Clash of Clans TH9 War Strategy Guide: Best Armies and Pathing

To consistently earn three stars against maxed Town Hall 9 bases in Clash of Clans, you must neutralize the defending Archer Queen and Clan Castle troops before unleashing your main army. Town Hall 9 offenses rely on three primary attack archetypes: Queen Charge LavaLoon, GoHog, and Witch Slap.

Your immediate action during preparation day is to scout the enemy layout's compartment density, Clan Castle trigger radius, and Air Defense alignment to determine which strategy fits the target.

Choosing the Right TH9 War Strategy

Match your army choice directly to the defensive weaknesses of the opponent's base layout:

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Queen Charge LavaLoon

Queen Charge LavaLoon (QC Lalo) is ideal when the enemy Archer Queen, the Clan Castle, and at least one or two Air Defenses can be reached from the perimeter.

1. Establish the Funnel: Deploy a Baby Dragon or small funneling group on one edge and your Barbarian King on the other to force your Archer Queen into the targeted compartment.
2. Support the Queen: Assign four Healers to the Queen. Hold a Rage Spell ready to drop directly on the Queen and Healers when taking fire from multiple point defenses or high-damage defending Clan Castle troops.
3. Neutralize Threats: Drop a Poison Spell and a Rage Spell during her duel with the opposing Queen and defending Clan Castle units.
4. Deploy the Air Stage: Once the Queen secures those objectives, send Lava Hounds directly toward the remaining Air Defenses.
5. Path the Balloons: Release Balloons in targeted groups of two to three per exterior defense directly behind the Lava Hounds. Cast Haste Spells to push the Balloons quickly through Wizard Towers and X-Bows.

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GoHog

GoHog pairs a tanked ground "kill squad" with a surgical wave of Hog Riders. This composition excels against dense, multi-compartment bases where an outer wall breach gives your heroes direct access to the enemy Queen.

• Phase 1 (The Entry): Deploy one to two Golems to absorb outer defense fire. Clear trash buildings with Wizards to form a wide funnel, then crack the outer wall with Wall Breakers.
• Phase 2 (The Kill Squad Core Push): Direct your Barbarian King, Archer Queen, and remaining Wizards into the base core using a Jump Spell or Rage Spell. Drop a Poison Spell to defeat the defending Clan Castle and eliminate the enemy Queen.
• Phase 3 (The Hog Surge): Deploy 24 to 28 Hog Riders in small groups along exterior defenses in a steady clockwise or counter-clockwise rotation.

Cast your three Healing Spells proactively. Place them over predicted Giant Bomb locations, clusters of double Cannons, and hidden Tesla farms before your Hog Riders take burst damage.

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Witch Slap

Witch Slap exploits open-ring and symmetrical box bases featuring spread-out defenses and central Wizard Towers. Continuous skeleton generation overwhelms single-target defenses while a reinforced core squad pushes through the middle.

• Flank Walking: Split your Witches into two outer groups of four to five each, accompanied by two Healers per group. Deploy them on adjacent outer corners to clear trash buildings and distract exterior Cannons and Archer Towers.
• Core Assault: Send your Golem, Barbarian King, Archer Queen, remaining Witches, and Clan Castle Bowlers directly through the center using Wall Breakers or Jump Spells.
• Spell Timing: Use a Jump Spell over central compartments so Bowlers and core Witches bypass walls to reach X-Bows. Drop a Rage Spell when the core units reach the dense center to maximize bouncing boulder damage.

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Handling the Clan Castle and Defending Heroes

An unaddressed enemy Queen or high-level Clan Castle troop—such as an Electro Dragon, Lava Hound, or Witch pair—will quickly shut down your attack.

• Lurable Clan Castles: If the trigger radius extends outside the walls, lure the Clan Castle with a single Hog Rider or Balloon. Drag the defenders to an anchor corner, drop a Poison Spell, and dispatch them with your Queen or Wizards before starting your primary assault.
• Unlurable Clan Castles: If the radius is fully protected, path your kill squad or Queen Charge straight into the trigger boundary with a Poison Spell pre-queued.
• Barbarian King Timing: Hold the Barbarian King’s Iron Fist ability until he engages heavy point defense or steps ahead of your Queen to absorb critical burst damage, keeping him alive for late-stage cleanup.