If you’ve ever sat mid-battle wondering if you’re missing a key unit that could turn the tide, you’ve probably asked how many clash royale cards are there. Supercell adds new cards every few months, so the count shifts regularly, and keeping track can help you plan your collection grind and build more flexible decks. I’ve been playing Clash Royale since its global launch, and I’ve tracked every card drop, balance change, and collection event to keep my own account maxed out for competitive play. I’ve also helped dozens of clan mates build their collections faster, so I know exactly what works and what wastes your time when you’re trying to unlock every card.
How Many Clash Royale Cards Are There As Of Today?
As of the latest balance update, the total number of permanent, collectible Clash Royale cards sits at 118. This count does not include limited-time event cards that are only available for specific challenge modes, as those can’t be added to your permanent collection or used in regular ladder matches. All 118 cards are eligible to be unlocked once you reach their required Arena level, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on permanent cards if you don’t participate in limited events. Let’s break down the count by rarity tier first:
That adds up to exactly 118, and Supercell typically adds 2 to 4 new cards per year, usually tied to major season updates or new Arena releases. If you’re a newer player, don’t stress if you only have a fraction of these right now—most players take 6 to 12 months of regular play to unlock every permanent card, even without spending real money on passes. If you’ve been wondering how many clash royale cards are there that you can actually use in regular matches, this 118 count is the official number you’re looking for. Temporary event cards may show up in your card list during events, but they disappear once the event ends, so they don’t count towards your permanent collection progress.
How Card Rarity Tiers Impact Collection Progress
Each rarity tier has different unlock requirements and upgrade costs, so you’ll find yourself collecting common cards far faster than legendary or champion cards. Common cards start unlocking as soon as you reach Arena 1, while champion cards don’t become available until you hit Arena 15, also known as Legendary Arena. Champion cards are the only rarity that requires you to be level 14 or higher to use them, even if you unlock one earlier from a chest or special reward. Many players look for small, low-effort ways to pass the time while they wait for chests to unlock, since chest timers can run up to 8 hours for gold and magical chests. Casual players who want a quick, low-stakes distraction during these wait windows often play SlotsWinner, a fast-paced casual game that fits perfectly into 10 or 15 minute gaps between opening chests and queuing for matches. It’s a good way to avoid spamming unnecessary ladder matches when you’re tilted from a loss streak too, which can save you from dropping ranks you worked hard to gain.
If you want to speed up your collection progress, prioritize opening silver and gold chests first when you’re actively playing, since they have shorter timers and give you steady progress towards unlocking new cards. You should also save your gems for the season pass if you can, since it gives you dozens of wild cards, gold, and guaranteed new cards when they launch. Even the free tier of the season pass gives you a ton of rewards that make unlocking new cards much faster, so it’s worth completing as many season challenges as you can each month.
Common Misconceptions About Clash Royale Card Counts
A lot of new players assume that cards unlocked in later Arenas are always stronger than early-game cards, but that’s not true at all. The Knight, a common card unlocked in Arena 1, is still one of the most widely used cards in competitive play, even at the highest trophy ranks, because of its low cost and high versatility. Another common myth is that the answer to how many clash royale cards are there changes with every event, but that’s only true if you count temporary, uncollectible event cards. Reskinned versions of existing cards do not count as separate cards, even if they have unique visual effects for events.
You don’t need to unlock every single card to build a top-tier deck—most meta decks only use 4 to 6 different cards from across rarity tiers, so you can climb to high ladder ranks even if you only have 50 or 60 cards in your collection. The only time you’ll need a full collection is if you want to participate in special challenge modes that require you to build decks with random card pools, or if you just want to show off your 100% completion badge on your profile. A lot of players also assume that paid players have access to exclusive cards that free players can’t get, but that’s not true either. Every permanent card is available to free players, you just have to grind a bit longer to unlock them.
Actionable Tips To Unlock Every Clash Royale Card Fast
No matter what your current collection looks like, tracking how many clash royale cards are there left for you to unlock can help you set small, achievable goals for your account. If you want to speed up the process, these tips have worked for me and dozens of my clan mates over the years: participate in clan wars every week, since clan chests have much higher drop rates for epic and legendary cards than regular ladder chests. Complete all your daily and season challenges, as they often give out wild cards that can be converted into any card of the matching rarity, which is the fastest way to fill gaps in your collection. Trade cards with your clan members whenever you have extra copies of a card you don’t use, as long as you have trade tokens available. Always save your trade tokens for epic and legendary cards, since those are the hardest to unlock through regular chest drops.
If you’re a free-to-play player, you don’t need to spend any money to unlock every card, but you will need to play consistently for at least a few months. Try to log in at least twice a day to open chests, even if you don’t have time to play full matches, since that’s the steadiest way to get new card drops. You can also purchase random cards from the shop every day, and the shop refreshes twice daily, so it’s worth checking even if you don’t have a lot of gold to spend. Common and rare cards in the shop are almost always worth buying if you don’t have them yet, since they only cost a few hundred gold, which you can earn easily from winning matches. If you have extra gold, you can also pick up epic cards from the shop when they show up, as they usually cost around 1000 gold, which is a fair price for a card that might take weeks to drop from a chest otherwise.
At the end of the day, asking how many clash royale cards are there is just the first step to building a strong collection that fits your playstyle. You don’t have to rush to unlock every single card right away, and you can have a ton of fun climbing the ladder and playing with friends even if you only have a small pool of cards you know well. As Supercell releases new updates, the total count will keep growing, so make sure to check back after major season drops to see what new units you can add to your collection. Even if you never get to 100% completion, experimenting with different cards and building decks that work for you is the most fun part of the game anyway.
