Heroes are the ultimate forces in Supercell's Clash of Clans and can often be the decider in any battle. In this series of guides, we'll break them down - starting with the Barbarian King!
Heroes are incredibly powerful in Clash of Clans. Unlike regular troops you deploy to battle, these Heroes are immortal and will not perish after you use them. They are regenerative and will take time to recover before you can use them for either defensive or offensive purposes.
Keep in mind though that they cost a pretty penny to purchase and to upgrade, but they're worth it in the long-run. So, let's take a look at one of them: the Barbarian King!
How To Unlock The Barbarian King In Clash Of Clans
The Barbarian King is the first Hero you unlock in Clash of Clans after upgrading your Town Hall to Level 7. He is basically a stronger, more powerful and, no surprise here, bigger Barbarian. His in-game description is:
This colossal menace soaks up huge amounts of damage and bashes anything in his path. He guards his territory fiercely when defending, and can launch into a devastating rage when attacking once his Iron Fist ability is unlocked!
Purchasing the Barbarian King is going to set you back 5,000 Dark Elixir which is a premium price to pay considering Dark Elixir is unlocked together with the Barbarian King at Town Hall 7. There are a maximum of 80 levels in the game so plan wisely with Dark Elixir upgrades.
What Is Iron Fist?
Iron Fist is the Barbarian King's Ultimate that's unlocked once he reaches Level 5 (and is upgradable after 5 levels) and it can only be used once in every battle. Once activated, he's partially healed and summons Barbarians to fight alongside him.
Additionally, the Barbarian King's speed and attack damage is increased for 10 seconds at any level. Keep in mind that all this is dependent on the Level your King is currently at! Check out the full details below!
| Ability Level | Damage Increase | Health Recovered | Speed Increase | Barbarians Summoned |
| 1 | 56 | 500 | 18 | 6 |
| 2 | 101 | 620 | 19 | 8 |
| 3 | 147 | 752 | 20 | 10 |
| 4 | 195 | 899 | 21 | 12 |
| 5 | 245 | 1,063 | 22 | 14 |
| 6 | 298 | 1,247 | 23 | 16 |
| 7 | 354 | 1,455 | 24 | 18 |
| 8 | 414 | 1,692 | 25 | 20 |
| 9 | 478 | 1,963 | 26 | 22 |
| 10 | 546 | 2,263 | 27 | 24 |
| 11 | 618 | 2,592 | 28 | 26 |
| 12 | 694 | 2,980 | 29 | 28 |
| 13 | 770 | 3,400 | 30 | 30 |
| 14 | 846 | 3,850 | 31 | 32 |
| 15 | 922 | 4,300 | 32 | 34 |
| 16 | 990 | 4,700 | 33 | 36 |
How to Use Barbarian King Offensively
With such a high health threshold and slightly overpowered Ultimate ability, the Barbarian King essentially assumes a Tank role in any battle. He can be deployed first so he distracts base defenses while you deploy other lower-health ground troops. However, this strategy can be flawed when up against defenses like single-target Inferno Towers which can defeat the Barbarian King extremely fast as it charges up in DPS over time.
Regardless, once deployed, it is preferably best if you back the Barbarian King with ranged troops like Archers, Wizards or Witches. This is so that you avoid getting tangeld up with the splash damage of certain base defenses like the Mortar, Bomb Tower or the higher-level Eagle Artillery.
One thing to note is that the Barbarian King can be unpredictable in his movement. He always seems to follow destroying buildings outside of walls (despite there being a hole in one). So sometimes, it's best to use him a part of a clean up crew if you're low on time. If you do this, it's best you use his Iron Fist ability as soon as possible to get those boost in stats.
Healers and Heal Spells can be used but they receive reduced a reduced amount at only 55% of the usual healing amount.
How To Use Barbarian King Defensively
The Barbarian King is a single-target Hero who can only defend against ground units. His Iron Fist ability will NOT be triggered when defending but his high-health means that he distract invaders and can soak up quite a large amount of damage while your defenses take care of them.
Many Chiefs usually place the Barbarian King's Altar near resource storages as there are the top priority especially when you're saving up gold, elixir, or dark elixir to upgrade your village. Keep in mind that Barbarian Kings will only defend against enemy invaders within their defense radius. They cannot be pulled elsewhere like with Clan Castle troops.
If you like this guide, check out our guides on the other Clash of Clans Heroes: