CoC Haaland Payback Time: How to Secure a Three-Star Victory in Clash of Clans

In May 2024, Supercell launched one of its most exciting seasonal collaborations ever in Clash of Clans—a football-themed crossover with global superstar Erling Haaland. Dubbed the “Clash with Haaland” season, this event brings not just cosmetic upgrades like the King Haaland skin, but also a series of unique combat challenges that blend football flair with strategic warfare. The first of these is the CoC Haaland Payback Time challenge, a mission that has grabbed the attention of both seasoned Clashers and football fans alike.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know to three-star the CoC Haaland Payback Time challenge. We'll explore multiple strategies from top creators, analyze the base design, and help you understand how to leverage dragons, balloons, heroes, and spells effectively to dominate Haaland's base.

🔥 What is the CoC Haaland Payback Time Challenge?

“Payback Time” is the first of several challenges in the Haaland series. It introduces a preset Town Hall 12 base that you need to defeat using a fixed army composition. The goal? Score a three-star victory using tactical deployment and precise spell timing.

The challenge forms part of a 35-star reward structure for the month of May. If you plan to unlock all rewards—including potions, decorations, and even exclusive event cosmetics—mastering Payback Time is essential.

⚔️ Army Composition for Payback Time

You won’t be able to change your army in this challenge, so you'll need to work with what's provided. Here’s a typical loadout:

• Dragons x8

• Balloons x10

• Lava Hound x1

• Stone Slammer / Battle Blimp

• Barbarian King, Archer Queen, Grand Warden

• Freeze Spells x3

• Rage Spells x3

The composition clearly hints at an air attack strategy, focused on aerial pressure and base-wide domination.

🧠 Understanding the Base Layout

The Town Hall 12 base in Payback Time is cleverly designed with:

• Centralized Air Defenses

• Spread-out Inferno Towers

• A bottom-heavy design that invites a wide spread deployment

• Key targets like the Eagle Artillery, X-Bows, and Multi-Target Infernos located deep inside

This makes strategic timing crucial—charging blindly will lead to a fail. You must distract defenses, funnel correctly, and time hero abilities well to secure all stars.

🛡 Step-by-Step Strategy to 3-Star the CoC Haaland Payback Time Challenge

Below is a step-by-step walkthrough combining tips from top-tier Clash creators and players who’ve repeatedly succeeded with this method.

✅ Step 1: Deploy Your First Wave of Dragons

Start by dropping 4 Dragons spaced along the bottom right edge of the base. Give them a second to start engaging enemy buildings.

Follow up with 4 more Dragons in the same area once the first group draws enemy fire. This layered approach prevents clustering and mitigates splash damage risks.

✅ Step 2: Deploy Heroes and Set Funnel

Send in Barbarian King, Archer Queen, and Grand Warden on the bottom left side. Make sure your King moves to the right, supporting the Dragons’ push and helping with funnel creation.

Tip: Set the Warden to Air Mode to keep him alive longer and support the aerial troops.

✅ Step 3: Freeze and Rage for Maximum Impact

Use Freeze spells on key defenses that threaten your dragons—especially Multi-Target Infernos and Air Sweepers.

Drop a Rage spell on the Dragons as they near the core. This ensures fast building takedown before high-damage defenses can burn them down. Reserve one Rage for the Balloons in the next phase.

✅ Step 4: Lava Hound, Battle Blimp, and Balloon Deployment

Send in your Lava Hound near the bottom once the dragons have made a dent.

Immediately follow up with the Battle Blimp (or Stone Slammer) and all 10 Balloons in the same area. Use the remaining Rage spell on the Balloons as they reach the core.

Tip: If the Blimp survives long enough, it will help open access to the Town Hall. If using the Slammer, it will clear defenses while soaking damage.

✅ Step 5: Use Abilities at the Right Time

Keep a close eye on your heroes:

• Use King’s ability when his health drops below 50%

• Activate Queen’s ability as she approaches enemy Infernos or the Town Hall

• Trigger Warden’s Eternal Tome to protect the Balloons and Blimp in the most dangerous stretch (especially near X-Bows and Infernos)

✅ Step 6: Clean Up and Secure the Win

The final phase is about cleanup and sustainability:

• Dragons and Balloons should sweep remaining structures

• Use any leftover spells (Freeze or Rage) to aid wherever needed

• Your heroes will help snipe out remaining buildings, especially on the flanks

🏆 What Do You Get for Beating CoC Haaland Payback Time?

Achieving three stars in Payback Time gives you:

• A Training Potion

• Progress toward unlocking Haaland Challenge milestones

• Satisfaction of completing the first step in this iconic football x fantasy crossover

And if you're chasing the leaderboard, scoring high consistently in all Haaland challenges may even net you up to 50,000 Gems—a huge prize for competitive Clashers.

🎮 Why the CoC Haaland Payback Time Challenge Matters

This challenge isn’t just another event. It’s part of a game-wide football celebration and showcases Supercell’s ability to blend gaming with pop culture. It also brings:

• Fresh tactics for aerial assault lovers

• A rewarding learning curve for intermediate players

• Football fans into the Clash universe

It also adds visibility to Erling Haaland’s real-life connection with Clash of Clans, which is one of the most brilliant marketing moves in mobile gaming in recent memory.

⚽ CoC Haaland Payback Time: A Clash Between Sport and Strategy

The CoC Haaland Payback Time event is a shining example of how in-game challenges can merge storytelling, branding, and battle tactics seamlessly. Whether you're a CoC veteran or new to the game, this event is a great chance to enjoy football vibes while sharpening your attacking skills.

So, if you haven’t yet taken a crack at Payback Time, now’s the moment. Load up your dragons, warm up those Balloons, and launch your assault with precision. And if you fail once? Try again. Each attempt brings you closer to a perfect strike—just like Haaland on the pitch.

Final Tip: Don’t forget to check out the rest of the Haaland Challenge series, including Kicker Kick-off, Golden Boot, and the infamous Impossible Final. Each one gets tougher, but the satisfaction of mastering them is absolutely worth it.

Keep clashing, and may your stars be plenty!