Updated for Town Hall 18 (October 2026).
The Bowler is a big blue Dark Elixir troop who throws a boulder that hits its target, bounces, and lands again on whatever sits behind it, so every throw can damage two buildings in a line. He unlocks at Town Hall 10 with a level 7 Dark Barracks, takes 6 housing space, and reaches level 10 at Town Hall 18.
How the Bowler’s boulder works
The Bowler has no favorite target and walks at speed 14. Every 2.2 seconds he hurls a boulder that does splash damage where it first lands, then bounces on and does splash damage a second time up to 3 tiles further along the same line. He was the first ground troop able to hit buildings in a row like this.
”"This big blue dude digs the simple things in life - Dark Elixir drinks and throwing rocks. His massive boulders bounce off their targets and hit again behind it for double strike!"
That second bounce is where his value lies. In a base with buildings packed behind each other, each throw effectively counts double, and the bounce can reach buildings he isn’t even targeting, such as a Wizard Tower or Bomb Tower just past an outer hut. It also makes him one of the better funneling troops, since one Bowler on an edge clears two layers of buildings at once.
The trade-off is health. At max level he has 860 hitpoints for 6 housing space, so he needs something big in front of him.
Bowler levels and stats
Bowler upgrades are researched in the Laboratory using Dark Elixir. Damage per hit is per bounce, so a boulder that lands twice can deal it twice.
| Level | Damage per second | Damage per hit | Hitpoints | Research cost (Dark Elixir) | Research time | Town Hall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 | 132 | 325 | – | – | 10 |
| 2 | 72 | 158 | 375 | 32,500 | 2d | 10 |
| 3 | 84 | 185 | 420 | 44,000 | 2d 12h | 11 |
| 4 | 96 | 211 | 470 | 62,500 | 3d | 12 |
| 5 | 102 | 224 | 505 | 85,000 | 4d | 13 |
| 6 | 108 | 238 | 530 | 110,000 | 6d | 14 |
| 7 | 114 | 251 | 565 | 145,000 | 7d | 15 |
| 8 | 126 | 277 | 600 | 175,000 | 7d 12h | 16 |
| 9 | 140 | 308 | 700 | 260,000 | 10d | 17 |
| 10 | 160 | 352 | 860 | 360,000 | 15d | 18 |
Damage per hit is rounded. Costs and times are before Gold Pass discounts. A level 4 Bowler qualifies for the Super Bowler boost (25,000 Dark Elixir) in the Super Sauna.
How to attack with Bowlers
- Put a tank in front. Golems, Ice Golems or a P.E.K.K.A take the hits while Bowlers work behind them.
- Use them to funnel. A couple of Bowlers on each side of your entry clear more edge buildings per second than Wizards do, which keeps the main army from wandering.
- Aim the bounce. A Bowler placed in front of a hut or storage can hit a Wizard Tower or Bomb Tower behind it with the second bounce while staying out of its reach.
- Pair them with Witches. BoWitch (Bowlers plus Witches) is the classic Town Hall 10 and 11 army, and adding Golems gives GoWiBo, which held up through Town Hall 12. The Skeletons soak shots while the Bowlers flatten the core.
Mass Bowler gets weaker as you climb. Defenses gain hitpoints and damage at every Town Hall, and newer splash defenses like the Ricochet Cannon and Multi-Archer Tower punish packed Bowler groups.
How to defend against Bowlers
- Space out your buildings, defenses in particular, so a boulder can’t land on two of them.
- Keep the Town Hall clear of other buildings so it can’t be hit as a second-bounce bonus.
- Pair Giant Bombs where Bowlers are likely to walk; two together can wipe a whole group of these low-HP troops. Spring Traps also work on them.
- The Eagle Artillery hits groups of Bowlers hard, often wiping a clump with two shots.
Recent changes
- June 27, 2022: hitpoints raised at levels 1 to 5.
- June 12, 2023: level 7 added; mid-level upgrades made cheaper and shorter.
- February 27, 2024: level 8 added.
- June 3, 2024: damage raised at levels 2 to 6 and hitpoints at levels 2 to 7.
- November 25, 2024: Dark Elixir troop costs halved.
- February 10, 2025: level 9 added.
- March 2025: training time removed (Clash Anytime).
- November 17, 2025: level 10 added for Town Hall 18; level 9 buffed to 140 damage per second and 700 hitpoints.
- April 27, 2026: level 10 buffed from 156 to 160 damage per second and 850 to 860 hitpoints.
Other Dark Elixir troops by Town Hall
| Town Hall | Dark troops unlocked |
|---|---|
| 7 | Minion, Hog Rider |
| 8 | Valkyrie, Golem |
| 9 | Witch, Lava Hound |
| 10 | Bowler |
| 11 | Ice Golem |
| 12 | Headhunter |
| 13 to 16 | Apprentice Warden, Druid, Furnace, Ruin Witch (one per Town Hall) |
Bowler FAQ
What Town Hall unlocks the Bowler?
Town Hall 10, through a level 7 Dark Barracks.
What is the Bowler’s max level?
Level 10, added with Town Hall 18 on November 17, 2025.
How many buildings can a Bowler hit at once?
His boulder lands twice, so it can damage two targets in a line per throw, plus anything else inside each splash.
How much housing space does the Bowler take?
6 spaces.
Sources: in-game troop and Laboratory data; Supercell release notes: Town Hall 18 update, Town Hall 17 update, Clash Anytime update.
