What to Upgrade Next in Clash of Clans
Updated: 18 September 2026 · By the Goblins Farm team
The specific answer changes at every Town Hall. The method does not. Four things should never be idle, and within that there is a reliable ordering.
Progress in Clash of Clans is measured in parallel timers, not in resources. Loot sitting in a storage is doing nothing except attracting attackers. The question is never really what to upgrade, it is what is currently not running.
What this page talks about
Step by step
- Check the four things that should never be idle
The laboratory, a hero, every builder, and your defensive Clan Castle. If any of those is empty, that is your answer and you can stop reading.
- Army camps first at a new Town Hall
More troops per attack improves every attack you make at this level. This is almost always the best first purchase after moving up.
- Laboratory, then the research you actually use
Research the troops in the army you genuinely run, not the ones you might one day try. It applies permanently to every future attack.
- Storages next
If your storages cannot hold the cost of the next upgrade, you physically cannot buy it, and this confuses people for days.
- Close defence category gaps
A missing Air Defense is a hole; a fourth Cannon is a decoration. Fix the category you do not have before adding depth to one you do.
- Walls, continuously, with surplus
Never a priority. Always the sink. No builder, no timer, unlimited capacity.
Before you press the Town Hall upgrade button
Run this checklist honestly:
- Are my heroes within a reasonable range of this Town Hall's cap?
- Is the laboratory maxed for this level, and are the troops I use researched?
- Are army camps maxed?
- Is any defence category, especially anti-air, still weak?
- Will I have builders free for the next level's queue?
Four yeses means go. Two means you are rushing, which is a choice rather than a mistake, but you should know you are making it. See how not to rush.
Frequently asked
What should I upgrade first in Clash of Clans?
Whatever is currently idle. The laboratory, a hero and every builder should always be running, and if one is not, that is your answer. At a new Town Hall, army camps and laboratory research come first because they improve every attack you make at that level.
Should I upgrade walls?
Yes, but only with surplus, and never before defences, heroes or research. Walls need no builder and no timer and accept unlimited resources, which makes them the ideal place to spend loot you would otherwise leave in a storage where it can be stolen.
Goblins Farm is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or specifically approved by Supercell. Clash of Clans is a trademark of Supercell Oy. This material is unofficial fan content produced under Supercell's Fan Content Policy. Game values change with every update; always verify in-game before committing an upgrade.