Supercell’s newest game is Boom Beach, and no doubt hardcore Clash of Clans players are downloading it in droves to check it out. I took it for a spin, and figured out a few Boom Beach tips and tricks that I’ll share. If you’re just starting out, you’ll no doubt be wondering what the difference is between Clash of Clans. Hopefully this article will shed some light on that as well!

Boom Beach FAQ: How do I get more builders?

You can only build or upgrade one thing at a time. That’s by design. You can’t build more builder huts in Boom Beach like you can in Clash of Clans. Supposedly they adjusted the build times to be faster to adjust for this, but there you go.

You can chop down trees or build things that take no time (like mines) while something is building or upgrading, however.

Boom Beach FAQ: How do I get more diamonds?

The fastest way I’ve found to get more diamonds in Boom Beach is to check the world map. Occasionally you’ll see islands that have treasure chests on them. Tap the chest to get some free diamonds for your Boom Beach island!

These chests respawn over time, so check in on the map every day to get a few more.

Also, just like in Clash of Clans, you can get more free Boom Beach diamonds from completing achievements. Check the “stars” button in the upper left to see what achievements you can earn and how much they’re worth.

Boom Beach FAQ: What do I do with Diamonds?

Currently I’m not aware of any “diamond only” things in the game. Thus, diamonds are currently only good for:

Speeding things up. You can pay to finish a timer, whether it’s on units, upgrades, etc.

You can pay to finish a timer, whether it’s on units, upgrades, etc. Bypassing the time and resource cost for upgrades. If you pick the diamond option for an upgrade in Boom Beach, you get that upgrade immediately, even if you don’t have the resources to afford it.

For the time being, I suggest either stockpiling them or using them for headquarters upgrades, as they are costly and time consuming.

In Clash of Clans, gems bought new builders, so I figure at some point there will be “diamond only” upgrades or buildings added to the game. It seems to me to be a logical monetization strategy.

Related Guide “What do I do with diamonds?” is such a frequently asked question that I’ve put together a Boom Beach Diamonds guide to help new players out. More details and info about the critical HQ upgrades to prioritize can be found there.

Boom Beach FAQ: How do I get more lumber?

Lumber is produced by the sawmill. You can upgrade your sawmill to produce more lumber per hour.

Alternatively, you can also trade gold for lumber by chopping down trees. Different size trees yield different amounts of lumber. Remember that you can do this while something is being built or upgraded. Trees do not grow back, although you’ll eventually have additional islands to harvest.

Lumber’s also available if you win a mission in the campaign or beat another player’s defenses. You’ll loot some of both lumber and gold if you win.

Boom Beach FAQ: How do I get more gold?

Gold is produced by residences. You can upgrade your residences or build more to produce more gold.

Gold is also produced per hour by all the villages you’ve freed in the campaign. You can tap on any freed island to see how much the islanders will bring you per hour. The gold is brought by boat, and you can find the boat at your docks.

Also, gold is one of the campaign mission rewards, like I mentioned in the question about lumber above.

(There’s also Iron and Stone, but you should have gotten the gist of resources by now :P)

Boom Beach FAQ: How does attacking bases work?

Attacking is very similar to Clash of Clans:

Troops are stored in your Landing Craft, and upgrading your crafts gives them more space.

Troops can be trained for a cost of gold, but they take a while to train.

Troops take up different amounts of space in your landing crafts. You can only fit 1 Heavy where 5 Riflemen, for instance.

You tap on the beach to deploy your troops.

Troops will generally do their own thing and prioritize targets of their own accord.

Attacking things costs you some gold, but if you win you’ll generally take home more than you spent!

However, there are some significant differences:

The Headquarters is critical. If the headquarters is destroyed, it’s an instant win for the attackers. Even if you protect the HQ, every building destroyed does damage to the headquarters. It’s common in Clash of Clans to leave your Town Hall undefended, but this is suicidal in Boom Beach!

If the headquarters is destroyed, it’s an instant win for the attackers. Even if you protect the HQ, every building destroyed does damage to the headquarters. It’s common in Clash of Clans to leave your Town Hall undefended, but this is suicidal in Boom Beach! Troops are not consumed when deployed. If they survive an attack, they’ll be back on your landing craft for another fight immediately. Even if they’re mortally wounded, they’ll be healed and ready to go immediately.

when deployed. If they survive an attack, they’ll be back on your landing craft for another fight immediately. Even if they’re mortally wounded, they’ll be healed and ready to go immediately. Retreating will preserve any troops that are deployed, assuming they survive the trip back to the landing craft.

assuming they survive the trip back to the landing craft. Only one type of troop can be trained per landing craft. You can’t mix and match.

Boom Beach FAQ: How does the Gunboat work?

The Gunboat is a “support” craft that will follow your troops into battle. It can fire its guns at targets, or shoot flares to direct your attacking troops (if your Headquarters is at least level 3).

The Gunboat consumes energy when it does one of these things, however. It will come into a fight with a fixed amount of energy that can be upgraded if you upgrade the boat. The more actions the Gunboat takes, the more energy it will require for each action.

The Gunboat’s shots don’t auto-aim, so if you’re off by a bit when trying to hit something, you won’t do damage. This also means that you can hit multiple targets if they are right next to each other. Be careful where you tap, and make every shot count!

Energy can be earned by destroying targets during a mission. Sometimes it’s worth it to take out weak targets so that you get additional energy. Destroying alternate targets also weakens the enemy headquarters, so it’s a double whammy.

The Gunboat can be used even if it is being upgraded. It won’t get the benefit of its new level, but it won’t be out of action.

Boom Beach FAQ: What should I build/upgrade first?

With all of these resource management games, I find it useful to build and upgrade your resource buildings early. That way, you’re producing a steady stream of income that you can use to defend yourself and go on the offensive.

One thing you want to build ASAP is a vault. This will protect your resources in case you get raided. Unlike Clash of Clans, it’s possible to lose ALL your resources if you get raided.

Beyond that, it seems like matchmaking is primarily based on your relative experience levels rather than headquarters levels. Upgrading your headquarters is a solid strategy, as it unlocks a lot of other useful buildings and upgrades.

Boom Beach FAQ: How do I fight other human players?

Once you get to around Headquarters level 3 and Radar level 2, you’ll be able to see enemy bases, and enemy bases will see you as well.

Since this opens you up to attack, I suggest saving these upgrades for last lest you end up like me, punked by some high-level commander and all your resources taken. Make sure you at least build a vault prior to upgrading your HQ and radar too far!

You can play against a human base repeatedly if you lose, although you’re giving them experience when you lose. Additionally, you’ll have to train up troops between attacks. Human bases will stay on your world map until you beat them.

If you just don’t think you can beat an opponent, you can skip a human base after a delay, I believe it is a day. There will be a yellow exclamation point on the base, and when you tap the base, you’ll have the option to find another opponent.