Elixir dilemma while pushing to Masters

Here's the predicament, I'm a TH9, trying to get to masters for the gems and just to say I did it.

My strategy has been balloonion, running 24 Balloons, 48 Minions, 2 Barbs and 2 Arch for CC troops.


Works great, I can two star most most bases without infernos set to multi and only use a heal spell and sometimes a rage. But, I've gotten to where I don't bring in enough elixir to build said army, so I switch to BAM, and it works well enough, but getting 4 trophies and breaking even on loot isn't helping the process, especially with a war starting tonight.

Im looking for other input on how people manage to get to the higher trophy levels and retain any kind of loot.

Max out storages and CC before push, have max collectors/mines. If you can take advantage of weak bases to do more then break even..Buy all decorations, so you can sell for extra resources in time of need.

I farm in masters and did so as a th9 as well. Last month I farmed up to 3100 cups, never running short on pink. I don't loon below C1 & don't like even farming with loons below m3.

Here is my advice:

First, forget two stars. My first push into masters I kept trying to 2 star bases, but it is actually counterproductive. Why? Because you end up using more spells (& pink), as well as higher chance at failure. The more raids in masters you do, the more you profit from the loot bonus.

Second, less loons. I usually go with 19 loons, 15 to 25 archers, the rest mins. Fewer loons means lower cost and shorter build time.

Third, if wanting to stay up on pink, hit bases with pink, rather than just getting the bonus.

Fourth, when pushing, go for big cup offers, 27+. It is much better getting 9 or 10 cups from an easy one star, then getting 8 cups from a 2 star where you had to use 3 or 4 spells.

Finally, time of day matters. Certain hours have better bases with easy wins and more loot. Try to find those times and push then. You might need to adjust your sleep schedule......

Good luck