Clash of Clans: Guardians become independent in Town Hall 19

Supercell confirmed changes to Guardians and merged defenses ahead of the Town Hall 19 update. Game designer Alexander Roque outlined the plans during the final episode of Judo Sloth Talks 2026.

Guardians will no longer be attached to the Town Hall starting with Town Hall 19. Roque explained Guardians were designed around Town Hall 18’s meteor theme, and future Town Halls need distinct features. The developer said Guardians will be reworked as standalone defenses; the team is still deciding whether they will appear as a new building, a flag-like object, or another form.

Supercell emphasized Guardians are not being removed. Players will keep existing Guardian progress and will continue to use them after the change. Guardians will not be required to reach Town Hall 19: players may upgrade their Town Hall even if their Guardians remain at level one.

Roque also described plans for merged defenses such as the Ricochet Cannon and Multi-Archer Tower. As more merged defenses are added, Supercell intends to make some merged options behave more like regular defenses so that not every major defensive slot becomes a mandatory upgrade. The developer left open the possibility of consolidating or removing some defenses in future updates, similar to earlier changes that altered the Eagle Artillery’s role.

On release timing, Supercell confirmed it still aims to introduce a new Town Hall level roughly once per year. The team is aware that continuing the annual cadence could create long-term progression issues if Town Hall levels rise into the dozens, which could make catching up harder for new or returning players.

Supercell said it has not settled on a final solution for distant progression challenges. Options under consideration include level squashes, merging progression bands, or alternative systems for handling Town Hall increments. For now, the yearly Town Hall rhythm remains the plan.

Players should expect Guardians to change form and role with Town Hall 19 and for merged defenses to be adjusted to avoid making every new defense a compulsory upgrade.