TH8 - What is wrong with my army composition?

Hi Clashers,

So I've been TH8 for several months, but I am now the top TH8 player in my clan, as I am maxed out and about to go to TH9. I've been using the same army composition for a long time but it's failing me more and more as late. My army composition is as follows:

8 Wiz
6 Wiz in CC
18 Giants
8 wallbreakers
2 healers
2 Rage spell
1 healing spell
Barbarian King
10 barbs
The rest archers

I've been using this army comp as I'm not really good at using hogs and I have a strong dislike of using dragons.

It just feels as if my army doesn't have enough stopping power anymore, especially since the TH8 guys in the enemy clans are also quite strong.

Should I substitute my healer (or both) for more wizs, or maybe a pekka for some extra tankiness and damage?

Thanks guys!

First of all, there is no such thing as one army comp. as every single base is different. To be a good war player you need to adjust your troop comp. to every base you attack.

Second, you really should consider another strategy like GoWiPe or hoggs because that army comp will only 3-star very low Th8's. If you want to beat the strong players, you will need a strong army.

Third, scout a base, learn it's weakness, destroy it, Scouting is easy. Learning it's weakness is also a matter of looking whic.h strategy to use against this base. Close compartments with no DGB's placement = hoggs. Very open base = GoWiPe. Always plan your attack. understand hoggs pathing and how to funnel troops with GoWiPe.

Learn the above and you will be a TH8 3-star pro in no time :thumbsup:

I'd make 3 heal spells and change healers into wizards. But hey, if that works for you. Stick with it.

Uh, why not just use 2 Golems?

I´m a mid-to-max TH 8 at the moment and also dislike the overexpensive Mass-Dragon-way :D

I also use Giants/Wizards sometimes, but it works only at a few base designs really good. At first I´d suggest to substitute the Healers for more Giants/Wizards. For multiplayer I also use Healers with Giants, but in War, the often die too early.

I suggest you to train yourself a bit in using Hogs. The first few attacks mostly fail, and because of that lot of players think this strategy is too difficult or something like this. But actually it isn´t. With lv 1 Hogs it is sometimes difficult, but if you have a base where no Giant Bombs can be inside the village, also lv 1 Hogs can bring you 3 stars. At least since you have them at lv 3 or 4, they can only be stopped by a Double-Giant Bomb. I have Lv 3 Hogs atm(lv 4 soon), and i usually make 3 stars with them. If I fail to three star it´s mostly because i forgot a wizard to lure or i dropped my heal spell accidentally, because I thought I already chose a troop...

Another very powerful combination is Golem/Valkyrie/Wizards(and some Wallbreakers). Or also very good known Golem/Wizard/Pekka.

I for myself can´t manage to make 3 stars with Gowipe... But with Gowiva! Try it out first in multiplayer mode, so you know how they react. A good composition for Gowiva is for example:

2 Golem
7-10 Valkyries
2-6 Wallbreakers
Rest Wizards

And either 1 Rage, 2 Heal or 3 Healspells. What you prefer. You can use the search here, there are some pretty good explanations on how to use Gowiva well :)

You can also substitute 1 Golem with some Giants, or even use just Giants and no Golem, but it´s a bit more difficult in my opinion.

If you get used to Hogs, a variety of strategies would be there for you. For example Hogs/Wizards(what I normally use) Hogs/Loons or Golem/Hogs for example...

One of the most difficult parts of being TH8 is realizing the large disparity between an early TH8 and a late one and then adjusting your strategy accordingly. Black walls are tough, your opponent has upgraded most of their defenses two levels from their TH7 levels and they have more of each type as well. Beating up on low TH8s is trivial, but a near max TH8 is a formidable opponent. This effect is magnified if you're in a clan without many maxxers, because even low TH9s can struggle with some of the higher level TH8 bases. You're in that transition time. Even if you were ok with Draglooning, that probably isn't going to be effective as most TH8s are figuring out how to shut them down.

You're the top TH8 now, time to step up. The ♥♥♥♥ you got away with earlier isn't going to work anymore. You may as well learn how to Hog now or TH9 is going to be disappointing for you.

This is a cheap army comp and it will hardly get you 3 stars every time. You have to use power armies. Replace Giants with golems PEKKA valks if you want to go ground. Mass dragon mass hog. Winning stars and being cheap doesn't work th8 and up.

Reliable comp
10 dragons 3 rage or 2 rage 1 heal. Max loons (if someone has them) in the cc

25-30 hogs the rest archers wizards for cc/ heroes and cleanup 3 heal

Effective but difficult comp
GOWIPE or any Variation

My favorite is
2 golem
2 PEKKA
5-6 valks
Wall breakers and wizards
2 rage 1 heal
Cc PEKKA or wizards or max valks.

Takes practice hope this helps!

If you are the "lead 8" then you will be facing more and more 9s as your mirror opponent, even if they have X-bows..

as a result, there is a transitional phase that Max 8, and early 9 need to adjust to. this phase is the dying of Mass drag attack strategy against TH9, as 4th ADef and introduction of ASweeper overwhelm the Dragon strategy.

Hogs are to me, the first step in getting out of that rut. L4 Hogs are pretty good and can help to 2-3 star the right layout. as mentioned there is no cookie cutter army that will obliterate any base you roll up on. however, more reliable strats like GoWiz, GoWiPe, GoWiWiPe, GoVaPe etc,..where using Golems to tank for the support troops becomes more reliable means to 2-3 star a TH9 than mass dragons. also B'linion at TH8 can be quite strong if your loons are L5 and Minions are L4..

There is a learning curve, but you get to unlock Valks and Golems at TH8, so to me this is the time to start to learn these strategies. it can be time intensive and cost a lot of resources to do these attacks in the regular arena. What I did was to cook the army in question as my over night cook, or if I knew I would be away from the game for more than 45-60 minutes (I can get a good jump on the long to cook troops like Pekkas Golems Hounds.. or Loons and Wiz/Valks (Healers)

go through your revenge log in the am and unleash on who ever you get to attack (if you are like me my rev list is always under shield and online) if it looks like too much for your troop levels, then head to the regular arena to ruin someone's day there.. but its the practice that makes these attacks a part of your arsenal. if you do 1-2 a day it will really help you on a seasonal basis. this will help you get to know what spells, preferred CC help, and troop numbers (how many of Troop X,Y,Z) you need to bring against certain base types.

Good luck and Clash on!

First you need to find out why your attack is failing.

Are you running out of time? (need more firepower, so more wiz, or protect wiz better)
Are spring traps killing your troops? (replace giants for golem/pekkas, which are immune to traps)
Is your attack getting stuck at the core? (use back end loons/hogs to kill stray defenses while tanks in core are distracting)

Also depends on the base you are attacking. The same attack won't work as well on every base.

For the gowipe I use in general raiding it is
1 golem
2 pekkas
2 healers
4 wall breakers
21 wizards

I drop the golem at the edge of the wall I want to go through then a handful of wizards to clear out the outer buildings. Then release the wall breakers and timing is important. Before the first targeted defence is destroyed I drop both pekkas and my BK. If there is an air defence close hold out on the healers until it is destroyed use the heal spell if you have to. The rest of the wizards I drop next to fight behind the other troops. When I get to the core I drop my rage spell. And if there are troops 8n the cc I use my lightning spell.