, which unlocks the Wizard. A third Army Camp raises the size of your army, and the Laboratory can reach level 3.

The Barbarian King you received at TH4 now fights at 75% of his level 1 stats. He still cannot be upgraded or defend. The upgrade to TH5 costs 150,000 Gold and takes 6 hours, and the Town Hall now holds 100,000 Gold and 100,000 Elixir that can be stolen if it is destroyed.

Upgrade priority

The three-day boost after the upgrade makes your troops fight at TH5 maximum levels, so attack heavily during it and use the extra loot to get the new buildings placed quickly.

1. Build the Spell Factory and the third Army Camp. Both raise the strength of every attack right away.
2. Build the Wizard Tower and upgrade it. It is the only splash defense that covers air at this level.
3. Laboratory to level 3. Research the troops in your main army before you touch Lightning.
4. Barracks to level 7 for Wizards if you plan to use them; skip it for now if Giants and Archers are your army.
5. Air Defense, then the new Cannon and Archer Tower.
6. Storages, so you can save the 500,000 Gold that TH6 costs.
7. Place the new Bombs and Air Bombs, then Walls, collectors and the remaining defenses.

How to choose a base at TH5

You still have no trophies to defend, since Ranked Battles start at TH7, so pick a layout for loot and use a war layout only if your clan is in war. A good TH5 base keeps the Town Hall, Air Defense and Wizard Tower close together in the middle, with Archer Towers covering them from a slightly wider ring.

The Wizard Tower has a short range, so it only helps if the troops come to it. Put it where an attack has to pass, next to the Air Defense or behind the first wall layer facing the most open side. A Wizard Tower in a corner covers almost nothing.

Air Bombs deal splash damage to groups of air troops, which makes them the best trap against Balloons. Place them on the path between the edge and the Air Defense. Regular Bombs belong near the Town Hall and storages, where groups of Archers and Barbarians stop to fight.

Common attack strategies at TH5

Giants with Wizards behind them is the classic TH5 attack. The Giants take hits from the defenses while the Wizards clear buildings with splash damage. Wizards have low health, so do not deploy them until the Giants are already under fire, and keep them away from the Wizard Tower and Mortar until those are down.

Balloons still work against bases with one weak point, now with Lightning as backup. Lightning is the only spell you have, and most players save it for a single defense that would otherwise stop the main army, such as the Air Defense before a Balloon push or a Wizard Tower covering the core. Check what your Lightning level actually does to that building before relying on it.

Use the Barbarian King and Barbarian Puppet to soak damage on one side while the main army enters from another. With no training times in the Home Village, you can try different armies cheaply and keep the one that works best for your clan's wars.

Farming and resources at TH5

From TH5 the share of stored Gold and Elixir an attacker can take is still 20%, but it is capped at 200,000. Collectors give up 50% of what they hold, so empty them before you log off. Finding a match costs 150 Gold per base.

Complete the Star Bonus every day it is available. Because loot is reduced against lower Town Halls, keep attacking TH5 and TH6 bases with full collectors.

Mistakes to avoid

• Putting the Wizard Tower on the edge, where Archers can remove it from outside its range.
• Researching Lightning before your main troops. One spell rarely changes the result as much as stronger troops do.
• Deploying Wizards first. They die to almost anything without a tank in front.
• Leaving Air Bombs next to the wall where a single Balloon triggers them.
• Building the Spell Factory last. It costs Elixir, not Gold, so it can run alongside your defense upgrades from day one.
• Rushing to TH6 with a level 1 Wizard Tower. The next Town Halls add more air attacks, and this tower is part of your answer.