If you’ve spent any time scrolling through Clash Royale leaderboards or checking out opponent profiles after a close match, you’ve probably noticed eye-catching, custom banners that make top players’ pages stand out. A lot of new players assume these rare cosmetics are only for pro tournament winners, but that’s far from the truth. I’ve unlocked 12 different banners across my two accounts over the past two years, and I’m going to break down exactly how to get banners in Clash Royale no matter what your current trophy count is. You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on gems or hit Ultimate Champion rank to grab a banner that fits your playstyle and personality.
Core Methods to Earn Banners in Clash Royale
There are multiple reliable paths to unlock banners, and most require very little extra effort beyond the regular gameplay you’re already doing. I’ve tested every single one of these methods myself, and even casual players who only log in 3-4 times a week can earn at least 3 banners a year without spending any money. Each of these methods works for every player, no matter what their skill level, so you don’t have to be a pro to figure out how to get banners in Clash Royale that suit your taste.
Free Season Pass tiers always include at least one banner per month, so even if you never spend money, you can earn one every 30 days just by completing daily and weekly quests. You don’t have to hit the max pass rank to unlock it either, most free banners are available at rank 15 or lower, which most players hit halfway through the season. Paid Pass Royale tiers usually have 2-3 exclusive banners that can’t be earned any other way, so if you want rare designs, that’s the most consistent path. If you’re in an active clan that hits Gold 1 or higher in Clan League every season, you’ll get a banner reward at the end of each cycle, no extra work needed beyond playing your assigned war battles.
Tips to Unlock Rare, Limited-Edition Banners Fast
If you want to build a unique collection of banners that most other players don’t have, you can adjust your play routine to prioritize limited-time rewards without burning out. I’ve picked up 7 rare limited-edition banners over the past year without increasing my play time, just by planning ahead for events I care about.
Prioritize limited-time challenge events first if you want unique banners – these events only run for 2-7 days, and their banner rewards never come back to the game after the event ends. I still get comments on my spooky Halloween banner from opponents, because it’s one of only 120,000 that were ever unlocked. You don’t need to win every challenge battle to get the banner, either. Most challenge banners unlock at the 6-win mark, even for 12-win events, so you have plenty of room for mistakes. If you struggle with challenge modes, team up with a friend for 2v2 challenges, since coordinated teams have a 30% higher win rate than random pairs, according to recent Clash Royale stat aggregator data.
Check the in-game news tab every Monday to see if any new community events are launching – these events let all players work together to hit global milestones, and banners are often the final reward for 100% completion, no individual win requirement needed. All you have to do is play a few matches during the event window to contribute progress, and you’ll get the banner automatically once the community hits the goal.
Common Mistakes That Make You Miss Out on Banner Unlocks
A lot of players lose out on banners they could have easily earned just because they don’t pay attention to small details. One of the most frustrating things that can happen is working for weeks to earn a banner only to lose it because of a simple avoidable error, so keeping these tips in mind will make your journey to learn how to get banners in Clash Royale much smoother.
Don’t let your Season Pass quest progress reset unclaimed – if you hit a banner reward on the pass track but don’t claim it before the season ends, it’s gone forever, no support ticket will get it back for you. I learned this the hard way a couple of years ago, when I missed out on a dragon-themed banner because I forgot to log in on the last day of the season. Another mistake is joining inactive clans right before Clan League ends. If you join a clan less than 7 days before the Clan League cycle wraps up, you won’t be eligible for the end-of-season banner reward, even if the clan hits a high rank.
You also don’t need to spend extra gems to rush quest progress for banners, by the way. Most banners are time-gated, so rushing quests won’t help you unlock them faster, it’ll just waste gems you could use for challenge entries or chest unlocks. If you know you’re going to be offline for a few days, you can activate a quest boost to keep progress ticking over, but that’s only worth it if the banner is a design you really love.
What to Do With Your Banners Once You Unlock Them
Once you’ve unlocked a few banners, you can customize your profile to show off your favorite designs, and even use them to signal your playstyle to opponents before matches start. Banners don’t give any in-game stat advantages, so you can pick whatever design you like best without worrying about hurting your win rate.
You can swap your active banner any time from your profile edit menu, so you can switch between event banners, clan banners, and achievement banners depending on what you want to highlight that week. A lot of competitive players use their banners to let opponents know what their main deck is – for example, I use a goblin-themed banner when I’m running my goblin barrel cycle deck, and most opponents pick up on the cue right away. You can also check which banners you’re missing from the collection tab, so you can plan ahead for future events and pass tracks to grab the designs you like most.
If you’re part of a competitive clan, you might even want to match your banner to other clan members for clan war matches, to create a unified team look. There are no rules for how you use your banners, so feel free to get creative and show off your personality.
At the end of the day, collecting banners is one of the most fun parts of building your unique Clash Royale identity, and you don’t need to be a top player to build an impressive collection. Even if you only play a few matches a week, you can easily unlock 4-6 banners a year just by claiming free season pass rewards and joining occasional casual events. If you take nothing else away from this guide, remember to check your quest progress at least once a week and claim any rewards before they expire, so you never miss out on a design you love. Now that you know how to get banners in Clash Royale, you can start planning which ones you want to add to your collection first, and show off your style in every match you play.
