TH12 Upgrade Order 2026 -- What to Upgrade First at Town Hall 12

TH12 adds three game-changing upgrades: the Royal Champion (fourth hero), Scattershots (the two highest-DPS defenses in the game at this level), and the Giga Tesla (replaces your Town Hall cannon upgrade). Getting all three operational fast determines whether your war base is competitive within the first month of TH12 or spends three months as an underdeveloped target. Royal Champion first, Scattershots immediately, everything else after.

Priority 1: Royal Champion and Heroes to 65

Build the Royal Champion on Day 1 at TH12. She is DE-based and begins at level 1 -- start upgrading immediately. The Royal Champion enables Queen Charge Super Witch attacks by allowing two simultaneous hero abilities during the main push. She also defends by targeting walls and defenses, adding a fourth hero to your defensive roster. While building and leveling the Champion, continue BK, AQ, and Warden upgrades toward the TH12 caps (65, 65, 40). Four heroes at 50+ is the minimum threshold for competitive war performance at TH12.

Priority 2: Scattershots -- Build Both Immediately

Build both Scattershots the day you reach TH12. At level 1 they are already among the strongest defenses in the game -- splash that fires on air and ground, covering a wide radius from their placement positions. Higher levels increase damage and range significantly. Upgrade Scattershots to max level (level 5) before any other new defense. The Giga Tesla on your Town Hall upgrades automatically with TH level -- activate it and let the TH level upgrades trigger Giga Tesla progression naturally alongside your other work.

Priority 3: Lab -- Super Witch, Root Rider Prep, and Infernos

TH12 unlocks Super Troop upgrades and Root Rider prerequisites. Lab priorities: Super Witch (base troop Witch must be level 5 to unlock Super Witch boost), Skeleton Spell (improves Super Witch Blizzard), Miner (enables hybrid miners). Three Infernos upgrade to max level (level 7 at TH12) -- all three on single mode for war. Four Air Defenses upgrade to level 9. Walls: upgrade to level 12 as filler. Target full level 12 walls before TH13.

Find TH12 base layouts at our TH12 base collection.