Clash of Clans Santa’s Surprise spell: What it does and best ways to use

The Clash of Clans Santa’s Surprise spell is available annually, but only during the Christmas season. This year, it is available from December 24, 2024, to December 31, 2024. This spell was first introduced in December 2012 and has since made frequent returns during the holiday period.

This article delves into the functionalities of the Clash of Clans Santa's Surprise spell and offers tips on how to utilize it effectively.

Disclaimer: Some parts of this article are subjective and solely reflect the writer’s views.

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What does the Clash of Clans Santa’s Surprise spell do?

The Clash of Clans Santa’s Surprise spell is available until December 31, 2024, as part of the Toyshop Throwdown event. It acts as a special buffed version of the standard Lightning spell.

You can create Santa’s Surprise as long as you have Spell Factory level 1 and Town Hall level 6. It takes a minimum of six minutes to brew and 1600 elixirs to make, taking up two housing slots. However, since it's a temporary spell, you cannot trade it with other players from your clan. You also cannot upgrade it.

When you use Santa’s Surprise, you will see Santa Claus going over the village in his reindeer sled, dropping five gifts.

The spell has a radius of one tile (and a random radius of four tiles) and does 1950 damage (390 damage every gift) if you have a Town Hall level 17. At Town Hall level 6, it does 180 damage per gift for a total of 900 damage. Its damage has significantly increased from last year’s version, with a decreased radius for more accurate strikes.

When used in multiplayer raids, the opponent will see a gift instead of a tombstone. Additionally, each gift gives the opponent 5,000 elixirs instead of 50 from other troops and spells.

Here is a table explaining the damage of the Santa’s Surprise spell at various Town Hall levels:

Level	Total Damage	Damage Per Strike	Town Hall Level
1	900	180	6
2	950	190	7
3	1,000	200	8
4	1,050	210	9
5	1,150	230	10
6	1,300	260	11
7	1,400	280	12
8	1,500	300	13
9	1,650	330	14
10	1,750	350	15
11	1,850	370	16
12	1,950	390	17

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Best ways to use the Clash of Clans Santa’s Surprise spell

Since the Clash of Clans Santa’s Surprise spell works similarly to Lightning, you can use it as a substitute. You should aim it at threatening defense buildings, such as the Firespitter in Town Hall 17 defensive bases, that pose a challenge to your land and air troops.

We suggest targeting enemy Mortars, Wizard Towers, and Air Defenses, as they can be destroyed with just one well-placed Santa's Surprise spell. Even if they aren't completely eliminated, they will be weakened enough for a Royal Champion's Seeking Shield to finish them off.