Updated for Town Hall 18 (October 2026).
The Monolith is a single-target defense that unlocks at Town Hall 15 and adds a slice of its target’s maximum hitpoints to every shot, so the bigger the troop or hero, the harder it gets hit. It is built and upgraded with Dark Elixir, has 11 tiles of range, and currently goes up to level 5 at TH18, with two Supercharge tiers on top.
How the Monolith works
Each shot has two parts: a flat base damage, and bonus damage equal to a percentage of the target’s maximum hitpoints (11% at level 1, rising to 15% at level 5). Against an Archer the bonus barely matters. Against a hero, a Golem or a Super Witch it adds up fast. A level 5 Monolith shooting a troop with 10,000 maximum hitpoints does 337.5 + 1,500 = 1,837.5 damage per shot.
The trade-off is speed. It fires once every 1.5 seconds and only at one target, so a swarm of small troops can keep it busy while something else knocks it down. Unlike a single-target Inferno Tower, it doesn’t need to ramp up. The first shot already does full damage.
Supercell calls it the “Hero Killer,” and it earns the name. The orb it fires changes color with the target’s maximum hitpoints, from dark teal for low-health troops through indigo to dark purple for the tankiest ones, which makes it easy to see what it has locked onto.
It is one of only two defenses paid for with Dark Elixir. The other is the Revenge Tower added at TH18. The same June 2026 update that added Monolith level 5 also gave the Archer Queen the Monolith Arrow, an Epic Equipment piece that fires a single arrow dealing damage based on the target’s maximum hitpoints.
Monolith levels and stats
You get one Monolith (3×3 tiles) starting at TH15. It hits ground and air, single target, range 11, attack speed 1.5 seconds.
| Level | Town Hall | Base DPS | Base damage per shot | Bonus per shot (% of target max HP) | Hitpoints | Cost (Dark Elixir) | Build time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | 150 | 225 | 11% | 4,747 | 200,000 | 7d |
| 2 | 15 | 175 | 262.5 | 12% | 5,050 | 250,000 | 8d |
| 3 | 16 | 193 | 289.5 | 13% | 5,353 | 260,000 | 9d |
| 4 | 17 | 209 | 313.5 | 14% | 5,656 | 300,000 | 11d |
| 5 | 18 | 225 | 337.5 | 15% | 5,959 | 470,000 | 15d |
Supercharges (TH18, after level 5)
| Supercharge | Base DPS | Base damage per shot | Bonus per shot | Hitpoints | Cost (Dark Elixir) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 235 | 352.5 | 15% | 5,959 | 220,000 | 5d |
| 2 | 235 | 352.5 | 15% | 6,161 | 200,000 | 7d |
Supercharges are removed if Supercell adds a new Monolith level, as happened in June 2026 when level 5 replaced the level 4 Supercharges.
Where to place the Monolith
Its 11-tile range is longer than an Inferno Tower’s, which lets it reach long-range attackers such as the Flame Flinger and the Royal Champion’s Rocket Spear from the same distance they hit from. Put it deep enough that heroes have to walk toward it, and surround it with splash or multi-target defenses. Those clear the swarms that would otherwise soak up its slow shots, and leave the Monolith free to focus on the big targets.
Careful with the Rage Spell Tower. Rage boosts only the Monolith’s base damage, not the percentage bonus, so the Monolith gets less out of it than most defenses do. Rage usually does more good on the defenses around it.
How to attack the Monolith
The goal is to keep it off your heroes and tanks, or to kill it before it matters.
- A Freeze Spell or an Overgrowth Spell stops it from shooting.
- A Lightning Spell forces it to pick a new target, which can break a lock on a hero.
- The Diggy pet and the Battle Drill can stun it.
- Because it fires slowly, cheap distractions work well. Skeleton Spells, Bat Spells or a Totem Spell give it lots of weak targets to waste shots on. Watch for splash defenses nearby that can clean up the distraction quickly.
- Its hitpoints are close to a Clan Castle‘s, so an Invisibility Spell plus Skeleton Spell plus Rage Spell combo (the “Skelly Donut”) can delete it on its own.
When planning a hero path, assume the Monolith gets a few free shots on whichever hero reaches it first. The heroes page covers which ones can take the hit.
Recent changes
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| October 10, 2022 | Added with TH15, two levels. |
| December 12, 2022 | Percentage damage cut (level 1 14% to 12%, level 2 15% to 13%). |
| December 12, 2023 | Percentage damage cut again (to 11% and 12%); level 2 base damage cut from 200 to 175. |
| April 16, 2024 | Level 3 added. |
| March 25, 2025 | Level 4 and two Supercharges added; levels 1 to 3 made cheaper and faster. |
| November 17, 2025 | Level 4 upgrade time reduced. |
| June 2026 (Anime Fury update) | Level 5 added at TH18; level 4 Supercharges removed. |
| August 2026 | Two new Supercharge tiers added after level 5. |
FAQ
What Town Hall unlocks the Monolith?
Town Hall 15. You get one, and that stays one at TH16, TH17 and TH18.
What is the max level of the Monolith?
Level 5, unlocked at TH18 in June 2026, followed by two Supercharge tiers.
Why does the Monolith use Dark Elixir?
Supercell built it as the first Dark Elixir defense. Every build, upgrade and Supercharge costs Dark Elixir, not Gold.
Sources: Supercell release notes (Town Hall 15 release notes, August 2026 update notes) and in-game data.
