Updated for Town Hall 18 (October 2026).
The Archer is the second troop in the Barracks (level 2) and the first one that attacks from range, hitting both ground and air targets from 3.5 tiles away. She takes 1 housing space, has no favorite target, and maxes at level 14 at Town Hall 18 with 46 damage per second and 76 hitpoints.
Archer stats at a glance
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Unlocked at | Barracks level 2 (listed under Town Hall 1) |
| Housing space | 1 |
| Favorite target | None (closest building) |
| Attack type | Ranged, single target, hits ground and air |
| Range | 3.5 tiles |
| Attack speed | 1 second |
| Movement speed | 24 |
| Max level | 14 (Laboratory 16, Town Hall 18) |
| Super Troop | Super Archer (needs Archer level 8) |
How the Archer works
Range is the whole point of the Archer. She stops 3.5 tiles from her target and fires, which means she can shoot over a wall at a building behind it while the wall stays in one piece. She also shoots air units, so a handful of Archers can deal with a defending Balloon or Minion that ground melee troops would ignore.
The trade-off is health. At every level she has less than half the hitpoints of a same-level Barbarian, so she needs something in front of her. Left alone, a clump of Archers melts to a single splash hit.
Archer levels, DPS and hitpoints
Research happens in the Laboratory and costs Elixir. Figures are base costs and times, before Gold Pass or event discounts. The Town Hall column shows the lowest Town Hall whose Laboratory can research that level.
| Level | DPS | Hitpoints | Research cost (Elixir) | Research time | Laboratory level | Town Hall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 22 | None | None | None | 1 |
| 2 | 10 | 26 | 20,000 | 1h | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | 13 | 29 | 80,000 | 2h | 3 | 5 |
| 4 | 16 | 33 | 200,000 | 3h | 5 | 7 |
| 5 | 20 | 40 | 500,000 | 8h | 6 | 8 |
| 6 | 22 | 44 | 1,000,000 | 12h | 7 | 9 |
| 7 | 25 | 48 | 1,500,000 | 1d | 8 | 10 |
| 8 | 28 | 52 | 2,300,000 | 1d 12h | 9 | 11 |
| 9 | 31 | 56 | 3,000,000 | 2d | 10 | 12 |
| 10 | 34 | 60 | 4,500,000 | 3d | 12 | 14 |
| 11 | 37 | 64 | 6,500,000 | 4d | 13 | 15 |
| 12 | 40 | 68 | 9,000,000 | 4d 12h | 14 | 16 |
| 13 | 43 | 72 | 14,000,000 | 9d | 15 | 17 |
| 14 | 46 | 76 | 25,000,000 | 13d 12h | 16 | 18 |
Level 14 arrived with the February 2026 update and is the only level that needs a level 16 Laboratory. The previous top level, 13, got cheaper and faster with the Town Hall 18 update in November 2025: research time dropped from 13 days to 9, and cost from 17,500,000 to 14,000,000 Elixir.
Best uses for Archers in 2026
For new players, Barbarians in front and Archers behind is still the cheapest farming army in the game, and since training is now free and instant there is no reason not to use it on easy targets. Spread the Archers in a line rather than a pile so one Mortar shot doesn’t take them all.
At mid and high Town Halls, plain Archers mostly show up as fillers. Drop two or three to finish buildings at the edge of the map, or a single one to check a corner for traps and Clan Castle troops before your main push. Their real role in 2026 armies comes through the Super Archer (below) and through the Archer Queen, whose Archer Puppet equipment spawns Archers in battle. The Queen moved down to Town Hall 8 with the Town Hall 17 update.
How to defend against Archers
Splash damage is the answer. A Wizard Tower or Mortar that covers your outer buildings will delete groups of Archers before they do much. Because Archers shoot over walls, wall layers alone won’t stop them; what matters is that every building near the edge sits inside splash range. In the Clan Castle, Archers spread out and plink at attackers from range, but their low hitpoints make them easy for an attacker to clear with a spell or a hero.
Super Archer
When your Archers reach level 8 and you are Town Hall 11 or higher, you can boost them into the Super Archer at the Super Troop building for 25,000 Dark Elixir or a Super Potion. The boost lasts 3 days, and only two Super Troop types can be active at once. A Super Archer takes 12 housing space and fires piercing arrows (Sharp Shot) that hit every target in a line. She locks on from 6 tiles, and the arrow keeps flying up to 12 tiles, so she can hit buildings deep behind her target. At level 14 she has 170 DPS and 725 hitpoints, and her level always matches your Archer level.
Archer changes by date
- October 10, 2022: level 11 added.
- December 12, 2023: level 12 added; research times for levels 7 to 11 cut; Royal Cloak split into Invisibility Vial and Archer Puppet equipment for the Archer Queen.
- February 10, 2025: level 13 added; level 2 research time cut from 3h to 2h.
- March 24, 2025: training time removed for all troops.
- October 6, 2025: research times cut for levels 9, 11 and 12.
- November 17, 2025: level 13 research reduced to 9 days and 14,000,000 Elixir.
- February 23, 2026: level 14 added.
Archer FAQ
What is the max Archer level?
Level 14, at Town Hall 18 with a level 16 Laboratory. Town Hall 17 tops out at level 13.
Can Archers hit air troops?
Yes. Archers target both ground and air, unlike Barbarians and Goblins.
How far can an Archer shoot?
3.5 tiles. The Super Archer targets from 6 tiles and her arrows travel 12.
What is the Archer on the Builder Base?
Her Builder Base counterpart is the Sneaky Archer.
Sources: Supercell release notes: Clash Anytime update (March 2025), Town Hall 18 update (November 2025), Town Hall 17 update (November 2024); in-game data.
