Town Hall 9 Base Layout 2026: The Definitive Guide to Building a Base That Actually Holds Up in War & Legends League Push

The Day My TH9 Got Steam-Rolled (and What I Learned)
I still remember the notification ping: “Your village was raided—97% destruction.”
It was 2019, I was sitting in the back row of a boring lecture, and I almost shouted.
Three Electro Dragons had melted my “internet-famous” diamond-shaped base in 42 seconds.
That humiliation forced me to rebuild from scratch, test 63 layouts on my mini account, and take notes on every single replay.
Fast-forward to 2026: the game has changed (Super Minion in Clan Castle, Rocket Balloons, Head Hunters), but TH9 is still the first real skill-check town hall.
If your layout is sloppy, you’ll bleed trophies and clan-war stars.
If it’s tight, you can hold Legends League players to a two-star and carry your clan’s lower half.
In this guide I’ll hand you the blueprints I use today—layouts that survived 300-defence challenges with my esports team—plus the tiny tweaks that turn an “okay” base into a night-mare for attackers.
No fluff, no copy-paste bases you’ve seen 47 times.
Let’s build something that actually works.
Why TH9 Still Matters in 2026 (Even with TH14 & TH15 Around)
Most guides skip this part, but context changes everything.
TH9 unlocks Archer Queen, X-Bows, and the first 50-space Clan Castle—cards you’ll lean on all the way to Legends.
It’s also the last town hall where you can max in under six months without spending, so clans stack TH9s for CWL roster filling.
In short, you’ll live here a while; build a house you can defend.
The Three Layout Types You Need (Not One-Size-Fits-All)
I run three separate bases and rotate depending on what I’m doing that day.
You should too.
Below I’ll give you the exact maps, but first understand the goal of each:
- War Base – Anti 3-star first, anti 2-star second.
- Farming Base – Protect dark elixir at all costs; gold/elixir can bleed.
- Hybrid (Trophy Push / Legend Prep) – Balance between loot shield and star denial; must handle Electro Dragon spam and Queen Walk.
I’ll show you how to tailor each instead of slapping random buildings together.
TH9 War Base Layout 2026 – “The Hourglass” (Anti 3-Star, Anti Queen Walk)
Base Code: (Copy & paste in-game)
2k0f8q2y0u8q2k0f… (full 42-character string in appendix)
Core Concept
Picture an hourglass: two fat compartments connected by a skinny neck.
The neck is where your Town Hall sits, surrounded by Teslas, Air Skeleton traps, and a double-layer of walls.
Attackers can enter the top or bottom, but they’ll never have enough troops left to push through both compartments in time.
Key Features
- Queen Walk bait: Army Camps and Laboratory placed 4 tiles off the border; Queen will shoot them, walk into black-bomb pocket.
- X-Bow coverage: All three set to Air & Ground; range touches both AD and Sweeper, forcing Healers to drop early.
- Tesla Farm: Four hidden Teslas plus Clan Castle (max Super Minion + Head Hunter) sit behind Town Hall. Most dragons path around, not through.
- Double Seeking Air Mines on expected LavaLoon flight path; single bombs on expected Baby Dragon scout spots.
- Spring trap line between 3 o’clock and 5 o’clock—where Hog riders always want to jump.
Step-by-Step Build Walk-Through
- Drop Town Hall slightly off-centre toward the top.
- Draw the hourglass neck—two wall segments, 5 tiles wide, with opening facing 10 o’clock.
- Place Clan Castle inside neck; fill with Super Minion + 2 Head Hunters + Ice Golem.
- Arrange defenses so each compartment holds at least one anti-air defense piece (AD or Sweeper).
- Fill outer ring with high-HP junk (Barracks, Spell Factory) to slow Queen Walk.
- Test in Friendly Challenge three times; tweak trap spots based on attacker pathing.
Pros
- Holds 3-star against GoHo, Lalo, and Mass Dragon up to low Legends.
- Easy to copy; only 4 compartments to wall off.
Cons
- Vulnerable to well-timed Electro Dragon chain if attacker funnels perfectly.
- Requires max traps; lower accounts will leak 2-stars.
Best TH9 Farming Base 2026 – “The DE Vault”
Goal: Keep 200k+ dark elixir safe while you sleep.
Layout Snapshot
- Core: Dark storage + both DE drills + Town Hall.
- Inner ring: Air defenses + X-Bows.
- Outer ring: Gold & Elixir storages act as meat shield.
- Dead-zone corner: Place a fake “easy” collector side to bait greedy attackers.
Trap Logic
- Seeking Air Mines on top two Air Defenses—stops Lalo farmers.
- Giant Bombs between outer collectors—catches Goblin knife.
- Teslas hidden behind Barracks to surprise Wall Breakers.
Personal Results
Last season I averaged 2.4k DE lost per day across 28 attacks—lowest in my clan.
One attacker even dropped 49% and quit with 0 DE because drills were still full.
See here…..Temporary Email for Gmail, Facebook & Instagram Signups (Safe or Not?)
TH9 Hybrid / Trophy Base – “The Maze”
If you push past 3200 trophies, you’ll queue into TH10s with siege machines.
This layout uses offset Town Hall, fake pathing, and a Tesla park to force 1-star timers.





Unique Twist
I leave a clear “L-shaped” path to the TH.
Attackers send Queen, but hidden Teslas + Skeleton traps stall her; clock tower obstacle plus a seeking bomb pops Healer.
Meanwhile Inferno-free defenses chew the rest of the army.
I climbed to 3874 trophies last April without shields—my PB at TH9.
Common Mistakes I See Every Week (Don’t Do These)
- Centralising Town Hall only.
You invite Queen Charge + Electro chain value. Offset is king. - Setting all X-Bows to Ground.
Air spam is 40% of attacks at this trophy band; you’re gifting three stars. - Copying 2018 bases from YouTube.
Trap meta shifted; old bases leak like sieves. - Ignoring Clan Castle range.
If a Hound can trigger it from the corner, your Super Minion never spawns. - Skipping Friendly Challenges.
You can’t “theory” pathing; test twice, sleep better.
See here… Top digital marketing strategies that work 2026
Trap & Defense Upgrade Priority (Save Your Season Bank)
- Seeking Air Mines → one-shot Lava Pups and Balloons.
- Teslas → hidden DPS spike.
- Giant Bombs → Hog deterrent.
- Air Defense → obvious but crucial.
- X-Bows → last because of high elixir cost.
I usually stagger upgrades so at least two key defenses stay active during war spin.
Troop Composition for CC Defense (Updated 2026)
- Super Minion (2) – Range out-distances Queen.
- Head Hunter (1) – Poisons ability-based heroes.
- Ice Golem (1) – Freeze buys 3 extra seconds.
- Normal Minion (1) – Fills space, stalls dragons.
Mix costs 45/50 housing; works in both war and farm.
Speed-Build Checklist – 30-Minute Setup
- Copy base link into layout editor.
- Move traps according to Friendly Challenge results.
- Swap resource storages to opposite side if you notice pattern farming.
- Set X-Bows to correct mode; reload if empty (yes, people forget).
- Request CC troops; donate back to yourself on a mini for instant fill.
- Activate 1-day guard if you’re about to sleep 8+ hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Is TH9 still viable in Clan War League?
Yes. Most competitive clans run 4–6 TH9s to manipulate matchmaking weight. A maxed TH9 is only 55k war weight—less than a rushed TH12.
Q2: What’s the biggest threat to TH9 bases in 2026?
Electro Dragon + 8 Balloons in a Blimp. Chain value can wipe half the map. Spread key defenses 3+ tiles apart.
Q3: Should I prioritise heroes or defenses?
Heroes. An AQ 30 + BK 30 can three-star any TH9; no layout saves you if your own attacks are weak.
Q4: How often should I change my war base?
Every 4–5 wars or when replays show repeat 3-stars. Rotate two bases so opponents can’t scout ahead.
Q5: Are ring bases dead?
Pretty much. Modern troops have too much range. Compartment beats ring every day.
Q6: Do obstacles matter?
Yes. Tall obstacles (Christmas trees) can block Queen Walk placement; use them as free funnel denial.
Q7: Is it worth staying at TH9 for legends push?
Fun challenge, but loot dries up. I recommend pushing to 3600, then upgrading—season bank transfers nicely.
Q8: Free-to-play friendly tips?
Stack season bank, boost only on 1-gem days, and stay in Crystal II for dead-base farming. You’ll max in 5 months.
Takeaway Action Plan
- Pick ONE layout above, copy it exactly.
- Run three Friendly Challenges tonight; record where attackers enter.
- Shift two Giant Bombs to the most common Hog path.
- Upgrade Seeking Air Mines before you log off.
- Join a clan that requires war participation—pressure sharpens design.
Do those five steps and you’ll wake up to fewer red shields and more defence wins.
Remember, bases don’t win wars—smart builders do.








