Updated for Town Hall 18 (October 2026).
The Sneaky Archer is the second Builder Base troop, unlocked at Builder Barracks level 2 on Builder Hall 2. She is a crossbow-armed Archer whose Cloak ability makes her invisible to defenses for the first few seconds after you deploy her, from 3 seconds at level 2 up to 11 seconds at level 20. Three fit in an Army Camp, four from level 10.
How the Sneaky Archer attacks
She shoots one target at a time from 3.5 tiles away, once per second, and can hit both ground and air units. She has no favorite target and goes for the closest building, turning to fight defending troops when they come after her or her neighbors. She moves quickly (speed 29) but has very few hitpoints, so she needs cover once the Cloak wears off.
The Cloak is passive and starts on deployment. While it lasts, defenses cannot target her. It is not full protection, though:
- Splash and chain damage aimed at other troops still hurts her, so a Multi Mortar shell, a Mega Tesla bolt or a Crusher slam can catch a cloaked archer standing next to the real target.
- Traps still go off under her. Mines and Mega Mines hurt her, and a Push Trap can shove her somewhere she does not want to be.
- A Hidden Tesla she walks past will pop up and reveal itself.
The same idea shows up elsewhere in the game. The Archer Queen’s Invisibility Vial and the Sneaky Goblin super troop both hide a unit from defenses for a short time. The Guard Post also stations one Sneaky Archer on defense, but she does not cloak there.
Sneaky Archer levels and stats
Research costs Builder Elixir in the Star Laboratory. Star Laboratory level 1 needs Builder Hall 2; after that, the Star Laboratory level matches the Builder Hall level it needs.
| Level | DPS | Hitpoints | Units per camp | Cloak duration | Research cost | Research time | Star Lab level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 | 196 | 3 | – | Unlocked at this level | – | – |
| 2 | 60 | 196 | 3 | 3s | 5,000 | 3m | 1 |
| 3 | 66 | 216 | 3 | 3s | 8,000 | 10m | 2 |
| 4 | 66 | 216 | 3 | 4s | 12,000 | 30m | 2 |
| 5 | 72 | 237 | 3 | 4s | 100,000 | 6h | 3 |
| 6 | 72 | 237 | 3 | 5s | 200,000 | 11h | 3 |
| 7 | 79 | 261 | 3 | 5s | 320,000 | 16h | 4 |
| 8 | 79 | 261 | 3 | 6s | 350,000 | 21h | 4 |
| 9 | 86 | 287 | 3 | 6s | 800,000 | 1d | 5 |
| 10 | 86 | 287 | 4 | 6s | 1,000,000 | 1d 12h | 5 |
| 11 | 95 | 316 | 4 | 6s | 1,100,000 | 2d | 6 |
| 12 | 95 | 316 | 4 | 7s | 1,300,000 | 2d 12h | 6 |
| 13 | 104 | 347 | 4 | 7s | 2,100,000 | 3d 12h | 7 |
| 14 | 104 | 347 | 4 | 8s | 2,300,000 | 4d 12h | 7 |
| 15 | 112 | 382 | 4 | 8s | 3,100,000 | 5d 12h | 8 |
| 16 | 112 | 382 | 4 | 9s | 3,300,000 | 5d 12h | 8 |
| 17 | 119 | 420 | 4 | 9s | 3,900,000 | 6d | 9 |
| 18 | 119 | 420 | 4 | 10s | 4,100,000 | 6d | 9 |
| 19 | 125 | 462 | 4 | 10s | 4,700,000 | 6d 12h | 10 |
| 20 | 125 | 462 | 4 | 11s | 5,300,000 | 6d 12h | 10 |
She fires once a second, so her damage per shot equals her DPS. Odd levels add damage and hitpoints, most even levels add a second of Cloak, and level 10 adds the fourth archer per camp.
How to use Sneaky Archers
Deploy them first, then the tank. The Cloak is on a timer, so the best use is to drop a slot of archers right at their target while it lasts, then put Boxer Giants or the Battle Machine in front just before the archers become visible. Keep a little distance between the tank and the archers, or a Multi Mortar aimed at the tank will splash them too.
They are good at sniping. A small group of same-level Sneaky Archers can bring down an exposed defense on its own, and they outrange the Crusher, so an unprotected Crusher on the edge of a base is an easy pick. Use them to clear outside buildings for a funnel, and to finish the last stray building or altar when you need 100%. If a Lava Launcher is covering the area, send an extra archer so its poison does not stop you halfway through a building.
How to defend against Sneaky Archers
Put a ring of buildings in front of your defenses. Archers that spend their Cloak shooting a storage are visible by the time they reach the defense behind it. Splash damage is the strongest answer to their low hitpoints, and a single Multi Mortar volley can wipe a slot. A Mega Mine placed further inside, where only the archers will reach it, catches the group in one blast. A Push Trap can shove archers into a Crusher’s reach. Avoid relying on the Double Cannon: its burst wastes most of its damage on one fragile archer.
What changed with Builder Base 2.0
In the old Versus Battle days a Sneaky Archer slot was a swarm: up to 14 per camp at level 18, each with 215 hitpoints and a Cloak capped at 8 seconds. Supercell’s own 2.0 notes joked that the end of head-to-head battles meant no more waiting for an opponent to slowly drip Sneaky Archers. Since May 15, 2023 a camp holds 3 or 4, a level 18 archer has 420 hitpoints, the Cloak runs to 10 seconds at level 18 and 11 at the new level 20, and Builder Hall 10 added levels 19 and 20. The Builder Base 2.0 guide has the rest of the changes.
Sneaky Archer FAQ
When do you unlock the Sneaky Archer?
At Builder Barracks level 2, which you can build on Builder Hall 2.
How long is the Sneaky Archer invisible?
3 seconds at level 2, rising to 11 seconds at level 20.
Can defenses hit an invisible Sneaky Archer?
Not directly. Splash or chain damage aimed at another troop can still hit her, and traps still trigger.
Can Sneaky Archers attack air units?
Yes. She hits both ground and air targets.
Sources: Supercell release notes (Supercell, Builder Base 2.0 patch notes (May 2023)) and in-game data.
