Overview
The Flame Flinger is the sixth Siege Machine, unlocked when the Workshop reaches Level 6 at Town Hall 14. It is a long-range catapult artillery that flings trios of Fire Spirits every 5 seconds from the greatest range of any unit in the game — 11 tiles. On impact, each burst deals direct damage (325 at max level) and ignites a fire that burns a circular area for 22 seconds, dealing damage-over-time similar to a Poison Spell. The Flame Flinger targets defensive buildings exclusively, bypassing all other structures while any defense remains. At max Level 5, it has 2,100 HP, 179 DPS, and a flame maximum DPS of 130 within the burn zone.
The Flame Flinger is the only Siege Machine that deals sustained environmental damage — the fire patches it leaves behind continue damaging troops and buildings for 22 seconds after each shot, stacking with subsequent bursts. It also decays over time (~17 HP/sec, the slowest decay among all Siege Machines), giving it a lifetime of approximately 100–124 seconds — by far the longest of any Siege Machine. This makes it especially potent at TH14–17 where its long range lets it destroy defenses faster than defenses can destroy it. It pairs exceptionally well with the Queen Walk due to its ability to operate safely behind Healer-supported heroes. Its lowest-in-class HP (2,100 at max) makes it fragile against X-Bows, Monoliths, and Firespitters that can outrange or match its 11-tile reach.
📊 Stats & Upgrade Path
| Level |
HP |
DPS |
Damage/Burst |
Flame Max DPS |
Lifetime |
Research Cost |
| 1 |
1,700 |
124 |
225 |
80 |
~100s |
N/A |
| 2 |
1,800 |
137 |
250 |
95 |
~106s |
5,500,000 Gold |
| 3 |
1,900 |
151 |
275 |
105 |
~112s |
8,000,000 Gold |
| 4 |
2,000 |
165 |
300 |
120 |
~118s |
10,000,000 Gold |
| 5 |
2,100 |
179 |
325 |
130 |
~124s |
18,000,000 Gold |
Key Attributes: Range: 11 tiles (longest in game) | Shots per Burst: 3 Fire Spirits | Time Between Bursts: 5s | HP Decay: ~17 HP/sec | Preferred Target: Defenses | Movement Speed: 6. Flame burn duration: 22 seconds per fire patch. Fire patches stack — multiple bursts on the same area deal compounding DoT damage. Eternal Tome prevents defense damage but does NOT stop HP decay. Unlock at TH14 (Workshop Lvl 6).
⚔️ Attack Strategies
Queen Walk + Flame Flinger
Deploy the Flame Flinger alongside the Archer Queen and Healers. The Flinger’s 11-tile range lets it destroy defenses outside the Healers’ aggro range, avoiding Hidden Tesla pop-ups that could remove Healers. As the Queen walks along the base edge, the Flinger burns down Air Defenses, Inferno Towers, and Eagle Artillery ahead of her. Bait Hidden Teslas with Giants or Hog Riders before deploying to prevent nasty surprises.
Town Hall Snipe (Off-Center)
The Flame Flinger can destroy a weaponized Town Hall from beyond the Town Hall weapon’s reach (most TH weapons max out at 7–9 tiles; the Flinger fires at 11). Deploy it on a lane with no X-Bows or Monoliths between it and the Town Hall — it will systematically burn through intermediate defenses and eventually reach and destroy the TH. Best for 1-star grabs in war or off-center Town Halls that are poorly shielded from one approach angle.
Hybrid (Miner + Hog) Support
Deploy the Flame Flinger at the opposite end from where Miners and Hog Riders will enter. The Flinger pulls defensive fire and destroys defenses on one side while your Miners burrow and Hog Riders jump walls on the other side. Defenses facing the Flame Flinger cannot simultaneously fire on your Miners, effectively splitting the base’s anti-army DPS and enabling cleaner 3-stars.
Fire Stack Zone Control
Position the Flame Flinger to fire repeatedly at a compartment containing multiple defenses clustered together. Multiple fire patches stacking in the same area deal compounding burn damage — 2 stacked patches at max level deliver 260 flame DPS continuously. This zone control effect is especially destructive in TH14–16 bases where Inferno Towers, X-Bows, and Scattershots are clustered in a single fortified compartment.
Deploy Early, Boost Lifetime
Always deploy the Flame Flinger first — before heroes and main troops. Its ~124-second lifetime means it can destroy 10–15 defenses if deployed immediately at the start of the attack. Equip Apprentice Warden to keep its aura on the Flinger whenever possible, extending its lifetime up to ~160 seconds and allowing up to 32 Fire Spirit bursts. Avoid activating Eternal Tome early — save it for when defenses are close to destroying the Flinger prematurely.
Hook Tower Counter Awareness
The Hook Tower (TH16+) has a longer effective range than the Flame Flinger and can stun-lock it, preventing it from attacking while pulling it forward into shorter-range defense fire. Before deploying, identify Hook Tower positions and use an Overgrowth Spell or Skeleton Spell distraction to prevent the Hook Tower from locking onto the Flame Flinger. A Freeze Spell on the Hook Tower when it first targets the Flinger also buys critical uninterrupted firing time.
🛡️ Defense Tips
X-Bow (Ground Mode) at Perimeter
Place an X-Bow in ground mode near a base edge that the Flame Flinger cannot reach without first moving into X-Bow range. X-Bows match the Flinger’s effective damage output and can destroy it before it completes more than 2–3 bursts. Critically, position the X-Bow outside the Flame Flinger’s 11-tile range from any deployment zone to force it to move closer before engaging.
Monolith Positioning
The Monolith deals ~15% of the Flame Flinger’s max HP per hit — destroying it in just 4 shots. Place the Monolith where it can cover the most common Flinger deployment lanes. Since the Monolith’s range can match or exceed the Flame Flinger’s 11 tiles, it can engage the Flinger immediately upon deployment without the Flinger being able to attack back first.
Tesla Farms at Base Rim
Cluster 3–4 Hidden Teslas near base edges facing common Flame Flinger deployment angles. A Tesla farm dealing combined 600–800 DPS will shred through the Flinger’s 2,100 HP in about 3 seconds — faster than it can reposition. The attacker cannot pre-bait all Teslas without triggering them with expendable troops first, which costs army composition space.
Hook Tower (TH16+) as Primary Counter
The Hook Tower is the best single counter to the Flame Flinger. Its stun effect stops the Flinger from attacking while pulling it into range of shorter-range defenses. Position the Hook Tower on the side of the base most likely to face the Flinger, with Scattershots and Inferno Towers in range of where the Flinger will be pulled to — creating an unavoidable kill zone.
🎯 Advanced Tips
Activating the Town Hall Weapon Intentionally
The Flame Flinger does not classify the Town Hall as a defense until its weapon activates. To use the Flinger to destroy the Town Hall, first deal 51%+ damage to other base structures to activate the weapon — or hit a building adjacent to the Town Hall (1-tile gap) with the Flinger, which forces the weapon online. Once activated, the Flinger will switch to targeting the Town Hall weapon, slowly burning it down from outside its retaliation range.
Fire Patch Damage Reference
Each fire patch at max level burns for 22 seconds at 130 max DPS — dealing up to 2,860 cumulative flame damage per patch to any unit or building standing in it for the full duration. A defense that takes 3 bursts (15 seconds of fire overlap) can receive up to 8,580 additional fire damage on top of direct hit damage. This makes the Flinger’s true damage output far higher than its DPS stat suggests.
Wall Extra Damage Exploit
The Flame Flinger’s fire damage applies a bonus Wall damage multiplier, making it surprisingly effective at burning through Wall segments adjacent to targeted defenses. If a Wall piece is within the fire patch radius of a targeted defense, it takes amplified flame damage in addition to direct hit splash. This is useful for opening compartments around key defenses like Inferno Towers without deploying Wall Breakers.
Firespitter Synergy (Offensive)
At TH17+, the Firespitter defense fires piercing projectiles that target ground troops — including the Flame Flinger. However, if you’re using the Flame Flinger from an angle where the Firespitter’s firing arc doesn’t cover your deployment lane, its shots won’t intersect with the Flinger. Map out Firespitter orientations before deploying to ensure the Flinger isn’t caught in a Firespitter line of fire.