Updated for Town Hall 18 (October 2026).
The Barbarian is the first troop you unlock in Clash of Clans: Barracks level 1 at Town Hall 1, one housing space, and no favorite target, so he swings at whatever building is closest. His max level is 13, added in the April 27, 2026 update and researched at Town Hall 18, where he deals 51 damage per second with 310 hitpoints.
Barbarian stats at a glance
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Unlocked at | Barracks level 1 (Town Hall 1) |
| Housing space | 1 |
| Favorite target | None (closest building) |
| Attack type | Melee, single target, ground only |
| Range | 0.4 tiles |
| Attack speed | 1 second |
| Movement speed | 18 (raised from 16 in June 2025) |
| Max level | 13 (Laboratory 16, Town Hall 18) |
| Super Troop | Super Barbarian (needs Barbarian level 8) |
How the Barbarian fights
A Barbarian walks to the nearest building and hits it with his sword once a second. He has no target preference, so a group dropped at the edge of a base spreads out over the closest collectors, huts and walls instead of pushing toward defenses. If enemy Clan Castle troops, defending heroes or trap skeletons attack nearby, he turns to fight them, then goes back to buildings.
For one housing space he hits harder and lasts longer than an Archer, but he has to stand next to his target. That makes him easy prey for splash damage: a Mortar, Wizard Tower or Bomb Tower shot can take out a whole clump at once. Training has been free since June 27, 2022 and instant since the Clash Anytime update on March 24, 2025, so losing a pack of Barbarians costs you nothing after the battle.
Barbarian levels, DPS and hitpoints
Upgrades are researched in the Laboratory and paid in Elixir. Costs and times below are base values before Gold Pass or event discounts. The Town Hall column is the lowest Town Hall whose Laboratory can research that level.
| Level | DPS | Hitpoints | Research cost (Elixir) | Research time | Laboratory level | Town Hall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | 45 | None | None | None | 1 |
| 2 | 12 | 54 | 10,000 | 30m | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | 15 | 65 | 50,000 | 1h | 3 | 5 |
| 4 | 18 | 85 | 130,000 | 2h | 5 | 7 |
| 5 | 23 | 105 | 300,000 | 4h | 6 | 8 |
| 6 | 26 | 125 | 800,000 | 8h | 7 | 9 |
| 7 | 30 | 160 | 1,000,000 | 12h | 8 | 10 |
| 8 | 34 | 205 | 1,500,000 | 1d | 9 | 11 |
| 9 | 38 | 230 | 2,500,000 | 1d 12h | 10 | 12 |
| 10 | 42 | 250 | 4,300,000 | 2d | 12 | 14 |
| 11 | 45 | 270 | 6,000,000 | 3d | 13 | 15 |
| 12 | 48 | 290 | 8,000,000 | 4d | 14 | 16 |
| 13 | 51 | 310 | 24,000,000 | 12d 12h | 16 | 18 |
Levels 4 to 7 got extra hitpoints in December 2021, which is why the HP jumps between those rows are bigger than the DPS steps. The jump from level 12 to 13 costs three times as much Elixir as the previous upgrade, so many TH18 players push it back behind troops they actually take to war.
Best uses for Barbarians in 2026
At low Town Halls, mass Barbarians with Archers is still the simplest way to farm. Barbarians soak up hits at the front while Archers shoot from behind, and the whole army is free to rebuild. Drop them in small groups at different points so one splash defense can’t erase the lot.
Higher up, regular Barbarians mostly fill one or two leftover housing slots. They are useful for:
- Clearing outside buildings and stray Builder’s Huts at the end of an attack, when every percent counts.
- Poking a corner first to trigger hidden traps and pull Clan Castle troops out.
- Killing an exposed Mortar: it can’t hit troops within about 4 tiles of itself, so a Barbarian standing on it is safe from that Mortar.
The Barbarian King also spawns Barbarians through his Barbarian Puppet equipment, which replaced the old Iron Fist ability in December 2023. Since May 2026 the King unlocks at Town Hall 4 in the Hero Hall, so newer players see Barbarians from both sources early.
How to defend against Barbarians
Barbarians have low hitpoints, so any splash defense covering the outer ring of your base is the main answer. Put Mortars and Wizard Towers where they can reach your edge buildings, and keep a Mortar’s blind spot covered by another defense. A Barbarian army that loses its front line to one splash shot rarely reaches the core. In the Clan Castle, Barbarians die quickly to an attacker’s Poison Spell, so they are a weak defensive request past the first few Town Halls.
Super Barbarian
Once your Barbarians reach level 8 and you are at Town Hall 11, you can boost them into the Super Barbarian at the Super Troop building for 25,000 Dark Elixir or a Super Potion. The boost lasts 3 days, and you can have two different Super Troops active at the same time. A Super Barbarian takes 5 housing space and is enraged for the first 8 seconds after you drop him, gaining speed and 70% extra damage. At his top level (13) he has 270 DPS and 1,450 hitpoints. His level always matches your Barbarian level.
Barbarian changes by date
- June 27, 2022: training became free for all troops.
- October 10, 2022: level 11 added with Town Hall 15.
- December 12, 2023: level 12 added; research times for levels 7 to 11 cut; Barbarian Puppet equipment introduced for the Barbarian King.
- March 24, 2025: training time removed for all troops (Clash Anytime update).
- June 16, 2025: movement speed raised from 16 to 18.
- October 6, 2025: research times cut for levels 9 to 12.
- April 27, 2026: level 13 added; level 12 research time cut from 4d 12h to 4d.
Barbarian FAQ
What is the max Barbarian level?
Level 13, which needs a level 16 Laboratory and Town Hall 18. At Town Hall 17 the cap is level 12.
How much housing space does a Barbarian take?
One. The Super Barbarian takes 5.
Does the Barbarian have a favorite target?
No. He attacks the nearest building, and switches to defending troops or heroes that attack him or his group.
What does the Barbarian turn into on the Builder Base?
His Builder Base counterpart is the Raged Barbarian.
Sources: Supercell release notes: Clash Anytime update (March 2025), Sound of Clash update (April 2026), May 2026 update; in-game data.
