You’ve waited long enough, so welcome to another episode of the Hits to Kill series and this time we’re going up in the sky with the Air Defense. If this is your first episode of the HITS TO KILL series than please read the instructions in the first episode to know what this is all about and how it works.

Clash of Clans Air Defense Facts

The Air Defense is a building with one of the highest damage per second statistics, but it only attacks aerial units (Minions, Balloons, Dragons, Healers). While in the first Town Hall levels you will only use it against Balloons every 20 defenses, it becomes more and more important in the higher Town Hall levels. It is the only really effective defensive building against aerial units because the Wizard Towers and the Archer Towers have far less DPS. If you don’t know for sure which level an Air Defense has when scouting a base, just count the rockets – they are corresponding to the Air Defense’s level, up until level 7 which is visually different from the lower levels.

Hits to Hill Troops

As the Air Defense only attacks aerial units we will focus on them. The Air Defense has a fire rate of 1 second so the calculation was easier than in the last episodes of the Wizard Tower or the Mortar.

Minions

Nevermind the level of your Air Defense nor the Minions level as all levels get killed by all Air Defense levels. Yes, even an Air Defense level 1 kills a Minion level 6 in one shot.

Balloons

Town Hall 9-10: You will face Balloon raids with level 6 Balloons, so you should try to get your Air Defense to level 7

Town Hall 7-8: I think level 5 should be enough because Balloon raids in this area aren’t very common

Town Hall lower than 7: try to have your Air Defense at the max level, which is level 4 if you are Town Hall 6

Healers

Town Hall 9-10: Healers are quite regular with some strategies so you should at least have level 7 Air Defenses

Town Hall 7-8: Level 5 Air Defense should do it as I don’t expect level 4 Healers in that range

Town Hall lower than 7: try to have your Air Defense at the max level, which is level 4 if you are Town Hall 6

Dragons

Town Hall 9-10: Dragons have lots of health, so the higher your Air Defenses, the faster you kill them – but I think level 8 is too expensive to pay the rent and I suggest having level 7

Town Hall 7-8: Level 6 Air Defenses will help you a lot as I see plenty of people doing Dragon-only raids in that range until they figure out it is too expensive to make it effective

Town Hall lower than 7: Don’t worry too much because I don’t think there are lots of Dragon raids you will have to stand up against

Putting the Pieces Together

As you can see the Minions don’t make any difference while the other units are very close together which makes a huge difference.

You are Town Hall 9 or 10

Having your Air Defenses at level 7 will help you a lot, but you will not face lots of Dragon or massive Healer raids, so you should use the Gold for Mortars/Wizards Towers first before focusing on them. On the other hand there are attackers with aerial strategies and they will pick you for sure if they see you running with level 3 Air Defenses. If you start getting attacked by lots of Dragons or Healers. you should think about getting your Air Defenses up to scare these kinds of attackers off in the first place.

You are Town Hall 7 or 8

You shouldn’t mind your Air Defense levels that much; Wait to do it with your Town Hall upgrade. Try to have them on a solid level (which is level 5) and then go up.

Your Town Hall is lower than level 7

You also shouldn’t mind them, but keep in mind that you will have to upgrade them sooner or later and why not get them on a solid level early in your Clash of Clans career. I also see many people doing Dragons only raids in Clan Wars and you don’t want to be the easy bait they pick.