Overview
The Thrower is the eighteenth Elixir troop, currently the last standard Elixir troop before the Meteor Golem in the Barracks unlock sequence. Introduced in the Town Hall 17 update (November 2024), it is a cyclops ground unit that hurls massive spears at both ground and air targets from a 6-tile range — one of the longest attack ranges of any ground troop in the game. At max Level 4 (unlocked at TH18), it has 2,800 HP and 240 DPS (600 damage per spear at 2.5s attack speed), occupying 16 housing space. Its range matches the Grand Warden’s walking range, making Throwers naturally effective when following Warden Walks.
The Thrower received a significant June 30, 2025 buff (HP +300 all levels, DPS +10–20 all levels) followed by the November 2025 TH18 update which added Level 4 (2,800 HP, 240 DPS) and reduced upgrade times and costs at Levels 2 and 3. Throwers are single-target attackers with no preferred target, attacking the nearest building within 6 tiles. Their key advantage is that they can deal full DPS from behind tanks (Yetis, Golems, P.E.K.K.As) without needing to advance into short-range defensive fire. They can also be placed inside the Battle Blimp as a high-HP alternative to Super Archers for core delivery.
📊 Stats & Upgrade Path
| Level | HP | DPS | Damage/Hit | TH Required | Research Cost | Key Milestone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2,100 | 190 | 475 | TH17 | N/A | Unlocked at Barracks Lvl 18 (TH17) |
| 2 | 2,250 | 200 | 500 | TH17 | 16,000,000 Elixir | Rope wraps spear handle |
| 3 | 2,500 | 220 | 550 | TH17 | 18,000,000 Elixir | Skin turns lavender; spear tip darkens |
| 4 | 2,800 | 240 | 600 | TH18 | 27,000,000 Elixir | MAX — Periwinkle skin, glowing blue spear |
Key Attributes: Attack Type: Single Target (Ground & Air) | Housing Space: 16 | Movement Speed: 16 | Attack Speed: 2.5s | Range: 6 tiles | Preferred Target: None (nearest building). Max army count: 21 from Army Camps + 3 from Clan Castle = 24. Can be cloned for up to 32 on battlefield. June 2025 buff: HP +300 all levels, DPS +10–20 all levels. Nov 2025 TH18 update: Level 4 added; Lvl 2–3 research costs and times reduced.
⚔️ Attack Strategies
Yeti + Thrower Ground Push
Deploy 4–6 Yetis as the frontline tank, then place 8–10 Throwers in a line directly behind them. Yetis absorb Inferno Tower and Scattershot fire while Throwers deal 240 DPS each from 6 tiles away — well outside the range at which most short-range defenses can retaliate. The Grand Warden’s Life Gem passively heals both Yetis and Throwers simultaneously. This army excels at TH17 where Yetis reliably tank for the full core push.
Warden Walk Thrower Support
Deploy the Grand Warden with Life Gem and Rage Gem, then place Throwers alongside him. Throwers share the Warden’s 6-tile attack range, meaning they attack every building the Warden walks past — effectively doubling DPS output along the walk path without needing Heroes to funnel them separately. This substitutes Super Bowlers in Warden Walk compositions at a lower Dark Elixir cost.
Battle Blimp Thrower Cargo
Load 4–5 Throwers into the Clan Castle, then deploy the Battle Blimp. When released in the core, Throwers’ 2,800 HP (at max level) and 6-tile range mean they attack multiple surrounding defenses simultaneously from a central position. Unlike Super Archers, Throwers are single-target, making them better at burst-destroying one defense at a time rather than spreading damage thinly. Pair with a Rage Spell for maximum burst output.
Anti-Air Spam Utility
Throwers target both ground and air buildings — meaning they attack Air Defenses, Inferno Towers in both modes, and all other structures without discrimination. Use them alongside ground troops against bases with scattered Air Defenses that ground-only troops (Bowlers, P.E.K.K.As) would ignore in favour of ground defenses. Their 6-tile range often reaches Air Defenses placed on elevated compartments before the main army enters firing range.
Spread Line Deployment
Always deploy Throwers in a spread line rather than a cluster. Their slow 2.5-second attack speed means a cluster of Throwers will all target the same building and overkill it while adjacent buildings attack them freely. A spread line ensures each Thrower engages a different building simultaneously, maximising DPS across the frontline and reducing the risk of losing multiple Throwers to a single Scattershot volley.
Thrower Walk (Clan Castle)
Use Throwers as Clan Castle troops in a Thrower Walk: deploy them with 3–4 Healers from the Clan Castle. Due to their 6-tile range, Throwers deal full DPS while Healers keep them alive. This works best at TH10–14 where Thrower range exceeds most defensive coverage radii. Pair with Rage Spell on the Throwers when they enter the core for a burst clear that destroys the Eagle Artillery or Scattershot before the main army arrives.
🛡️ Defense Tips
Skeleton Traps for Distraction
Throwers have a slow 2.5-second attack speed, meaning Skeleton Traps are unusually effective against them. Each time a Thrower switches targets to a Skeleton, it wastes a full 2.5-second attack cycle on a zero-HP threat. Position Skeleton Traps in ground mode near expected Thrower deployment lanes to waste 5–10 seconds of DPS per Thrower, giving defenses additional time to destroy them.
Scattershot and Firespitter
Since Throwers are always deployed in spread lines, Scattershots (wide area splash) and Firespitters (piercing line attacks) are the most effective counters. A single Scattershot volley hitting a spread line of Throwers deals simultaneous damage to 3–5 of them, forcing attackers to use Rage or Healing spells to compensate. Position Scattershots to cover the widest possible angle across common Thrower deployment zones.
Giant Bombs and Tornado Trap
Place Giant Bombs and Tornado Traps near the base perimeter at Thrower entry points. Giant Bombs deal 900+ area damage, heavily wounding groups of Throwers before they can begin attacking. The Tornado Trap pulls them into a cluster, concentrating them for Scattershot, Eagle Artillery, and Bomb damage. Stacking a Tornado Trap with a Giga Bomb can eliminate an entire Thrower line in one activation.
Monolith and Ricochet Cannon
The Monolith’s percentage damage scales well against Throwers used in large spam quantities — each hit deals 15% HP across multiple targets in the area. Pair with Ricochet Cannons (which fire bouncing shots between grouped troops), making the Thrower line’s spread deployment counterproductive: the wider the line, the more Ricochet Cannon bounces hit different Throwers in sequence.
🎯 Advanced Tips
Range vs. Super Bowler Comparison
Throwers (6-tile range, single target, 240 DPS max, 16 housing) vs Super Bowlers (4-tile range, area splash, 320 DPS, 20 housing). Throwers out-range Super Bowlers by 2 tiles, allowing them to attack defenses that Super Bowlers cannot yet reach — crucial in long-lane Warden Walk strategies. However, Super Bowlers’ area splash remains superior in compartment clearing. Use Throwers when range depth matters; use Super Bowlers when clustered defense clearance matters.
Max Army Composition Reference
At max TH18 with 300 housing space, a full Thrower army (without other troops) fits 18 Throwers (288 housing + 12 remaining). In practice the optimal TH18 Thrower composition uses 8–10 Throwers (128–160 space) alongside 4–6 Yetis (100–150 space) and cleanup troops. Exceeding 10 Throwers with insufficient tanks results in Thrower exposure to short-range defenses — defeating the purpose of their range advantage.
Invisibility Spell Synergy
Throwers used in a Battle Blimp cargo deployment pair well with Invisibility Spells. When released from the Blimp in the core, immediately cast Invisibility on the Throwers. Because they have 6-tile range, invisible Throwers can attack defenses without being visible — the same mechanic that makes Super Wizards deadly in Blizzard attacks. A group of 4 invisible Throwers deals 960 DPS with zero retaliation from defenses during the invisibility window.
Mis-timed Invisibility Warning
Unlike Super Archers (which can be staggered more easily), a mis-timed Invisibility Spell leaves Throwers fully visible during the gap between spells, giving defenses a 1–2 second window to deal full damage. Because Throwers have only 2,800 HP (max), even one unprotected second near Inferno Towers or Scattershots can eliminate an entire group. Pre-plan your Invisibility Spell timing based on the Blimp’s flight path distance before deploying.