Overview
Drop Ship is the ninth Builder Base troop, unlocked at Builder Barracks Level 9 (requires BH7). This flying balloon periodically drops skeletons (ground units) onto targets below while absorbing anti-air defense fire. With 2,200 HP at max level (Level 20), Drop Ships excel as air tanks protecting fragile troops like Beta Minions. Features Skeleton Bomb ability—one-time activated barrel drop dealing area damage with bonus to walls (2x), then spawns multiple skeletons from explosion. Drop Ship targets defenses exclusively, bypassing other buildings until all defenses destroyed. Similar to Home Village Balloon but drops troops instead of bombs.
Drop Ships revolutionized Builder Base by providing air tanking with ground distraction. Deploy 1-2 Drop Ships absorbing Firecracker and Air Bomb damage (2,200 HP tanks sustained fire). Ships periodically drop skeletons (every 4-6 seconds) creating ground swarms that distract ground defenses (Crushers, Multi Mortars) while air defenses engage Drop Ship. Activate Skeleton Bomb when over high-value targets (Crusher, Builder Hall)—bomb destroys walls instantly (2x damage) and spawns 8-12 skeletons overwhelming area. Housing cost of 15 per slot limits numbers (max 3 in 200-space army). Pair with Beta Minions or Night Witches—Drop Ship tanks while DPS troops attack safely. Vulnerable to multiple Firecrackers focusing fire.
📊 Stats & Capabilities
| Builder Hall | Level | HP | Skeleton Drop Rate | Skeletons Per Drop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BH7 | 14 | 1,400 | 6 seconds | 2 skeletons |
| BH9 | 18 | 1,900 | 5 seconds | 3 skeletons |
| BH10 | 20 | 2,200 | ⚔️ MAX — 4 seconds | 4 skeletons |
Key Attributes: Housing 15 per camp slot, movement speed 14 (slow), training time instant. Passive Ability – Skeleton Dropping: Periodically drops 2-4 skeletons every 4-6 seconds while alive (rate and number increase with level). Skeletons attack ground targets, cannot trigger traps. Active Ability – Skeleton Bomb (One-time): Drops explosive barrel dealing area damage + 2x damage to walls, spawns 8-12 skeletons from explosion. Must be manually activated. Targets: DEFENSES ONLY (flying unit, doesn’t attack directly, spawns ground units).
⚔️ Best Attack Strategies
Drop Ship + Beta Minion Air Tank-DPS
Deploy 1-2 Drop Ships first targeting Firecrackers (prioritizes defenses). Ships’ 2,200 HP tanks Firecracker fire (300 DPS) for 7 seconds per Ship. While Firecrackers engage Drop Ships, deploy 6-8 Beta Minions behind. Minions use Power Shot (7-tile range, 200 DPS) destroying defenses while protected by Ship tanking. Drop Ships continuously drop skeletons (4 every 4 seconds at max level)—skeletons distract ground defenses (Crushers, Multi Mortars) preventing them from targeting air units effectively. Two Drop Ships = 14-second tank window + 16-24 spawned skeletons = sufficient time for Minions to destroy 50-60% of base. BH8-BH10 air superiority strategy.
Skeleton Bomb Crusher Destruction
Deploy Drop Ship targeting Crusher specifically (defenses prioritized). As Ship positions directly over Crusher, manually activate Skeleton Bomb ability. Bomb drops dealing 600-800 area damage + spawns 8-12 skeletons instantly. Crusher (1,800-2,400 HP) takes 600-800 damage from bomb (25-40% HP), then faces 8-12 skeletons attacking simultaneously. Skeletons (40-50 DPS each, 12 total = 480-600 combined DPS) destroy weakened Crusher in 3-5 seconds. Additionally, if walls surround Crusher, Skeleton Bomb’s 2x wall damage destroys them instantly (walls have 3,000 HP, bomb deals 1,200-1,600 to walls) opening compartment. Single Skeleton Bomb = Crusher eliminated + walls destroyed + ground distraction created.
Drop Ship + Night Witch Double Spawn
Combine 1 Drop Ship + 4-5 Night Witches for overwhelming spawn pressure. Drop Ship tanks air defenses (2,200 HP) while dropping skeletons (4 every 4 seconds). Night Witches follow behind spawning bats (4 every 5.6 seconds per Witch). Combined spawning: 1 Ship (4 skeletons/4s) + 4 Witches (16 bats/5.6s) = 20+ spawned units every 5-6 seconds. Ground defenses engage skeletons, air defenses engage Drop Ship + bats, Witches attack unopposed. After 30 seconds: 30 skeletons + 80 bats = 110 total spawned units overwhelming defenses through numbers. Drop Ship + Night Witch = spawn synergy strategy. BH8-BH10 effective combination.
Drop Ship Trap Absorption
Use Drop Ship as trap trigger and absorber. Deploy Ship first (before main army) over suspected Mega Mine and Air Bomb locations. Drop Ship’s 2,200 HP survives Mega Mine (1,200-1,500 damage) + Air Bomb (600-800 damage) combined = takes 1,800-2,300 damage but survives with 0-400 HP remaining. This triggers and absorbs traps protecting main army (Beta Minions, Baby Dragons) who would die instantly to same trap combination. Additionally, spawned skeletons can trigger ground Mines (skeletons are expendable, main troops protected). Drop Ship = trap-clearing sacrificial tank. Deploy 10-15 seconds before main army to clear trap zones safely. Common trap positions: near Crushers, compartment entries, near Builder Hall.
🎯 Strategic Tips
Defense Targeting Priority
CRITICAL: Drop Ships target DEFENSES ONLY, bypassing all other buildings. Defense definition: Any building that can attack troops (Cannons, Crushers, Firecrackers, Guard Posts, etc.). Builder Hall with weapon activated = defense. Drop Ships will ignore Gold Mines, Elixir Collectors, Army Camps, Barracks, Storages until ALL defenses destroyed. This predictable pathing allows strategic positioning—know exactly where Ship will fly based on defense locations. Deploy Ship at angle where its flight path passes over Crusher or key defense = optimal Skeleton Bomb positioning. After defenses destroyed, Ship switches to nearest non-defense building for cleanup. Exception: Guard Post not targeted despite being defense (strange mechanic).
Skeleton Spawn Rate Scaling (4-6 Seconds)
Skeleton drop rate improves with level: Level 14 = 6s cooldown (2 skeletons), Level 18 = 5s (3 skeletons), Level 20 = 4s (4 skeletons). At max level, single Drop Ship drops 4 skeletons every 4 seconds. Over 30-second survival: drops 7-8 waves = 28-32 skeletons total. Two Drop Ships = 56-64 skeletons spawned over 30 seconds. Skeletons have 60-70 HP, 40-50 DPS each (weak individually, strong collectively). Thirty skeletons = 1,200-1,500 combined DPS overwhelming single-target defenses (Double Cannons, Teslas). Spawn rate faster than defenses can eliminate skeletons—continuous ground pressure throughout attack. Lower levels (6s spawn, 2 skeletons) significantly weaker—upgrade priority high.
Skeleton Bomb Wall-Breaking (2x Damage)
Skeleton Bomb deals DOUBLE damage to walls (2x multiplier) in addition to area damage. Normal damage: 600-800 to buildings. Wall damage: 1,200-1,600 to walls. Max-level walls (3,000 HP) take 1,200-1,600 damage = reduced to 1,400-1,800 HP (weakened but not destroyed). However, spawned skeletons continue attacking weakened walls—12 skeletons (50 DPS each = 600 combined) destroy remaining 1,400 HP in 2.3 seconds. Skeleton Bomb over wall-protected compartment = instant breach. Position Ship directly over walls surrounding Crusher or Builder Hall, activate Bomb = walls destroyed + defense damaged + 12 skeletons flood compartment. Single ability creates complete compartment penetration.
Slow Speed = Strategic Deployment Timing
Drop Ship speed: 14 (slowest Builder Base air unit, Beta Minion speed 22, Baby Dragon speed 16). Takes 8-12 seconds reaching first defense from deployment zone. This slow speed = vulnerability to prolonged Firecracker fire. Firecracker (300 DPS) kills Drop Ship in 7.3 seconds (2,200 HP ÷ 300 = 7.33s). If Ship deployed from far edge, spends 8-12 seconds traveling = dies before reaching first defense. Deploy Drop Ships CLOSE to target defenses (within 15-20 tiles)—reduces travel time allowing Ship to engage and absorb fire productively. Alternatively, use Baby Dragons or Cannon Carts to snipe Firecrackers BEFORE deploying Drop Ship.
15 Housing = Limited Army Inclusion
Drop Ship housing: 15 per camp slot. At 200 housing (typical army), can field maximum 3 Drop Ships (45 housing). This limits Drop Ship numbers significantly vs other troops. Compare: Beta Minions (4 housing = max 10), Baby Dragons (10 housing = max 4), Night Witches (8 housing = max 6). Optimal army composition: 1-2 Drop Ships (15-30 housing) + 6-8 Beta Minions or Beta Minions (24-32 housing) + filler. Don’t over-commit to Drop Ships (3 Ships = 45 housing = insufficient DPS). Under-committing (0 Ships) = no air tanking = Beta Minions die instantly. Ideal: 2 Drop Ships = 30 housing = sufficient tanking + 170 housing for DPS troops.
🛡️ Countering Drop Ships
Multiple Firecracker Focus Fire
Single Firecracker (300 DPS) kills Drop Ship (2,200 HP) in 7.3 seconds. Two Firecrackers (600 combined DPS) kill Ship in 3.7 seconds. Three Firecrackers (900 DPS) kill in 2.4 seconds. Position 2-3 Firecrackers with overlapping coverage spanning 70-80% of base airspace. When Drop Ship deploys, multiple Firecrackers engage simultaneously—Ship dies before dropping significant skeletons (4-8 total vs potential 28-32). Without sustained Drop Ship presence, spawned skeletons eliminated by ground defenses (Crushers, Multi Mortars) before creating meaningful distraction. Multi-Firecracker coverage = Drop Ship shutdown. Protect Firecrackers with Air Bombs—when Ship approaches, Air Bomb weakens (800 damage) then Firecrackers finish (remaining 1,400 HP in 4.7s).
Crusher vs Spawned Skeletons
Crusher (600-800 area damage per slam) one-shots skeletons (60-70 HP). Position Crusher centrally where Drop Ship inevitably paths (defenses prioritized). When Ship drops skeletons periodically, they land near Crusher attacking it. Crusher slam kills 4-6 skeletons simultaneously in area-of-effect. Against continuous skeleton drops (4 every 4 seconds), Crusher kills them faster than spawn rate—skeletons never accumulate enough numbers to threaten Crusher. However, skeletons force Crusher to slam continuously—this prevents Crusher from targeting other troops (Beta Minions, Witches) effectively. Trade-off: Crusher occupied with skeleton elimination but high-value troops survive. Position Crusher near other splash defenses (Multi Mortar, Roaster) for combined skeleton clearing.
Air Bombs on Common Flight Paths
Air Bombs (600-800 damage) weaken Drop Ships significantly. Position Air Bombs at common Drop Ship approach vectors (straight lines between deployment zones and Firecrackers/Crushers). When Ship flies over Air Bomb, explosion deals 800 damage reducing Ship from 2,200 HP to 1,400 HP (36% HP loss). Weakened Ship then faces Firecracker fire (300 DPS)—dies in 4.7 seconds instead of 7.3 seconds (35% faster elimination). This prevents Ship from absorbing sustained fire protecting Beta Minions. Place 2-3 Air Bombs at different zones—whichever direction Ship deploys, Air Bomb triggers. Combined Air Bomb (800) + Firecracker (300 DPS) = Ship dies in 5-6 seconds total = insufficient tanking time.
Mega Tesla Anti-Air Burst
Mega Tesla (450-550 DPS, targets both ground and air) hard-counters Drop Ships. Mega Tesla can engage TWO air units simultaneously if positioned correctly. Against 2 Drop Ships approaching together (common deployment), Mega Tesla fires at both dealing 500 DPS to each = 1,000 combined DPS output. Each Ship (2,200 HP) dies in 4.4 seconds under Mega Tesla fire. Position Mega Tesla centrally near Firecrackers—combined Mega Tesla + Firecracker fire (800 total DPS per Ship) kills Ships in 2.8 seconds = before significant skeleton drops occur. Additionally, after Ships destroyed, Mega Tesla switches to Beta Minions or other support troops continuing anti-air coverage. Single Mega Tesla provides complete air defense when paired with Firecrackers.
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