CommonPassive
Fire Heart
The Duke’s core sustain piece. It steadily restores health, adds survivability and creates a damaging fire burst when he is defeated. Its self-heal is especially valuable because regular Healers do not support flying units.
Dragon Duke is Clash of Clans’ sixth Home Village Hero and its second aerial Hero. He unlocks at Town Hall 15 with Hero Hall level 9, reaches a current Dragon Duke max level of 25 at Town Hall 18, and is upgraded with Dark Elixir. His defining mechanic is Royal Rampage: keep other friendly flying units outside his 6-tile isolation radius and he becomes dramatically more dangerous.
This guide is built around the questions players actually need answered: Dragon Duke stats from level 1–25, every Dragon Duke upgrade cost, Town Hall caps, Royal Rampage math, all current Dragon Duke equipment, the best pairings by use case, attack and defense strategy, skins, balance changes and the most useful FAQs. Supercell’s February 2026 update notes introduced the Hero as a solo-oriented frontline threat for TH15+.
AB Ankit
| Level | DPS | Damage per Hit | Hitpoints | Health Recovery |
Upgrade Cost Dark Elixir | Upgrade Time | Hero Hall | Town Hall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 304 | 364.8 | 9,100 | 3,500 | N/A | N/A | 9 | 15 |
| 2 | 308 | 369.6 | 9,175 | 3,500 | 50,000 | 6h | 9 | 15 |
| 3 | 312 | 374.4 | 9,250 | 3,500 | 60,000 | 12h | 9 | 15 |
| 4 | 316 | 379.2 | 9,325 | 3,500 | 70,000 | 1d | 9 | 15 |
| 5 | 320 | 384 | 9,400 | 3,750 | 80,000 | 1d | 9 | 15 |
| 6 | 324 | 388.8 | 9,475 | 3,750 | 90,000 | 2d | 9 | 15 |
| 7 | 328 | 393.6 | 9,550 | 3,750 | 100,000 | 2d | 9 | 15 |
| 8 | 332 | 398.4 | 9,625 | 3,750 | 110,000 | 2d | 9 | 15 |
| 9 | 336 | 403.2 | 9,700 | 3,750 | 120,000 | 3d | 9 | 15 |
| 10 | 340 | 408 | 9,775 | 4,000 | 130,000 | 3d | 9 | 15 |
| 11 | 344 | 412.8 | 9,850 | 4,000 | 150,000 | 4d | 10 | 16 |
| 12 | 348 | 417.6 | 9,925 | 4,000 | 175,000 | 5d | 10 | 16 |
| 13 | 352 | 422.4 | 10,000 | 4,000 | 200,000 | 5d | 10 | 16 |
| 14 | 356 | 427.2 | 10,075 | 4,000 | 225,000 | 6d | 10 | 16 |
| 15 | 360 | 432 | 10,150 | 4,250 | 250,000 | 6d | 10 | 16 |
| 16 | 364 | 436.8 | 10,225 | 4,250 | 275,000 | 7d | 11 | 17 |
| 17 | 368 | 441.6 | 10,300 | 4,250 | 300,000 | 7d | 11 | 17 |
| 18 | 372 | 446.4 | 10,375 | 4,250 | 325,000 | 8d | 11 | 17 |
| 19 | 376 | 451.2 | 10,450 | 4,250 | 350,000 | 8d | 11 | 17 |
| 20 | 380 | 456 | 10,525 | 4,500 | 375,000 | 8d | 11 | 17 |
| 21 | 384 | 460.8 | 10,600 | 4,500 | 400,000 | 8d | 12 | 18 |
| 22 | 388 | 465.6 | 10,675 | 4,500 | 420,000 | 8d | 12 | 18 |
| 23 | 392 | 470.4 | 10,750 | 4,500 | 440,000 | 8d | 12 | 18 |
| 24 | 396 | 475.2 | 10,825 | 4,500 | 460,000 | 8d | 12 | 18 |
| 25 | 400 | 480 | 10,900 | 4,750 | 480,000 | 8d | 12 | 18 |
The Dragon Duke is built differently from the other Home Village Heroes. He is a flying, high-hitpoint, melee-range Hero that targets both ground and air. Instead of getting most of his identity from a button-press ability, much of his power comes from positioning: Royal Rampage rewards you for keeping him separated from other friendly flying units.
When Royal Rampage is active, the Duke gains +100% damage and +50% attack speed. That combination matters more than either number alone. At level 25 his base line is 400 DPS and 480 damage per hit. Doubling the hit damage and increasing attack frequency by 50% pushes his theoretical base output to roughly 1,200 DPS before Hero Equipment and other battle modifiers.
The practical trigger is a 6-tile isolation radius. Ground troops do not switch the passive off, so the Duke can work beside a ground-heavy force while remaining enraged. Air armies require more planning: deploy the Duke on a separate lane, let him clear or tank first, and only bring Dragons, Balloons, Dragon Riders or other flying troops into his area when the extra support is worth losing Royal Rampage.
Trap resistance is no longer as forgiving as it was on release. The passive launched with 50% trap-damage reduction, then received balance cuts in May and July; the current value in the latest 2026 data is 20%. That makes Seeking Air Mine pathing and trap scouting much more important than early Dragon Duke guides suggest.
Another friendly flying unit entering the isolation radius can turn the rage off. Ground troops do not. The Duke’s own flying Pet does not behave like a separate nearby air troop for this purpose, but flying units or Pets attached elsewhere in the army can interfere if they move close enough. Keep the 6-tile rule in mind when building a route.
On defense the Duke remains airborne, so units that only attack ground cannot damage him. However, his Royal Rampage and Hero Equipment are attacking mechanics; they do not provide the same ability value when he is defending. That makes him durable and awkward for the wrong army, but far less explosive than an isolated attacking Duke.
| Town Hall | Hero Hall | Dragon Duke Max Level | Level band |
|---|---|---|---|
| TH15 | 9 | 10 | 1–10 |
| TH16 | 10 | 15 | 11–15 |
| TH17 | 11 | 20 | 16–20 |
| TH18 | 12 | 25 | 21–25 |
Quick answer: Dragon Duke max level at TH15 is 10; TH16 is 15; TH17 is 20; TH18 is 25.
Dragon Duke can equip two pieces of Hero Equipment when attacking. His equipment matters more than a simple stat boost because it decides whether he self-heals, bursts a compartment, stuns a defense cluster, chains through swarms, repositions across the base or counters incoming fire.
There is no single pair that wins every base. Fire Heart is the safest universal anchor because the Duke cannot rely on ordinary Healers while airborne. The second slot should solve the problem the base presents: burst, control, swarm cleanup, movement or sustained retaliation.
The Duke’s core sustain piece. It steadily restores health, adds survivability and creates a damaging fire burst when he is defeated. Its self-heal is especially valuable because regular Healers do not support flying units.
Projects a wide cone of fire in the Duke’s facing direction, damaging buildings and enemies while supporting a fast compartment clear. It is simple to use and works well when you want raw burst instead of crowd control.
Sends a damaging shockwave around the Duke and stuns nearby defenses, defending Heroes and Clan Castle troops. It is strongest when a solo Duke enters a defense-dense area where a few seconds of control can keep him alive.
Adds chain lightning to normal strikes. The effect can jump across up to four targets, with each jump dealing less damage. It is the cleanest answer to Skeleton Traps and small defending units that otherwise waste a single-target Hero’s time.
Turns the Duke into a mobility tool, letting him surge across the base while dealing damage and gaining useful offensive stats. It can rescue pathing, create a deep dive or move him away from friendly flying troops to restore Royal Rampage.
The newest Epic option. It retaliates against sources damaging the Duke, combining counter-pressure with healing. It is most interesting when he is intentionally tanking several defenses rather than deleting one isolated target at a time.
| Use case | Recommended pair | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Reliable solo lane | Fire Heart + Stun Blaster | Sustain plus control when several defenses lock onto the Duke. |
| TH15–TH16 burst | Fire Heart + Flame Blower | Easy healing plus a straightforward active burst for a planned compartment. |
| TH17+ swarm-heavy base | Fire Heart + Electro Fangs | Stops Skeletons and defending swarms from stealing too many attacks. |
| Deep dive / reposition | Rocket Backpack + Fire Heart | Movement creates a new lane while Fire Heart keeps the Duke sustainable afterward. |
| Sustained multi-source fire | Revenge Deck + Fire Heart | Leans into the Duke’s tank role with retaliation plus recovery. |
Upgrade priority: build a dependable Fire Heart first, then invest into the second piece that matches your main attack. Epic Equipment is expensive in rare Ore, so do not upgrade Rocket Backpack or Revenge Deck just because they are Epic; upgrade them when the active strategy actually uses them.
Patch-sensitive interaction: Rocket Backpack and Flame Blower have already received interaction changes and fixes during 2026. If a strategy depends on exact facing or reposition behavior, test it in a friendly challenge after a balance patch before using it in a must-win War attack.
The fastest way to waste Dragon Duke is to drop him inside an air army and expect his headline numbers automatically. His best value comes from lane separation: decide what the Duke should remove, keep friendly flying units outside six tiles while he does it, and only merge paths later if the main army needs his tanking more than his Royal Rampage.
At Town Hall 15 the Duke caps at level 10. A clean plan is to send him into an outer compartment or high-value flank with Fire Heart + Flame Blower. Let him remove buildings and pull attention while Dragons or Balloons enter from a different side. If the air army closes the gap too early, the Duke loses the damage multiplier that makes the solo lane worthwhile.
At TH16 the cap rises to 15 and Stun Blaster becomes more attractive. Route the Duke toward several meaningful defenses rather than a low-value edge. Trigger the stun when concentrated fire is about to overwhelm him, not simply because the button is available. The ability window should either save his health or buy enough time to finish a key compartment.
At TH17, Electro Fangs gives the single-target Duke a much cleaner answer to Skeleton Traps and defending Clan Castle units. Use Fire Heart + Electro Fangs when your scouting says small targets are likely to stall him. Against a cleaner base with fewer distractions, Stun Blaster can still create more decisive value.
At level 25 the Duke has 10,900 base HP, but the July balance pass reduced his trap protection again. Do not path him blindly through obvious Seeking Air Mine zones. Use sacrificial air units away from his lane, prior scouting, or pathing knowledge to reduce the chance of losing a huge chunk of health before he reaches the defenses you actually wanted him to tank.
The Duke is not only an “air army Hero.” Ground troops do not disable Royal Rampage, which can make him extremely efficient beside a ground push as long as other flying units and flying Pets stay away. This is one of the most useful ways to preserve his full damage while still giving him army support.
Dragon-based attacks remain a major use case, but the positioning is more deliberate after the 2026 balance changes. Start the Duke separately, allow him to shape a flank or tank a compartment, then merge only when the main air force needs the path he created. Supercell’s July balance discussion said Dragon armies led by Dragon Duke and Dragon Riders had become the most-used TH18-vs-TH18 War army in the data they reviewed, at roughly one-fifth of attacks. That popularity is exactly why the Duke’s trap resistance was reduced.
A defending Dragon Duke is awkward for armies that cannot hit air, but he does not reproduce his full attacking kit. Royal Rampage and Hero Equipment do not function as offensive abilities on defense, so the goal is to exploit the fact that he is a durable flying target rather than treat him like a 1,200-DPS attacking Duke.
Bring reliable air-targeting damage. Archer Queen, Grand Warden, Minion Prince, Royal Champion and air-capable troops can engage him; ground-only units that cannot hit air may simply path underneath while he keeps attacking. If the enemy Duke is positioned near a high-value compartment, make sure your planned entry does not leave your air-targeting damage on the opposite side of the base.
Layer air defenses and traps instead of expecting one building to stop him. Seeking Air Mines matter more after the May and July reductions to his trap resistance. The Duke is happiest when he can fight one section alone, so base layouts that force him through multiple overlapping air-targeting defenses or into an uncertain trap lane make his isolation harder to exploit safely.
If one flank contains several valuable defenses but little trap pressure, it becomes a perfect Duke assignment. Spread the cost of entry: make him choose between taking traps, losing time on low-value buildings, or moving close enough to the main air army that Royal Rampage turns off.
Dragon Duke received a fast stream of cosmetics after his March 2026 release. The table keeps the release order compact so mobile visitors can answer “which Dragon Duke skin came when?” without scrolling through a wiki-style wall of text.
| Skin | Class | Season Available | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imprisoned Duke | Legendary | March 2026 | Launch-era skin tied to the imprisoned Dragon Duke theme. |
| Showmaster Duke | Legendary | April 2026 | Sound of Clash season cosmetic. |
| Skeleton Duke | Legendary | May 2026 | May 2026 Dragon Duke cosmetic. |
| Anime Fury Duke | Gold | June 2026 | Gold-class skin from the Anime Fury season. |
| Majestic Dragon Duke | Legendary | June 2026 | Hero Journey reward once the cumulative Hero-level requirement is reached. |
| Hydra Duke | Legendary | July 2026 | July 2026 Dragon Duke cosmetic. |
| Drakan Duke | Legendary | August 2026 | Official August 2026 skin; Supercell describes him as the forger of the Inferno Sword. |
| Kane | Legendary | September 2026 | Current September skin data lists the WWE-inspired Kane collaboration cosmetic; event timing can vary by region/store schedule. |
| Date | Update | What Changed |
|---|---|---|
| February 19–21, 2026 | Teasers | Clash of Clans social teasers showed chains, a dragon and the lead-in to the new Hero reveal. |
| February 23, 2026 | Announcement | Supercell’s February update announced Dragon Duke, the community escape event and his TH15+ availability after release. |
| February 24 – March 1, 2026 | Community Event | Players progressed through the Dragon Duke escape event before the Hero became permanently available. |
| March 1, 2026 | Release | Dragon Duke was unleashed. From March 1–7, players could temporarily use him and his Equipment at the maximum power allowed by their Town Hall. |
| April 2026 | Equipment | Rocket Backpack arrived as Dragon Duke’s first Epic Equipment during the Sound of Clash season. |
| April 27, 2026 | Electro Fangs | Electro Fangs was added as a Common passive Equipment piece, unlocked at TH17 and designed to chain attacks across multiple targets. |
| May 2026 | Balance | Supercell reduced Fire Heart power and cut Dragon Duke’s trap-damage reduction from its launch value of 50% to 40%. |
| June 2026 | Equipment Interaction | The Rocket Backpack / Flame Blower direction interaction became a balance and bug-fix focus as Supercell refined how the two pieces worked together. |
| July 2026 | Balance | Dragon Duke’s trap-damage reduction was cut again, from 40% to the current 20%, while Royal Rampage itself was left intact. |
| August 12, 2026 | Revenge Deck | Revenge Deck launched as a new Epic Dragon Duke Equipment option in the Awesome Medal Event for TH15+ players. |
Dragon Duke is the sixth Home Village Hero and the second aerial Hero. He is a high-HP flying frontline unit whose Royal Rampage becomes active when other friendly flying units are kept outside his 6-tile isolation radius.
Upgrade to Town Hall 15 and Hero Hall level 9. The February 2026 community escape event was the release event; the Hero is now a permanent TH15+ unlock rather than something you still need to free through that event.
If Dragon Duke is locked on your account now, the normal requirement is progression: Town Hall 15 and Hero Hall level 9. Make sure the Hero Hall has been upgraded and the game is on the current version.
The current Dragon Duke max level is 25, available at Town Hall 18 with Hero Hall level 12.
Dragon Duke max level at TH15 is 10. The later caps are 15 at TH16, 20 at TH17 and 25 at TH18.
Fire Heart is the safest all-round first slot because it gives the flying Duke his own sustain. Pair it with Stun Blaster for defense-cluster control, Flame Blower for simple burst, Electro Fangs at TH17+ against swarms, or consider Rocket Backpack/Revenge Deck when your plan specifically needs mobility or counter-pressure.
Yes, but he is less forgiving around traps. Supercell kept Royal Rampage intact and instead reduced trap resistance again because Duke-led Dragon attacks were overrepresented at TH18. Good pathing and isolation still produce very high value.
They solve different problems. Dragon Duke flies and can reach full Royal Rampage damage when isolated; Barbarian King is a ground tank with different Equipment and funnel roles. A base that is perfect for a solo Duke lane may be poor for the King, and vice versa.
Nearby friendly flying units are the main trigger. Keep the Duke separated from the rest of an air army by roughly 6 tiles while you want the passive active. Ground troops do not disable it.
No. Healers support ground units, so a flying Dragon Duke cannot depend on a normal Healer walk. This is why self-sustain such as Fire Heart is so valuable.
No. Dragon Duke’s Hero Equipment and Royal Rampage are attacking mechanics. On defense he remains a flying Hero and must still be answered by units that can target air.