How to Design an Anti-3 Star Base in TH18

Three-star attacks at Town Hall 18 almost always follow the same plan: take one side cleanly with a funnel, kill the key defenses with heroes, then let the main army sweep through the core. An anti-3 star base exists to break that plan at every step, not to stop the attacker from getting any stars at all.

1. Accept the 1 star, protect the 3rd star

A good war base gives up a little percentage on the outside so attackers waste time and spells there. What it must protect is the full clear. Spread your strongest defenses so no single side or quadrant has all of them together, and keep the Town Hall away from the exact centre so a single core push cannot also finish the base.

2. Make funnelling expensive

• Put buildings with high hit points on the edges so funnels take longer to build.
• Leave small gaps outside that pull troops around the base instead of into it.
• Place a few defenses just inside the first wall ring so a lazy funnel gets punished.

3. Split the core into compartments

Small, uneven compartments slow down wall breakers, jump spells and hero pathing. Avoid big open areas inside the walls, and do not put every high-value defense in the same compartment: one Earthquake or Jump Spell should never open your whole core.

4. Hide traps where attackers commit

Giant Bombs and Spring Traps work best in the gaps where troops are funnelled. Seeking Air Mines belong on the paths Dragons and Electro Dragons usually take, near the defenses attackers want to kill first. Tornado Traps next to the Town Hall can buy enough time to stop a late clear.

5. Test it, then copy a proven layout

Ask a clanmate for friendly challenges with the strongest attacks at your level and watch the replays. If the same route wins every time, move a key defense or trap and try again. If you want a head start, copy one of the tested layouts below and adjust it to your own play style.

Quick checklist

• Town Hall not reachable from one side in the first 30 seconds
• No compartment holds more than two of your strongest defenses
• Traps sit in funnel gaps and on air paths
• Every attack you test fails in a different way

Browse all TH18 war bases to find more layouts you can copy with one tap.