As a dedicated Clash of Clans player since its early days, I still get genuinely excited when Supercell introduces special collaborations. The arrival of Manchester City's goal-scoring phenomenon, Erling Haaland, as a permanent Barbarian King skin in 2026 is a fantastic crossover that perfectly blends my love for strategic mobile gaming and European football. Haaland isn't just a famous face slapped onto a character; he's a confessed long-time player himself, which makes this addition feel authentic and earned. The accompanying "Payback Time" challenge, the first in a daily series tied to his arrival, is our gateway to unlocking all the exclusive rewards, and securing a perfect three-star victory is absolutely crucial from the get-go. While it's designed as the introductory task, a methodical approach is still the key to flawless execution and resource maximization.

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🐉 Phase One: Establishing the Dragon Corridor

The foundation of this three-star strategy is built on a controlled, powerful push from the southeast. My army composition for this was precise: a core of Dragons, supported by a Lava Hound, Balloons, and of course, all my Heroes. The deployment starts not with a scattered barrage, but with a focused, surgical strike.

  1. Initial Dragon Deployment: I carefully placed my first four Dragons along the very bottom-right edge of the village map. Precision here is important; you want them clustered to maximize their combined firepower but not so tight that splash defenses wreak havoc. I gave them a moment—just two or three seconds—to begin their advance and draw initial fire.

  2. Reinforcing the Assault: Immediately after that brief pause, I deployed the second wave of four Dragons in the exact same location. This creates a formidable, concentrated stream of aerial firepower moving up the right flank. The goal is to have them chew through outer buildings and defenses in a unified front.

👑 Phase Two: Heroic Diversion & Spell Management

While the Dragons apply pressure on one side, the Heroes create a crucial diversion on the other. This splits the village's defenses and prevents them from focusing all fire on your primary air force.

  • I dropped all my Heroes—the Barbarian King (sporting my new Haaland skin, of course), the Archer Queen, and the Grand Warden—in the bottom-left corner.

  • A critical micro-adjustment: I positioned the Barbarian King so his initial pathing would lead him toward the right side of the map, subtly guiding the hero pack to converge with the dragon push later in the battle.

Spell Usage is Key: This is where awareness separates a two-star from a three-star. I held my Freeze Spells exclusively for key defensive structures targeting my Dragon swarm—think Inferno Towers, Wizard Towers, and Air Defenses. I used one or two Rage Spells directly on the Dragon cluster to accelerate their destruction of high-hitpoint buildings, but I was disciplined to save at least one Rage Spell, often two, for the final push.

🎈 Phase Three: The Decisive Airborne Hammer

After letting the Dragon and Hero groups advance and fully engage the village's defenses, it's time to deliver the knockout punch.

  1. I deployed the Lava Hound followed by the Battle Machine (Battle Ship) right in the wake of my Heroes in the bottom-left area. The Lava Hound acts as a massive flying tank, soaking up immense damage from air-targeting defenses.

  2. Here comes the critical moment: I unleashed my entire squad of Balloons at that same spot, right behind the Lava Hound. The moment they were deployed, I activated the saved Rage Spell(s) directly over them. Balloons under rage are devastatingly fast and powerful, capable of obliterating the remaining core defenses and the Town Hall in seconds.

⭐ Final Phase: Monitoring and Securing the Stars

From this point, the battle largely runs itself, but vigilant monitoring ensures victory. I kept a close watch on my Heroes' health bars. The moment any of them dipped below 50%, I immediately activated their unique abilities for healing, damage boosts, or invulnerability. It's normal for the Dragon group to be whittled down by the final quarter of the fight—they've done their job by creating the opening. The clean-up is handled by the rage-fueled Balloons and your sustained Heroes. As the last building fell, the satisfying three-star notification confirmed a perfectly executed plan.

Pro-Tip Recap Table:

Step Action Key Tip
1. Dragon Start Deploy 4, pause, deploy 4 more in same SE spot. Creates a concentrated, unstoppable front.
2. Hero Diversion Deploy all Heroes in SW corner. Position BK to path right, guiding the pack.
3. Spell Economy Freeze key defenses on dragons. Rage dragons, but SAVE 1-2 for balloons. This is the most common mistake—don't waste all rage early!
4. Balloon Finale Send Lava Hound & Battle Machine, then ALL Balloons + saved Rage. This combo is your guaranteed core destroyer.
5. Hero Management Activate hero abilities at <50% health. Keeps them alive to secure the final percentage.

Completing "Payback Time" with three stars in 2026 feels just as rewarding as when it first launched. It sets the tone for the entire Haaland challenge series, proving that even the "easiest" task requires a blend of patience, timing, and strategic resource management. Now, with the first batch of rewards secured, I'm eagerly awaiting the next daily challenge to further test my Clash of Clans prowess. On to the next one!