Clash of Clans is a hugely popular game, available for both iOS and Android that has taken the mobile world by storm. I mean, how many apps really have TV commercials (and big-budget ones at that)? You've probably seen the one with the guy yelling "Hog Rider". If you're considering delving into the strategic world of Clash of Clans, here's what you need to know!
What kind of game is Clash of Clans?
Clash of Clans is a MMO or massively multiplayer online strategy game developed by Supercell. It's also known as a "freemium" game, wherein it is totally free to play, but you can (and sometimes have to) pay for in-game items, like gems and resources.
What's gameplay like?
Within the game, you must first start by building a community (your clan), then you train troops and attack other players to attain gold, elixir, and Dark Elixir. You then use these items to rebuild defences, train and upgrade troops, and make spells.
There is also a sort of single-player campaign wherein you can attack a series of goblin villages to earn gold and elixir.
What are the resources for?
The main resources you get from attacking other clans are gold, elixir, and Dark Elixir. Gold is used to upgrade your community's buildings. Elixir and Dark Elixir are used to train troops. Elixir is used in the barracks and Dark Elixir is used in the dark barracks. Each type of barracks trains different types of troops.
Where does the 'MMO' part come in?
Clans are groups of players who come together to support each other either through reinforcements or advice. So you and your clan can go off and attack other people's communities. Those other communities are also run by real groups of players.
Gems, gems, gems
Likely the most important resource in the game, gems let you upgrade things more quickly, speeding your builders up to free them to do other projects. They can also be used to boost other buildings, like barracks and resource production facilities, as well as upgrade your heroes.
Clan wars
Each clan has a leader and co-leader and only one of them can start a war. When you go to war, each clan gets one preparation day and one war day. Once war begins, players receive stars based on the amount of destruction caused.
Each player gets to attack twice per war and the team with the most stars at the end of the war day wins. If each team has the same number of stars, then the team with the higher destruction percentage wins.
You get bonus loot if you use your attack during the war, and the type of lute is decided by Supercell. There are several increments of bonus loot. If you win, you get all of the bonus loot available; if you lose, you get a third of the available bonus loot.
There are Friendly Challenges wherein players from the same clan can challenge each other, but there is no loot or trophies awarded and these battles do not affect your armies.
Check out these tips and tricks so that you can be victorious as often as possible.
How to capitalize on your Archer unit
This game is 5 years old — what's new?
A May 2017 update made it so players could repair their broken boat to sail to a new island. There, you can build a new village and play the new game mode, which includes versus battles and new heroes.
Isn't there a Clash 'Royale'?
Yes! Clash Royale is the sequel to Clash of Clans and takes a different approach to gameplay. Whereas in Clash of Clans you go and attack players based on days, you instead battle other players in real time in Clash Royale.
Have you seen the Yu-Gi-Oh! TV series? Where they stand on pedestals and play cards and monster then appear on the field, which they use to attack and defend? It's basically exactly that.
There are troop cards, spells cards, and building cards. You win when you destroy more towers than your opponent of when you destroy your opponent's King's Tower. There are 11 arenas to play in and 73 different cards to collect. If you're into card battling games and prefer something a little more real-time than Clash of Clans, then Clash Royale is the better way to go.
It's available for both iOS and Android.
Questions?
Got any more questions about Clash of Clans? Let us know in the comments below.
