Updated for Town Hall 18 (October 2026).
The Witch is a ranged Dark Elixir troop who raises Skeletons from the ground every few seconds, so one Witch turns into a small army of distractions. She unlocks at Town Hall 9 with a level 5 Dark Barracks, takes 12 housing space, and got her eighth level in February 2026 for Town Hall 18, which also made her Skeletons stronger.
How the Witch and her Skeletons work
The Witch fires a small splash bolt (0.3-tile radius) from 4 tiles away every 0.7 seconds and hits ground and air targets. She has no favorite target and walks at speed 12, so she trails behind most of your army.
Her real value is the summon. Every 7 seconds she raises a group of Skeletons, four at a time through level 6 and five from level 7 on. Each Witch can only keep a set number alive at once (6 at level 1, up to 16 at levels 7 and 8), and she tops them up as they die.
Skeletons hit about as hard as a Barbarian but have far less health and move faster, at speed 24. They are melee and ground-only, with no favorite target. A few rules decide how useful they are:
- They don’t trigger traps, and they don’t pull out the defender’s Clan Castle troops. They do still take damage from a trap that something else sets off, and they can trigger Hidden Teslas.
- For Spring Traps, Tornado Traps, the Clone Spell and the Recall Spell, each Skeleton counts as 1 housing space.
Until February 2026 every Witch summoned level 1 Skeletons with 30 hitpoints. A level 8 Witch now summons level 2 Skeletons with 45 hitpoints and 30 damage per second.
These Skeletons are separate from the ones in the Skeleton Trap and the Skeleton Spell, though they look alike.
Witch levels and stats
Upgrades are researched in the Laboratory with Dark Elixir. Note the gaps: no new Witch level arrives at Town Halls 13, 14 or 17.
| Level | Damage per second | Hitpoints | Skeletons per summon | Max Skeletons alive | Skeleton level | Research cost (Dark Elixir) | Research time | Town Hall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | 300 | 4 | 6 | 1 | – | – | 9 |
| 2 | 110 | 320 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 20,000 | 2d | 9 |
| 3 | 140 | 400 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 29,000 | 3d | 10 |
| 4 | 165 | 470 | 4 | 12 | 1 | 45,000 | 3d 12h | 11 |
| 5 | 185 | 520 | 4 | 14 | 1 | 62,500 | 4d | 12 |
| 6 | 200 | 540 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 150,000 | 5d 12h | 15 |
| 7 | 220 | 560 | 5 | 16 | 1 | 180,000 | 7d 6h | 16 |
| 8 | 260 | 650 | 5 | 16 | 2 | 355,000 | 15d 12h | 18 |
Costs and times are before Gold Pass discounts. Level 5 is the requirement for the Super Witch boost (25,000 Dark Elixir), whose summons are much bigger.
How to attack with Witches
- Keep her at the back and spread out. With 650 hitpoints at max level, she can’t take hits, and a single Mortar, Wizard Tower or Bomb Tower shot lands on any Witches standing together.
- Give her a tank. A Golem or Ice Golem is the usual partner, and at Town Halls 9 and 10 a few Giants up front with two or three Witches also form a funnel.
- Kill the splash first. Skeletons die to Wizard Towers, Bomb Towers, multi-target Inferno Towers and Scattershots, and a Bomb Tower’s death blast can catch the Witches too. A Lightning Spell on one or two of these at the start keeps the Skeleton wall alive much longer.
- One or two Witches fit almost any ground army as support, and they work in Yeti, Super Archer and Bowler (“BoWitch”) smash attacks.
- An all-Witch army can flood a base with Skeletons, which even high walls can’t hold back for long, but only while the Witches survive. Bring a tank anyway.
Melee Skeletons can walk inside a Mortar or Scattershot blind spot, which leaves the Witches standing alone in range. Watch for that when you place them.
How to defend against Witches
- A Giant Bomb hurts the Witch and wipes every Skeleton in its blast. A Giant Bomb plus a regular Bomb usually kills a Witch of matching level.
- Upgrade splash defenses. Mortars, Wizard Towers and Bomb Towers that one-shot Skeletons leave the Witch exposed; multi-target Inferno Towers, Firespitters and the Revenge Tower also thin the swarm.
- Skeletons can’t set off a Spring Trap, so the Witch is the one who triggers it, and a level 2 or higher trap removes her.
- As a Clan Castle defender, two Witches can overwhelm an unprepared attacker and even kill a lone hero. Place the Castle behind walls so she can’t be lured out. Attackers answer her with a Poison or Lightning Spell, splash troops like the Valkyrie, air troops (Skeletons can’t hit air), or a Totem Spell to distract her.
Recent changes
- October 10, 2022: level 6 added with Town Hall 15.
- December 12, 2023: level 7 added with Town Hall 16 (five Skeletons per summon); lower levels made cheaper and faster.
- June 3, 2024: more damage at levels 4 and 5 and more hitpoints at levels 4 to 6.
- November 25, 2024: Dark Elixir troop costs halved.
- March 2025: training time removed (Clash Anytime).
- February 23, 2026: level 8 added for Town Hall 18, along with Super Witch level 8 and level 2 Skeletons.
Other Dark Elixir troops by Town Hall
| Town Hall | Dark troops unlocked |
|---|---|
| 7 | Minion, Hog Rider |
| 8 | Valkyrie, Golem |
| 9 | Witch, Lava Hound |
| 10 | Bowler |
| 11 | Ice Golem |
| 12 | Headhunter |
| 13 to 16 | Apprentice Warden, Druid, Furnace, Ruin Witch (one per Town Hall) |
The Ruin Witch (Town Hall 16, June 2026) is a different troop: she has no attack and summons Ruin Knights from building rubble.
Witch FAQ
What Town Hall unlocks the Witch?
Town Hall 9, through a level 5 Dark Barracks.
What is the Witch’s max level?
Level 8, released February 23, 2026 for Town Hall 18.
How many Skeletons can a Witch summon?
Four or five per summon every 7 seconds, with up to 16 alive per Witch at levels 7 and 8.
Do Witch Skeletons trigger traps?
No. They take damage from traps that other troops trigger, but can’t set one off themselves.
Sources: in-game troop and Laboratory data; Supercell release notes: February 2026 update (Witch level 8), Town Hall 18 update (Totem Spell), Anime Fury update (Ruin Witch), Town Hall 17 update.
