Clash of Clans Particle Swarm Optimizer

Avery Chiu Brandon Goh Jessica Wormald

Department of Mechanical & Department of Mechanical & Department of Systems Design
Mechatronics Engineering Mechatronics Engineering Engineering
University of Waterloo University of Waterloo University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Canada Waterloo, Canada Waterloo, Canada
a27chiu@uwaterloo.ca bgoh@uwaterloo.ca jwormald@uwaterloo.ca

Mathurah Ravigulan Mansheel Chahal Joshua Kurien

Department of Systems Design Department of Mechanical & Department of Mechanical &
Engineering Mechatronics Engineering Mechatronics Engineering
University of Waterloo University of Waterloo University of Waterloo
Waterloo, Canada Waterloo, Canada Waterloo, Canada
mravigul@uwaterloo.ca m3chahal@uwaterloo.ca j2kurien@uwaterloo.ca

Abstract— This research introduces a novel metaheuristic
optimization method inspired by Particle Swarm Optimization
(PSO) and tailored to the dynamics of the popular video game
Clash of Clans. The proposed Clash of Clans Optimizer utilizes
diverse troop types with unique characteristics, presenting a
dynamic balance between exploration and exploitation in multi-
dimensional search applications. Despite a slower runtime
compared to traditional PSO, our algorithm demonstrates the
ability to identify better global optimums, showcasing its
effectiveness. The algorithm's tunability is highlighted through
the adjustment of elixir amounts, allowing users to control the
number of troops generated and customize the optimization
process. Moreover, the concept of hard-coding troop
compositions is introduced as a potential enhancement,
providing a strategic approach to team generation. The results
suggest that the Clash of Clans Optimizer presents a promising
alternative for optimization scenarios, addressing the
limitations of premature convergence often associated with
PSO. This study opens avenues for further exploration and
refinement of this innovative optimization approach.
Keywords—PSO, optimization, clash of clans, metaheuristic
search
of each particle in the swarm is affected both by the local best
solution during its search (individual) and the position of the
global best particle in its surrounding (trajectory) [2].
A widely used foundation for other optimizers, PSO
is an attractive solution due to its ease of initialization and
particle parameter tuning, yet one of the inherent limitations
with PSO is a premature convergence to local optimum points
of the objective landscape. To mitigate these shortcomings,
we propose a metaheuristic optimization method based on the
popular video game, Clash of Clans [3]. Particles are
represented through diverse troops and characters, each of
which possess unique capabilities and behaviour patterns.
Swarm initialization consists of allocating troops to specific
regions of the optimization landscape based on ability and
strategic considerations. Through the assignment of fitness
scores each iteration (referred to as a ‘raid’ in the algorithm)
on a one-to-three-star scale, a feedback loop is introduced by
which future raid decisions are derived. Each raid iteration
consists of a troop attack on its neighbours, following a
Variable Neighborhood Search approach.

I. INTRODUCTION II. METHODS & IMPLEMENTATION

Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), a family of
metaheuristic optimization methods inspired by natural
search dynamics observed in flock-based animal groups, are
widely used in multi-dimensional search applications
wherein the objective functions are complex and require a
cooperative approach [1]. PSO operates based on the concept
of particles as candidate solutions to an optimization
problem. Each particle contains the ability to spread over an
optimization landscape, intercommunicate local findings, and
adapt their characteristics as well as search direction based on
community findings. As such, the iterative change in position
The setup for the Clash of Clans Optimizer starts from a
base implementation of the PSO algorithm. In the particle
initialization phase, several key design changes have been
made, as follows. The implementation of the Clash of Clans
Optimizer is available on GitHub at
https://github.com/joshuakurien/clash-of-clans-raid-
search

©2023 IEEE
 A. Troop Design
To create a dynamic balance between the amount of
exploration across the optimization landscape and
exploitation of local results, six particle objects, or troops, are
defined and initialized with characteristic member attributes
from a base particle class. Characteristics have been selected
and expressed through weights, or hyperparameters to either
augment or decrease the velocity of each particle. As such,
𝛼1 denotes the weight on the momentum component, or
overall particle speed, 𝛼2 weighs the local best solution, and
determines how much to exploit the landscape, and 𝛼3
weighs the global best solution velocity component, and thus
how much to explore the landscape [1].
Additionally, for the control of the proportion of each
troop type to initialize in an iteration of raids, an “elixir”
hyperparameter is introduced. Elixir determines the
program’s total capacity for how many troops, or particles
will be implemented [3]. Each troop type is assigned an elixir
value in the range of 1-10 to control how many of each type
can be at play. This parameter can be adjusted depending on
a user’s preference for more exploration versus exploitation.
1. Giant: More inclined for exploitation techniques
during a raid iteration, giants are designed to move
in a slower fashion through their local
neighborhood. Thus, the particles are assigned small
alpha values in initialization. For our
implementation purposes, they have been assigned
an average elixir value of five.
2. Archer: Archers offer a middle ground approach for
exploration versus exploitation. With a large weight
on the local best velocity component, Archers have
the capacity to cover large distances towards self-
identified targets. Relatively cheap at an elixir of
three, many archers can be deployed at a time.
3. Goblin: With a tendency to quickly identify local
best solutions due to a large momentum weight,
goblin particle types face the challenge of becoming
stuck in local bests, similar to a local treasure trove
in the video game. In this case, goblins are the
lowest cost character at an elixir value of two.
4. Wizard: Wizard troop types offer a balance through
mid-range weights on all velocity components. The
prescribed elixir value for this troop type is average
at a value of 4.
5. Dragon: Designed to mimic the character with a
long-range aerial view, the dragon is designed for
high exploration across the optimization landscape
through large weights on momentum, as well as
local and global best solutions. A rare character,
dragons are deemed worth 10 elixir units.
6. Hog Rider: Enabled with agility, the hog rider
particles can jump using large steps from iteration to
iteration yet employ a moderate speed through a
mid-range momentum weight within local search.
The given elixir for these particles is 6, slightly
above the middle ground.
neighborhoods containing the top three lowest found costs are
assigned a star ranking whereby the global best solution of
the iteration is awarded three stars, the second best
performing receives two stars, and the third neighborhood
one star- to then inform the next raid iteration. These top-
scoring neighborhoods are then passed as input arguments to
the next iterations of the algorithm.
The neighborhood generation involves two integral
components. Firstly, a function is introduced to partition a
given numerical range into distinct sets. Given a start and end
point of a range, as well as the desired number of sets, the
function calculates the size of each subinterval and iteratively
computes the start and end points for each set. The resulting
sets are represented as tuples and collectively form a division
of the original range. This function provides a foundational
mechanism for discretizing continuous numerical domains.
The neighborhood generation function leverages this to
construct neighborhoods within a two-dimensional region.
Through nested loops, it combines the width and height
subintervals to generate a grid of neighborhoods, where each
neighborhood is represented by a list of width and height
subintervals. This configuration allows the partitioning of the
whole neighborhood into discrete rows and columns, yielding
a structured grid-based neighborhood.
C. Troop Tuning
The 𝛼1,2,3 weights were then fine-tuned to mimic each
troops assigned behaviour in the game, to thus iteratively
update their velocity, as seen in Equation (1).
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 𝛼1 ∗ 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 + 𝛼2 ∗ (𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 −
𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛) + 𝛼3 ∗ (𝑔𝑙𝑜𝑏𝑎𝑙𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 − 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ()
For visualization purposes of the tuning stage, the algorithm
was run using one troop of the corresponding type, of which
the results are shown below.
1. Giant: The low alpha values represent the slow
behaviour of this troop as seen in Figure 1.
Fig. 1. Optimization results for test with Giant hyperparameters.
2. Archer: A larger gain of alpha values were used
with emphasis on 𝛼2 to mimic the middle ground
approach of this troop as seen in Figure 2.

B. Neighborhood Implementation
Another distinction from PSO concerns the best
neighborhood assignment in each iteration. In similar fashion
to the score assigned a raid in Clash of Clans, the
 Fig. 2. Optimization results for test with Archer hyperparameters.
3. Goblin: A medium sized gain was used for the alpha
values with emphasis on 𝛼1 due to the fast mobility
of this troop, which is represented in Figure 3.
Fig. 3. Optimization results for test with Goblin hyperparameters.
4. Wizard: This well-rounded troop was mimicked
with average alpha values compared to other troops.
The medium sized range can be seen below in
Figure 4.
Fig. 4. Optimization results with Wizard hyperparameters.
5. Dragon: The long-range aerial movement has been
modelled using extremely high alpha values, as
shown in Figure 5.
Fig. 5. Optimization results with Dragon hyperparameters.
6. Hog Rider: This troop has slightly higher mobility
than an archer due to its ability to jump over
obstacles in the game, therefore the alpha values are
slightly higher.
Fig. 6. Optimization results with Hog Rider hyperparameters.
From this setup, several well-known benchmark
cost functions have been defined for algorithm execution and
testing. For comparative analysis to similar metaheuristic
optimization methods, additional algorithms were selected to
run on the same cost function, convergence criteria, and
iterations, of which the final global best and runtime are
recorded. A plotting method to trace the path of the particles
has been included for ease of visualization.
III. ANALYSIS & RESULTS
For the simulation, analysis, and comparison of the
proposed algorithm against similar accepted optimization
techniques, the Clash of Clans Optimizer was run in
conjunction with PSO, Local Search (Hill Climbing), and GA
(Genetic Algorithm)- all with a common objective function
and iteration parameters set as: maximum iterations = 500,
elixir = 20, local best defined at the best solution across all
iterations, and global best solution defined as the global best
among all algorithm iterations. For the local search/raid by a
troop particle within a neighborhood, the convergence
threshold has been set to 0.01.
Simulation results for the top performing
neighborhood and global best solution is shown in Figures
7,8, and 9 for a revenue cost function [4]. Fig. 7 visualizes the
three-dimensional cost function, in which the optimization
path of the algorithm is traced in red, and the final optimum
in blue. Fig. 8 is a two-dimensional view of Figure 9 provides
additional context though the plotting of the historical path of
the argument.
Fig. 7. Best neighbourhood optimization results (3D).
 Noting the quantitative results of the algorithm
against its comparators in Table 1, while the algorithm
runtime is significantly higher than its peers, the resultant
optimal solution of the Clash of Clans Optimizer is notably
better- having found the lowest cost amongst all implemented
methods.
IV. DISCUSSION
The results of our Clash of Clans Optimizer showcase an
intriguing alternative to the widely used Particle Swarm
Fig. 8. Best neighbourhood optimization results (2D). Optimization (PSO) algorithm. Despite exhibiting a slower
runtime compared to PSO, our algorithm demonstrates the
capability to identify better global minimums in multi-
dimensional search applications. This suggests that the unique
characteristics of troop-based particles, inspired by the
popular video game Clash of Clans, contribute to a distinct
optimization approach.
One key advantage of our algorithm lies in its tunability.
By adjusting the elixir amount, users can control the number
of troops generated during each iteration. This feature
introduces a valuable parameter for optimization
customization, allowing a balance between exploration and
exploitation strategies. The elixir parameter acts as a lever,
Fig. 9. Best neighbourhood historical results (2D). enabling users to fine-tune the algorithm's behavior based on
specific preferences and problem characteristics.
With the inclusion of Fig. 9 to visualize the total Furthermore, our Clash of Clans Optimizer introduces the
historical path of particles within the highest-ranked concept of hard-coding troop compositions as a potential
neighborhood, the misleading nature of Fig. 8’s short path enhancement. Unlike the current random generation of troop
and conclusive early convergence can be understood. The teams, hard coding allows for the creation of predetermined,
varied path trajectories and iterative jump lengths highlight strategically designed teams. This modification could
the nature of diverse troop attacks, in which a cohesive search potentially lead to more efficient and targeted exploration of
approach is applied to the landscape. Results for the the optimization landscape. The ability to specify ideal troop
algorithm’s performance in other common objective combinations aligns with the notion of leveraging domain
functions [4] are detailed in Table 1 below. knowledge to guide the search process, potentially
overcoming some of the limitations associated with purely
TABLE I
random troop generation.
Comparison of Methods The utilization of diverse troop types, each with unique
Algorithm Cost Runtime
Function Final cost characteristics and behaviors, presents an innovative
(s)
Revenue departure from traditional particle representations in
27.8 -181499999.99999952
optimization algorithms. The dynamic balance achieved
Clash of Griewank 18.7 0 through troop design, incorporating characteristics such as
Clans momentum, local best solution weighting, and global best
Schwefel 16.48 6.689
Optimizer
solution weighting, provides a nuanced approach to balancing
Schaffer 22.98 0 exploration and exploitation. This nuanced balance addresses
Revenue 1.01 -181377617.65602878 one of the inherent limitations of PSO—the premature
Griewank convergence to local optima—by leveraging the strategic
0.0478 0.0073960944278980145
PSO diversity inherent in Clash of Clans troop dynamics.
Schwefel 2.83 123.70750017327083 The introduction of the Variable Neighborhood Search
Schaffer approach, modeled after raids in Clash of Clans, adds an
1.828 0.0159
additional layer of complexity and adaptability to our
Revenue 0.027 -181457732.8459237 optimization algorithm. This approach allows for dynamic
Griewank 0.0478 0.017668157859585754 adjustments in troop attack strategies, responding to the
Genetic
Algorithm Schwefel
evolving landscape of the optimization problem. Such
0.0497 5.167 adaptability is crucial for handling complex and dynamic
Schaffer 0.0396 2.5148 objective functions, offering a potential advantage over more
Revenue static optimization methods.
0.011 274225900.64544237
In conclusion, our Clash of Clans Optimizer presents a
Griewank 0.008 0.7173885164256175 novel and tunable metaheuristic optimization method inspired
Local Search
Schwefel 0.00899 510.6 by the dynamics of troop-based raids in the popular game.
While acknowledging the slower runtime compared to PSO,
Schaffer 0.008998 10.01 the algorithm's ability to identify global minimums, along
with its customizable nature, opens avenues for further
exploration and application in diverse optimization scenarios.
The proposed hard coding of troop compositions and the
strategic balance achieved through troop design provide
directions for future research and refinement of this innovative
optimization approach.
V. FUTURE WORK
A. Hyperparameter Tuning
A promising area for future improvement involves a more
in-depth investigation into hyperparameter tuning to increase
the optimal solution performance. While demonstrating
promising results with the current troop parameter tuning,
there exists potential for greater efficiency. Future
improvements could explore advanced optimization
simulation techniques, such as Bayesian optimization or
Genetic Algorithm to systematically search the possibilities
for hyperparameters. Leveraging automated hyperparameter
tuning would streamline the process, enabling the algorithm
to adapt dynamically to diverse problem applications.
B. Advancements in the Raid Penalty/Reward System
The Clash of Clans Optimizer can be further refined
through enhancing the current three-star raid reward system.
Future work could focus on designing more sophisticated
penalty functions with the use of reinforcement learning
techniques. Adaptive adjustments based on raid performance
and convergence time will lead to a historically informed and
quickly adaptive optimization process.
C. Elixir Choice for Runtime Optimization
The current implementation of the Clash of Clans
Optimizer utilizes the elixir hyperparameter to influence the
particle distribution. An informed analysis of elixir tuning
would be beneficial to understand its direct impact on runtime
and performance. Future work could hone in on the
development of heuristic approaches to dynamically adjust
elixir values during the algorithm’s runtime, thus optimizing
the trade-off between exploration and exploitation through
dynamic troop allocation. This would produce a more
adaptive algorithm that tailors its elixir choices to the given
optimization landscape.
D. Troop Type Analysis for Algorithmic Trends
To gain insight into algorithm strengths, an analysis of the
distribution of troop types contributing to global best
solutions is of great interest. Future work would involve a
thorough examination of the relationship between troop types
and solution quality. Such analysis will point to where the
Clash of Clans Optimizer excels, reveal patterns in solution
types and troops, and provide a clear path forward on how to
tune and customise based on the nature of the objective
function.
E. Benchmarking
Extending the evaluation of the Clash of Clans optimizer
to a wider breadth of benchmark problems and applications
is necessary in order to properly assess the algorithm’s global
problem-solving capabilities. Future work should involve
testing the algorithm on a larger set of functions and scenarios
to evaluate its performance. Additionally, benchmarking
against state-of-the-art optimization algorithms, not just
comparable base implementations of common algorithms
will lead to a better understanding of Clash of Clans
Optimizer's inherent strengths and weaknesses, guiding
further improvements and adaptations that cannot be seen
solely within the context of the proposed algorithm.
The future research proposed aims to enhance Clash
of Clans Optimizer’s efficiency, adaptability, and usability,
for a range of metaheuristic optimization algorithm needs.
Within these noted areas, future contributions can add to the
ongoing work of swarm intelligence algorithms, as well as
their efficacy in solving challenging optimization problems.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We would like to express our sincere appreciation to
Professor Benyamin Ghojogh for his exceptional guidance
and inspirational teaching in the realm of metaheuristic
optimization methods. Professor Ghojogh's passion for the
subject, coupled with his clarity in conveying complex
mathematical concepts, has not only deepened our
understanding but has also ignited a genuine enthusiasm for
exploring the frontiers of this fascinating field. His
unwavering commitment to academic excellence and his
ability to inspire curiosity have left an indelible mark on our
learning journey. I am grateful for the invaluable mentorship
and inspiration provided by Professor Ghojogh, which will
undoubtedly shape our future pursuits in this area. We
acknowledge Professor Benyamin Ghojogh for being an
inspiring educator and mentor.
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