Updated for Town Hall 18 (October 2026).
The Dragon Duke is the sixth Home Village hero: a flying, melee-range tank that gets much stronger when no other flying troops are near him. He unlocks at Town Hall 15 with a level 9 Hero Hall and goes up to level 25 at Town Hall 18. He was added on February 23, 2026, and players freed him through a community event that ended on March 1.
How the Dragon Duke works
He looks like an oversized Dragon in chains, and he plays like a battering ram with wings. He has no preferred target, attacks every 1.2 seconds from point-blank range, moves at speed 20 and starts with 9,100 hitpoints at level 1, which makes him one of the toughest heroes in the game.
His passive is called Royal Rampage. When no friendly flying unit is within 6 tiles of him, he switches from claws to fire breath and gets:
- +100% damage
- +50% attack speed (together, about three times his normal damage per second)
- 20% less damage from traps
His own pet doesn’t break the rampage, even if it flies, but other heroes’ flying pets, Boogers from Sneezy and any air troops you drop nearby all do. The trap reduction started at 50% and has been cut twice in 2026.
Like every hero he has one ability per battle that heals him and fires his active equipment. On defense he flies near his Hero Banner without his rampage or equipment, and only units that can hit air can damage him.
Dragon Duke max level by Town Hall
Upgrades cost Dark Elixir and use a Builder. Stats are base values at each cap, before equipment.
| Town Hall | Hero Hall level | Max level | Damage per second | Hitpoints | Ability heal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 9 | 10 | 340 | 9,775 | 4,000 |
| 16 | 10 | 15 | 360 | 10,150 | 4,250 |
| 17 | 11 | 20 | 380 | 10,525 | 4,500 |
| 18 | 12 | 25 | 400 | 10,900 | 4,750 |
He starts at level 1 with 304 damage per second. Upgrades run from 50,000 Dark Elixir and 6 hours for level 2 to 480,000 Dark Elixir and 8 days for level 25, before Gold Pass discounts. Damage per second here is before Royal Rampage.
Dragon Duke equipment
He has six pieces in the Blacksmith, all added in 2026. Values are at max level (18 for Common, 27 for Epic).
| Equipment | Rarity | How you get it | What it does at max level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Heart | Common | Comes with him | Passive: heals 150 hitpoints per second and explodes for 3,000 damage the first time he falls; +23 damage per second, +5,600 hitpoints |
| Flame Blower | Common | Comes with him | Ability: a cone of fire ahead of him for 2,500 damage; +3,100 hitpoints, +1,500 ability heal |
| Stun Blaster | Common | Blacksmith 9 (Town Hall 16) | Ability: a shockwave that stuns nearby defenses and troops for 7.5 seconds; +90 damage per second, +2,400 hitpoints, +1,300 ability heal |
| Electro Fangs | Common | Blacksmith 10 (Town Hall 17) | Passive: his hits chain to up to 4 targets near his target, 400 damage on the first jump and 20% less on each next one; +2,400 hitpoints |
| Rocket Backpack | Epic | Sound of Clash event (April 2026), then the Trader | Ability: he rockets through the middle of the base to the far edge, untargetable, burning everything on the line for 2,150 damage; +86 damage per second, +3,200 hitpoints, +2,000 ability heal |
| Revenge Deck | Epic | Awesome Medal Event (August 2026) | Passive: anything that damages him gets a 225-damage card thrown back, and each counter heals him 60; +3,200 hitpoints |
Fire Heart is the near-permanent first slot. Healers can’t target flying units, so his healing has to come from his own kit, and the one-time explosion punishes defenders who finally bring him down. For the second slot, take the Flame Blower when you want burst damage inside a compartment, or the Stun Blaster when you need a cluster of defenses shut off for your army. The Rocket Backpack carries him across the whole base without taking a hit, which suits solo runs.
How to use the Dragon Duke
There are two ways to play him, and they pull in opposite directions.
- Solo. Send him into a side of the base with no air troops nearby so Royal Rampage stays on. With Fire Heart and the Flame Blower or Stun Blaster he can take apart a whole compartment alone, and his trap reduction lets him shrug off some air mine damage. Keep your other air units, and the other heroes’ flying pets, well away from him.
- As a tank for a dragon army. With Dragons, Dragon Riders or Electro Dragons he loses his rampage, but his huge health pool soaks fire in front of the army, usually alongside the Minion Prince and an air-mode Grand Warden. The Stun Blaster earns its slot here by freezing an Inferno Tower, Monolith or Revenge Tower before it melts the group.
Supercell’s July 2026 balance post named Dragon armies led by the Duke and Dragon Riders as the most popular Town Hall 18 war army, at roughly 20% of attacks.
For pets, the Phoenix and the Angry Jelly are the usual picks. Both fly as his own pet, so they don’t break the rampage. The Phoenix gives him a second life, and the Angry Jelly sends him straight at defenses for a while. Don’t give him Sneezy: her Boogers count as other flying units and switch the rampage off. Every option is on the pets page.
He fights one target at a time, so swarms like Skeletons from Witches or a Skeleton Trap can stall him once his ability is spent. Save the Flame Blower or Stun Blaster for those moments, and use a Revive Spell to bring him back if you have one.
How to defend against the Dragon Duke
- Fill your Clan Castle with troops that hit air. Super Minions or Inferno Dragons can wear him down, though a full-health Duke usually wins in the end, so they work best near other defenses.
- Place Seeking Air Mines where air armies path into your core. A Duke flying alone shrugs off part of their damage, but when the attacker lets other air troops drift near him, his rampage drops and the mines hit at full strength.
- Defending Witches and Skeleton Traps tie him up, especially after he has used his ability.
- When he defends your base, pair his banner with the Barbarian King: the King tanks ground attackers while the Duke handles air.
Recent Dragon Duke changes
- August 12, 2026: Revenge Deck released in the Awesome Medal Event.
- July 2026: trap damage reduction cut from 40% to 20%; Flame Blower temporarily reverted to pushing him in the Rocket Backpack’s direction after a bug.
- May 2026: trap damage reduction cut from 50% to 40%; Fire Heart regeneration and damage lowered; Rocket Backpack damage slightly lowered.
- April 27, 2026: Electro Fangs added with Blacksmith level 10.
- April 8, 2026: Rocket Backpack released in the Sound of Clash event.
- February 23 to March 1, 2026: added with Fire Heart, Flame Blower and Stun Blaster, then freed by the community event.
Dragon Duke FAQ
What Town Hall do you get the Dragon Duke?
Town Hall 15, once your Hero Hall reaches level 9.
What is the Dragon Duke’s max level?
Level 25 at Town Hall 18. The caps are 10, 15, 20 and 25 at Town Halls 15 to 18.
Why does the Dragon Duke stop breathing fire?
Royal Rampage turns off whenever a friendly flying unit that isn’t his own pet is within 6 tiles. He goes back to clawing and loses the damage, speed and trap bonuses until he’s alone again.
What is the best pet for the Dragon Duke?
The Phoenix or the Angry Jelly. Avoid Sneezy.
Sources: in-game hero, Hero Hall and Blacksmith data; Supercell: February 2026 update (Dragon Duke), Sound of Clash update (Electro Fangs), State of Gameplay part 2 (May 2026 balance), July 2026 balance update.
