AI Overview: The Night Witch in Clash Royale is a 4-elixir Legendary that summons Bats and hits close enemies with a battle staff. She works behind a tank. This version keeps all three and checks them against 2026 data. The numbers all trace back to the October 2026 card data. Totals were added from the official card list.
Last Updated: October 2026
Key Points:
- Night Witch costs 4, is Legendary, and unlocks in Serenity Peak (Arena 14). Arena 8.
- No 2026 balance change. Best printed list: 68.7% over about 1,400 battles.
- Old spawn history: 2 Bats every 5 seconds, cut to 6 and then 7 seconds, with fewer Bats on death.
- Hard counters: Lightning, Rocket, Poison, Fireball. Also Archers, Ice Golem, Electro Wizard, Executioner and Tornado.
- Executioner plus Tornado is the best known answer to Golem plus Night Witch.
How She Works and Seven Uses
Here’s the thing: that she is a single-target melee troop that spawns flying units, so she cannot simply replace the Witch. The Witch fights ground troops with skeletons. The Night Witch costs 1 less, is better on offense and worse on defense, and her Bats cannot distract ground units.
| Item | Notes. | Card data now |
| Cost and rarity | Legendary | 4 elixir, Legendary |
| Unlock | Frozen Peak, Arena 8 | Serenity Peak, Arena 14 |
| Bats | 2 every 5 seconds at launch, later nerfed | Summons Bats; no 2026 change |
| On death | 4 Bats, later fewer | Not restated |
| Best printed list | None | 68.7% over about 1,400 battles |
| Use | How it works |
| 1. Behind a tank | She fits beatdown, fast or slow. Her damage works better than Lumberjack in a Golem deck. |
| 2. Miner control | Defend with her as a meat shield, then counterpush with Miner while the death Bats fly. |
| 3. Graveyard control | She shines in control more than in beatdown. |
| 4. With Lumberjack | His Rage gives her Bats extra damage. |
| 5. With Lava Hound | Bats support the Hound in the air. Place her under the Hound at the bridge against an Inferno Tower. |
| 6. Zap bait | She spawns up to 8 Bats before the river. Add Goblin Gang or Skeleton Army to bait Zap. |
| 7. Counterattack | If she dies, the rival must deal with the Bats. If she lives, there are more Bats. |
The old claim that she can kill a tower alone, with up to 12 Bats, is a launch-week observation, so it needs a tower with no help. See the Night Witch guide and the Golem guide for the beatdown partner.
She has not changed in 2026, but her partners have. The negative effect: a support card with no solo plan loses value as soon as a tank is cut, and players who built a deck around her have little to fall back on.
How to Beat Her
Spells first. Lightning, Rocket, Poison and Fireball are her hard counters. After the kill, be ready for the Bats, because they hit hard when protected. Poison is the best answer to Golem Night Witch and Lava Night Witch, and it also stops a Graveyard at the same time.
| Counter | Cost | Why it works |
| Archers | 3 | One-shot the Bats, then kill her. |
| Ice Golem | 2 | Death damage kills the Bats at the old tournament level. |
| Knight | 3 | About a +1 trade against a lone Night Witch. |
| Skeletons + Ice Spirit | 1 + 1 | Can kill her cheaply. |
| Electro Wizard, Executioner, Tornado | 4 / 5 / 3 | Great on defense. Place Electro Wizard far from her, since she hits hard. |
| Executioner + Tornado | 5 + 3 = 8 | Splash behind the tank and kill her. Tornado with Ice Spirit freezes them together. |
Graveyard Poison is the deck answer. Most Night Witch decks run few counters, so a free Poison when they drop her also counters the Graveyard. Keep Baby Dragon for a tank plus Night Witch push, and always Poison a pump.
Bait the Log. A deck with Princess and Inferno Tower can draw out spells with Goblin Barrel or Skeleton Army. Save Goblin Gang, because it is the only card in that list that hits air and cleans up Bats.
For a cheap look at the Bats’ main counter, see the Poison guide and the Executioner guide.
Poison and Fireball just lost damage on the Crown Tower. The negative effect: spells still kill Bats, so she stays weak to them, but a quiet buff to the Bats could change how many spells a deck needs to carry.
Decks, Nerf History and the Bat Math
The decks that beat her were Splashyard with Executioner and Tornado kept in cycle, Graveyard Poison, a Princess and Inferno Tower deck that baits spells, and Miner with Minion Horde or Mirror Furnace.
The nerf history. The page lists four early changes, with dates read as day/month: June 12, 2017 (death Bats cut from 4 to 3, spawn from 5 to 6 seconds), August 11, 2017 (damage -9%, range 1.85 to 1.65, spawn to 7 seconds, death Bats to 2), and January 24, 2018 (faster first Bats, Bat hit speed from 1.0 to 1.1 seconds).
The Bat math. At 2 Bats every 5 seconds she made 24 Bats a minute. At 2 every 7 seconds that fell to about 17. Her 4-elixir cost never changed, so the card lost about 29% of its Bat output, which is why the Bats die easily once she walks.
- Keep Tornado and Executioner in cycle against Golem or Lava Hound decks with her.
- Always Poison a pump when she is behind a Collector.
- Do not use Electro Wizard 1v1. Place it far away and aim the stun at the tank.
Old nerfs trimmed her output, yet she still reaches 68.7% in the best deck. The negative effect: a card that wins at a record rate with no recent change may be next in line for a balance pass, and that pass could land on the partner that props her up.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Night Witch cost?
4 elixir. She is a Legendary that unlocks in Arena 14.
What counters Night Witch?
Lightning, Rocket, Poison, Fireball, Archers, Ice Golem, Electro Wizard and Executioner with Tornado.
What is the best partner for Night Witch?
A tank such as Golem or Lava Hound, or Lumberjack for Rage.
Did Night Witch change in 2026?
No change is listed.
Is Night Witch good now?
Her best printed list wins 68.7% over about 1,400 battles.
Sources
Researched from the following (no links, listed for transparency):
- CryptoAIMeta card guides for these cards, built from RoyaleTracker October 2026 samples and SeeMeta 2026 balance changes
- SeeMeta, Clash Royale balance changes 2026 (page updated October 2026), read through search summaries
- Supercell official Clash Royale API, card list (elixir cost, rarity, unlock arena)