Unlike most competitive games where all players have equal access to initial resources and the actual competition is better ranked; clash royale It comes with the infamous grind system that upgrades cards to higher levels, directly affecting their effectiveness on the battlefield.
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Using less elixir on your cards will help you sustain them faster.
The highest level the card can reach is level 15, or Elite, which gives the card its final stat boost. However, upgrading each card to level 15 requires a lot of effort. So players have to choose which cards they actually want to upgrade to elite. Because the resources to do so are extremely scarce unless someone pays a lot of real money.
Updated on October 17, 2025 by Hamza Haq. There are over 120 cards in Clash Royale, and upgrading even one to level 15 requires a significant amount of resources, time, and investment. This applies to free-to-play players who have been gradually accumulating gold and wild cards over time to upgrade the cards of their favorite decks without spending a single penny on the game. Naturally, deciding which cards to upgrade to level 15 requires careful planning and can vary from player to player. However, there are some evergreen choices that never go out of style, and if players are confused, upgrading is always a safe bet. This article has been updated with three new cards that qualify.
Mega Knight
The most powerful tank device to forward and reject spam
- Elixir Cost: 7
- rarefaction: legendary
Mega Knight has been a top-tier neutral card for a long time, but the emergence of Evolution has brought it back into the meta for the first time in a long time. That said, Mega Knight has always been the meta of the mid-ladder arena, where players can gradually unlock legendary cards.
What makes Mega Knight special is his ability to deal with spam units, something most tanky cards lack. The new evolution also makes him stronger against other tanks like Pekka, allowing him to knock them back and open the way to the Crown Tower while dealing with counters.
|
hit point |
area damage |
DPS |
Spawn Damage |
jump damage |
|
|
Level 15 Stats |
5,808 |
390 |
229 |
624 |
781 |
arrow
Best spells to remove low HP units from the battlefield
- Elixir Cost: 3
- rarefaction: trite
In the current meta clash royaleAlmost every deck includes fireworks, so equipping arrows is essential to counter them. Fireworks are one of the most powerful cards. clash royale Nothing can take her off the battlefield as effectively as arrows without wasting a lot of elixir.
Aside from that, Arrows are also great for countering all kinds of spammy units, from Goblin Barrel to Minion Horde. This spell deals just over 100 damage to the Crown Tower, but at critical moments, even that damage can mean the difference in victory.
|
area damage |
Crown Tower Damage |
|
|
Level 15 Stats |
534 |
135 |
barbarian barrel
Economic unit to counter spam and distract
- Elixir Cost: 2
- rarefaction: epic
Barbarian Barrel is another unit to counter spam, but it only works against ground forces. Barbarian barrels do not have the range and effectiveness of logs, but once deployed, they are a great help in allowing Barbarian warriors to emerge from the barrels to distract enemy troops or even inflict heavy damage, allowing Crown Towers to finish them off with a single shot.
Always place barbarian barrels when enemies cross the bridge. This will focus on the barbarian, and will also cause the Crown Tower to target the barbarian from behind.
Barbarian Barrel is one of the best counters to cards like Musketeer, Wizard, Electro Wizard, and even Firecracker. He's also a more economical option that can take out Goblin Barrels or other 3-Elixir spam devices without spending a lot of money.
|
Barbarian HP |
barrel damage |
Barbarian Damage |
Barbarian DPS |
|
|
Level 15 Stats |
974 |
351 |
279 |
214 |
log
The most cost-effective spells for taking down low-HP units in the arena.
- Elixir Cost: 2
- rarefaction: legendary
Rogue is one of the most useful spells in all of magic. clash royaleIt serves as the ultimate counter to swarm units like the Skeleton Army and Goblin Gang, and glass cannons like the Dart Goblin and Princess. The Log will also push back anything that touches a few tiles, delaying the push by a few seconds.
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Among spells, The Log is the most level dependent card. This is because it can be suppressed if it is at the same level as an enemy squishy unit such as Dart Goblin. However, you cannot do so if the enemy's card is even one level higher than The Log. This won't happen if you upgrade your Rogue to level 15.
|
area damage |
Crown Tower Damage |
|
|
Level 15 Stats |
387 |
59 |
valkyrie
The most effective crowd control device thanks to its powerful evolution
- Elixir Cost: 4
- rarefaction: rare
It happens a lot in clash royale Players face an all-out assault as multiple units rush towards the Crown Tower. It may seem impossible to deny these situations with a unit that can only damage one target at a time, but a card like Valkyrie can handle any situation while saving a lot of elixir for the defender.
Valkyrie specializes in crowd control and blocking spam units. clash royale. She has become even stronger since the release of her evolution. This is because it helps Valkyrie deal damage to air units while sucking up nearby enemies with her ax swing.
|
hit point |
area damage |
DPS |
|
|
Level 15 Stats |
2,781 |
389 |
259 |
baby dragon
The most reliable splash unit in Clash Royale
- Elixir Cost: 4
- rarefaction: epic
Baby Dragon is one of the most versatile cards. clash royale. This is a flying unit, so it cannot attack units targeting the ground. Its health is relatively high, so it cannot be taken out with a simple fireball, and it is one of the best splash damage units in the game, making it a must-have for any top arena deck.
With the introduction of Evo Baby Dragon, the usability of the card has increased. Evolution creates a gale of wind directed towards enemies in the arena, speeding up friendly units and slowing down enemies. Thanks to its many use cases, Baby Dragon fits into many meta decks as well as most non-meta decks, and shouldn't run into any problems if players choose to prioritize upgrading to level 15.
|
hit point |
area damage |
DPS |
|
|
Level 15 Stats |
1,674 |
234 |
156 |
cannon
Cost-effective structure through powerful evolution
- Elixir Cost: 3
- rarefaction: trite
Cannons are the cheapest defensive structures. clash royaleAnd it has proven time and time again to be quite powerful when placed in the right position and supported with other units. Half of the glory of the 2.6 Hog Cycle comes down to its cannon.
It became even more popular after Canon evolved. Even though Supercell nerfed its evolution at some point, it still helps a lot in neutralizing large pushes while costing 3 elixirs.
In addition to its damage-dealing abilities, the cannon is also a good unit for luring enemies into the center of the defensive side and allowing the two Crown Towers to target attacking units.
|
hit point |
impairment |
DPS |
|
|
Level 15 Stats |
1,197 |
308 |
342 |
vine
A versatile spell that can be used for both offense and defense
- Elixir Cost: 3
- rarefaction: epic
Vines has remained the best meta pick since its emergence. clash royale Applies to all tiers of gameplay. The spell's ability to stop all units in orbit is invaluable at critical moments. What's even better is that you can also place air units on the ground, so ground units can deal damage to flying enemies. Few players expect this to happen.
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Vines also deal enough damage to take out low-health cards like Bomber, Archers, and Princess. However, this only applies if the spell is equal to or higher than your opponent's card. This is why it is important to upgrade your Vines to level 15. Low-level Vines that don't remove squishy 3-elixir units from the field is a surefire way to lose the game when the stakes are highest.
|
damage per second |
Crown Tower Damage |
|
|
Level 15 Stats |
446 |
110 |
tesla
Robust structure capable of rejecting troops with low to medium HP
- Elixir Cost: 4
- rarefaction: trite
At one time, there was fierce competition between Canon and Tesla, which were considered the best defense structures. clash royaleHowever, with the release of Tesla Tower's Evolution, it now has the unrivaled ability to deny attacks, making it the king of all structures in the game.
The evolved version of Tesla comes with a shockwave that briefly stuns enemies it hits and instantly kills spammed units with low HP, such as skeletons or bats. The tower's ability to hide itself when no threat is present gives Tesla a significant advantage over any other structure, as it can keep itself safe from spells.
|
hit point |
impairment |
DPS |
|
|
Level 15 Stats |
1,674 |
319 |
265 |
article
The most economical medium-sized unit that delays the opponent's pressure
- Elixir Cost: 3
- rarefaction: trite
One of the originals clash royale When it comes to cards, the knights have long been fairly balanced. His evolution has resulted in some underwhelming stats, but these have all been toned down over time. What makes Knight a perfect card is his strong survivability for the price paid for him.
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Other than the Elixir Golem, there is no other 3-Elixir card in the game that can live as long as a Knight and deal a significant amount of damage. The Knight is strong enough to consume a significant portion of Meganite's HP, and with the help of Cannoneer, you can successfully survive the battle against Meganite.
|
hit point |
impairment |
DPS |
|
|
Level 15 Stats |
2,566 |
293 |
244 |