Notes for TH9s

Our last war was one of the best we've had in a while. Attacks were solid all around, but the TH9s in particular did a really good job. We had 4 different players 3 star with 4 different kinds of attacks, and were just 2 stars short of a perfect war.

It has been encouraging to see more players expanding the types of attacks they use and trying armies like GoHo, GoVaLo, GoVaWiWi, and GoLaLoon. Three starring bases on your level becomes increasingly difficult at TH9, but it is definitely still possible if you plan and execute well, and these are the sorts of armies that can get the job done.

That said, there's still some room for improvement, so here are a couple pieces of advice:


1. Don't Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

This goes for everyone, really. It can be tempting to go after the tough bases, whether for the bonus or just to see if you can take them on, but remember war is a team effort, and in order to maximize our chances of winning, part of our strategy is to try to 3 star as many bases as we can on the first try while still attacking on the same TH level. This means that on the first attack especially, it usually pays to go a little lower than your opposite. If you're #4, for example, you should probably be looking at 5-8, depending on the clan makeup.

2. You Need to Plan EVERY Aspect of the Attack

Throwing down your entire army, trying to create a funnel, and then placing spells and timing hero ability for maximum impact isn't generally enough to 3 star most TH9s unless the base is rushed, the layout is really bad, or you happen to get lucky. Planning for the CC and Queen is important for most attacks, as is understanding how defense-targeting troops are going to move through the base, and planning accordingly. For GoHo, it's important to plan for possible giant bomb and double giant bomb spots, and try to deal with the King as well. For ground attacks, you can't just plan to get to the core; you need a plan to keep your main force alive long enough to make it out the far side of the core, which often involves troops skirting one side and taking out outer defenses, or a reserve force (usually hogs or loons) to take out remaining defenses.

3. GoWiPe and GoWiWi Aren't Enough By Themselves

While we're starting to see more variety and better strategies from our TH9s, we've still got a number of players that haven't moved past GoWiPe or GoWiWi.  PEKKAs in particular get fried far too easily by level 6 and 7 teslas to be effective in 3 star strategies, and while witches are definitely an upgrade from PEKKAs, GoWiWi attacks still typically need a reserve force of hogs or loons to have a shot at 3 stars.