Town Hall 8 is an exciting stage in Clash of Clans, where the real fun begins. Many players cherish their time at TH8 because it offers a lot of enjoyment.
At TH8, you get to explore various attack strategies, and knowing which troops to upgrade first can make a big difference in your gameplay. Let’s discuss the top upgrade priorities for your troops at Town Hall 8 in the Laboratory.
Dragon
At TH8, the Dragon is your ultimate powerhouse troop. When you reach Town Hall 8, you unlock a new level for your Dragons, boosting them from level 2 to level 3. Once you have level 3 Dragons, you’ll feel confident taking on any TH8 base.
Dragons can benefit you in both clan wars and farming. While they may take a bit longer to train, the wait is definitely worth it. Dragons can speed up your base upgrades and keep your clan war performance at its best.
Dragon to level 3 upgrade cost: 2,000,000 Elixirs
Dragon to level 3 upgrade time: 1 day, 12 hours
Lightning Spell
After upgrading your Dragons, the next important step is to upgrade your Lightning Spell. Air Defenses can be a real challenge for Dragons, and having a stronger Lightning Spell can help you take them out easily.
Upgrading your Lightning Spell makes it more capable of eliminating Air Defenses, which in turn allows your Dragons to decimate your opponent’s base.
Lightning Spell to level 5 upgrade cost: 600,000 Elixirs
Lightning Spell to level 5 upgrade time: 1 day
PEKKA
Once you’ve perfected your mass Dragon attack strategy, it’s time to explore the GoWiPe attack strategy. At TH8, you unlock the mighty PEKKA, but to make the most of her, you’ll want to upgrade her to level 3. Fortunately, PEKKAs can reach level 3 at TH8.
Make upgrading your PEKKA to level 3 a priority, and you’ll see improved results in your GoWiPe attacks.
| Level | Upgrade Cost (Elixirs) | Upgrade Time |
| 2 | 1,200,000 | 12 hours |
| 3 | 1,800,000 | 1 day |
Wizard
Wizards play an important role in the GoWiPe attack strategy, and they can also be quite effective when farming, especially when teamed up with Giants.
Wizards aid in the speedy creation of a funnel for your PEKKAs during GoWiPe attacks. Upgrading your Wizards to level 5 will massively boost their usefulness and increase their damage per second.
Wizard to level 5 upgrade cost: 1,200,000 Elixirs
Wizard to level 5 upgrade time: 1 day
Rage Spell
Rage Spell stands out as an important upgrade for TH8 players. This spell finds utility in nearly every attack strategy. The Rage Spell plays a major role in the success of a GoWiPe attack strategy, making it a key upgrade to prioritize in your Laboratory.
Rage Spell to level 5 upgrade cost: 2,400,000 Elixirs
Rage Spell to level 5 upgrade time: 4 days
Wall Breaker
Wall Breakers are a must-have for Town Hall 8 players looking to remove walls hindering their ground-based attack strategies. Golem attacks are quite popular at TH8, and higher-level Wall Breakers will get your Golems and PEKKAs inside your enemy’s base more easily.
Wall Breaker to level 5 upgrade cost: 1,200,000 Elixirs
Wall Breaker to level 5 upgrade time: 1 day
Golem
At TH8, you unlock the massive Golem, which can also be upgraded to level 2. Golems are a favorite choice for TH8 and TH9 players when it comes to ground-based attack strategies.
Upgrading your Golem allows you to have more fun and get creative while taking down your enemy’s bases with the help of these powerful ground units.
Golem to level 2 upgrade cost: 10,000 Dark Elixirs
Golem to level 2 upgrade time: 1 day, 6 hours
Valkyrie
Valkyrie serves a dual purpose at TH8, excelling in both offense and defense. You have the option to donate Valkyries to your war castles for improved base defense, or you can deploy them alongside Golems to execute the potent GoValk attack strategy.
GoValk attack strategy proves highly effective, particularly against specific base layouts.
Valkyrie to level 2 upgrade cost: 8,000 Dark Elixirs
Valkyrie to level 2 upgrade time: 1 day
Hog Rider
Hog Riders are a frequently used troop at Town Hall 8 and beyond which makes them a priority for lab upgrades.
Players often deploy a mass Hog attack strategy at TH8, which is incredibly effective for dismantling bases. This strategy revolves around deploying Hog Riders in conjunction with Healing Spells.
| Level | Upgrade Cost (Dark Elixirs) | Upgrade Time |
| 3 | 9,000 | 20 hours |
| 4 | 16,000 | 1 day, 6 hours |
Healing Spell
As we mentioned earlier, Hog Riders are most effective when paired with Healing Spells. Therefore, it’s wise to prioritize the upgrade of your Healing Spells immediately after reaching level 4 with your Hog Riders.
This spell plays a big role in keeping your Hog Riders in good shape, especially when they encounter double Giant Bombs or come under fire from Wizard Towers. A successful mass Hog Rider attack hinges on deploying Healing Spells at the right time and place.
Healing Spell to level 5 upgrade cost: 900,000 Elixirs
Healing Spell to level 5 upgrade time: 1 day, 12 hours
Poison Spell
The Poison Spell is another essential spell to prioritize upgrading at Town Hall 8. It becomes available at TH8 and can also reach level 2. This upgrade improves the Poison Spell’s statistics, making it much easier to eliminate enemy Clan Castle troops.
Poison Spell to level 2 upgrade cost: 12,000 Dark Elixirs
Poison Spell to level 2 upgrade time: 8 hours
Balloon
At Town Hall 8, some players favor the use of Balloons in a strategy called Balloonian, which involves deploying Balloons and Minions to clear out the enemy base.
While not always the go-to strategy, it can be quite effective against specific base layouts. To unlock the full potential of Balloonian attacks, upgrading your Balloons is a smart move.
Balloon to level 5 upgrade cost: 1,500,000 Elixirs
Balloon to level 5 upgrade time: 1 day
Minion
After your Balloons reach level 5, shift your focus to upgrading Minions to level 4. Minions can assist in creating funnels for various attack strategies. They also come in handy for eliminating enemy Clan Castle troops.
| Level | Upgrade Cost (Dark Elixirs) | Upgrade Time |
| 3 | 7,000 | 16 hours |
| 4 | 15,000 | 1 day |
Giant
Giants serve as excellent tanking troops, often used alongside smaller units to protect them during loot raids. They can even step in as a substitute for Golems in certain situations. Additionally, Giants are handy for luring out enemy Clan Castle troops when needed.
Giant to level 5 upgrade cost: 1,200,000 Elixirs
Giant to level 5 upgrade time: 1 day
Healer
The combination of Healers and Giants is well-known for lower Town Hall levels, and it remains effective for farming resources at TH8. Plus, you’ll find Healers indispensable at TH9, especially when using Queen Charge attacks.
Therefore, consider upgrading your Healers once you’ve completed your Giants.
Healer to level 3 upgrade cost: 900,000 Elixirs
Healer to level 3 upgrade time: 1 day
Goblin
Goblins are resource-hungry units that specialize in raiding resource buildings. Pairing them with Giants is an effective way to plunder resources from enemy bases.
Goblin to level 5 upgrade cost: 1,200,000 Elixirs
Goblin to level 5 upgrade time: 1 day
Barbarian and Archer
After completing the upgrades mentioned earlier, shift your attention to upgrading Barbarians and Archers. You can choose to upgrade either Archers or Barbarians first, depending on your preference.
We’re upgrading resource-stealing troops last because Dragons are the top choice for resource gathering at TH8.
Barbarian to level 5 upgrade cost: 650,000 Elixirs
Barbarian to level 5 upgrade time: 1 day
Archer to level 5 upgrade cost: 800,000 Elixirs
Archer to level 5 upgrade time: 1 day
Earthquake Spell
After completing all other Laboratory upgrades, finish off by upgrading the Earthquake Spell. You can leave this spell for last because its effectiveness remains consistent across different levels.
Any level 4 Earthquake Spell can break through walls, so the upgrade level doesn’t massively impact its performance.
Earthquake Spell to level 2 upgrade cost: 15,000 Dark Elixirs
Earthquake Spell to level 2 upgrade time: 18 hours
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Thank you for sharing your experience & knowledge! I just started playing (again) & your site has given me much insight to my planning. I am trying to upgrade everything b4 upgrading to th8. It would seem that otherwise, things fall through the cracks & the excitement of all the “new toys”!
1 quick question, I noticed a group of wizards stop & pause at 1 piece of wall in their path (on their route back to base) of an outlying builder hut. It was only about 2 seconds, but 10 wizards! I didn’t find any reference to this, but thought it was interesting.
Keep up the great sharing. Your site is my “Go-to guide”.