TH9 LaLoon Attack Guide 2026 -- Lava Hound and Balloon Strategy

LaLoon -- Lava Hounds plus Balloons -- is the premier air attack at TH9 when paired with a Queen Walk setup. The Lava Hound tanks all Air Defense fire while Balloons destroy defenses in its wake. When the Hound pops, its Lava Pups fan out and continue targeting nearby buildings, extending the air attack wave across the entire base. Paired with a Queen Walk that strips one AD before deployment, LaLoon has the highest three-star rate of any air attack at TH9.

Army Composition and Spells

Standard TH9 LaLoon (220 housing): 1 Lava Hound (30), 24 to 26 Balloons (48 to 52), 4 Healers (28 -- for Queen Walk phase), filler Minions (remaining). Spells: 4 Rage Spells (or 3 Rage, 1 Freeze). At TH9, Rage Spells on Balloons increase their bomb drop rate and movement speed dramatically. Clan Castle: Balloons (5 to 6) for additional air power. The Archer Queen runs the opening Queen Walk to strip one Air Defense before the main LaLoon wave deploys.

Step-by-Step Execution

Step 1 -- Queen Walk setup: Deploy Queen and 4 Healers on the side with one Air Defense close to the edge. Strip that AD and clear the outer ring buildings before transitioning. Step 2 -- Lava Hound deployment: Send the Lava Hound directly at the remaining Air Defense on the base interior -- the Hound always targets the nearest AD. Deploy it from the Queen Walk side where outer defenses have been cleared. Step 3 -- Balloon deployment: Once the Hound is within 5 tiles of the target AD and absorbing its fire, deploy all Balloons in a line behind the Hound. Balloons spread to destroy all defenses they encounter. Step 4 -- Rage placement: Drop Rage Spells on Balloon clusters when they engage the main defense ring -- middle base is typically the highest-concentration Balloon area. Two Rage Spells in different positions maximize DPS uptime. Step 5 -- CC Balloons: Deploy Clan Castle Balloons behind the main wave as a second line hitting anything the first wave missed.

Air Sweeper Counter

The Air Sweeper is LaLoon's primary counter. It pushes Balloons backward, reducing their advance speed and allowing Air Defenses to fire on them longer. Always deploy your Lava Hound and Balloons from the direction behind the Air Sweeper -- approach from the side the Sweeper faces away from. This means Balloons advance with the Sweeper push rather than against it.

Browse TH9 war bases at our TH9 war base collection.