Clash of Clans January 2026 Balance Changes

Clash of Clans is heading into 2026 with significant balance changes that clearly show intent. This isn’t random tuning. This Update is a cleanup of mechanics at Town Hall 18, especially those that overstayed their welcome, followed by targeted buffs to revive ignored troops, equipment, and defenses.

The Balance Changes will be dropped around the 12th of January.

Let’s break it down cleanly.
First, all the nerfs.
Then, all the buffs.
Finally, what does this likely do to the current meta?

All Nerfs in the 2026 Balance Patch

Sneezy: Trap Interaction Removed

This is the hardest shutdown in the patch.

• Spawned units (boogers) no longer trigger any air traps, not even red bombs.

That was the entire reason Sneezy existed in the meta. It wasn’t used for DPS, tanking, or pathing. It was a trap sponge. With that gone, Sneezy loses its identity overnight.

Net result: Sneezy drops out of serious play almost completely.

Long Shot (Optic Pomage): Range & Splash Nerfed

This nerf was inevitable.

• Attack range −1

• Search radius −1

• Alert radius −1

• Splash radius −0.5 tiles (over 50% area reduction)

Long Shot was deleting armies from deep cores with minimal counterplay. This pulls it back without removing its role entirely.

Net result: Still usable, but far less oppressive against tightly packed armies.

Meteor Golems: Wall Damage Cut in Half

• Wall damage modifier reduced by 50%

• No changes to HP or DPS

This doesn’t kill Meteor Golems, but it slows them down. Wall breaking was part of what made their pathing so smooth.

Net result: Slightly more stalling, especially on compartment-heavy bases.

Totem Spell: Now Has a Lifespan

Totem spells now take damage over time.

• 334 HP lost per second at all levels

• Max duration if untouched:

  • Level 1: ~30 seconds

  • Level 4: ~39 seconds

This stops infinite value scenarios without gutting the spell.

Net result: Totem remains strong, but timing and placement matter far more.

All Buffs in the 2026 Balance Patch

LavaLoon Puppet: Clone Math Completely Changed

One of the most impactful buffs.

• Spawns 3 LavaLoons at higher levels instead of 2

• Housing space reduced from 23 → 21

This allows Clone spells to produce two LavaLoons per clone instead of one.

In optimal setups, total LavaLoons can jump from 5 to 9, especially when combined with Eternal Tome.

Caveat: LavaLoons are still fragile. If they survive long enough, this becomes scary. If not, it stays niche.

Heroic Torch: Duration & Damage Reduction Buffed

• Duration increased up to 27.5 seconds

• Damage reduction increased to 15%

• Minor passive stat increases

This fixes the Torch’s biggest weakness: uptime.

Result: Still not broken, but no longer a dead pick.

Life Gem: HP Scaling Breaks the Old Ceiling

• Max HP bonus increased to 120%

• HP cap raised from 1,150 → 1,200

This enables extreme tankiness on certain troops.

Example: Bowlers can nearly double their effective HP.

Result: Life Gem becomes situationally very strong instead of niche.

Hog Rider Puppet: Scaling Fixed

• Additional levels added

• Max level spawns:

  • Level 12 Hog Riders

  • 10 total hogs

• ~21% more spawned HP

• ~15% more DPS

Still not replacing epic equipment, but no longer falls off at higher Town Halls.

Smasher: Range & Alert Radius Increased

• Attack range increased by 2 (up to 12)

• Alert range increased by 2 (up to 14)

This feels like an encouragement buff rather than a meta flip.

Result: More usable, but Long Shot still dominates ranged roles.

Druid: Healing & Evolution Buffed

• Evolution time increased by 5 seconds (30s total)

• Stronger troop and hero healing

• Higher bear HP and DPS at upper levels

This directly reverses the previous nerf that killed Druid usage.

Result: Druid vs Healer becomes a real discussion again.

Electro Dragons: HP & DPS Increased

• +200 HP at all levels

• DPS increases across the board

At TH18, this pushes E-Drags into a dangerous comfort zone. At lower THs, it simply makes them less fragile.

Super Valkyrie: Defensive Rage Buff

• Death rage now boosts defenses by 60%, same as Rage Towers

With 20 housing space, two Super Valks can fit in a max Clan Castle.

Result: Defensive CC setups become much more interesting, especially alongside Furnaces.

Super Witch: Spring Trap Immunity

• Big Boys housing space increased from 10 → 20

• Cannot be sprung anymore

• Minor HP and DPS buffs

This massively improves consistency and survivability.

Super Giant: Minor Buff

• +300 HP

• +15 DPS

A small nudge, nothing more.

Lassie: Raw Stat Buff

• Increased HP

• Increased DPS

No new abilities. This is a pure numbers experiment.

Siege Machines: Wall Wrecker & Battle Drill

Wall Wrecker

• More HP

• More DPS

Battle Drill

• Increased HP

Usage impact remains uncertain, especially for the Battle Drill.

Meta Predictions: What Gets Weaker

Likely to decline

• Trap-bait strategies built around Sneezy

• Tight core armies overly reliant on Long Shot splash

• Infinite Totem value defensive setups

• Fast wall-busting Meteor Golem entries

These aren’t dead, but they lose consistency and forgiveness.

Meta Predictions: What Could Rise Next

Likely to improve

• Clone-heavy LavaLoon attacks with Tome support

• Tanky troop comps using Life Gem scaling

• Druid-supported hybrid or smash attacks

• Defensive CCs using Super Valk rage zones

• Super Witch smash variants with fewer RNG failures

• E-Drag spam becoming stronger at mid and high Town Halls

Final Take

This patch isn’t about breaking the game. It’s about forcing variety.

• Abusive mechanics are shut down

• Forgotten equipment becomes usable

• Defensive creativity gets room to grow

Once real gameplay data comes in, a few of these buffs are going to matter far more than the patch notes suggest.