Hero Equipment has completely changed how Heroes perform in Clash of Clans. Picking the right combination often matters more than squeezing out a couple of extra Hero levels, and with Starry Ore remaining one of the game’s biggest bottlenecks, every upgrade is a long-term investment.
That’s why this tier list isn’t built around rarity alone. Epic equipment may offer a higher ceiling, but it also demands significantly more resources to reach its full potential. Spending precious ore on the wrong item can slow your account down for weeks.
If you’re trying to decide where your upgrades should go in July 2026, here’s what deserves your attention—and what can safely stay on the bench.
How This Hero Equipment Tier List Was Ranked
Every player values Hero Equipment a little differently, but this ranking focuses on one simple question:
Is the investment actually worth it?
An equipment piece isn’t rated highly just because it’s flashy or rare. It has to provide consistent value across many attacks while justifying the amount of Shiny Ore, Glowy Ore, and especially Starry Ore required to upgrade it.
The rankings consider five major factors:
- Impact on attacks — Does it noticeably improve your chances of securing three stars?
- Versatility — Can multiple army compositions benefit from it, or is it locked into a niche strategy?
- Upgrade cost — Does the performance justify the ore investment?
- Hero synergy — Does it solve weaknesses or simply provide extra stats?
- Current meta relevance — Is it still a staple in top-performing armies, or has stronger equipment taken its place?
One thing is worth remembering before looking at the rankings.
Epic doesn’t automatically mean better.
Common Hero Equipment stops at level 18, while Epic Equipment continues all the way to level 27. That higher ceiling comes with a much steeper upgrade cost. Although Epic items are generally designed to be stronger, not every one of them deserves your limited Starry Ore. Some Common Equipment still delivers outstanding value despite its lower rarity.
Clash of Clans Hero Equipment Tier List — July 2026
This list is intentionally strict.
For most free-to-play players, ore—not time—is the biggest progression wall. A piece of equipment needs to be genuinely game-changing before it’s worth weeks of upgrades. Simply being “good” isn’t enough.
The best equipment should either:
- carry attacks on its own,
- unlock powerful strategies,
- or remain useful across multiple army compositions.
Everything else naturally falls lower in priority.
| Tier | Hero Equipment |
|---|---|
| S-Tier | Eternal Tome, Action Figure, Electro Boots, Fire Heart, Spiky Ball, Fireball, Giant Arrow |
| A-Tier | Haste Vial, Rocket Spear, Healing Tome, Rage Gem, Dark Orb, Stun Blaster, Snake Bracelet, Magic Mirror, Monolith Arrow, Earthquake Boots, Heroic Torch |
| B-Tier | Giant Gauntlet, Healer Puppet, Frozen Arrow, Invisibility Vial, Frost Flake, Seeking Shield, Royal Gem, Dark Crown, Meteor Staff, Electro Fangs, Stick Horse, Metal Pants |
| C-Tier | Rage Vial, Vampstache, Hog Rider Puppet, Noble Iron, Flame Blower, Rocket Backpack, Life Gem, Henchmen Puppet |
| D-Tier | Barbarian Puppet, Archer Puppet, Lavaloon Puppet |
This July 2026 ranking also includes the newest Dragon Duke equipment, including:
- Fire Heart
- Flame Blower
- Stun Blaster
- Rocket Backpack
- Electro Fangs
alongside the full collection of Hero Equipment available for the Barbarian King, Archer Queen, Grand Warden, Royal Champion, and Minion Prince.
C & D-Tier Hero Equipment
Not every equipment upgrade deserves your ores.
C-Tier items generally function well enough, but nearly every Hero has stronger alternatives that offer noticeably better value. Unless one of these pieces perfectly matches your favorite strategy, investing in them is difficult to justify.
D-Tier is even easier to explain.
Most of these are simply the default starter equipment that gets replaced almost immediately, while Lavaloon Puppet remains so situational that it’s almost impossible to recommend for general progression.
| Tier | Equipment |
|---|---|
| C-Tier | Rage Vial, Vampstache, Hog Rider Puppet, Noble Iron, Flame Blower, Rocket Backpack, Life Gem, Henchmen Puppet |
| D-Tier | Barbarian Puppet, Archer Puppet, Lavaloon Puppet |
Rage Vial & Vampstache
Both are perfectly serviceable early-game Barbarian King options.
If you haven’t unlocked stronger alternatives yet, they’ll do the job. The problem is longevity. Once higher-impact equipment becomes available, there’s very little reason to keep investing in them.
Barbarian Puppet & Archer Puppet
These suffer from the same issue nearly every starter equipment faces.
They technically provide value, but that value disappears the moment stronger equipment enters your collection. Very few players ever return to them after progressing further.
Lavaloon Puppet
Its biggest weakness is how narrow its use case is.
Unless your entire attack strategy revolves around Lavaloon-style armies, spending valuable ore here is difficult to recommend. There are simply too many upgrades that provide broader value across multiple army types.
B-Tier Hero Equipment
B-Tier equipment sits in an awkward spot. None of these items are bad—in fact, several are still perfectly playable. The problem is that most of them have simply been pushed aside by newer or stronger alternatives.
If one of these fits your favorite army, upgrading it isn’t a mistake. Just don’t expect the same return on investment as the equipment sitting higher on this list.
| Equipment | Why It Stays in B-Tier |
|---|---|
| Giant Gauntlet | Still solid, but no longer the best first Epic upgrade for the Barbarian King |
| Healer Puppet | Good support for the Queen, but Action Figure outclasses it |
| Frozen Arrow | Strong slowing effect, yet newer Queen equipment offers more value |
| Invisibility Vial | Useful, though significantly weaker than today’s best Queen loadouts |
| Frost Flake | Provides reliable crowd control, but the Royal Champion has stronger choices |
| Seeking Shield | Excellent for picking off defenses, but lacks overall meta impact |
| Royal Gem | Healing is valuable, although Electro Boots and Haste Vial usually deserve the slot instead |
| Dark Crown | Can make the Minion Prince surprisingly durable, but relies on intentionally sacrificing troops and carries a lot of risk |
| Meteor Staff | Deals respectable damage, though Fireball performs the role more effectively |
| Electro Fangs | Pairs well with Fire Heart, but isn’t strong enough to justify upgrading on its own |
| Stick Horse | Nice mobility tool without enough overall impact |
| Metal Pants | Adds survivability, but rarely changes the outcome of an attack |
One placement that will probably raise a few eyebrows is Giant Gauntlet.
A while ago, it was an obvious first Epic upgrade for the Barbarian King. That simply isn’t the case anymore.
The damage reduction remains valuable, and the area damage is still useful, but newer King equipment contributes much more to clearing bases efficiently. If you’re deciding where your Starry Ore should go first, Spiky Ball and even Snake Bracelet generally provide greater value before Giant Gauntlet enters the conversation.
A-Tier Hero Equipment
Don’t make the mistake of treating A-Tier as “almost good.”
Every equipment piece here is powerful enough to deserve upgrades and regularly appears in strong armies. The only reason these items don’t reach S-Tier is because a handful of equipment pieces consistently offer even higher priority across more situations.
| Equipment | Why It’s Worth Upgrading |
|---|---|
| Haste Vial | One of the strongest Royal Champion abilities, especially alongside Electro Boots |
| Rocket Spear | Excellent for ranged Royal Champion attacks and defensive sniping |
| Healing Tome | Outstanding sustain for high-HP armies and long battles |
| Rage Gem | Provides a powerful damage aura for aggressive army compositions |
| Dark Orb | Reliable control option for the Minion Prince |
| Stun Blaster | Strong crowd-control equipment for Dragon Duke |
| Snake Bracelet | Gives the Barbarian King extra distraction while scaling well into the attack |
| Magic Mirror | Helps the Archer Queen survive longer by avoiding damage and confusing defenses |
| Monolith Arrow | Improves Queen survivability while dealing heavy damage against armies built around high-health troops |
| Earthquake Boots | Excellent for opening walls while damaging nearby structures |
| Heroic Torch | Extremely effective in wall-heavy attacks by helping nearby troops ignore walls and take reduced damage |
Haste Vial
If this list had an S-minus tier, Haste Vial would probably live there.
It dramatically increases the Royal Champion’s speed and attack tempo, letting her eliminate defenses before they have much time to fight back. Rocket Spear offers a safer alternative for players who prefer ranged pressure, but Haste Vial creates more explosive attacks and generally has a higher ceiling.
Heroic Torch
Heroic Torch quietly deserves more attention than it usually gets.
Allowing nearby troops to move through walls while taking reduced damage can completely change how certain attacks flow. The only reason it doesn’t climb higher is consistency—it truly shines only in armies specifically built around those strengths.
S-Tier Hero Equipment in Clash of Clans
If you’re wondering where your Starry Ore should go first, start here.
These are the equipment pieces that consistently define the current meta or provide so much value that leaving them underleveled puts you at a disadvantage. Balance patches will eventually knock some of them down a peg—that’s inevitable. Giant Gauntlet is proof that today’s must-have upgrade can become tomorrow’s “still good” option.
Even so, these are the safest long-term investments available in July 2026.
Eternal Tome
There’s a reason Eternal Tome has remained the gold standard for the Grand Warden.
A few seconds of complete damage immunity for the Warden and nearby troops is an effect that’s almost impossible to replace. It fits nearly every army composition, works in virtually every Town Hall, and regularly saves attacks that would otherwise fall apart during the toughest section of a base.
No complicated setup. No niche strategy. Just incredible consistency.
Pros
- Fits almost every army composition
- Keeps your army alive through the most dangerous defenses
- Requires very little setup
- Common equipment, making it much cheaper to max than Epic gear
Cons
- Doesn’t deal direct damage
- Proper timing still matters
Fireball may look flashier, but Eternal Tome quietly wins battles every single day. Even now, it’s one of the few pieces of Common equipment I’d happily max before several Epic options because it simply never stops delivering value. Sometimes it’s almost a problem—I end up using it so often that swapping to another Warden setup feels wrong.
Action Figure
In the current meta, Action Figure sits comfortably at the top of the Archer Queen’s equipment list.
Press the ability and you don’t just get invisibility. The Queen also summons a Giant Giant to fight beside her while receiving additional healing, extra damage, and a healthy boost to survivability. That’s an enormous amount of value packed into one activation.
Pros
- Excellent survivability
- Makes the Queen much harder to eliminate
- Can completely swing an attack in your favor
- Performs equally well in both ground and air armies
Cons
- Expensive to upgrade
- Needs several levels before reaching its full strength
Community rankings throughout July 2026 continue to place Action Figure firmly in the meta, with many recommending level 18 as the minimum target before considering other expensive upgrades. Based on current performance, it’s hard to disagree.
Electro Boots
Two years after their release, Electro Boots are still one of the smartest investments you can make for the Royal Champion.
Their passive electric aura continuously damages nearby targets without requiring any timing or button press. That constant damage clears small troops, helps trigger traps, and lets the Royal Champion continue pushing through defenses instead of getting bogged down.
Pros
- Passive damage with no activation required
- Incredible synergy with Haste Vial
- Helps reveal and remove traps
- Outstanding for deep Royal Champion dives
Cons
- Epic upgrade costs
- Still depends on good Royal Champion pathing
If you’re looking for the strongest combinations, pair Electro Boots with Haste Vial for aggressive dives into the base or combine them with Rocket Spear for a safer ranged approach. Either setup delivers excellent value and remains one of the safest places to spend your ore.
Fire Heart
For Dragon Duke players, Fire Heart isn’t just the best option—it’s the equipment that keeps the Hero functioning at his best.
It gradually restores health, boosts several stats, and unleashes an explosion when Dragon Duke falls. That healing has become even more important after the July balance changes reduced Dragon Duke’s durability, making him noticeably squishier than before.
Pros
- Cheap Common equipment upgrade path
- Gives Dragon Duke valuable self-healing
- Explosion on death still provides useful damage
Cons
- Needs investment before it truly shines
- Limited by the strength of your Dragon Duke
The lower upgrade cost is a huge advantage, but only if you’ve already invested in Dragon Duke himself. Without that, Fire Heart can’t fully show what it’s capable of. Once both are upgraded, though, the extra sustain dramatically improves the Hero’s overall performance.
Spiky Ball
If there’s one Barbarian King ability that’s simply fun to use, it’s Spiky Ball.
The King launches a massive spiked ball that ricochets between buildings, smashing everything along its path. Beyond looking satisfying, it has a huge impact on how your attacks unfold. It clears structures, creates cleaner funnels, and opens routes that would otherwise force your army into awkward pathing.
That’s exactly why it now ranks ahead of Giant Gauntlet.
Rather than making the King harder to kill, Spiky Ball immediately changes the battlefield by removing key buildings before your army even reaches them.
Pros
- Excellent funneling tool
- Massive building damage
- Fits a wide range of ground armies
- Offers stronger offensive value than most other King equipment
Cons
- Expensive Epic upgrade path
- Requires good aim to reach its full potential
Players who like using the Barbarian King to carve a path into a base will get tremendous value from Spiky Ball. Few upgrades provide such an immediate impact on an attack.
Fireball
Fireball isn’t beginner-friendly.
It’s one of those abilities that can completely dominate a battle—or completely waste an attack—depending on how well you plan ahead.
Instead of supporting your army defensively like Eternal Tome, Fireball transforms the Grand Warden into an offensive powerhouse. A well-placed shot can remove or heavily weaken an entire defensive compartment before your troops even arrive.
Spell Towers, Inferno Towers, Monoliths, or any other troublesome defenses suddenly become much less intimidating.
Pros
- Huge offensive potential
- Devastating against compact base layouts
- Enables advanced attack strategies
- Becomes even stronger with the right spell support
Cons
- Demands careful planning
- Poor placement can completely waste the ability
- Choosing Fireball means giving up Eternal Tome
Fireball definitely isn’t a one-button win condition, even if it sometimes feels like one.
Players who enjoy planning attacks and studying layouts will get incredible value from it. If your approach is simply dropping troops and hoping for the best, Eternal Tome remains the far safer option.
Giant Arrow
Landing a perfect Giant Arrow is still one of the most satisfying moments in Clash of Clans.
The Archer Queen fires a massive projectile that cuts across the entire village, damaging every building caught in its path. When important defenses line up correctly, one shot can completely reshape an attack before it even begins.
Its effectiveness naturally depends on the base layout. Simple, linear designs are perfect targets, while more scattered layouts reduce its overall value.
Pros
- Can instantly remove multiple key defenses
- Excellent choice for air armies
- Extremely powerful when the base layout favors it
- Common equipment with a relatively affordable upgrade path
Cons
- Highly dependent on enemy base design
- Missing valuable targets dramatically lowers its impact
- Less universally useful than Action Figure
Some players would place Giant Arrow in A-Tier, arguing that it’s too situational to compete with the very best equipment.
I still disagree.
Its ceiling is simply too high. Players who take the time to read base layouts and line up their shots can win attacks before the main army even enters the village. Up through the higher Town Hall levels, Giant Arrow remains one of the strongest offensive tools available—although experienced defenders will increasingly build bases with its potential in mind.
Best Hero Equipment for Every Hero
If you just want the strongest equipment combinations without reading the full rankings, here’s the quick version.
| Hero | Recommended Equipment |
|---|---|
| Barbarian King | Spiky Ball + Snake Bracelet / Earthquake Boots |
| Archer Queen | Action Figure + Giant Arrow / Magic Mirror |
| Grand Warden | Eternal Tome + Fireball / Healing Tome |
| Royal Champion | Electro Boots + Haste Vial / Rocket Spear |
| Minion Prince | Dark Orb + Dark Crown / Meteor Staff |
| Dragon Duke | Fire Heart + Stun Blaster / Electro Fangs |
Upgrade Priority if You’re Short on Ore
For most players, especially those playing free-to-play, Starry Ore disappears much faster than it arrives. If you have to choose where to invest first, this order offers the strongest long-term value:
- Eternal Tome
- Electro Boots
- Action Figure
- Fire Heart
- Spiky Ball
- Fireball
- Haste Vial
- Giant Arrow
Following this priority gives you an excellent balance of survivability, offensive power, and flexibility across multiple army compositions without committing all your resources to a single Hero.