Town Hall 7 Guide: Dragons, Dark Elixir and Ranked

What changes at Town Hall 7

Dark Elixir arrives. You can build a Dark Elixir Drill and a Dark Elixir Storage, and the Dark Barracks unlocks the Minion and, at level 2, the Hog Rider. The Barracks reaches level 9 for the Dragon, and Spell Factory level 3 adds the Rage Spell.

The Barbarian King becomes a full Hero. The Hero Hall gives you his Hero Banner, so he defends the area around it, and he can be upgraded to level 10 with Dark Elixir and a Builder. The Hero Hall also opens the Hero's Journey tab, a reward track that fills as you upgrade Heroes.

Defense grows a lot: two more Cannons (five), a fourth Archer Tower, a third Mortar, a third Air Defense, two Hidden Teslas, a fourth Army Camp, two more Bombs, a second Giant Bomb, the first Seeking Air Mine and 175 Walls. The upgrade costs 1,000,000 Gold and takes 18 hours, and the boost after it lasts 4 days.

TH7 also unlocks Ranked Battles, where trophies are now earned. Your league floor at TH7 is Skeleton League 1, and you cannot be demoted below it.

Upgrade priority

The Barbarian King is upgraded by a Builder, so he competes with every other building for builder time. Because Dark Elixir trickles in slowly, start his upgrades early and keep them going rather than saving them for the end.

1. Dark Elixir Drill and Dark Elixir Storage. Every Dark Elixir upgrade at this level depends on them.
2. Laboratory to level 5, then Dragons or Hog Riders, whichever you will use in war.
3. Barbarian King, one level whenever you have the Dark Elixir.
4. Third Air Defense and the Seeking Air Mine, because every TH7 attacker can bring Dragons.
5. Dark Barracks to level 2 for Hog Riders, Barracks to level 9 for Dragons, and Spell Factory level 3 for Rage.
6. Hidden Teslas, the new Cannons and Archer Tower, and the Giant Bomb.
7. Storages, collectors, Walls and the remaining Mortar and Wizard Tower levels.

How to choose a base at TH7

You now need to think about three uses. For Ranked Battles you choose a layout that is snapshotted at the start of each week: traps are always armed, your King defends even while upgrading, and you lose no loot. That makes a war-style base the right choice for Ranked. For normal Multiplayer Battles, where loot can be stolen, a layout that protects storages and the Dark Elixir Storage works better.

Against mass Dragons, spread the three Air Defenses so that a Dragon group entering from any side cannot reach two of them quickly, and keep them inside walls with other buildings in front so the Dragons spend time on those first. Seeking Air Mines next to the Air Defenses punish the Dragons that reach them.

Hidden Teslas stay hidden until a troop comes within six tiles, so they are strong near the Town Hall or in gaps where Hog Riders path between defenses. Keep Giant Bombs on those gaps too: Hog Riders jump walls and move from defense to defense, so a pair of Giant Bombs on their path is the best counter. The Barbarian King's banner works best near the core, where he can reach troops that break in.

Common attack strategies at TH7

Mass Dragons are the signature TH7 attack. Dragons have high health and splash damage, so the attack is decided by the Air Defenses. Pick the side where an Air Defense is closest to the edge, deploy in a line so the Dragons spread across the base instead of clumping, and save Rage Spells for the moment they reach the core.

Hog Riders are the main ground option. They target defenses and jump over walls, which makes them fast, but Giant Bombs and Hidden Teslas can wipe them out. Drop Healing Spells ahead of them in the core and send them after the King or a few Giants have pulled the first defenses.

Giant Healer still works into bases with weak Air Defenses. The Barbarian King now has real levels, so use him as the tank that opens the side your main army enters from.

Farming and resources at TH7

From TH7, attackers can take 18% of your stored Gold and Elixir (capped at 360,000) and 6% of your Dark Elixir Storage. The Town Hall itself now holds 500,000 Gold and Elixir and 2,500 Dark Elixir. Searching costs 350 Gold per base.

Dark Elixir is the tight resource. Raid bases with a full Dark Elixir Storage or Drill, and use Ranked Battles for trophies and League Bonuses rather than loot, since defenders there do not lose resources. Dark Elixir Drills can reach level 3 at TH7, so upgrade the one you have early; it is the only steady source of Dark Elixir that does not depend on raiding. Star Bonuses at TH7 depend on your league as well as your Town Hall.

Mistakes to avoid

• Leaving the Barbarian King at level 1 while you finish defenses. His upgrades take the longest to catch up later.
• Placing all three Air Defenses in a straight line, which a Dragon line can follow.
• Using the same layout for farming and Ranked. Ranked protects stars; a farming base protects loot.
• Spending Dark Elixir on troops you will not use instead of on the King.
• Placing the King's Hero Banner on the edge, where a few troops can pull him away from your defenses and kill him alone.
• Rushing to TH8 with Dragons unresearched and a low King. TH8 bases add a Bomb Tower and more air traps, and a weak army struggles there.