What should I upgrade first at TH17?

Usually the hero you just unlocked (Dragon Duke) and your primary offense, while keeping defenses within range of the TH16 baseline. Run a free CoachScore for an order tuned to your account and goal.

What are the max hero levels at TH17?

At Town Hall 17 the hero caps are Barbarian King 100, Archer Queen 100, Grand Warden 75, Royal Champion 50, Minion Prince 60, Dragon Duke 30. These are best-effort values from the CoachScore reference table; confirm against the live game for edge cases.

Should I rush to TH18?

Moving to TH18 before your TH17 heroes and defenses are near their caps almost always lowers your grade and your war performance. CoachScore's rush check tells you whether you are ready to advance.

How much does hero equipment matter at TH17?

From TH16 equipment is its own scored dimension. At TH17 the 8 key epic pieces matter most when they power your main attack, so CoachScore weighs them against your hero levels to keep the order right.

TH17 upgrade order (2026)

Updated June 2026 · data 0.1.0-th18

Sitting at Town Hall 17 and not sure what to upgrade next? TH17 unlocks the Dragon Duke, which reshuffles your priorities — a brand-new hero is usually the biggest single grade gap on the account. Hero equipment is a scored dimension from TH16 on, so it shares the queue with your hero levels here. CoachScore grades seven dimensions — Heroes, Offense, Defense, Equipment, Progression (rush), Walls, and Clan value — and orders the roadmap by cost-weighted impact toward the goal you pick.

TH17 reference (max levels)

Barbarian King: max level 100
Archer Queen: max level 100
Grand Warden: max level 75
Royal Champion: max level 50
Minion Prince: max level 60
Dragon Duke: max level 30
Walls: max level 17
Key defenses: around level 19
Lab / offense: around level 15
Hero equipment: 8 key epics, max level 18

Bring the Dragon Duke online first

A freshly-unlocked hero starts far below the TH17 caps (Barbarian King 100, Archer Queen 100, Grand Warden 75, Royal Champion 50, Minion Prince 60, Dragon Duke 30), so its early levels are the cheapest grade you can buy. For war and trophy goals CoachScore surfaces the Dragon Duke and your main attack upgrades first, because that is where the biggest gap to a maxed TH17 sits.

Don't out-run your defenses

Pushing offense while defense lags is the most common TH17 mistake. CoachScore's Progression dimension compares your base to the maxed TH16 baseline you should have finished before moving up, then reports exactly how rushed you are and which defensive upgrades (key defenses cap around level 19 at TH17) to catch up on.

Fit hero equipment into the plan (8 key pieces)

At TH17 you have roughly 8 meta-relevant epic equipment pieces, each maxing around level 18. Equipment compounds with hero levels, so CoachScore only prioritizes the pieces your actual army uses — and weighs them against any under-levelled hero so you do not pour loot into a fourth epic while a hero lags.

When is it safe to move to TH18?

Move up once your TH17 heroes, key defenses, and main army are close to their caps — not the moment the Town Hall upgrade finishes. A CoachScore at TH17 shows whether you are maxed enough to advance without rushing into TH18.

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FAQ

What should I upgrade first at TH17?: Usually the hero you just unlocked (Dragon Duke) and your primary offense, while keeping defenses within range of the TH16 baseline. Run a free CoachScore for an order tuned to your account and goal.
What are the max hero levels at TH17?: At Town Hall 17 the hero caps are Barbarian King 100, Archer Queen 100, Grand Warden 75, Royal Champion 50, Minion Prince 60, Dragon Duke 30. These are best-effort values from the CoachScore reference table; confirm against the live game for edge cases.
Should I rush to TH18?: Moving to TH18 before your TH17 heroes and defenses are near their caps almost always lowers your grade and your war performance. CoachScore's rush check tells you whether you are ready to advance.
How much does hero equipment matter at TH17?: From TH16 equipment is its own scored dimension. At TH17 the 8 key epic pieces matter most when they power your main attack, so CoachScore weighs them against your hero levels to keep the order right.