Quick answer: The most reliable way to 3-star the Portal Challenge (October 6–13, 2026) is to stack all 10 Totem Throwers, both Healers, the Ruin Witch, the Log Launcher and a ground-mode Grand Warden on the top of the base under the Angry Spell, add the Queen on the left and the Minion Prince on the right, then use the Portal Pendant to move the Prince to the bottom by the Eagle Artillery and finish with the King from the right while saving 2-3 of your 8 Totem Spells for the last defenses.
The Portal Challenge is October 2026's Clash of Clans Challenge Level, open to every Town Hall from October 6 to 13, 2026, and 3 stars pay 400 XP, 25 Gems and 1 Hero Potion. You attack a fixed diamond-shaped base with a fixed army — 10 Totem Throwers, 8 Totem Spells, 4 maxed-out Heroes including a level-95 Minion Prince carrying the new level-27 Portal Pendant — and you get unlimited attempts inside a 3-minute timer. Supercell built it to show off the October season's Totem Thrower and Portal Pendant, and 2 widely watched walkthroughs — Judo Sloth Gaming's and Sumit 007's — had 273,930 and 157,978 YouTube views by the evening of October 6; Judo Sloth Gaming calls it "one of the most simplest challenges we've had in recent times."
What Army Do You Get in the Portal Challenge?
The Portal Challenge army is preset, so every player attacks with the same units and levels. The army, per the Clash of Clans Wiki's challenge page and the in-game army bar in Supercell's October 6 trailer:
| Slot | Unit | Level | Count | Equipment / notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troops | Totem Thrower | 18 | 10 | The season's temporary troop; every 4th throw is a stunning totem |
| Troops |  Healer | 11 | 2 | — |
| Troops |  Ruin Witch | 4 | 1 | — |
| Troops |  Wall Breaker | 14 | 1 | — |
| Siege Machine |  Log Launcher | 6 | 1 | — |
| Clan Castle | Ice Golem + Super Valkyrie | 9 / 12 | 1 each | — |
| Hero |  Barbarian King | 110 | 1 | Giant Gauntlet 27, Stick Horse 27, Mighty Yak 15 |
| Hero |  Archer Queen | 110 | 1 | Monolith Arrow 27, Healer Puppet 18, L.A.S.S.I 15 |
| Hero |  Grand Warden | 85 | 1 | Life Gem 18, Rage Gem 18, Unicorn 15 |
| Hero |  Minion Prince | 95 | 1 | Meteor Staff 27, Portal Pendant 27, Electro Owl 15 |
| Spells |  Totem Spell | 4 | 8 | Stuns and distracts defenses |
| Spells |      Poison, Invisibility, Recall, Revive, Angry | 12 / 4 / 7 / 5 / 4 | 1 each | — |
The Totem Thrower is the centerpiece. Supercell's season post describes him as high damage at 6-tile range against anything on the ground, with his first attack and every 4th attack after it throwing a totem that stuns nearby defenses and drops a stationary, tanky Tiny Totem that both air and ground defenses can target. Ten of them throw at least 10 opening stuns before you cast a single Totem Spell.
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Run the free upgrade checkWhat Does the Portal Challenge Base Look Like?
The Portal Challenge base is a symmetrical diamond on the Cosmic Portals scenery. Storages and resource buildings fill the outer ring and the 4 corners, the main defenses sit inside a gold-walled inner diamond, and the core compartment holds the Town Hall at its bottom edge with the defending Heroes around it — their level tags read 110, 110, 85 and 55 in Supercell's official screenshot. The Eagle Artillery sits at the bottom tip, just inside the outer wall, which is where Supercell's own trailer drops the Queen.
| Base detail | What it is | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Symmetrical diamond, defenses in an inner walled diamond | Any side works; the walkthroughs enter from the top |
| Defending Clan Castle | 15 Archers + 1 Super Witch | One Poison handles the Archers; the Super Witch needs Heroes |
| Defending Heroes | 4, tagged 110 / 110 / 85 / 55 — the Town Hall 18 maximums for the King, Queen, Warden and Royal Champion | They sit in the core; bring your Heroes there together |
| Bottom tip | Eagle Artillery | Clear it early from the bottom, or it fires on your stack all game |
| Available loot | 475,000 Gold, 475,000 Elixir, 4,750 Dark Elixir | Collected on any attempt; the reward needs 3 stars |
| Timer | 3 minutes | The walkthrough below finishes with time to spare |
How Do You 3-Star the Portal Challenge Step by Step?
The step-by-step attack below follows the walkthrough Judo Sloth Gaming published on October 6, 2026 ("Easily 3 Star Portal Challenge in Clash of Clans"), with the reason for each step from the units' kits. Each step is triggered by what happens on the base, not by the clock.
Step 1 — The top stack. Switch the Grand Warden to ground mode. Place all 10 Totem Throwers at the top tip, then the 2 Healers, the Ruin Witch, the Log Launcher and the Warden behind them. Drop the Clan Castle (Ice Golem + Super Valkyrie) and the Wall Breaker with the stack too; Judo Sloth's run does not rely on them. Every Totem Thrower's first throw is a totem, so 10 landing at once stun the nearest top-edge defenses on the first volley.
Step 2 — Angry Spell on the stack. Cast the Angry Spell over the group. It powers the Totem Throwers through the first compartment while the Healers and the Warden's Life Gem keep them topped up.
Step 3 — Queen on the left, ability straight away. Drop the Archer Queen on the left side and press her ability at once: the Healer Puppet summons healers to sit on her, which carries her down the left flank.
Step 4 — Minion Prince on the right. Drop the Minion Prince on the right. Keep the Barbarian King on the bar for now — if the Prince's ability fires while the King stands next to him, the Portal Pendant recalls the King too, because Heroes are always recalled first.
Step 5 — Ignore the first Archers, then Poison. The Clan Castle's 15 Archers come out early; let them. When they reach your main group, drop the Poison on them.
Step 6 — Recall the Prince to the bottom. When the Prince's ability fires — or you press it — the Portal Pendant pulls him back to the deployment bar. Redeploy him at the bottom by the Eagle Artillery; he comes back with extra health and Haste, and the Meteor Staff starts dropping meteors on the nearest defense there.
Step 7 — Totems for the Queen and the King from the right. Drop 2 Totem Spells across the left to cover the Queen, then put the Barbarian King in from the right and press his ability, with a Totem Spell or 2 to absorb fire around him.
Step 8 — Save 2-3 Totem Spells for the end. The Totem Throwers keep throwing totems as they move, so you do not need to spend Totem Spells early. Hold the last 2-3 for the final defenses near the core: a totem dropped behind a defense that is shredding your Totem Throwers turns it around and buys the stack its last compartment.
Step 9 — Clean-up spells. Use Invisibility on the Totem Throwers when they cross the middle. If the King falls early, cast Revive on him; otherwise Judo Sloth suggests casting Revive on the Minion Prince's troop icon to bring him back. You do not need the Recall Spell.
Judo Sloth's own summary is that "you can spam everything at the top"; the order above is the safer version of the same idea.
How Should You Use the Portal Pendant in the Challenge?
The Portal Pendant's job in this challenge is to move the Minion Prince from the right flank to the bottom tip, not to move the army. One press recalls the Prince plus any nearby Troops, Heroes and Pets (the wiki's pre-release documentation says the Prince himself uses no recall capacity), and the redeploy adds extra health and Haste. That is why Step 4 keeps the King off the map until after the recall: a King standing beside the Prince would be pulled out of his dive.
What Level Is the Portal Pendant in the Portal Challenge?
The Portal Pendant is level 27 in the Portal Challenge, the Epic maximum, paired with a level-27 Meteor Staff on a level-95 Minion Prince, per the Clash of Clans Wiki's Attack Challenges loadout. That makes the challenge the only place to use it at full level before the October 20–25, 2026 Equipment Boost.
If you want to test the Pendant properly before deciding whether to claim it, run the challenge twice. On the second run, wait until the Queen's healers have cleared the left side, fly the Prince over to her group, and press the ability to drop the Queen and her escort on the right instead. Our Portal Pendant verdict covers when that kind of second entry is worth an equipment slot in your real armies.
Why Do Attacks on the Portal Challenge Fail?
Failure 1 — The King gets recalled. Pressing the Minion Prince's ability next to the Barbarian King pulls the King back to the bar. Deploy the King after the Prince has moved, as Step 7 does.
Failure 2 — Spending every Totem Spell in the first minute. The 10 Totem Throwers already stun on every 4th throw. Players who drop all 8 Totem Spells early have nothing left for the core, where the last defenses stall the stack.
Failure 3 — Poisoning the empty air. The Clan Castle's 15 Archers come out before your main group arrives. A Poison cast too early catches a few; cast it when they reach the Totem Throwers.
Failure 4 — Splitting the Heroes too far. The defending Heroes and the Super Witch sit in the core; your Queen and King should converge on it rather than wander the outer ring.
Failure 5 — Letting the Log Launcher wander off alone. The Log Launcher is the stack's wall-breaker into the inner diamond. Deploy it behind the Totem Throwers, not in front, so the logs open walls for a group that is already there.
What Else Is Happening Around the Portal Challenge?
The Portal Challenge sits inside the Cosmic Curse: Portal Panic season: the Totem Thrower Mass Troop Event (50 free Totem Throwers, Town Hall 10+) runs October 7–8, the Portal Panic Medal Event that awards the Portal Pendant runs October 8–25 with the Trader Shop open until October 27, and the Portal Pendant Equipment Boost raises it to maximum level for Town Hall 9+ on October 20–25. The October 2026 season guide has every date.
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Run the free upgrade checkFrequently Asked Questions
When does the Portal Challenge end?
The Portal Challenge runs from October 6 to October 13, 2026, per Supercell's season post and its official trailer. It is open to every Town Hall, with unlimited attempts.
What is the reward for the Portal Challenge?
The Portal Challenge pays 400 XP, 25 Gems and 1 Hero Potion for 3 stars. Any attempt also collects resources from the base's 475,000 Gold, 475,000 Elixir and 4,750 Dark Elixir loot.
What army do you use in the Portal Challenge?
The Portal Challenge army is preset: 10 Totem Throwers, 2 Healers, 1 Ruin Witch, 1 Wall Breaker, a Log Launcher, an Ice Golem and Super Valkyrie in the Clan Castle, 8 Totem Spells plus single Poison, Invisibility, Recall, Revive and Angry Spells, and 4 Heroes — a level-110 King and Queen, a level-85 Warden and a level-95 Minion Prince.
Do you need the Portal Pendant to 3-star the Portal Challenge?
The Portal Pendant is not required: Judo Sloth Gaming's October 6 walkthrough says you "really don't need the equipment." Its main use is moving the Minion Prince from the right flank to the bottom by the Eagle Artillery.
What is in the Portal Challenge Clan Castle?
The defending Clan Castle holds 15 Archers and 1 Super Witch. One Poison Spell, cast when the Archers reach your main group, handles the Archers.
Is the Portal Challenge hard?
The Portal Challenge is "one of the most simplest challenges we've had in recent times," according to Judo Sloth Gaming, whose walkthrough had 273,930 views on October 6. The 10 Totem Throwers open with stuns on the nearest defenses, and 8 Totem Spells cover the rest.
Do you need the Recall Spell in the Portal Challenge?
The Recall Spell is not needed in the Portal Challenge: Judo Sloth Gaming's October 6 walkthrough skips it, and the level-27 Portal Pendant already gives you 1 free recall of the Minion Prince and anything near him.