How to Be a Great Clan Donor: Requests, Level Caps and War Castles

Last checked: October 12, 2026. Donation level caps, donation costs, request timers, Clan Perk limits, Siege Machine donations, war and Legend League Clan Castles, Raid Medal self-donation and chat tags come from Supercell's announcements and support articles, linked where they appear. Some of these rules come from 2021–2025 posts, so we date them and point you to the in-game screen for current values. The donation etiquette and routines are ClashVault editorial analysis.

Donating is one of the most useful habits in Clash of Clans, and one of the most misunderstood. "Donate your best troops" sounds right but isn't always: Supercell caps donated troop levels by the receiver's Clan Castle, and donations cost you resources. This guide explains how donations actually work, what makes a donation useful, and how to keep up with requests without living in clan chat.

Current season: October 2026

Dates come from Supercell's October announcement and our events calendar. This is the only section we update each month.

How donations work

These rules come from Supercell. Where a rule comes from an older post, the date is given.

• You need a Clan Castle. Supercell's Creating/Joining a Clan article says you rebuild it for 10,000 Elixir before any clan action.
• Donations cost resources. The March 2025 Clash Anytime update says donations spend Elixir or Dark Elixir, depending on the troop or spell. It also set the request wait time to 10 minutes for all players.
• The Gold Pass changes the cost. Supercell's Gold Pass article lists a 1-Gem Donations perk, which Supercell says includes your own requests, plus a Request Time Reduction perk.
• Clan level raises your limits. Supercell's Clan Perks article says clan levels unlock perks for donation limits, donation upgrades and request cooldowns, and that perks apply only to your clan.
• Siege Machines can be donated to players from Town Hall 10 with Clan Castle level 6, per the Siege Machines article. A donated Siege Machine cannot defend the receiver's village, and they can't use their own and a donated one in the same attack.

The March 2025 notes listed Clan Perk tiers that raise donation limits step by step, from 10 troops and 2 spells up to 40 troops and 3 spells. Perk tables can change, so check the "My Clan" tab for your clan's current limits.

The level cap: why "donate your best" isn't always right

Supercell's Spring 2021 donation changes cap donated troop levels by the receiver's Clan Castle level. Higher-level donations are automatically reduced to that cap, and the cap applies to war donations and Clan Perk boosts too:

That table is from 2021. Supercell has added troops and levels since, so treat the exact numbers as the published baseline and check the in-game request for the receiver's current cap.

The editorial consequence: for low-level clanmates, a maxed troop arrives at their cap anyway. Your extra research levels add nothing to their attack. For high-level clanmates with uncapped Castles, your research levels matter a lot. A maxed donation can be much stronger than anything they could train. Match the donation to the receiver's Castle, and save your expensive Dark Elixir for the players it actually helps.

The one rule: donate what was requested

This is editorial, and it is the core of good donating. A request usually reflects a planned attack or a war defense. Sending a cheaper substitute because it is convenient can break their plan and fills the space they needed. If you can't make what was asked for, leave the request for someone who can.

When a request is vague ("anything"), ask or follow the clan's default. Strong all-round troops and a common utility spell are a reasonable fallback.

War Clan Castles are separate

Supercell's Intro to Clan Wars explains that the Clan Castle on your War Base is separate from your village's. Troops donated to a War Base are used only to defend during the war. For attacking, players request troops from the army selection screen and Clan Chat as usual. In Clan War League, Supercell's Week of Wars article says every rostered member can fill clanmates' Clan Castles during Preparation Day.

Editorial priorities for war week:

1. Fill war base Castles early in Preparation Day with the defensive troops your clan agreed on.
2. Fill attack requests before Battle Day attacks, following the attacker's exact request.
3. Check the level cap. A war donation is capped by the receiver's Clan Castle, the same as any other donation.

Our CWL strategy guide covers how donations fit into a small clan's war week.

Legend League and Friendly Challenges

Supercell's Legend League layouts article says Legend League I players set their defending Reinforcements separately, before signing up. Changes take effect from the next League Day. They still request or reinforce troops for their own attacks and refill them after each attack as usual. A Legend player in your clan may therefore need two kinds of help: a defensive setup now and then, and attack refills often.

In Friendly Challenges, the defending player chooses which Clan Castle troops to use, per Supercell's Friendly Challenges article. Donating for a practice challenge helps a clanmate test a real war defense.

When the clan is quiet: self-donation

Supercell's Clan Capital and Forge post added a way to fill your own Clan Castle with Raid Medals. The cost depends on the level of the troop, spell or Siege Machine, and self-donations arrive at the highest level your Castle allows. Raid Medals come from Raid Weekends; our Clan Capital guide covers earning them. It is a useful backup when nobody is online to fill a war attack request.

A simple daily routine

You don't need to watch chat all day. An editorial routine:

1. Check requests when you open the game and fill what you can make exactly.
2. Keep a donation army ready if you donate a lot, so filling is a few taps.
3. Prioritize war and Clan War League requests, then Ranked attacks, then casual regular Battles.
4. Use chat tags for your own requests. Supercell's Clan Roles article lists @clan, @leaders and @playername tags to notify clanmates.
5. Watch your Elixir. Donations cost resources, so if you're saving for an upgrade, fill the requests that matter most first.

Donation etiquette

• Don't "fill to deny". Sending a wrong troop to occupy a slot before someone else can help is a known bad habit.
• Give more than you take, especially early in a new clan. Our guide to choosing a clan explains why fast, correct fills are one of the clearest signs of a healthy clan.
• Respect the level cap. Don't spend scarce Dark Elixir on maxed troops for a player whose Castle will cap them.
• Say thanks. Clans are social, and reciprocity compounds.

Quick answers

Do donations cost me anything? Yes. Supercell's March 2025 update says donations cost Elixir or Dark Elixir depending on the troop or spell. The Gold Pass adds a 1-Gem Donations perk; check the pass screen for how it applies to you.

Why did my donated troop arrive at a lower level? Supercell caps donated troop levels by the receiver's Clan Castle level, including war donations.

How long between requests? Supercell set the request wait to 10 minutes for everyone in March 2025. Clan Perks and the Gold Pass Request Time Reduction can shorten request cooldowns.

Can I donate a Siege Machine to anyone? Only to players from Town Hall 10 with Clan Castle level 6, per Supercell. A donated Siege Machine can't defend their village.

Do war base donations help attacks? No. Troops donated to a War Base only defend it. Attack troops are requested and donated separately.

Can I fill my own Clan Castle? Yes, with Raid Medals, at the highest level your Castle allows.