MagmaHound's Strategy Guides/The Clan Castle as a Defense

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Hello , this is how to use your Clan Castle properly as an extra defense. When used correctly and loaded with the right troops it can be the most devastating building of your base.
Author's note: I'm no longer maintaining this guide, this guide was written back in 2015 so much of the information here will be outdated. For example, there are only compositions for Clan Castle levels up to 6 (there have been three more Clan Castle levels since, and a lot of new defensive compositions). I personally wouldn't mind anyone fixing broken image links and spelling errors, but if you'd like to majorly rewrite the guide, please tell me on my wall.
== Knowing your Clan Castle ==
Generally the higher level your Clan Castle is, the more troops it can hold. So to make it a lethal defense you should upgrade your Clan Castle to the highest level your Town Hall allows. That way you can have more troops defending your base.
You should also learn the housing space of each troop so that you'll know how much of each troop can fit in your Clan Castle.
The most common choices are:
* Archers, especially level 5+. Because they only have 1 housing space a lot of them can fit into a high-level Clan Castle.
* Wizards. Their high splash DPS coupled with relatively low housing space means there can still be a lot of them in a Clan Castle.
* Dragons. Their high splash DPS plus the fact they are flying and that they have high HP mean that they are one of the hardest troops to kill. However, they cannot fit into a level 2 Clan Castle or below, but 2 can fit into a maxed level Clan Castle.
* Witches, especially at high-level gameplay. They summon a lot of distracting skeletons, meaning that the attacker's troops have to fight through all the skeletons just to reach the Witch.
Just so you know, here's the amount of troops that can fit into a certain level of Clan Castle:
CC Level 	Barbarian, Archer, Goblin	Wall Breaker, Minion	Wizards	Giant, Hog Rider, Balloon	Valkyries	Witches	Healers	Dragons	P.E.K.K.As	Lava Hounds and Golems
1 (10 space)	10 	5 	2 	2 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0
2 (15 space)	15 	7 	3 	3 	1 	1 	1 	0 	0 	0
3 (20 space)	20 	10 	5 	4 	2 	1 	1 	1 	0 	0
4 (25 space)	25 	12 	6 	5 	3 	2 	1 	1 	1 	0
5 (30 space)	30 	15 	7 	6 	3 	2 	2 	1 	1 	1
6 (35 space)	35 	17 	8 	7 	4 	2 	2 	1 	1 	1
I am listing all types of Clan Castle troops because every Clan Castle troop, even the Wall Breaker, has usage at some point.
== My Classifications of Clan Castles ==
Although the best kind of Clan Castle is one in the center, there are still people who don't obey rules like that. Here is the types of Clan Castles as I define it.
* Outside Clan Castles. These Clan Castles are located outside of walls. As such, they are very easy to lure out, and you should do so with a Barbarian. Ranged troops are but useless with an outside CC, because they usually don't get to use their range as an advantage.
* Non-centralized Clan Castles. These Clan Castles are found inside the walls of the base but they are not at the center of the base. As such a Barbarian should be enough, if not a Giant. Ranged troops get to attack safely behind the walls of the base. However, not all sides will be defended.
* Centralized Clan Castles. These Clan Castles are found smack in the middle of the base. Usually only lureable with a Giant or Hog Rider, these Clan Castles are perhaps the most deadliest of all the Clan Castles, as the troops are capable of responding to attacks from all sides. Some bases have extremely centralized Clan Castles lureable only with Hog Riders.
* Unlureable Clan Castles. These Clan Castles are found centralized, with defenses spread out so much that they cover the radius of the Clan Castle completely and not even a Hog Rider will be able to make the troops inside the Clan Castle sortie out.
Make sure that your base does not have a building that is snipeable with a single Archer; it'll make luring the Clan Castle troops to kill them much easier.
== Knowing your Troops ==
Knowing your troops' strengths and weaknesses are key to knowing what situation they work best in.
For example, although melee troops like the Barbarian don't work best in centralized Clan Castles because they don't take advantage of the walls used to shield them from the attacking troops' attacks.
Similarly, ranged troops like the Archer will not defend you optimally when your Clan Castle is outside, because they can't take advantage of their range.
Here we have a quick analysis of each troop.
=== Barbarian ===
Damage: Low/Moderate
Hitpoints: Low/Moderate
Attack: Fast, single target, melee
Summary: Although he is decently good for defending, he is best used with an Outside Clan Castle because he is a melee troop. Because of his relatively slow movement speed he will not be the easiest troop to lure out from a non-centralized Clan Castle.
How to kill: Troops without preference / Lightning Spell / Air Troops
=== Archer ===
Damage: Low/Moderate
Hitpoints: Low
Attack: Fast, single target, ranged
Summary: Although she is one of the most popular Clan Castle Troops, in an outside Clan Castle she will be vulnerable, and will be no better than your Barbarians. If you want to maximize her effectiveness in defending make sure she is behind a wall so that attacking Barbarians and PEKKAs will be distracted for a long time, that means having a centralized Clan Castle is the best.
How to kill: Lured outside walls, then finished off with troops without preference / Lightning Spell
=== Giant ===
Damage: Low/Moderate
Hitpoints: Moderate/High
Attack: Moderately slow, single target, melee
Summary: He is a decent tanky troop to put into your Clan Castle, however his incapability to deal much damage is often frowned upon by many chiefs. Put him into an outside CC if you want to use him, but again his movement speed makes him slow to lure out from a central CC. However high-leveled Giants are capable of one-shotting Archers and even lower-leveled Barbarians.
How to kill: Mass troops without preference / Air Troops
=== Goblin ===
Damage: Low/Moderate
Hitpoints: Low/Moderate
Attack: Fast, single target, melee
Summary: While many people frown upon seeing Goblins in their CC they are actually pretty underrated in my opinion. Maximum level Goblins do decent damage to attacking troops, however they are melee so walls won't help them in defending your base. As they are extremely fast-moving, they are very easy to lure out of a central CC and thus are not very effective in one.
How to kill: Troops without preference / Lightning Spell / Air Troops
=== Wall Breaker ===
Damage: Low/Moderate
Hitpoints: Low
Attack: Single suicide attack, splash, melee
Summary: Although considered useless by many, high-level Wall Breakers are okay at low-level defending, doing a lot of damage to attacking troops, usually one-shotting lower leveled Barbarians and Archers. However they usually get shot down before they can drop the bomb, so make sure that the Wall Breaker has little to run to their target, by using an outside Clan Castle.
How to kill: Ranged troops without preference, spread-out / Lightning Spell / Air Troops
=== Balloon ===
Damage: Low/Moderate/High (dependent on level)
Hitpoints: Moderate
Attack: Very slow, splash, ground-only
Summary: A good defensive troop against those who decide to bring only Barbarians and Giants to battle. However, it's true potential isn't realized until it is upgraded to a high level. In large enough numbers they can one-shot hordes of high-health troops, including Giants and even Archer Queens sometimes. Although he is not a ranged unit he is very slow-moving and not easy to lure out.
How to kill: Ranged troops without preference, spread-out / Air Troops
=== Wizard ===
Damage: Moderate/High
Hitpoints: Low/Moderate
Attack: Moderately fast, splash, ranged
Summary: A decent ranged troop, similar to the Archer except with higher damage and HP, but slightly less range. His splash component allows him to mow down hordes of Giants or Hog Riders no matter when he's alone or coupled with other Wizards, making him extremely effective when defending attacks like these. He is slightly harder to lure out than an Archer because of his movement speed.
How to kill: Lured outside walls, then finished off with ranged troops without preference, spread-out / Lightning Spell
=== Healer ===
Damage: Negative
Healing Power: Moderate
Hitpoints: Moderate/High
Attack Heal Action: Very fast, splash, ranged, ground-only (50% effect on heroes)
Summary: With the new adjusted AI that stopped Healers from healing buildings it is all but useless now. She prioritizes healing other Clan Castle troops and heroes; if they are all gone then she will sit there waiting to die. A high-level Healer can be used in low-level defense when coupled with other troops; she can heal the defending troops faster than enemies can do damage to them. Try to make sure she is in an outside CC and that the heroes are close by; this will minimize the chances of Dragons being pulled towards the center because of her.
How to kill: Ranged troops without preference
=== Dragon ===
Damage: High
Hitpoints: High
Attack: Moderately fast, splash, ranged
Summary: A great troop for defense against ground troops; because of its splash component it is capable of destroying large amounts of ground troops at once. However, because of his high housing space your overall Clan Castle defense will not do too much damage. Although he is ranged he works great in any Clan Castle, because he is hard to kill. However he doesn't do too well against his own brethren.
How to kill: Ranged troops without preference, spread-out / other Dragons
=== P.E.K.K.A ===
Damage: Very High
Hitpoints: Very High
Attack: Slow, single target, melee
Summary: Although the statistics might say otherwise, she isn't too great of a defender due to her slow attacks. However she is capable of one-shotting just about any ground troop. Her attack speed means that she can be easily overwhelmed; 25 level 1 Archers can take out a maxed PEKKA. She works great in any Clan Castle because she isn't too easy to kill, as she will take some time before going down.
How to kill: Massed troops without preference / Air Troops
=== Minion ===
Damage: Moderate
Hitpoints: Low/Moderate
Attack: Fast, single target, ranged
Summary: Because the Minion is an air troop it'll punish anyone who brings ground troops to an air fight. Because it is ranged but it is an air troop the placement of your Clan Castle is irrelevant, because Walls are not a variable. However luring the Minion is not too difficult owing to its fast movement speed.
How to kill: Ranged troops without preference / Lightning Spell
=== Hog Rider ===
Damage: Moderate/High
Hitpoints: Moderate
Attack: Fast, single target, melee
Summary: The Hog Rider is a good troop for defending, having a good DPS and HP. They are able to one-shot most Tier 1 troops, including lower-level Barbarians. However, it's drawbacks are its movement speed and the fact that it is a melee troop. Thus it is advised to use them for outside Clan Castles.
How to kill: Massed troops without preference / Air Troops
=== Valkyrie ===
Damage: Moderate/High
Hitpoints: High
Attack: Moderately slow, splash, melee
Summary: The Valkyrie is a great defensive troop for lower-levels and extremely effective against melee troops like the Barbarian. Because of her melee splash damage she is good for taking out packs of Giants or Hog Riders. However note that because she has to run about to each troop she kills, she is not very effective against Archers or Wizards. Because of her moderately fast movement she does not take too much to lure out of a central CC.
How to kill: Ranged troops without preference, spread-out / Air Troops
=== Golem ===
Damage: Low
Hitpoints: Very High
Attack: Slow, single target, melee (death explosion is splash)
Summary: Although the Golem is both slow to attack and deals a low amount of damage, what sets it out from the rest is its ability to explode upon death. Because of its high hitpoints, many people will instinctively use massed troops to kill it faster, and the resulting explosion will kill just about all of them. Throw in the two Golemites that'll do just about the same thing, yeah, it's still a decent defender.
How to kill: Ranged troops without preference, spread-out / Air Troops
=== Witch ===
Damage: Low (skeletons deal moderate damage)
Hitpoints: Low/Moderate
Attack: Very fast, splash, ranged (skeletons have a fast, single target, melee attack)
Summary: Generally this troop is very useful when defending as she stays back while her skeletons do front-line combat. Behind walls she works best because it will then be almost impossible to kill without a Lightning Spell. When out in the open she can be killed easily by Wizards or Valkyries that will simply one-shot her. Thus if you want to use her on defense it is best to centralize your Clan Castle; she won't be easily lured. Note that she is not too capable of defending against Air Troops.
How to kill: Lured outside of walls, then finished off with ranged troops without preference, spread-out / Lightning Spell / Air Troops
=== Magma Hound Lava Hound ===
Damage: Very Low
Hitpoints: Very High
Attack: Moderately slow, single target, ranged
Summary: Although it seems useless in defense 14 damage per second is often better than nothing. Combine it with the fact that the Lava Hound can only be attacked by ranged troops and that it's high hitpoints mean it will survive a long while in battle. The resulting Lava Pups upon its death will send Dragons flying everywhere, and other troops will be distracted for long.
How to kill: Mass ranged troops without preference, spread-out
== Making the Most out of your Troops ==
Apart from asking for maxed troops to defend your base (obviously), you can still use Clan Castle troops to their optimum by putting them in different situations dependent on the placement of the Clan Castle.
* Outside Clan Castles are best filled with Barbarians instead of Archers. A Barbarian does more damage and is more resistant to attack than similar-level Archers. Because the Clan Castle is outside Archers won't be able to take advantage of Walls, and thus are more vulnerable than your Barbarians.
* Because Outside Clan Castles and Non-Centralized Clan Castles are not hard to lure out you should still try to make the attacker waste as much time as possible trying to deal with your CC. High hitpoint troops like the Dragon are best for Clan Castles like that.
* Fit Wizards and Witches into Central Clan Castles; both are extremely devastating inside the confines of walls. As they sortie out after Archers try to back them up with as many Archers as possible to make sure they don't deploy when a few Hog Riders try to lure them out. When the main attack is deployed they will proceed to wreak havoc on a surprised attacker's army.
* Lava Hounds are great against mass dragon raids: it's Lava Pups will proceed to distract the dragons everywhere. Make sure none of these Lava Pups end up on top of your Town Hall or it'll spell doom for you. For that reason it is best placed in a Clan Castle next to the Town Hall.
* Balloons are best used in groups: otherwise they are slow and clunky to do major damage. A bunch of maxed balloons together will one-shot many high health troops like Giants and lower-level Heroes. They can be great early in the battle when an attacking Archer Queen attempts to shoot them down only to get one-shot, or later in the battle when the attacker lacks any ranged troops to take them out.
* Valkyries are not the greatest defender against spread out Archers or Wizards; but they are excellent in destroying skeletons from Witches or Barbarians. Make her defend lower-level bases; Archers are not too common at lower levels; Barbarians and Giants are.
* Healers can be used to support other powerful troops, like the Valkyrie. But make sure that her path to the Heroes when your powerful troops fall doesn't cross over your Town Hall, or else flying troops like Dragons will be distracted by her and be pulled towards the Town Hall.
* Dragons are super-deadly when in an Outside Clan Castle or Non-centralized Clan Castle. When in a centralized Clan Castle it'll probably just draw Wizards and other Dragons towards the Town Hall, and both are likely to take out Town Halls pretty quickly, so watch out!
* Although Archers can work well in a Non-centralized Clan Castle, it is generally not as effective as an Archer in a centralized Clan Castle because the Archers in the non-central CC is easier to lure out, and if the CC is behind a single line of walls a single Barbarian might be enough to make them jump the wall, leaving them vulnerable.
* Although PEKKAs are capable of doing extremely high damage per hit all that damage could be wasted on an Archer. Try to make them appear in situations where lots of high-health troops like Giants appear, so if you've been attacked a lot by Giants or other high-health ground troops, the PEKKA could be more viable than Wizards that could be all one-shot by Valkyries or other Wizards. To prevent them from being lured out and destroyed by mass Tier 1 troops place them in a Centralized Clan Castle.
== Recommended Compositions of Troops ==
These are my suggestions for what troops you can place to maximize effect of the Clan Castle as a defense. Obviously the higher-leveled the troops the better.
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== Conclusion ==
Remember, Clan Castle Troops are capable of ruining an attack, whether it be making them run out of time or simply going rampant on the attacking army. It could mean the difference between a defensive win and a 3-star defeat. Or it could mean a person a TH above you fails to get any of your storages instead of running through your base with his level 6 Giants. No matter whether you are trophy pushing or farming the Clan Castle can help save your trophies or resources so that's a great incentive to keep your Clan Castle full of troops.
I said that the CC could potentially be the deadliest defense in the game when loaded with the right troops and hopefully this guide should convince you to agree. That's all for now.