Updated for Town Hall 18 (October 2026).
The Dragon is a heavy flying troop with splash damage that hits both ground and air. It unlocks at Barracks level 9 (Town Hall 7), takes 20 housing space, has no favorite target, and its max level is 13, added in April 2026 for Town Hall 18, with 430 damage per second and 6,000 hitpoints.
Dragon stats at a glance
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Unlocked at | Barracks level 9 (Town Hall 7) |
| Housing space | 20 |
| Favorite target | None (closest building) |
| Attack type | Ranged splash, 0.3-tile radius, hits ground and air |
| Range | 3 tiles |
| Attack speed | 1.25 seconds |
| Movement speed | 16 |
| Max level | 13 (Laboratory 16, Town Hall 18) |
| Super Troop | Super Dragon (needs Dragon level 7) |
How the Dragon fights
Dragons fly over walls and breathe fire at the nearest building, so a group of them works through a base layer by layer from wherever you drop them. The fire has a small splash, which shows when they hit defending troops bunched together or buildings and walls right next to the target. Because they have no target preference, Dragons will happily spend time on collectors and huts while a defense shoots them. Where you drop them, and what you clear first, decides most Dragon attacks.
For new Town Hall 7 players the Dragon is a big jump: one troop with thousands of hitpoints that most early defenses can’t touch. Only air-targeting defenses (Air Defenses, Archer Towers, Wizard Towers and similar) can hurt it.
Dragon levels, DPS and hitpoints
Dragons are upgraded in the Laboratory with Elixir. Costs and times 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 | 140 | 1,900 | None | None | None | 7 |
| 2 | 160 | 2,100 | 1,000,000 | 18h | 5 | 7 |
| 3 | 180 | 2,300 | 2,000,000 | 1d 12h | 6 | 8 |
| 4 | 210 | 2,700 | 3,000,000 | 2d | 7 | 9 |
| 5 | 240 | 3,100 | 3,800,000 | 3d | 8 | 10 |
| 6 | 270 | 3,400 | 4,900,000 | 4d | 9 | 11 |
| 7 | 310 | 3,900 | 5,000,000 | 4d 12h | 10 | 12 |
| 8 | 330 | 4,200 | 7,500,000 | 5d | 11 | 13 |
| 9 | 350 | 4,500 | 10,500,000 | 7d | 12 | 14 |
| 10 | 370 | 4,900 | 12,000,000 | 7d 12h | 13 | 15 |
| 11 | 390 | 5,300 | 14,000,000 | 8d 12h | 14 | 16 |
| 12 | 410 | 5,700 | 18,500,000 | 10d | 15 | 17 |
| 13 | 430 | 6,000 | 28,500,000 | 15d | 16 | 18 |
Town Hall 7 can research the Dragon to level 2, and every Town Hall from 8 to 18 adds exactly one more level, which makes the Dragon one of the steadiest upgrades in the Laboratory. Level 13 is the priciest at 28,500,000 Elixir and 15 days.
Best uses for Dragons in 2026
Dragons are the core of air attacks from Town Hall 7 all the way to 18.
- Town Halls 7 to 9: mass Dragons. Fill the camps with Dragons, add a couple of Balloons to snipe single defenses, and bring Rage Spells. Taking out one or two Air Defenses first with Lightning (plus an Earthquake at higher levels) makes the rest of the attack much easier.
- Town Halls 15 to 18: Hydra-style air, roughly ten Dragons with ten Balloons, a couple of Dragon Riders and a Lava Hound. The Dragons tank and clear buildings while the Balloons take out defenses.
- Dragon Duke air: the sixth hero, the Dragon Duke (Town Hall 15+, added February 2026), is often paired with the Royal Champion to clear a path, after which Dragons, Ice Hounds and Balloons follow.
Whatever the Town Hall, funnel first. Clear the buildings on both sides of your entry point so the Dragons head into the core instead of spreading around the edge.
How to defend against Dragons
Dragon attacks win or lose on the Air Defenses. Spread them out so a single Rage Spell over a group of Dragons can’t take out two at once, and so no two sit close enough for one Lightning and Earthquake combo. Protect them with high-hitpoint buildings like storages so Dragons waste time getting there. Seeking Air Mines near the Air Defenses deal big single hits, and an Air Sweeper slows the push. At Town Hall 7 and 8, a Dragon in your Clan Castle is a strong defender, because most ground armies at that level can’t hit it.
Super Dragon
The Super Dragon is the Dragon’s Super Troop, available from Town Hall 11 with Dragons at level 7. Boost it at the Super Troop building for 25,000 Dark Elixir or a Super Potion; the boost lasts 3 days and uses one of two Super Troop slots. It takes 40 housing space and breathes a nonstop stream of fire in bursts of 10 shots that splash nearby targets. At level 13 it has 536 DPS and 8,400 hitpoints.
Dragon changes by date
- June 12, 2023: level 10 added; level 7 and 8 research made faster and cheaper.
- December 12, 2023: level 11 added.
- November 25, 2024: level 12 added.
- March 24, 2025: training time removed for all troops.
- October 6, 2025: research times cut for levels 7, 8 and 10.
- November 17, 2025: level 12 research cut from 14d 16h to 10d and from 22,000,000 to 18,500,000 Elixir.
- February 23, 2026: Dragon Duke hero added.
- April 27, 2026: level 13 added.
Dragon FAQ
What is the max Dragon level?
Level 13 at Town Hall 18. Town Hall 17 caps at level 12.
How much housing space does a Dragon take?
20. The Super Dragon takes 40.
Is the Dragon good at Town Hall 7?
Yes. It is the biggest new troop at Town Hall 7, few defenses at that level can hit air, and mass Dragons is one of the easiest attacks to learn at Town Halls 7 to 9.
Sources: Supercell release notes: Sound of Clash update (April 2026), February 2026 update, Town Hall 18 update (November 2025); in-game data.
