Mcnasty the combination of defensive boosts in atomic and cold war, compared to relatively smaller offensive boosts there, means that the very top now favors defense over offense.
This whole "hitting higher level bases" is a bit meaningless, and confuses a lot of people. The level numbers can be very deceiving on the offense side. A maxed atomic offense with good skills can clear maxed atomic defense bases, up to 220-240 or so. The defender might be labeled "CWA", but if they are still below 240 most of their defenses are still atomic range. If the atomic player is a 170-180 with a maxed offense, that looks like "hitting up", but the firepower is the same as a 240 atomic doing the same thing. Maxed atomic defense vs maxed atomic offense favors offense slightly. Global max offense is MUCH stronger than global max defense, atomic defensive upgrades are bigger than atomic offensive upgrades to even that out a bit.
Then go to CWA, and a maxed CWA offense is at a noticeable disadvantage compared to a maxed CWA defense in the 290 range. And that is true whether the player with the maxed CWA offense is 230 or 290 themselves.
I believe this is a move to encourage spending - maxed atomic defenders who had paid for many of their upgrades were not terribly happy to see rushed atomics able to take out their bases. Not a problem now. We lose wars sometimes simply based on the other side having a whale with a very high level CWA base - it takes a maxed CWA offense willing to spend on good cards to match those, or having an equivalent base on your side that they can't clear. And I think it is very bad for the game as a whole - very difficult to do good matchmaking, when wars just come down to who has the most big bases. And multiplayer is predicated on lots of attacks without too many losses, which rules out regularly attacking anyone with a maxed atomic defense or better, except for raids or snipes.
For proof, see the results of the east vs west all star war - Huge bases, many of the biggest in the game, no troop tactics on offense or defense, no coalitions, and no event buildings.
https://forum.nexonm.com/forum/nexon...767#post621767
For reference, that was a 50v50, so 206 to 221 means one side left 44 stars on the table, and the other side 29. And the organizers did their best to make the teams even strength.
The balance without coalitions or troop tactics clearly favors defense; adding them on both sides doesn't change much. If your opponent is a 270+ CWA and loads SHs, you will have to have troop tactics to match. You are already at a disadvantage if they paid for better cards vs using the free marco ones, without cards at all you might was well just surrender.