Clash Royale / Practical guide
Clash Royale Upgrade Costs 2026: Cards and Gold for Every Level up to 16
Supercell lowered mid-level upgrade costs and added level 16 on 24 November 2025. Here is every step for Common, Rare, Epic, Legendary and Champion cards, what a full max costs, and how King Tower Level works now that XP is gone.
ALVIRAN Editorial · Reviewed 2026-10-18
In this guide
Clash Royale accounts at King Level 15 and up
Every listing shows its King Level, cards and Evolutions before checkout, so you can see how much of this table is already paid.
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Clash Royale upgrade costs: card copies per level
Each row is the number of copies a card needs to reach that level, taken from the “new card requirements” table in Supercell's 10 November 2025 post. The first copy unlocks the card, which is why each rarity starts at a different level: Commons at 1, Rares at 3, Epics at 6, Legendaries at 9 and Champions at 11. Supercell's May 2026 Collection Level post uses the same starting levels, saying that unlocking Valkyrie, a Rare, adds 3 levels.
| Level | Common | Rare | Epic | Legendary | Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 (unlock) | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | 4 | 1 (unlock) | — | — | — |
| 4 | 10 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 5 | 20 | 4 | — | — | — |
| 6 | 50 | 10 | 1 (unlock) | — | — |
| 7 | 100 | 20 | 2 | — | — |
| 8 | 200 | 50 | 4 | — | — |
| 9 | 400 | 100 | 10 | 1 (unlock) | — |
| 10 | 800 | 200 | 20 | 2 | — |
| 11 | 1,000 | 300 | 30 | 4 | 1 (unlock) |
| 12 | 1,500 | 400 | 50 | 6 | 2 |
| 13 | 2,500 | 550 | 70 | 9 | 5 |
| 14 | 3,500 | 750 | 100 | 12 | 8 |
| 15 | 5,500 | 1,000 | 130 | 14 | 11 |
| 16 | 7,500 | 1,400 | 180 | 20 | 15 |
Wild Cards of the same rarity count as copies, and Supercell's cards and decks page says Gems can buy the copies or Gold still missing for an upgrade.
Gold cost per upgrade, level 2 to 16
Gold is charged per step, on top of the copies. Below level 11 the Gold depends on rarity; from level 12 every rarity pays the same amount. Champions unlock at level 11, so their first paid step is level 12.
| Level | Common | Rare | Epic | Legendary | Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 5 | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | 20 | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | 50 | 50 | — | — | — |
| 5 | 150 | 150 | — | — | — |
| 6 | 400 | 400 | — | — | — |
| 7 | 1,000 | 1,000 | 400* | — | — |
| 8 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | — | — |
| 9 | 4,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 | — | — |
| 10 | 8,000 | 8,000 | 8,000 | 5,000 | — |
| 11 | 15,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 | — |
| 12 | 25,000 | 25,000 | 25,000 | 25,000 | 25,000 |
| 13 | 40,000 | 40,000 | 40,000 | 40,000 | 40,000 |
| 14 | 60,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 |
| 15 | 90,000 | 90,000 | 90,000 | 90,000 | 90,000 |
| 16 | 120,000 | 120,000 | 120,000 | 120,000 | 120,000 |
*Epic level 7. Supercell's new Gold table leaves this cell empty and does not mark it as changed. The previous table in the same post lists 400 Gold, so we show 400. Every other number above is copied from the new table.
Total cost to max a card by rarity
Adding up both tables gives the full price of one card from its first copy to level 16. The copy totals include the copy that unlocks the card.
| Rarity | Starts at | Copies to max | Gold to max | Level 15 + 16 only |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common | Level 1 | 23,087 | 365,625 | 13,000 copies, 210,000 Gold |
| Rare | Level 3 | 4,787 | 365,600 | 2,400 copies, 210,000 Gold |
| Epic | Level 6 | 597 | 364,400* | 310 copies, 210,000 Gold |
| Legendary | Level 9 | 68 | 355,000 | 34 copies, 210,000 Gold |
| Champion | Level 11 | 42 | 335,000 | 26 copies, 210,000 Gold |
The last two levels are where the Gold goes. For a Common, 210,000 of the 365,625 Gold is spent on levels 15 and 16. That is why Supercell framed level 16 as a goal for players who had already maxed their decks, and why a deck of level 14 cards is still a long way from a level 16 deck.
Accounts that already own four or more Champions
A single Champion takes 335,000 Gold to max, and these accounts list every Champion and its level up front.
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What changed on 24 November 2025
The same post cut mid-level costs, added level 16 and removed Elite Wild Cards. Supercell said reaching the new levels with cards and Gold should feel similar to reaching level 14.
| Step | Before 24 Nov 2025 | From 24 Nov 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Rare to 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 | 400 / 500 / 750 / 1,250 copies | 300 / 400 / 550 / 750 copies |
| Epic to 11 / 13 / 14 | 40 / 100 / 200 copies | 30 / 70 / 100 copies |
| Common to 13 / 14 | 3,000 / 5,000 copies | 2,500 / 3,500 copies |
| Legendary to 13 / 14 | 10 / 20 copies | 9 / 12 copies |
| Champion to 13 / 14 | 8 / 20 copies | 5 / 8 copies |
| Gold to 12 / 13 / 14 | 35,000 / 75,000 / 100,000 | 25,000 / 40,000 / 60,000 |
| Level 15 | 50,000 Elite Wild Cards, 0 Gold | Normal copies plus 90,000 Gold |
| Level 16 | Did not exist | Copies plus 120,000 Gold |
- Elite Wild Cards left in your inventory were converted into Gems.
- Books turned into Wild Cards, Books of Books into Gems, and Magic Coins into Gold, at rates based on King Tower Level. A King Tower 10 player got enough Wild Cards per Book to take a card from 10 to 11.
- Elite Wild Cards already spent on a partial upgrade became copies. Supercell's example: 25,000 Elite Wild Cards in a level 14 Knight became 2,750 copies.
- Copies of a card already at level 16 now turn into Crystals, a currency for cosmetics.
- Supercell said Ranked would stay capped at level 15 until the May 2026 season to give players time to reach 16.
What happens to overflow copies, shards and Wild Cards is covered in our Crystals and conversion guide.
Wild Cards, Gems and where the copies come from
With Elite Wild Cards gone, missing copies come from chests, the Shop, Trophy Road, Collection Level rewards and Gems. Three changes in 2026 matter for the cost table.
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Feb 2026 | Lucky Chests stop giving duplicates of max level cards until you own 60 max level cards; above that their drop weight is cut by 90 %. | Upcoming Changes, 20 Feb 2026 |
| 16 Mar 2026 | 5-Star Magic Lucky Chests give at least one full upgrade of Wild Cards for your Chest Level. At Chest Level 16 that is 7,500 Common, 1,400 Rare, 180 Epic, 20 Legendary or 15 Champion Wild Cards, the same as the level 16 copy cost. | Mid-March update |
| Late May 2026 | Collection Level milestones replace King's Journey and pay out 28,920 Common, 7,850 Rare, 1,327 Epic, 58 Legendary and 19 Champion Wild Cards in total, plus 14,955 Gems. | Collection Levels post, 13 May 2026 |
| Late May 2026 | Card Mastery tasks pay a flat 4,000, 6,000 or 15,000 Gold per task, depending on the task set. | Collection Levels post |
Put the milestone totals next to the cost table and the gap is clear: all Common Wild Cards from Collection Level milestones, 28,920, cover a little more than one Common taken from level 1 to 16, which needs 23,087 copies. Legendary milestone Wild Cards, 58, are less than one Legendary from unlock to max.
King Tower Level and XP in 2026
XP is no longer part of Clash Royale. The update Supercell announced for 26 May 2026 removed King's Journey and XP, and card upgrades, Masteries and donations stopped giving XP. King Tower Level now rises when enough cards reach a level, Tower Troops do not count, and Supercell said no King Tower Level would go down in the switch.
| King Tower | King's Journey (old) | Cards needed (new) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Level 2 | 9 cards at level 1+ |
| 3 | Level 3 | 9 cards at level 2+ |
| 4 | Level 5 | 10 cards at level 3+ |
| 5 | Level 7 | 10 cards at level 4+ |
| 6 | Level 10 | 10 cards at level 5+ |
| 7 | Level 14 | 10 cards at level 6+ |
| 8 | Level 18 | 10 cards at level 7+ |
| 9 | Level 22 | 10 cards at level 8+ |
| 10 | Level 26 | 10 cards at level 9+ |
| 11 | Level 30 | 10 cards at level 10+ |
| 12 | Level 34 | 11 cards at level 11+ |
| 13 | Level 38 | 11 cards at level 12+ |
| 14 | Level 42 | 12 cards at level 13+ |
| 15 | Level 54 | 13 cards at level 14+ |
| 16 | Level 75 | 14 cards at level 15+ |
Your overall progress is now your Collection Level: the sum of all your card levels plus 5 for each Evolution and Hero form, and every upgrade adds exactly 1. When the King Tower goes up, the game gives a full upgrade's worth of Tower Princess cards and Gold to match. Clans, Pass Royale, Clan Wars and Star Points now unlock by Arena instead of King Level, according to the Collection Levels post.
Reading upgrade progress on an account
The cost tables turn an account's card list into a rough price in Gold. A few rules keep the reading honest.
“Maxed” means 16
Level 15 was the cap until 24 November 2025. A card at 15 still needs 7,500 to 15 copies and 120,000 Gold.
King Tower 16 is not a maxed deck
It needs 14 cards at level 15 or higher, not 14 cards at 16.
Boosts are not levels
A Card Boost Potion lifts a card to King Tower Level for three hours. Read the unboosted level.
Champions need few copies
Only 42 copies to max, but the last two steps still cost the same 210,000 Gold as a Common.
For Star Levels, boosts and what the level number on a card shows, see our card levels guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much Gold does it take to max a card in Clash Royale?
From the first copy to level 16: 365,625 Gold for a Common, 365,600 for a Rare, 364,400 for an Epic, 355,000 for a Legendary and 335,000 for a Champion. Levels 15 and 16 alone cost 210,000 Gold for every rarity.
How many cards do you need for level 16?
The step from 15 to 16 needs 7,500 Common, 1,400 Rare, 180 Epic, 20 Legendary or 15 Champion copies, plus 120,000 Gold. Wild Cards of the same rarity can replace copies.
How many Common cards do you need to max a Common?
23,087 copies in total, counting the first copy that unlocks the card, according to Supercell's November 2025 table.
What happened to Elite Wild Cards?
Supercell removed them with the 24 November 2025 update. Leftover Elite Wild Cards became Gems, and Elite Wild Cards already invested in an upgrade became card copies.
Is the Gold cost different for each rarity?
Only below level 12. From level 12 to 16 every rarity pays 25,000, 40,000, 60,000, 90,000 and 120,000 Gold per step.
How do you level up the King Tower now that XP is gone?
By upgrading cards. King Tower 15 needs 13 cards at level 14 or higher, and King Tower 16 needs 14 cards at level 15 or higher. Tower Troops do not count.
What level do Champions start at?
Level 11. The first Champion copy unlocks the card at 11, and five more steps take it to 16.
Clash Royale accounts with eight or more Evolutions
Compare card levels, Evolutions and King Level on each listing before you pick one.
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Sources and editorial scope
Reviewed on 18 October 2026. Card and Gold requirements, the November 2025 changes and the Ranked cap: Supercell's Coming in the Next Update post of 10 November 2025 (the new tables; Supercell notes conversions are subject to change). Payment with Gold, copies, Wild Cards and Gems: Supercell Support, Cards & Decks. Card Boost Potions: Supercell Support, Magic Items. Wild Card amounts per Chest Level: Mid-March Update, 16 March 2026. Duplicate protection: Upcoming Changes to Clash Royale, 20 February 2026. King Tower requirements, Collection Level, Mastery Gold and the end of XP: New Collection Levels & Mastery Changes, 13 May 2026 and the June Update 2026 notes. Totals are ALVIRAN sums of Supercell's per-level numbers.
Supercell prohibits buying, selling and sharing accounts in its Terms of Service. Collection and access checks do not override those rules.