Updated for Town Hall 18 (October 2026).
The Thrower is a long-range Elixir troop that hurls spears at whatever is closest, ground or air, from 6 tiles away. He unlocks at Town Hall 16 with the level 18 Barracks, takes 16 housing space, and is a permanent troop. His max level is 4 at Town Hall 18, and Throwers backed by Healers were the second most used army in Town Hall 18 wars in Supercell’s July 2026 balance review.
How the Thrower works
He has no preferred target. Each spear hits a single target, which can be a building, a defending troop, a hero or something in the air, so he plays like a sturdy, long-ranged Archer. Put a tank in front and the defenses lock onto the tank while the Thrower hits from 6 tiles back.
The trade-off is speed of attack. He throws once every 2.5 seconds, so a single Thrower is slow to finish anything and easy to stall with a pile of cheap targets. His hitpoints are high for a ranged troop, which is why he fits well under heavy healing.
Don’t confuse him with the Totem Thrower, a temporary event troop in the October 2026 Cosmic Curse season that throws stunning totems every fourth attack. That one is gone when the season ends, and temporary troops can’t be used in Ranked battles or wars.
Thrower stats by level
Housing space 16, movement speed 16, one spear every 2.5 seconds, range 6 tiles, single target (ground and air). Research happens in the Laboratory and costs Elixir.
| Level | Damage per second | Damage per spear | Hitpoints | Research cost (Elixir) | Research time | Lab level | Town Hall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 190 | 475 | 2,200 | None | None | None | 16 |
| 2 | 210 | 525 | 2,350 | 16,000,000 | 9d 12h | 14 | 16 |
| 3 | 220 | 550 | 2,500 | 18,000,000 | 10d 12h | 15 | 17 |
| 4 | 230 | 575 | 2,650 | 27,000,000 | 15d | 16 | 18 |
Costs and times are the standard values before Gold Pass discounts. So at Town Hall 16 you can reach level 2, at Town Hall 17 level 3, and level 4 needs Town Hall 18. These numbers include the late-September 2026 cut to levels 3 and 4 and his move speed.
How to attack with Throwers
Thrower and Healer armies
This is the army people mean when they say “Throwers” at Town Hall 18. A large group of Throwers goes in behind a tank line, with Healers floating over them. Because the Throwers stand back from what they are shooting, the Healers stay out of reach of many ground defenses while keeping the whole group topped up. Clear or freeze the air-targeting threats first, since losing the Healers early ends the push. A Rage Spell over the group speeds up both the spears and the healing.
Funnel first, then line them up
Build the funnel with a hero such as the Barbarian King or Archer Queen, or with the Siege Barracks. Then deploy a tank row of Yetis or Golems and place the Throwers in a spread line behind them. Spreading matters: a tight clump is exactly what splash defenses like the Scattershot and Firespitter want.
With the Grand Warden
Throwers can take the place of Super Bowlers in a Grand Warden walk: they reach defenses from far away, and Healers can heal the Warden and the Throwers at the same time. When the Throwers are the main damage, the Warden’s Life Gem and Rage Gem pair well with them, and Heroic Torch helps when the attack depends on a clean funnel.
In the Battle Blimp
A Battle Blimp drop of Throwers survives Bombs, Giant Bombs and a Bomb Tower blast better than Super Archers, which helps when an Invisibility Spell is a little late. They take more housing, though, and a Tornado Trap that drags them into the Giga Bomb will still wipe them. Mixing both troops works: the Super Archers clear Skeletons and the Throwers focus the defense.
As a Clan Castle troop at low Town Halls
One donated Thrower plus a few Healers makes a strong walk at Town Halls 6 and 7, where his range and hitpoints are far beyond anything those players can train.
How to defend against Throwers
- Use Skeleton Traps. With one spear every 2.5 seconds, Throwers waste a lot of time on Skeletons while your defenses shoot them.
- Put hard single-target hitters where Throwers end up exposed: the Ricochet Cannon, Multi-Archer Tower, Multi-Gear Tower, single-mode Inferno Towers and the Monolith.
- Splash and cone damage (Scattershot, Firespitter) punishes the tight groups that Thrower-Healer armies tend to form.
- Giant Bombs, the Tornado Trap and the Giga Bomb all hit a Thrower line hard and leave the survivors for your defenses.
- Against Healer support, protect your air defense coverage so the Healers can’t sit over the Throwers for the whole attack.
Thrower changes
- November 25, 2024: added in the Town Hall 17 update with 3 levels, unlocked at Town Hall 16.
- March 2025, Clash Anytime: training time removed for every troop.
- June 30, 2025: hitpoints and damage raised at all levels.
- November 17, 2025, Town Hall 18 update: level 4 added; levels 2 and 3 became cheaper and faster to research.
- January 28, 2026: buffed (speed 16 to 18, more hitpoints and damage).
- February 23, 2026: the level 4 part of that buff was reverted to 2,800 hitpoints and 240 damage per second.
- September 22, 2026: speed back to 16, and levels 3 and 4 lost some hitpoints and damage (to the values in the table).
Thrower FAQ
What Town Hall do you get the Thrower?
Town Hall 16, once your Barracks is level 18. He arrived with the Town Hall 17 update, but the unlock sits at Town Hall 16.
Is the Thrower an Elixir or Dark Elixir troop?
Elixir. He trains in the regular Barracks and is researched with Elixir.
Can the Thrower hit air troops?
Yes. His spears hit both ground and air targets at 6 tiles, including defending Clan Castle troops and heroes.
What is the Thrower’s max level?
Level 4 at Town Hall 18. See the max levels page for every troop, or the Town Hall 18 attack strategies for armies built around him.
Sources: Supercell release notes and posts (Town Hall 17 update, Town Hall 18 update, February 2026 update, July 2026 balance update, Cosmic Curse: Portal Panic season), in-game data.
