Introduction to Clash of Clans Balloons Detailed Guide

Balloons are a unique and powerful aerial troop in Clash of Clans, functioning as the first air unit players unlock in the Home Village of the game. These units, essentially Wall Breakers in hot air balloons, are known for their high damage output against ground targets through their bomb attacks. They are a versatile troop, able to be used both offensively and defensively. However, their effectiveness is heavily dependent on how well they are deployed and supported. This guide will provide a more in-depth understanding of the Balloon’s capabilities, strategies, and limitations, helping players to maximize their impact in battles.

Overview

Balloons are the sixth Elixir troop unlocked in the Barracks, requiring a level 6 Barracks to unlock. They are the first aerial unit available in the Home Village, marking a significant milestone in troop progression. Their design and function resemble a “promoted” version of Wall Breakers, as they attack from a hot air balloon while dropping bombs that deal large area splash damage, making them highly effective against a wide range of ground targets.

Despite their relatively small housing space of 5, Balloons pack a punch with high damage output. They are particularly powerful when used in large groups, but their low attack range and rate of fire require careful positioning and timing. One limitation of Balloons is that they cannot attack air units, so they are primarily focused on ground-based threats.

When Balloons are destroyed, they fall to the ground and explode, causing minor damage to nearby enemies. This secondary explosion can sometimes help eliminate troops or buildings nearby, but its impact is not as significant as the primary bomb attack.

Balloons prioritize defensive structures above all else, including defenses like the activated Town Hall weapon. They will ignore other buildings and troops as long as enemy defenses are present. Even if the Clan Castle contains enemy troops, Balloons will not consider it a priority target. Once all defensive structures are destroyed, Balloons will shift focus to attacking the nearest building.

Although they focus on defenses, Balloons are capable of attacking enemy units if they become aware of them, but they won’t switch targets until the building or structure they were originally attacking is destroyed.

In summary, Balloons are powerful yet specialized troops that are effective against ground defenses, particularly when used in large groups. However, their low attack speed and limited range mean they require careful strategy and coordination to maximize their potential on the battlefield.

Synergies

Tank Units for Balloons:

Balloons are most effective when paired with tank units that can absorb damage, allowing the Balloons to target and destroy enemy defenses without being interrupted. These tanks shield the Balloons from incoming fire, enabling them to reach key defensive structures and deal substantial damage.

Dragons

Dragons serve as a great tank for Balloons, particularly in strategies like Zap Dragons and DragLoon. With their high health and splash damage, Dragons can absorb significant damage from air defenses, letting Balloons focus on clearing the enemy base. The Dragons’ ability to take out surrounding defenses also adds extra value, helping clear the path for Balloons to advance.

Lava Hound

As the most commonly used tank in LavaLoon strategies, Lava Hounds are a perfect match for Balloons. These air-based tanks draw fire from air defenses, letting Balloons pass through and focus on destroying critical structures. Lava Hounds can also absorb the impact of air traps such as Seeking Air Mines and Air Bombs, reducing the risk to Balloons.

Electro Dragon

Like Dragons, Electro Dragons can be used as tanks. They also provide the added benefit of chain lightning, which can damage and disable nearby defenses while the Balloons target other structures. Their high health makes them an effective distraction for air-targeting defenses.

Giant

Though not air units, Giants can be deployed to destroy ground-based air-targeting defenses, such as Archer Towers and Wizard Towers. Once these defenses are cleared, Balloons can freely target the remaining structures without worrying about being destroyed by anti-air defenses.

Mini-Charges

A mini-charge such as a Queen Charge can be a great way to clear the path before deploying Balloons. The Archer Queen can eliminate key defenses such as Air Defenses or Inferno Towers, ensuring the Balloons can focus on other threats.

Support Units for Balloons:

Balloons also benefit from the use of support units that can assist in different ways, whether by clearing defenses, helping with funneling, or providing additional distractions.

Minions

Minions are an excellent choice for supporting Balloons, especially in strategies like DragLoonion and LavaLoon. Minions can help funnel the main army deeper into the base, ensuring the Balloons move in the right direction and reach their targets. They also provide additional damage to enemy defenses after the Balloons have dealt with the main threats.

Wizards

Wizards can quickly eliminate air defenses that pose a risk to Balloons, such as Archer Towers, Wizard Towers, and other high-damage structures. Their high DPS can also help clear any defending troops that might distract the Balloons, allowing the raid to continue smoothly.

Battle Blimp

The Battle Blimp is a great way to deliver Balloons directly into the heart of the enemy base, especially near the Town Hall. When paired with a Rage Spell, the Blimp can provide a devastating burst of speed and damage, helping the Balloons take out key targets. You can also use a Lava Hound in the Battle Blimp to absorb damage from air traps, ensuring the Balloons arrive safely.

Spells for Supporting Balloons:

Spells are essential for maximizing the effectiveness of Balloons. The right spells can enhance their speed, damage, and survivability, ensuring they reach critical structures and deal the most damage possible.

Rage Spells

Rage Spells increase the damage output and movement speed of Balloons, making them essential when Balloons reach the core of the base. A Rage Spell can help Balloons destroy critical structures quickly, such as the Town Hall and Inferno Towers, especially if they’re surrounded by other defenses.

Haste Spell

Haste Spells speed up the Balloons’ movement, allowing them to reach defensive structures faster. These are especially useful for Balloons that need to cross long distances to hit key targets. At higher levels, two Haste Spells can replace a Rage Spell in some strategies to keep the Balloons moving faster through the base.

Freeze Spell

Freeze Spells are invaluable when dealing with high-damage defenses such as Scattershots and Inferno Towers. Freezing these threats allows the Balloons to destroy them without taking excessive damage.

Invisibility Spell

Invisibility Spells can be particularly useful when dealing with Scattershots, which are dangerous to Balloons due to their splash damage. The Invisibility Spell makes the Balloons temporarily untargetable, allowing them to survive longer and clear more defenses.

Clone Spell

Clone Spells can be combined with the Grand Warden’s Eternal Tome to create a swarm of Balloons that overwhelms the enemy defenses. This combination can be especially effective when targeting the Town Hall, allowing the Balloons to deal massive damage quickly.

Healing Spell

When Balloons encounter splash damage from Air Bombs and other defensive structures, a Healing Spell or the Healing Tome can be used to restore health to the Balloons. This is crucial for keeping them alive long enough to finish the raid.

Poison Spell

Poison Spells are effective against defending Clan Castle troops that might pose a threat to the Balloons. The poison slows down and weakens these troops, making it easier for the Balloons to destroy them and continue their assault.

Strategic Use of Balloons

Coconut Loons:

One useful strategy is to deploy a single Balloon to trigger air traps, such as Seeking Air Mines or Air Bombs, before deploying your main force of Balloons. By doing this, you can minimize the risk to your primary Balloon army. These traps can deal significant damage to Balloons, so triggering them with a lone Balloon can clear the path for the main force, allowing them to proceed without interference from traps.

This tactic works well because the Balloon’s slow movement speed makes it an ideal candidate to draw the fire from these traps. Once the traps are triggered and cleared, your main Balloons can enter the battlefield safely, maximizing their damage potential.

Death Damage:

Another tactical advantage of using a Balloon is its death splash damage. Upon being destroyed, the Balloon releases bombs that deal splash damage to surrounding structures and enemy troops. If you deploy a single Balloon into an area where there are low-health, air-targeting troops (such as defending Minions or Archers), the Balloon’s death damage can clear them out efficiently, reducing the threat to your main Balloon force.

This is particularly effective in dealing with Clan Castle troops that are not heavily protected or if they are low-level troops. By using a single Balloon to eliminate these threats, you ensure that your main Balloons can move forward unimpeded and focus on higher-priority targets like air defenses or defensive structures.

Offensive Strategies

Balloons are especially effective in lower trophy ranges, like the Bronze League, where bases often lack strong air defenses. Their ability to directly target and destroy defensive structures makes them ideal for early game players. As players reach higher Town Hall levels, Balloons become a core component in air-based strategies such as DragLoon, where they are paired with Dragons or Electro Dragons, and serve to disarm traps and eliminate key defenses while the tank units absorb damage.

At mid-level Town Halls, hybrid strategies like DragLoonion and LavaLoon become increasingly popular. These tactics combine Balloons with Minions, Lava Hounds, or Dragons to overwhelm air defenses and clean up buildings efficiently. Rage and Haste Spells are crucial for speeding up Balloons and increasing their impact before they can be targeted by high-damage defenses. As Balloons gain higher levels, they become tankier and deal more damage, making them a threat even against more developed bases with strong defensive setups.

In advanced gameplay, Balloons are often used inside a Battle Blimp for high-value attacks on the Town Hall, particularly at Town Hall 12 and above. Spells like Freeze, Clone, and Invisibility support them by disabling key defenses and multiplying their numbers. The Grand Warden’s Eternal Tome ability can make the Blimp and Balloons temporarily invincible, allowing for a devastating strike. Combined with smart trap baiting and protection from Lava Hounds, Balloons become a deadly force capable of dismantling the core of nearly any base.

Defensive Strategies

Balloons are powerful offensive units in Clash of Clans but come with key weaknesses. Their slow speed, low health, and limited attack range make them easy targets for air-targeting defenses, especially Air Defenses that can take them down in just two hits. Swarming Balloons can help overwhelm defenses, but this tactic risks triggering Air Bombs, which deal heavy splash damage to grouped air units. This trade-off requires careful planning, especially when targeting bases with unknown trap placements.

Several defenses pose major threats to Balloons during attacks, including Wizard Towers, Archer Queens, Air Sweepers, and especially Air Bombs. Lava Hounds are often used as tanks to absorb damage and protect the Balloons while they target defenses. Air Sweepers, in particular, can disrupt a Balloon attack by pushing them out of range, reducing their effectiveness. To counter this, Rage, Freeze, or Haste Spells are often necessary to speed up Balloons, freeze disruptive defenses, or push them forward quickly to key targets.

Defensively, Balloons can also be used in Clan Castles to punish attacking heroes or units. However, they remain vulnerable to air-targeting troops like Minions and Wizards, which can eliminate them from a distance without taking damage. A well-timed Poison Spell can also weaken defending Balloons, making them easier to deal with. At higher levels, Balloons become more resistant to traps like Air Bombs, requiring more effort to take down. Whether attacking or defending, managing their vulnerabilities is key to maximizing their value in battle.

Comparisons

The Balloon is a unique and iconic unit in Clash of Clans. Unlike most other air troops, it is one of the only aerial units that does not have wings, making it stand out visually. In addition to the Balloon, other units without wings include the Grand Warden (when in Air Mode), Rocket Balloon, Drop Ship, and the seasonal Skeleton Barrel.

As one of the oldest units in the game, the Balloon holds a special place in Clash of Clans history. It is also part of the exclusive 9th Clashiversary Scenery, marking its significance in the game’s legacy. The Balloon is the second troop to deal splash damage, after the Wizard, and it is the first aerial troop that specifically targets ground units.

An upgraded version of the Balloon, the Super Balloon, offers several enhancements. While it shares the same health as the normal Balloon, it deals significantly more damage upon death, making it even more destructive. The Super Balloon also enjoys an initial speed boost, making it faster and more effective at reaching its targets. Additionally, it deals slightly more damage than its regular counterpart, making it an even more powerful option in attacks.

Overall, the Balloon’s evolution, its unique characteristics, and its historical significance in the game contribute to its continued importance in both offensive and defensive strategies in Clash of Clans.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

❓What are Balloons used for in Clash of Clans?

Balloons are air troops trained in the Dark Barracks that target defenses first, making them ideal for destroying key defensive structures. Upon reaching a target, they drop powerful bombs and deal splash damage when destroyed, making them effective in mass air strategies like LavaLoon and Balloons + Minions.

❓What is the best strategy to use Balloons in attacks?

Balloons work best when paired with tank units like Lava Hounds or Electro Dragons to soak up air defenses. Deploying them in waves behind the tank ensures defenses are distracted. Using spells like Haste or Rage can boost their movement and damage output significantly, allowing for quick destruction of clustered defenses.

❓How do you counter Balloons in defense?

To counter Balloons, strong air-targeting defenses like Air Defenses, Archer Towers, and Wizard Towers are essential. Placing these near the core and spreading them out reduces the effectiveness of splash damage. Seeking Air Mines and Tornado Traps can also disrupt and destroy Balloons efficiently.

❓How do you upgrade Balloons, and when should you prioritize them?

Balloons can be upgraded in the Laboratory and become much more effective with each level. Prioritize upgrading them if you focus on air-based attacks like LavaLoon or hybrid attacks involving air units. Upgrades increase their hitpoints and damage, making them a valuable part of higher Town Hall-level strategies.

❓What are the main differences between regular Balloons and Rocket Balloons in Clan Capital?

Regular Balloons are available in the Home Village and Builder Base (via Drop Ships combo), while Rocket Balloons appear in the Clan Capital. Rocket Balloons deal extra damage on their first hit and move faster initially, making them excellent for quick snipes. Regular Balloons, in contrast, have consistent attack strength and are better suited for prolonged air raids.