Supercell is stirring the pot again. New balance changes coming to Clash of Clans arrive next week, and the patch leans heavily toward buffs with two targeted nerfs attached.
The developer opened the announcement with a short note: “Hey Chief, we’re making a few balance changes to bring some of the strongest options back in line and give troops and equipment that have fallen behind a bit of a boost. Here’s what’s changing and why.” Every number in that post comes from Town Hall 18 versus 18 attacks in Clan Wars and CWL across the last four weeks.
So the data reflects top-end competitive play rather than mid-level laddering. That framing matters when you read the percentages below. You can find more breakdowns in our Clash of Clans updates and strategy guides section.
Quick Answer
New balance changes coming to Clash of Clans land next week. Two options get nerfed, the Dragon Juke with Fireheart equipment and the Rune Witch, while Hog Rider, Super Hog Rider, Miner, Super Miner, Pekka, Medial Golem, Frozen Arrow and Portal Pendant all receive buffs. All figures come from Town Hall 18 attacks in Clan Wars and CWL.
Breaking Down the New Balance Changes Coming to Clash of Clans
Two things get weaker. The Dragon Juke paired with Fireheart equipment and the Rune Witch both scale back, and the blog frames those moves as bringing the strongest options back in line.
Everything else moves the other way. Hog Rider, Super Hog Rider, Miner, Super Miner, Pekka and the Medial Golem receive stat bumps, and two pieces of hero equipment, the Frozen Arrow and the Portal Pendant, get buffs as well.
Nerfs: Dragon Juke and Rune Witch
Dragon Juke and Fireheart
Usage numbers explain this one. The Dragon Juke and Fireheart combo shows up in 40% of all attacks, and the Dragon Juke alone appears in more than half of the attacks where it gets used at all.
Three-star rates tell a clearer story. Attacks running both hit 66%. Dropping the Fireheart and running the Dragon Juke alone falls to 56%, and the average without either sits at 53%. Closing that gap takes three changes:
- Hit points drop at every level, max level included.
- The damage per second bonus the Fireheart provided is removed completely.
- Self-healing decreases at several of the higher levels.
Fireheart counts as common equipment, so this nerf lands on a widely available option rather than a rare one.
Rune Witch and Rune Knights
Attacks with the Rune Witch reached a 76% three-star rate. No other troop in the game comes close, and the unit had already been buffed in last month’s balance pass.
Spring traps couldn’t remove Rune Knights because the units were too heavy to be flung off the map. They could be triggered in the air, but not fully launched. The fix starts there:
- Housing space goes down so a spring trap can launch the unit.
- Movement speed decreases.
- Hit points fall roughly 5 to 7% depending on level.
- Damage per second drops 4 to 6% across levels.
One thing stays put. The Rune Witch still spawns 10 Rune Knights, so the nerf targets durability and speed instead of swarm size.
Buffs: Troops That Fell Behind
Hog Rider and Pekka appear in fewer than 3% of attacks, with three-star rates between 20% and 35%. Super Hog Rider and Super Miner barely get picked either. The Medial Golem earned a bit more love after its last buff but still sits below the average troop.
| Troop | Buff | Levels affected |
|---|---|---|
| Hog Rider | Hit points increased | 8 through 15 |
| Super Hog Rider | Hit points up 6 to 9%, plus 150 at max level | 5 through 12 |
| Miner | Hit points increased | 11 and 12 only |
| Super Miner | Hit points increased | 11 and 12 only |
| Pekka | Damage up 8%, from 940 to 1,015 per second | Several levels |
| Medial Golem | Hit points up to 18,500 at level 3 | Several levels |
| Medial Mights | Hit points up 5 to 6% after splitting | Several levels |
Pekka’s damage jump stands out most. Going from 940 to 1,015 damage per second at Town Hall 18 gives the unit a better chance against the skeletons and support troops that usually swallow it.
Miner and Super Miner only see changes at levels 11 and 12, a much narrower touch than the Hog Rider treatment. That targeting hints that mid Town Hall performance may already be in better shape. Hybrid attacks tend to rely on the Miner more heavily at those levels, which you can read about in our Clash of Clans strategy guides archive.
The Medial Golem gets hit points up to 18,500 at level 3 for Town Hall 18, and the Medial Mights gain 5 to 6% hit points once they split. At Town Hall 18 that works out to a 1,000 hit point boost on the Golem and 500 on the Mights.
Equipment Buffs: Frozen Arrow and Portal Pendant
Frozen Arrow sits in roughly 7% of attacks and three-stars about 31% of the time, which leaves plenty of room to grow. The slow effect at max level rises from 65 to 70, with a flat five-point increase at every level. Slow strength now scales from 30% at the low end up to 70% at max level.
Damage per second stays untouched at the earlier levels. Only the final seven levels see a DPS increase for the Queen’s Frozen Arrow, so the buff matters most for fully upgraded accounts.
Portal Pendant picks up something it probably should have had from day one. The equipment now grants bonus hit points to the Minion Prince, reaching 1,200 at max level. Supercell called the original omission an oversight, since the Minion Prince’s other equipment already boosted hit points.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the new balance changes coming to Clash of Clans?
Next week’s patch nerfs the Dragon Juke with Fireheart and the Rune Witch, then buffs Hog Rider, Super Hog Rider, Miner, Super Miner, Pekka, Medial Golem, Frozen Arrow and Portal Pendant. The changes are based on Town Hall 18 versus 18 attack data from Clan Wars and CWL over four weeks.
Which troops got nerfed in the Clash of Clans balance update?
Two. The Dragon Juke and Fireheart equipment lose hit points, the Fireheart’s DPS bonus disappears entirely, and self-healing drops at higher levels. Rune Knights also take hits to housing space, speed, hit points and damage so spring traps can finally launch them.
How much did Hog Rider and Super Hog Rider improve?
Hog Rider gains hit points from level 8 through 15. Super Hog Rider receives a 6 to 9% hit point increase from level 5 through 12, with max level for Town Hall 18 rising by 150 hit points.
What changed for the Frozen Arrow equipment?
The slow effect goes up five points at every level, moving from 65 to 70 at max level. Damage per second only increases at the final seven levels, so early-level Frozen Arrows keep their current DPS.
Why did Supercell nerf the Rune Witch?
Attacks with the Rune Witch reached a 76% three-star rate, the highest of any troop in the game. Rune Knights were also too heavy for spring traps to remove, so the nerf lowers housing space, movement speed, hit points and damage per second.
How much did the Medial Golem and Medial Mights gain?
The Medial Golem’s hit points rise to 18,500 at level 3 for Town Hall 18, a 1,000 hit point jump. The Medial Mights get a 5 to 6% hit point increase after splitting, worth 500 hit points at Town Hall 18.
Final Word on the Balance Changes
Smaller, more frequent adjustments like these keep the Town Hall 18 meta from freezing in place. Watch how the Dragon Juke and Rune Witch numbers settle before you rebuild an entire war strategy around them.
Elsewhere online: Suryani International, suryani.com.np and prabingiri.com.np.
