Introduction to Clash of Clans Grand Warden Guide
The Grand Warden is a unique Hero in the Home Village of Clash of Clans, serving primarily a supporting role rather than leading the charge due to his low health and relatively low damage. He is unlocked at Hero Hall level 5, which requires Town Hall 11.
Strengths
Eternal Tome Ability
The Grand Warden’s signature ability makes all nearby troops temporarily invincible. This is game-changing during heavy defense phases like Giga Tesla explosions or Scattershot hits, allowing for critical pushes through core defenses without troop loss.
Versatile Modes (Air & Ground)
He can switch between air and ground mode before attacks, making him adaptable to various strategies. He pairs well with both air armies (like Electro Dragons or LavaLoon) and ground forces (like Bowlers or Hybrid).
Passive Aura Buff (Life Aura)
His Life Aura passively increases the HP of nearby troops, improving survivability over the entire raid. It synergizes well with high-HP troops like Pekkas or Yetis.
Weaknesses
Low Hitpoints
The Grand Warden has the lowest HP among all heroes. He can be taken out quickly if left exposed or if he wanders into the range of high-damage defenses, especially in air mode.
Slow Damage Output
While his support role is invaluable, his personal damage is weak. He contributes little in terms of taking down structures or enemies directly, especially compared to the Archer Queen or Royal Champion.
AI Targeting and Range Issues
The Warden’s AI can be unpredictable—he sometimes lags behind troops or follows units into danger. His aura radius is also limited, so if your army spreads too wide, key troops might miss out on his buffs or invincibility.
Unlocking and Upgrading
The Grand Warden becomes available once a player reaches Town Hall 11. He introduces a new level of strategic depth, especially due to his unique support abilities and his dual ground and air modes.
Unlike other Home Village Heroes who are upgraded using Dark Elixir, the Grand Warden is upgraded with regular Elixir. This distinction makes him the only Hero in the Home Village to use Elixir for upgrades, providing an alternate use for excess Elixir at higher levels of play.
His upgrades are not performed in the Laboratory but instead require a Builder, following the same upgrade method as other Heroes. This means that players must manage their Builders carefully to continue progressing him alongside buildings and other upgrades.
While being upgraded, the Grand Warden cannot participate in either attacks or defensive scenarios. This includes not appearing in enemy war bases or Clan Capital raids. Planning his upgrade times during breaks from wars or major attacks helps minimize the impact of his absence.
The Grand Warden is a single-target unit that functions primarily as a support Hero rather than a frontline attacker. While his damage and hitpoints are relatively low compared to other Heroes, he makes up for it with a unique combination of abilities and exceptional range.
One of his defining traits is his long attack range—the longest of any troop or Hero in the Home Village. This allows him to stay safely behind tankier troops while still contributing to the attack. His range is long enough to keep him out of the reach of several defensive buildings, including the Wizard Tower, Bomb Tower, Hidden Tesla, and Archer Tower when it’s in Fast Attack mode.
As a support unit, the Grand Warden prioritizes attacking the same building targeted by the troop with the highest housing space within his aura. This behavior helps him stay in sync with key troops, such as the Archer Queen, Electro Dragons, or P.E.K.K.As, as he mirrors their target until the building is destroyed. This targeting logic ensures he remains useful throughout the battle while avoiding unnecessary exposure to damage.
Because of his long range, the Grand Warden can sometimes engage enemy Heroes like the Barbarian King from a safe distance, taking them down without retaliation. In some cases, he may also be able to chip away at the Archer Queen, but her faster attack rate and larger targeting radius often make it more difficult for the Warden to defeat her without taking damage. Proper positioning and timing are key to maximizing his effectiveness in these scenarios.
Modes: Air and Ground
The Grand Warden has two distinct movement modes: Air Mode and Ground Mode. In Air Mode, he hovers over obstacles and defenses, while in Ground Mode, he walks along the battlefield like other ground-based units. This flexibility allows him to fit into a variety of attack strategies depending on the army composition.
Regardless of which mode he is set to, the Grand Warden has the unique ability to bypass Walls. He does not need to break through them to reach his targets, giving him smoother movement across the battlefield and reducing the risk of getting stuck behind other troops.
However, despite his ability to phase through Walls, there are situations where he may still choose to attack a Wall. If the largest concentration of housing space among nearby troops is focused on breaking through a particular Wall segment, the Warden will align with them and assist in the effort. This behavior ensures he stays close to the core of your army, maintaining his supportive aura where it’s needed most. Proper troop deployment and funneling can help control his movements and keep him from wasting time attacking Walls unnecessarily.
Abilities and Equipment
The Grand Warden, like all Heroes, has a special ability that can be activated once per battle. His ability is known as the Eternal Tome. When used, it grants temporary invincibility to all friendly troops within his aura, making it one of the most powerful support abilities in the game.
In addition to providing invincibility, the ability also heals the Grand Warden slightly when activated. This self-healing effect becomes stronger at every fifth level of the Warden, helping him survive longer in the battle. While the heal is modest compared to what a Healer or healing spell might provide, it adds to his sustainability during critical moments.
The Hero Equipment system further enhances the Grand Warden’s effectiveness. Equipped items can add special traits to his Eternal Tome or grant him passive effects that improve his performance. These effects can include extended ability duration, improved healing, or additional buffs for nearby troops. Alongside these active or passive bonuses, equipment also provides raw stat increases such as bonus hitpoints, damage, or range enhancements, making the Warden even more impactful on the battlefield.
Eternal Tome
Grants the ability to make all attacking units in his radius invincible for a short period of time. It does not provide any passive stat increase.
Life Gem
Passively increases the health and max health of other attacking units within his radius by a percentage of their max health up to a cap. It provides a passive increase to damage and max health.
Rage Gem
This gem passively increases the damage or healing of other attacking units within his radius by a percentage. It provides a passive increase to damage and attack speed.
Healing Tome
This tome grants the ability to provide periodic healing to himself and all units within his radius and a vastly increased health recovery. It provides a passive increase to max health.
Fireball
Grand Warden throws a fireball at the nearest defense, dealing massive damage within a large radius. It provides a passive increase to his damage.
Lavaloon Puppet
Summons one to two Lavaloons. It provides a passive increase to damage and max health.
Viable Equipment Combinations
Combination Effect Best Use Case Eternal Tome + Healing Tome (Double Tome) Provides guaranteed healing during invincibility Super Hog Riders, Root Rider Smash, general strategies Eternal Tome + Rage Gem Grants high damage while invincible Smash attacks, core pushes Eternal Tome + Fireball Combines destructive power with invincibility Super Archer Blimps Rage Gem + Healing Tome Offers strong burst damage and healing Sustainable core pushes without invincibility Rage Gem + Fireball Focuses purely on offensive power Warden Charges, high-risk damage playsAutomatic Ability Activation
The Grand Warden’s Eternal Tome ability includes a built-in safety feature that can activate automatically if it hasn’t been used and he is about to be defeated. This automatic activation is designed to preserve both the Warden and the troops within his aura during critical moments in battle.
This feature can be toggled on or off in the game settings under the option labeled “Automatically use Hero Abilities on KO.” When enabled, the game will trigger the Warden’s ability at the last possible moment, preventing him from being knocked out prematurely. This is especially useful for players who may forget to manually activate the ability during intense battles.
Interestingly, the ability can still activate even if the Warden would otherwise be instantly eliminated by a powerful attack, such as a Seeking Air Mine. In such cases, the Eternal Tome activates just before the hit registers, saving him and allowing him to survive with just 1 hitpoint. This mechanic provides a valuable safety net and can be the difference between success and failure in close attacks, especially when the timing of invincibility is crucial.
Pet Pairings
Grand Warden has many viable Pet choices.
Electro Owl
Excellent fit, especially for Air Mode. Provides significant additional damage, is the only aerial Pet that can accompany him without being knocked out, and acts like an extra troop for protection. In ground mode, speeds up Warden Walks, doesn’t pull Healers, and can tank Seeking Air Mines.
Poison Lizard
Alternative for single-target damage at Town Hall 15, can assist against enemy troops.
Frosty
Provides additional support by slowing defenses. Stays in the backline due to Warden’s position and Frosty’s AI, enhancing sustainability. Can stun/slow defenses when the army targets them, increasing attack chances.
Unicorn
Can heal the Warden effectively, including during a Warden Walk, due to keeping pace easily. Useful if Archer Queen is unavailable or needs a different Pet.
Diggy
Can stun defenses when the army targets them, increasing attack chances, particularly with Root Riders.
Angry Jelly
Makes Grand Warden attack defenses, but makes him vulnerable to high-damaging defenses. Only used for Warden Charges where you destroy part of the base using Fireball with Invisibility or Overgrowth Spells.
Offensive Strategies
Because of his low health and damage, he is more suited to support than lead an attack. Use tank units (Giants, Golems, Barbarian King) to keep him safe from defenses. He can support them with his passive abilities.
Mode Usage:
Air Mode
Use Air Mode if you are using an air attack, so he avoids ground defenses. Be aware that without distraction troops, he is vulnerable to Air Defenses, Seeking Air Mines, and defending Clan Castle troops (like Headhunters) in Air Mode. Deploying Balloons near him can distract Seeking Air Mines. Specific level requirements exist for surviving Seeking Air Mines.Ground Mode
Use Ground Mode when using a ground army, as he will not be targeted by Air Defenses.Eternal Tome Usage
Use the Eternal Tome ability near the core of the base where damage is usually highest, allowing troops to push through. Against high-level Town Halls, it may be useful to save the ability specifically for the explosion when the Town Hall is destroyed or a trap is triggered, as these deal severe damage. Alternatively, it can be better to use it early if high-damaging defenses are located near the outside of the base or when your main army is splitting up.Life Gem Effectiveness
Most effective on troops with moderate health (e.g., Balloon, Miner) as they gain a sizable health increase close to the maximum cap. Significantly less effective on low-hitpoint troops (e.g., Minions). Somewhat limiting on high-hitpoint troops (e.g., Golem) as the increase is often well over the cap, and the extra health may not be necessary. When using high-hitpoint troops, the Apprentice Warden may be better than the Life Gem due to having no health cap. The Life Gem can then be replaced by another option like Rage Gem, Healing Tome, or Fireball.Movement and Positioning:
Grand Warden follows other troops and does not need funneling himself, but the other troops do. He follows the troop with the highest housing space or the largest mass of troops, so bunching up troops with Grand Warden is crucial to maximize his aura’s effect. However, avoid bunching troops too tightly to prevent excessive splash damage from defenses and targeting by the Eagle Artillery. The Eternal Tome ability temporarily nullifies the Eagle Artillery risk.
Warden Walk:
At higher levels, the Grand Warden can be used to perform a Warden Walk, a strategy similar in concept to a Queen Walk. In this tactic, he is paired with healing units such as Healers or Druids to clear buildings safely from a distance before the main attack begins.
The Warden’s long range gives him a key advantage. He can snipe buildings from farther away than the Archer Queen, allowing him to stay out of range of many defenses. This makes the Warden Walk generally safer and more consistent in terms of damage avoidance. However, his lower damage output means he takes more time to destroy structures, making the setup slower compared to a Queen Walk.
Druids are often preferred over Healers for Warden Walks because they are ground units and can better match the Warden’s movement. However, Druids have a limited lifespan, which means the window for the walk is shorter. Planning is essential to get maximum value before they expire.
To speed up the Warden Walk, the Rage Gem can be used. It boosts the Warden’s damage and increases healing speed, allowing for faster funneling and more frequent healing from Healers or Druids. This makes it easier to create a path for the rest of the army without wasting time.
The Warden’s AI can be manipulated to control his walk direction. Deploying a few targeting troops, such as Balloons, near a desired building can lure him in that direction. This helps set up a clean funnel and can also serve as a transition point where the main army is deployed, turning the Warden Walk into a powerful smash attack.
If the Warden is in Air Mode during a walk, a Seeking Air Mine poses a major threat. Quickly activating the Eternal Tome before the mine hits can protect him and nearby troops. If the player fails to react in time, the ability will still activate automatically if the feature is enabled, but the Warden will be left with only 1 hitpoint, increasing his vulnerability for the rest of the battle. Timing and awareness are critical to keeping him alive.
Defensive Strategies
The Grand Warden participates in village defense when he is assigned to a Hero Banner. While defending, he will stay near his banner and protect a small territory. If enemy troops lure him too far from his position, he will retreat toward the banner rather than chasing them endlessly across the base.
Unlike some other Heroes, defeating the Grand Warden is not a requirement for achieving a 3-star result in an attack. His presence adds support to the base’s defenses, but his elimination doesn’t affect the outcome directly.
When on defense, the Grand Warden always appears in ground mode, regardless of his current mode when used for offense. This limits his mobility and makes him more vulnerable to ground-based troops and swarm attacks. He also does not benefit from flight, which further reduces his defensive survivability.
Statistically, the Warden is the weakest of the defending Heroes. He has the slowest attack speed, relatively low damage, and modest hitpoints. As a result, he can be overwhelmed by high numbers of attacking troops, especially swarms like Skeletons or Barbarians.
Despite his weaknesses, the Grand Warden’s long range provides some defensive value. He can attack from behind Walls, staying safe from melee troops and contributing chip damage while other defenses absorb hits. His range can also make it difficult for attacking troops to lock onto him unless they move closer, giving defenses more time to thin out the enemy.
To counter an attacking Grand Warden during a raid, defenses that target supporting troops behind the front line are particularly useful. Setting Inferno Towers to multi-target can help damage the Warden along with nearby units. Scattershots and Firespitters are also effective, as they can hit clusters of troops positioned behind the main army, which is often where the Warden stays. These defenses can help take him out early or reduce his impact during the attack.
Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Qs)
❓What is the best mode for the Grand Warden: Air or Ground?
The best mode depends on your attack strategy. Use Air mode for LavaLoon, Electro Dragon, or Dragon Rider attacks, and Ground mode for Hybrid, PEKKA Smash, or Super Bowler attacks. Always set his mode before deploying, as it cannot be changed mid-battle.
❓When should I use the Grand Warden’s Eternal Tome ability?
Use Eternal Tome to protect your troops during critical moments, such as:
🔹Entering the core of a base.
🔹Facing Scattershots, Giga Infernos, or Eagle Artillery.
🔹Blimp travels over high-risk areas. Timing is crucial—it’s often better to slightly delay the activation than use it too early.
❓What is the best hero equipment for the Grand Warden?
Popular hero equipment combinations include:
🔹Eternal Tome + Healing Tome for sustain and invincibility (Double Tome)
🔹Eternal Tome + Rage Gem for high burst damage in Smash attacks
🔹Eternal Tome + Fireball for explosive Blimp strategies
🔹Rage Gem + Healing Tome for sustainable pushes without invincibility
❓How do I upgrade the Grand Warden quickly?
To upgrade the Grand Warden faster:
🔹Use Book of Heroes and Hammer of Heroes
🔹Prioritize him once you unlock him at Town Hall 11
🔹Focus on elixir farming, as his upgrades cost elixir, not dark elixir or gold
🔹Keep him upgrading in between wars, or use Hero Potion if needed for attacks
❓Why does the Grand Warden sometimes lag or die early?
The Grand Warden has a passive “follow mode” and tends to stay near the highest group of hitpoints. If deployed too early or too far from the main army, he may lag or move into danger alone. Always deploy him with or slightly behind your main troops to ensure he stays protected and supports the core push.
