Introduction to Clash of Clans Home Village Mortar Guide
The Mortar in Clash of Clans is a key defensive structure that becomes available at Town Hall 3, making it the third defense you unlock in the game. It stands out due to its ability to deal with area damage, making it the first splash-damage defense accessible to players. Unlike single-target defenses, the Mortar fires explosive shells at ground units, dealing splash damage upon impact. This makes it highly effective against groups of low-health troops like Barbarians and Archers.
One notable characteristic of the Mortar is its minimum range, meaning it cannot attack enemies that get too close. This makes it vulnerable to melee units like Giants or high-speed troops that can quickly close the gap. However, when placed properly behind walls and paired with other defenses, it can significantly weaken swarms of attackers before they reach key structures.
At Town Hall 10, players can upgrade a Mortar to level 8 and then “gear it up” using the Master Builder from the Builder Base. This upgrade converts the Mortar into a Multi Mortar, which fires bursts of three shots in quick succession. While each shot deals slightly less damage compared to a standard Mortar, the increased rate of fire allows it to be more effective against fast-moving troops. The Multi Mortar also eliminates the initial firing delay found in regular Mortars, making it a strong defensive option against mass attacks from smaller troops.
Normal Mode
| Level | Damage per Second | Damage per Shot | Hitpoints | Cost | Build Time | Experience Gained | Town Hall Level Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 20 | 400 | 5,000 | 2h | 84 | 3 |
| 2 | 5 | 25 | 450 | 25,000 | 3h | 103 | 4 |
| 3 | 6 | 30 | 500 | 100,000 | 4h | 120 | 5 |
| 4 | 7 | 35 | 550 | 200,000 | 6h | 146 | 6 |
| 5 | 9 | 45 | 600 | 300,000 | 12h | 207 | 7 |
| 6 | 11 | 55 | 650 | 560,000 | 18h | 254 | 8 |
| 7 | 15 | 75 | 700 | 1,300,000 | 1d | 293 | 9 |
| 8 | 20 | 100 | 800 | 1,900,000 | 1d 12h | 360 | 10 |
| 9 | 25 | 125 | 950 | 2,500,000 | 1d 18h | 388 | 11 |
| 10 | 30 | 150 | 1,100 | 3,000,000 | 2d | 414 | 11 |
| 11 | 35 | 175 | 1,300 | 4,000,000 | 2d 12h | 464 | 12 |
| 12 | 38 | 190 | 1,500 | 4,500,000 | 1d 12h | 360 | 12 |
| 13 | 42 | 210 | 1,700 | 5,000,000 | 3d 12h | 549 | 13 |
| 14 | 48 | 240 | 1,950 | 6,500,000 | 4d | 587 | 14 |
| 15 | 54 | 270 | 2,150 | 8,500,000 | 4d 12h | 623 | 15 |
| 16 | 60 | 300 | 2,300 | 14,600,000 | 7d | 929 | 16 |
| 17 | 66 | 330 | 2,450 | 19,500,000 | 14d 12h | 1,119 | 17 |
Burst Mode
| Level | Damage per Second | Damage per Shot | Hitpoints | Cost | Build Time | Experience Gained | Town Hall Level Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N/A | N/A | 400 | 5,000 | 2h | 84 | 3 |
| 2 | N/A | N/A | 450 | 25,000 | 3h | 103 | 4 |
| 3 | N/A | N/A | 500 | 100,000 | 4h | 120 | 5 |
| 4 | N/A | N/A | 550 | 200,000 | 6h | 146 | 6 |
| 5 | N/A | N/A | 600 | 300,000 | 12h | 207 | 7 |
| 6 | N/A | N/A | 650 | 560,000 | 18h | 254 | 8 |
| 7 | 22 | 37 | 800 | 1,900,000 | 1d 12h | 360 | 10 |
| 8 | 28 | 47 | 950 | 2,500,000 | 1d 18h | 388 | 11 |
| 9 | 33 | 56 | 1,100 | 3,000,000 | 2d | 293 | 11 |
| 10 | 38 | 64 | 1,300 | 4,000,000 | 2d 12h | 464 | 12 |
| 11 | 41 | 70 | 1,500 | 4,500,000 | 1d 12h | 360 | 12 |
| 12 | 46 | 77 | 1,700 | 5,000,000 | 3d 12h | 549 | 13 |
| 13 | 52 | 88 | 1,950 | 6,500,000 | 4d | 587 | 14 |
| 14 | 59 | 99 | 2,150 | 8,500,000 | 4d 12h | 623 | 15 |
| 15 | 66 | 110 | 2,300 | 14,600,000 | 7d | 929 | 16 |
| 16 | 72 | 121 | 2,450 | 19,500,000 | 14d 12h | 1,119 | 17 |
Supercharges
| Charge Level | Damage per Second | Damage per Shot | Hitpoints | Cost | Build Time | Experience Gained | Town Hall Level Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 75 | 126 | 2,450 | 7,500,000 | 3d 12h | 549 | 17 |
| 2 | 75 | 126 | 2,525 | 5,000,000 | 5d 12h | 689 | 17 |
| Range | Attack Speed | Time Between Bursts | Shots Per Burst | Damage Type | Unit Type Targeted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-11 | 0.5s | 4s | 3 shots | Splash – 1.5 tiles | Ground |
The Power of the Mortar: Recognizing Its Strengths
The Mortar’s primary advantage is its long-range attack, allowing it to be placed behind other structures to provide continuous support while staying protected. Every five seconds, it fires an explosive shell that deals splash damage to ground units within a set radius. This makes it especially effective against swarms of weaker troops like Barbarians, Archers, Goblins, and Wall Breakers. A well-positioned Mortar can quickly eliminate these low-health units before they reach key defenses, making it a crucial component of early and mid-game base designs.
When multiple Mortars are working together, they can deal significant damage even to stronger troops like Giants, Wizards, Hog Riders, Witches, and Bowlers. While Mortars are not typically the primary defense against these units, their splash damage helps weaken them for other defenses to finish off. Their ability to target multiple troops at once makes them valuable against mass infantry-based attacks, particularly those that rely on swarming tactics.
One of the Mortar’s unique characteristics is its knock-back effect. Smaller troops hit by a Mortar shell are slightly pushed back, which can disrupt their movement and cause them to retarget structures. This can create delays in enemy attacks, giving other defenses more time to deal damage. At each upgrade level, a Mortar remains capable of eliminating same-level Archers with a single shot, which is important for defending against spammed Archer attacks.
By Town Hall 9, when stronger defenses like the X-Bow become available, Mortars can be placed near the outer edges of the base, shielded by non-defensive buildings, to provide extended coverage and force enemy troops to group together. Additionally, Mortars outrange the Flame Flinger, making them an effective counter to this siege machine. They can also influence troop pathing by acting as a distraction for units like Balloons or Hog Riders, potentially luring them into traps or away from high-value defenses.
Recognizing the Mortar’s Limitations
Another significant disadvantage of the Mortar is its inability to adapt to changing battlefield conditions quickly. Since it fires in a fixed trajectory and has a slow reload time, it is ineffective when faced with scattered or unpredictable troop movements. Skilled attackers can use this to their advantage by deploying troops in waves, forcing the Mortar to fire at a single group while another advances unharmed. This tactic works particularly well with spread-out Archer or Minion deployments, minimizing overall troop losses.
The Mortar’s positioning within a base also plays a crucial role in its effectiveness. If placed too far from the center, it can be easily sniped by long-range troops such as Archers or Wizards. However, if positioned too close to the core without enough supporting defenses, it can be overwhelmed by melee troops once they break through the outer layers. Smart attackers can exploit poorly placed Mortars by using a mix of ranged units to weaken them from a distance and fast-moving ground troops to finish them off once they get close.
Additionally, attackers who rely on Lightning Spells or Earthquake Spells can easily eliminate a Mortar before their main assault even begins. Since the Mortar has relatively low hitpoints compared to other splash damage defenses, it is one of the easiest structures to destroy with spells. High-level players often preemptively remove Mortars from a base layout to weaken its ability to counter swarms of low-hitpoint troops. In certain attack strategies, such as Mass Witch or Barch (Barbarians and Archers), eliminating Mortars early can drastically increase the chances of success.
Finally, the Mortar’s inability to target air troops makes it a liability in defending against aerial attacks. Even a single Balloon or a group of Minions can destroy an exposed Mortar if it is not properly covered by Air Defenses or Wizard Towers. LavaLoon attacks, in particular, can take advantage of this by using Lava Hounds to tank damage while Balloons quickly wipe out Mortars along with other ground-targeting defenses. Proper base design can mitigate this weakness, but experienced attackers will always look for openings to exploit the Mortar’s shortcomings.
Mastering Defensive Strategies with the Mortar
Strategic Placement:
To maximize the Mortar’s effectiveness, it should be positioned strategically within your base to provide sustained splash damage while staying protected from direct attacks. Placing it towards the center, behind at least one layer of walls, ensures that it remains safe from fast-moving melee troops like Barbarians and Goblins. This placement allows the Mortar to consistently fire on attacking units from a distance without being easily reached.
A strong defensive strategy is to form triangles or squares with Mortars near the core of your base. This arrangement ensures that multiple Mortars cover different angles, making it harder for enemies to find blind spots and overwhelm them. Spacing them apart also reduces the risk of multiple Mortars being taken out by a single Lightning Spell or Earthquake Spell.
At Town Hall 9 and higher, Mortars can be positioned toward the outer areas of the base while being shielded by non-defensive buildings. This setup helps delay enemy troops from reaching them and allows Mortars to deal early damage to attacking waves before they reach key defenses. At higher Town Hall levels, placing Mortars outside the walls in corners can be an effective deterrent against Archer sniping, as it forces attackers to use more troops or spells to eliminate them. However, this positioning should be carefully balanced with base design to prevent attackers from exploiting it with back-end troops or Hero abilities.
Pairing with Other Defenses:
Combining Mortars with other defenses is essential for creating a well-rounded and balanced defensive setup. Since Mortars excel at dealing splash damage to ground units but have a blind spot and cannot target air troops, pairing them with complementary defenses helps cover their weaknesses.
A strong combination is placing a Mortar near a Wizard Tower. While the Mortar provides long-range splash damage against ground troops, the Wizard Tower can eliminate air threats and cover the Mortar’s blind spot with its area damage. This pairing ensures that both ground and air swarms, such as groups of Archers, Minions, or Balloons, are effectively countered.
For added protection, consider integrating an Air Defense and a storage building into this setup. The Air Defense ensures that high-hitpoint flying units like Dragons and Lava Hounds are kept in check, while the storage acts as a damage sponge. Since storage buildings have high hitpoints, they can absorb damage from enemy troops, delaying their advance and allowing defenses more time to eliminate them.
By using this combination of Mortars, Wizard Towers, Air Defenses, and storages, your base can effectively handle both air and ground threats while maximizing the survivability of key defenses.
Base Design Considerations:
When designing your base, it’s crucial to account for the Mortar’s vulnerabilities and take steps to minimize them. Since Mortars cannot target air units, they are particularly ineffective against Lavaloon strategies. To counter this, spread out your Air Defenses so they cannot be easily taken out by a single Lightning Spell or a concentrated attack. Separating these key defenses ensures that air troops remain under pressure throughout the battle.
Another important consideration is avoiding the placement of Mortars and Wizard Towers too close together. Since both defenses are vulnerable to Lightning Spells, placing them in close proximity makes it easier for attackers to destroy them with just a few well-placed spells. Instead, include another building—such as a storage or non-defensive structure—between them to act as a buffer, reducing the risk of losing both defenses simultaneously.
Positioning Mortars near each other but in separate wall compartments can be an effective strategy against low-health ground troops. This setup creates overlapping zones of splash damage, making it difficult for enemy units like Barbarians, Archers, and Goblins to break through without suffering heavy losses. However, be cautious not to cluster Mortars too closely together, as this can make it easier for enemy troops to exploit their blind spots or for Lightning Spells and air troops to eliminate them all at once. A balanced placement ensures that your Mortars remain effective while minimizing their weaknesses.
Upgrade Timing:
Upgrading your Mortars is crucial for maintaining their effectiveness, as higher-level Mortars deal more damage and better withstand enemy attacks. However, upgrading a Mortar temporarily removes it from your defense, creating a vulnerability in your base. Skilled attackers may recognize this weakness and exploit it, especially if multiple Mortars are under construction at the same time.
To minimize risk, it is generally best to upgrade only one Mortar at a time. This ensures that your base retains sufficient splash damage coverage against swarms of low-health troops. However, if you have an active Shield or Guard protecting your village, upgrading all Mortars simultaneously can be a viable strategy. This allows you to complete all upgrades faster without worrying about immediate attacks. Proper upgrade management helps maintain base defense while ensuring your Mortars reach their maximum potential as quickly as possible.
Offensive Tactics: How to Counter Enemy Mortars
Understanding how to counter the Mortar effectively can significantly improve your attacking strategy. Since the Mortar has a blind spot—a four-tile radius around it—fast melee troops such as Hog Riders and Goblins can be deployed strategically to rush in and destroy it before it gets a chance to fire. This is especially useful when Mortars are placed near the edge of a base, as a well-placed Giant can tank while the Goblins or Hog Riders take it down. However, be mindful of traps like Spring Traps or Bombs, which are often placed near Mortars to counter such attacks.
Archers and Wizards can also be effective against Mortars when properly deployed. Since Archers tend to stop and attack from a distance before entering the Mortar’s dead zone, they are at risk of being eliminated by a single shell if clumped together. To prevent this, consider spreading out Archers or using Giants as a distraction. Wizards, while having higher damage output, are also vulnerable to splash damage, so staggering their deployment can help maintain their numbers throughout the attack.
Lightning Spells provide another reliable method for dealing with Mortars, as their relatively low hitpoints make them easy to destroy. At most levels, three Lightning Spells will take out a Mortar, while at higher levels, two well-placed Lightning Spells may be sufficient. This tactic is particularly useful in mass-ground army compositions where clearing out splash damage defenses beforehand can prevent heavy losses. If using an air attack strategy, ensure that Air Defenses and Wizard Towers are neutralized first, allowing Balloons, Minions, or Dragons to clear out any remaining Mortars with ease.
When facing multiple Mortars, consider attacking from an angle where your troops can avoid their overlapping splash zones. Deploying a few Wall Breakers or a Jump Spell to quickly break through walls and access the Mortars can also prevent them from dealing prolonged damage to your army. Additionally, if a Mortar is placed near a Storage or high-hitpoint structure, use this to your advantage—these buildings can absorb damage while your troops take down defenses.
Be cautious when dealing with bases that have Mortars positioned near Wizard Towers. This setup is designed to force troops to group together, making them vulnerable to both splash damage defenses. If you notice such a layout, either spread out your deployment or prioritize taking down the Wizard Tower first before dealing with the Mortar. Proper troop spacing and awareness of defensive layouts can significantly reduce the damage your army takes and improve your overall attack efficiency.
