Clash Royale / Practical guide
Clash Royale Card Levels, Star Levels and Boosts Explained
Clash Royale card levels changed in November 2025, and Star Levels and boosts are often mistaken for strength. Learn what level 16 costs, what Star Levels do and do not do, and how to read card levels on a listing.
ALVIRAN Editorial · Reviewed 2026-10-12
In this guide
Looking for a Clash Royale account?
Compare King Level, trophies and Evolutions on every listing. This guide explains what card levels, Star Levels and boosts mean.
1. Card levels: why 16 matters
Each level raises a card's damage and health. Supercell's cards and decks page says cards can be upgraded all the way to level 16, using Gold together with copies of the card or Wild Cards of the same rarity. Gems can buy the remaining copies or Gold. Supercell announced in its 10 November 2025 post that level 16 would arrive on 24 November, a new milestone for players who had already maxed their decks.
The practical effect is that “maxed” has an expiry date. Before November 2025 the cap was level 15, so an account sold as maxed in 2025 may sit one level short of today's maximum on its maxed cards.
| Step | Common | Rare | Epic | Legendary | Champion | Gold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| To level 15 | 5,500 | 1,000 | 130 | 14 | 11 | 90,000 |
| To level 16 | 7,500 | 1,400 | 180 | 20 | 15 | 120,000 |
The numbers come from Supercell's 10 November 2025 announcement, which says conversions are subject to change, so they may differ in the game. They show why a collection of level 16 cards represents a large investment, whether it was earned in play or paid for with Gems.
2. What the November 2025 change removed
The same announcement described what upgrades would cost and how spare resources would work. Supercell said Elite Wild Cards would be removed with leftovers converted into Gems, Books turned into Wild Cards and Magic Coins into Gold, and copies of already maxed cards converted into Crystals, a currency for cosmetics. A listing that still talks about Elite Wild Cards or Books describes the game before that date.
3. Star Levels: cosmetic only
Star Levels are unlocked at Arena 5. Star Points can upgrade the Star Level of a card at level 7 or above, which can change the visual appearance of a unit. Supercell states that Star Levels have no effect on gameplay, and some cards have three Star Levels while others have two. Star Points are earned by upgrading and donating cards.
Do not pay for Star Levels as strength. They show that someone spent time and Star Points on the look of a card. They say nothing about its damage or health.
Check the cards behind the numbers
King Level and Collection Level summarise many cards. Compare the cards a listing actually shows against the levels in this guide.
4. Card Boosts: temporary levels
According to Supercell's Magic Items page, a Card Boost Potion temporarily boosts one of your cards to your King Tower Level. Boosts apply in all modes that use your own deck, boosted cards are marked BOOSTED in the collection, and the effect lasts three hours. You can hold at most eight potions.
For a buyer the point is that a boosted card is not a card at that level. A screenshot taken during a boost shows a level that the account does not own, so ask for the unboosted level and look for the BOOSTED label.
5. King Tower Level and what it caps
King Tower Level now depends on cards: level 15 needs 13 cards at level 14 or higher, and level 16 needs 14 cards at level 15 or higher, according to Supercell's May 2026 post. King Tower Level also sets the level a Card Boost Potion lifts a card to.
| Number | What it shows | What it does not show |
|---|---|---|
| Card level | How strong that card is. | Whether the level is boosted. |
| Star Level | Time and Star Points spent on looks. | Strength. |
| King Tower Level | How many cards reach a threshold. | Which cards, or whether they belong to a good deck. |
| Collection Level | The sum of card levels plus 5 per Evolution or Hero form. | How the levels are distributed. |
| “Maxed” | A claim. | Which cap it refers to, level 15 or 16. |
6. Five questions before you buy
- Which cards are in the deck you want, and what is each one's level?
- Are any of those cards BOOSTED at the time of the screenshot?
- Does “maxed” mean level 15 or level 16?
- What are the King Tower Level and Collection Level, and how old is the screenshot?
- Is any part of the price paying for Star Levels?
7. Four mistakes that cost money
Reading a boost as a level
Boosted cards revert after three hours. Ask for the real level.
Paying for Star Levels
They are cosmetic. They do not change damage or health.
Trusting an old “maxed”
Level 16 arrived in November 2025.
Treating King Level as every card
It needs 14 cards at level 15, not all cards at level 16.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum card level in Clash Royale?
Level 16. Supercell's cards and decks page says cards can be upgraded up to level 16, which arrived with the 24 November 2025 update.
Do Star Levels make cards stronger?
No. Supercell states that Star Levels have no effect on gameplay. They change how a card looks, and they need Star Points.
What does a Card Boost Potion do?
It temporarily raises one card to your King Tower Level for three hours. You can hold up to eight potions, and boosted cards are labelled BOOSTED in the collection.
What happened to Elite Wild Cards?
Supercell announced their removal for the 24 November 2025 update and said leftovers would convert into Gems. Books and Magic Coins were to be converted as well.
What do I need for King Tower Level 16?
Fourteen cards at level 15 or higher, according to Supercell's May 2026 post. It is not the same as having every card at level 16.
What are Crystals?
Crystals are a currency for cosmetics. Copies of cards that are already at the maximum level convert into them.
Ready to compare Clash Royale accounts?
Ask for the levels of your deck's cards, not just the totals. For Evolutions, Heroes and Champions, read our card types guide.
Sources and editorial scope
Reviewed on 12 October 2026 against Supercell's cards and decks page, Magic Items page, November 2025 progression post and May 2026 collection level post. Costs can change with updates, so check the current pages. The checklist is ALVIRAN editorial advice.
Supercell prohibits buying, selling and sharing accounts in its Terms of Service. Collection and access checks do not override those rules.