Updated: 18 September 2026 · By the Goblins Farm team
The rules the game does not print. Loot percentages, shield timers, why your Giants walked around the wall you built for them, how war matchmaking decides your opponent, and what the search screen is really doing while you press next. These are the pages that make every other page make sense.
Loot, shields and the farming loop
Everything that determines how much you gain per attack and how much you lose per defence.
Loot mechanicsWhy the loot preview says 340k when the defender has three million in the bank.
Shields and Village GuardThe timer that decides when you can be attacked, and how to use it on purpose.
Matchmaking and the search screenWhat the game is doing while you press next, and how to press it less.
Trophies and leaguesWhy good players sometimes throw defences on purpose.
Dark elixirThe resource that decides how fast your heroes grow, which is to say everything.
Combat
How troops choose targets, how walls really work, and why attacks fail.
Troop targeting and AINearest valid target, every time, with a short list of exceptions.
Walls and pathingWalls do not stop troops. They redirect them, which is more useful.
Clan Castle troopsThe one part of a base that fights back and follows you home.
Spell mechanicsWhere you drop it and when matters more than which one you brought.
FunnellingThe single technique that separates 50 per cent attacks from three stars.
Siege machinesThe delivery vehicle for your Clan Castle troops, and a funnel on wheels.
Defence and base building
Defence mechanicsWhat each category of defence is for, and what it cannot touch.
Base building principlesWhy copying a layout screenshot rarely works, and what to do instead.
Clan game modes
Clan WarsTwo attacks, two days, and a scoring system that rewards patience.
Clan War LeaguesSeven wars, one attack each, and rewards that dwarf regular war.
Clan Capital and Raid WeekendsA second, shared village that the whole clan builds together.
War weightThe most misunderstood number in the game, and mostly a distraction.
Progression systems
Builder BaseA separate village with its own economy, its own troops and its own rules.
Super TroopsA temporary, much stronger version of a troop you already have.
Hero EquipmentTwo slots per hero that change what the hero is for.
Magic itemsFinite time-savers. Spend them on the longest timer you have.
Season Challenges and the Gold PassA monthly reward track, and the one purchase most players consider.
Upgrade priorityOne framework that answers the question at every Town Hall level.
Frequently asked
Do these mechanics change with updates?
The systems described here are stable across years; the numbers attached to them are not. Supercell has adjusted loot percentages, shield durations and league bonuses many times, but the underlying rules, that collectors hold a larger stealable share than storages, that damage grants a shield, that troops pick the nearest valid target, have held throughout.
Where should I start?
If you are farming, read loot mechanics, then shields and Village Guard, then matchmaking. If your attacks keep failing, read troop targeting and AI, then walls and pathing, then funnelling, in that order.
Keep reading
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.