Illustrated base design patterns, vol 1: cores
Outline:
- Introduction
- Symmetry
- Limitations
- Losing symmetry
- Inspiration to make your own core
- Dummy examples
Introduction
Let's look at base cores of TH8 as an example. The process is the same for other TH levels.
Lots of TH8 cores really look the same: central CC in its own compartment, surrounded by 4 compartments of 2 splash defenses/AD + 1 storage each ... For now, let's call that 1 + 4x3, as in 1 compartment with 1 building and 4 compartments with 3 buildings. This numbering provides a common vocabulary among base designers. Without it, we can only point at existing bases, like Pingfao's Tesla Theme Park or Junliang's Pokeball. A naming convention is just one way to generalize core base design. If you find a better way to do it, then feel free to send me a private message =)
Here is my current go at a 1 + 4x3:
http://i.imgur.com/ZuQn4TK.jpg
You may find the storages a bit too exposed, so you may want to expand the core, and keep the 4x3 surrounding compartments: that's Pingfao's famous Tesla theme park (TTP from now on), a 4x1 + 4x3
http://i.imgur.com/EiRGEIO.jpg
Symmetry
The numbering scheme tells you whether the compartments are symmetric. (Note: a base with symmetric compartments does not always have symmetric buildings, and symmetric buildings do not require symmetric compartments, see Regalia's base further down). For example, 1x1 + 3x3 has 0 axis of symmetry, 3x2 + 2x3 has 1 axis of symmetry, and 4x3 has a center of symmetry. If you want your base to have a center of symmetry, there are two possibilities:
- a center compartment + your compartments going 4 at a time, such as 1 + 4x3 (like my design above) or 5 + 4x3 (Blobertson's design), or even 9 + 4x1 + 4x1.
- no center, but compartments going 4 by 4, such as 4x1 + 4x3 (Pingfao's TTP)
If you're OK with only one axis of symmetry, it's the same idea, but your compartments only need to go in pairs, not by 4.
Central symmetry makes it easier to decide where to position your CC:
- if you want it perfectly in the center, then your core numbering will be "1 + ...", "3 +...", "5 + ...", etc.
- but if you don't mind your CC being barely lurable, like in Ping's TTP, then "4x1 + ..." or "4 +...".
Here are more examples, starting with Junliang's Pokeball: 1 + 4x1 + 4x2
http://i.imgur.com/iLEgj3P.jpg
Blobertson's Andor: 5 + 4x3
http://i.imgur.com/RE5MyF7.jpg
A Redditor I came across (with a relatively lurable CC): 4x4
http://i.imgur.com/Tk3ngee.jpg
Limitations
By now, you may have some objections:
- Teslas are ignored from the coding. For example, Ivan's current core (below, which happens to resemble both Pingfao's TH8 Tesla theme park and Pingfao's current TH9 design ... yes, Ivan is that awesome!) is also 4 + 4x3, but the teslas are in different locations than Ping's TTP. To be honest, the position of your teslas depends on your taste, where you want to kill wallbreakers, and how you make your T-junctions. They may be covered ... in volume 2 of our series =)
- Compartment contents are ignored from the coding. There was a "moated vault vs mixed compartments" debate a while ago (see http://forum.supercell.net/showthrea...ents-Vs-Vault\). If you want a vault, pick one high number (say 4, 6, or even 9), and smaller numbers for your other compartments. 4 + 4x3, for example, is Ivan's current core (below). The numbering also ignores whether your core has a moat or not.
- Versatility is ignored from the coding. Ivan could add walls to its center, and his base would become numbered the same way as Ping's TTP (from 4 + 4x3 to 4x1 + 4x3). He could also switch a storage for his TH for trophy hunting: still 4 + 4x3.
http://i.imgur.com/cGApByW.jpg
Losing symmetry
Your buildings can follow a center of symmetry without your compartments following a center of symmetry. The cores from the following bases are not made of completely symmetric compartments, yet their defenses are positioned relatively symmetrically. Once again, the numbering does not say anything about the content of the compartments.
Storm's TH8 follows a North-South axis. Therefore his core's numbering only contains even numbers: 4 + 2x1 + 2x2 + 2x3
http://i.imgur.com/ma17IHZ.jpg
tb's design, originally from PhamilyShucks, is a half-open vault with a north-south symmetry axis: 9 + 4x3 (if you replaced the traps by walls)
http://i.imgur.com/bhmzAqF.jpg
Regalia's core does not follow any axis: 3x1 + 2x2 + 2x3
http://i.imgur.com/jmHjnME.jpg
Inspiration to make your own core
Step 1: Count how many buildings you want in your core. Let's say 3 mortars, 3 WT, 2 AD (the 3rd one is upgrading), 4 storages, and the CC. That's 13 buildings.
Step 2: Choose a center of symmetry, 1-axis of symmetry, or no symmetry. (Once again, this is for the compartments, ie the walls, not for the buildings themselves!) Let's say you go for a center.
Step 3: Pick your compartments' sizes. Let's say you want compartments holding 3 or less buildings, so [1,2,3].
Step 4: Using the Python script I coded at http://pastebin.com/PkiZBYLu, figure the possible combinations of compartment sizes. If you don't know how to use Python, and would like other numbers, send me a private message and I'll post the decomposition here. For 13 buildings and compartments of sizes 1, 2, or 3, here are all the decompositions possible:
1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 <- 1 + 4x1 + 4x1 + 4x1 = center of symmetry; but each building is in its own compartment ...
1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2
1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-3
1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-2 <- 1 + 8x1 + 2x2 = 1 axis of symmetry
1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-3
1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-2-2
1-1-1-1-1-1-1-3-3 <- 1 + 6x1 + 2x3 = 1 axis of symmetry
1-1-1-1-1-1-2-2-3
1-1-1-1-1-2-2-2-2 <- 1 + 4x1 + 4x2 = center of symmetry; same numbers as Junliang's Pokeball
1-1-1-1-1-2-3-3
1-1-1-1-2-2-2-3 <- not far from Ping's TTP, but TTP has 16 buildings in its core, not 13.
1-1-1-1-3-3-3 <- 4x1 + 3x3, also not far from Ping's TTP. You could also see it as 3 + 4x1 + 2x3 = 1 axis of symmetry.
1-1-1-2-2-2-2-2
1-1-1-2-2-3-3 <- 1 + 2x1 + 2x2 + 2x3 = 1 axis
1-1-2-2-2-2-3 <- 3 + 2x1 + 4x2 = 1 axis
1-1-2-3-3-3
1-2-2-2-2-2-2 <- 1 + 2 + 4x2 = 1 axis
1-2-2-2-3-3
1-3-3-3-3 <- center of symmetry, my current design
2-2-2-2-2-3 <- 3 + 2 + 4x2 = 1 axis of symmetry; similar to 1 + 2 + 4x2
2-2-3-3-3 <- 3 + 2x2 + 3x3 = 1 axis
Since you're looking for center of symmetry, you want the lines with 4x (in bold). And then it's up to you how you position these compartments relatively to each other =)
Dummy examples
Here are a few farming cores I came up with in 5 minutes (so they're far from perfect, especially with respect to the mortars) using the quite awesome http://www.clashofclans-tools.com/Layout-Builder:
13x1 http://i.imgur.com/tgMLJnT.png
1 + 4x1 + 4x2 http://i.imgur.com/6jYJuGY.png
1 + 4x3 http://i.imgur.com/8XrZsxe.png
1 + 4x3 http://i.imgur.com/Rofi1hV.png
5+4x1+4x1 http://i.imgur.com/6BQvkNR.png
(note the last design is a vault, the core is very similar to Blobertson's design)
