not upgrading your collectors

[kenbo]

wrong, collector > defense always unless you're trophy pushing. Otherwise you gain back everything you lost even if you have max storages and get 3 starred every single time you log off. Max defense doesn't stop you from getting your resources taken anyways. It has nothing to do with if you can keep your builders busy or not.

No matter how much you raid more free loot > less free loot. After my second time through the game, I'm convinced that defense are the least important thing in this game.

If you are putting it in terms of elixir and gold, you win. Factor in DE for a TH8 who only has 1 DE drill (soon to be 2), then it gets more tricky. Instead of upgrading my collectors (except for DE drill), I decided to upgrade my teslas. My level 6 teslas have saved my DE storage from getting destroyed many times. Tell me how you can gain back your 1000-1500 DE easily as a TH8 when you get 3 starred. Well for me, level 5 and 6 teslas and level 6 wizards save me roughly 2000 DE a day, important especially if you are saving for level 8+ king, level 3+ hogs, or any DE upgrade in general.

OP asked about his TH8 base so I am strictly looking at it from a TH8 standpoint. Perhaps TH9 is different, esp with all of those expensive upgrades and loot penalties for TH8 and lower bases.