Best Cards To Upgrade To Level 15

Unlike most competitive games where the initial resources are available equally for all players and the real rivalry is over better ranks, Clash Royale does come with an infamous grind system to upgrade cards to higher levels, directly impacting the cards’ effectiveness on the battlefield.

The highest level a card can ever reach is Level 15 or Elite, which delivers the final stat boost to the card, but it takes a lot of effort to upgrade each card to Level 15, and that’s why players need to be picky with what cards they really want to upgrade to Elite, as the resources for doing so are extremely scarce unless someone pays a significant amount of real-life money.

Updated on October 17, 2025, by Hamza Haq: There are more than 120 cards in Clash Royale, and upgrading even a single one to level 15 requires a significant amount of resources, time, and investment. This is especially true for free-to-play players who do not spend a dime on the game and have gradually accumulated their stash of gold and Wild Cards over time in order to upgrade a card in their favorite deck. Naturally, making a decision about which card to upgrade to level 15 requires careful planning and can differ from player to player. However, there are some evergreen picks that never go out of style, and upgrading them is always a safe call if players are confused. This article has been updated with three new cards that qualify.

Mega Knight

Most Powerful Tank Unit For Pushing Forward And Denying Spam

• Elixir Cost: 7
• Rarity: Legendary

Mega Knight used to be a neutral card in the top-tier ranks for a long time, but the arrival of its Evolution made him a meta again after a long time. That being said, Mega Knight has always been a meta in the mid-ladder arenas where players get to unlock Legendary cards gradually.

What makes Mega Knight special is his ability to deal with spam units, which most tanky cards lack. The new Evolution also makes him stronger against other tanks like Pekka, allowing him to knock them back and open up the way toward the crown tower while dealing with counters.

Arrows

Best Spell For Wiping Any Low-HP Unit From The Battlefield

• Elixir Cost: 3
• Rarity: Common

With the current meta in Clash Royale, where almost every deck contains a Firecracker, equipping Arrows is a must to counter it. Firecracker is one of the strongest cards in Clash Royale and nothing can wipe her from the battlefield as effectively as Arrows without wasting much Elixir.

Other than that, Arrows is also perfect for countering any kind of spam unit, from Goblin Barrel to Minion Horde. The amount of damage this spell deals to the crown tower is a little over 100, but in crucial moments, that amount can also count towards claiming the victory.

Barbarian Barrel

Economic Unit To Counter Spam And Cause Distraction

• Elixir Cost: 2
• Rarity: Epic

Barbarian Barrel is another unit to counter spam, but only works against ground troops. Barbarian Barrel doesn’t have the range and effectiveness of The Log, but after it’s deployed, a Barbarian warrior comes out of the barrel that could help a lot to distract the enemy’s troops or even significantly damage them, so that the crown tower can finish them off with a single shot.

Barbarian Barrel is one of the best counters against cards like Musketeer, Wizard, Electro Wizard, and even Firecracker. He is also a more economical option to get rid of Goblin Barrel or other 3-Elixir spam units without spending much.

The Log

Most Cost Efficient Spell For Taking Down Low-HP Units In The Arena

• Elixir Cost: 2
• Rarity: Legendary

The Log is among the most useful spells in all of Clash Royale, serving as the ultimate counter to swarm units like Skeleton Army and Goblin Gang and glass cannons like Dart Goblin and Princess. Additionally, The Log also pushes back anything it hits a couple of tiles back, delaying pushes by a few seconds.

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Among spells, The Log is by far the most level-dependent card. This is because when it is the same level as enemy squishy units like Dart Goblin, it can take them out. However, the enemy’s card is even one level higher than The Log, it won’t be able to do so. Upgrading The Log to level 15 ensures this can never happen.

Valkyrie

Most Effective Crowd Control Unit Thanks To Powerful Evolution

• Elixir Cost: 4
• Rarity: Rare

It happens a lot in Clash Royale that the player is faced with an all-out attack as multiple units rush toward their crown towers. Denying a situation like this with a unit that can only deal damage to one target at a time seems impossible, but a card like Valkyrie can deal with them all while saving a lot of Elixir for the defender.

Valkyrie specializes in crowd control and denying spam units in Clash Royale. She has become even stronger since the release of her Evolution, as it helps Valkyrie to deal damage to aerial units while also sucking enemies around her toward her axe swings.

Baby Dragon

The Most Reliable Splash Unit In Clash Royale

• Elixir Cost: 4
• Rarity: Epic

Baby Dragon is among the most versatile cards in Clash Royale. It is a flying unit, which means ground-targeting units cannot attack it. It has relatively high health, which means it cannot be taken out with a simple Fireball, and it is one of the best splash damage units in the game, which is a must-have for any top arena deck.

With the introduction of Evo Baby Dragon, the card is even more useful. The evolution generates a heavy wind directed towards the enemy’s side of the arena, speeding up friendly units and slowing down enemies. Thanks to its many use cases, Baby Dragon fits into a lot of meta decks, and even most off-meta ones, and players won’t go wrong if they choose to prioritize upgrading it to level 15.

Cannon

Cost-Effective Structure With Strong Evolution

• Elixir Cost: 3
• Rarity: Common

Cannon is the cheapest defensive structure in Clash Royale, and it has been proven on multiple occasions that it’s also quite strong if placed in the right spot and supported with other units. Half of the 2.6 Hog Cycle’s glory is because of the Cannon, after all.

Since Cannon received an evolution, it became even more popular. Although Supercell nerfed the evolution at one point, it still helps a lot with neutralizing a massive push while spending only 3 Elixir.

Aside from its damage-dealing capability, Cannon is also a good unit to lure enemies toward the mid-point of the defender’s side, and allow both crown towers to target the attacking unit.

Vines

Versatile Spell For Both Offense And Defense

• Elixir Cost: 3
• Rarity: Epic

Since its arrival, Vines has remained a top meta pick in Clash Royale for all tiers of gameplay. The spell’s ability to stop any unit in its tracks is invaluable at a critical moment. Better yet, since it can ground aerial units as well, it can allow ground units to damage flying enemies, something very few players expect to happen.

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Additionally, Vines does just enough damage on its own to take out low-health cards like Bomber, Archers, and Princess. However, this is only true if the spell is at the same level or higher than the opponent’s cards. This is why upgrading Vines to level 15 is so important. A low-level Vines that doesn’t take out squishy 3-elixir units on the field is a sure way to lose a game when the stakes are at their highest.

Tesla

Sturdy Structure To Deny Any Low To Medium-HP Troops

• Elixir Cost: 4
• Rarity: Common

There used to be a close rivalry between Cannon and Tesla as the best defensive structures in Clash Royale, but with the release of an Evolution for Tesla Tower, it’s now the king of all structures in the game, as it has some unmatched abilities to deny attacks.

The evolved version of Tesla comes with a shock wave that stuns hit enemies briefly and kills low-HP spam units like Skeletons or Bats instantly. The tower’s ability to hide itself when no threat is available gives it a sheer edge over any other structure, as Tesla can keep itself safe against spells.

Knight

Most Economic Mid-Tank Unit To Delay The Opponent’s Push

• Elixir Cost: 3
• Rarity: Common

As one of the original Clash Royale cards, Knight has been fairly balanced for a long time now. While his Evolution did bring a bit of overpowered stats, they all were mitigated over time. What makes Knight a perfect card is his strong survivability against the price paid for him.

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Aside from Elixir Golem, there is no other 3-Elixir card in the game that can live as long as Knight while also dealing a significant amount of damage. Knight is strong enough to deplete a big chunk of Mega Knight’s HP, and if he gets some help from Cannoneer, he will successfully survive the battle against Mega Knight.