If you’ve ever grinded through Clash Royale’s trophy road or opened a high-tier chest after a tournament win, you’ve probably stumbled across a shiny, gold-bordered collectible that left you wondering what are elite wild cards in Clash Royale, and why everyone says they’re one of the most valuable resources in the game. I’ve spent 4 years playing Clash Royale consistently, pushing to 7200 trophies multiple seasons, and I’ve made my fair share of mistakes wasting these rare cards on low-priority upgrades early on. This guide breaks down exactly what they do, how to get them, and how to use them without wasting weeks of grind. You won’t find any generic advice here, just tips I’ve tested myself to speed up my account progression by almost 30% compared to my first two years of playing.
What Are Elite Wild Cards in Clash Royale, Exactly?
Elite wild cards are a special, limited type of wild card exclusively used to upgrade cards that have already reached level 14 to elite level 15, and will work for higher elite levels added in future updates. Regular wild cards work for all upgrades from level 1 to 14, but they can’t be used for elite level upgrades, which is where these specialized cards come in. Each elite wild card counts as 1 regular card of any type for elite upgrades, so you don’t have to grind for thousands of copies of a single common card to get it to level 15.
Unlike regular wild cards, elite wild cards can’t be converted to gold or swapped for other resource types, so you can only use them for their intended purpose. I thought I could save them up and convert to regular wild cards when I first got one, and I left it sitting in my inventory for 2 months before I realized I could have upgraded my hog rider 2 levels earlier if I’d used it. You unlock access to elite wild cards once you hit 6500 trophies, so you won’t see them in your inventory at all until you reach that rank on trophy road.
To upgrade a card from level 14 to 15, you need 50,000 gold plus 5000 elite wild cards for commons, 2500 for rares, 1250 for epics, and 250 for legendaries. That means legendaries are actually the cheapest cards to upgrade to elite level if you’re short on elite wild cards, which is a little counterintuitive for most new players.
How to Earn Elite Wild Cards Consistently
You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on the paid Pass Royale to get elite wild cards, though that’s definitely the fastest way to stack large batches every season. There are plenty of free sources if you’re willing to put in a little consistent grind each season. I usually earn around 1200 elite wild cards per season without spending any money, which is enough to upgrade one legendary card fully from 14 to 15 every two seasons. The most reliable free and paid sources include:
- Pass Royale free track: You earn 500 elite wild cards for reaching tier 70 each season, plus smaller batches of 50-100 at earlier tiers
- Global tournament rewards: Top 50% of finishers get at least 100 elite wild cards, with top 10% ranks giving up to 1000 extra per tournament
- Trophy road reset rewards: Every season reset, you get elite wild cards based on your highest trophy count from the previous season, up to 400 for players above 7000 trophies
- Special event challenges: Limited-time challenges like the Draft Challenge or 2v2 Showdown often give 100-300 elite wild cards as top rewards for 7+ wins
- Shop offers: Free daily shop rolls occasionally include 50-100 elite wild cards, and discounted gold offers for 200 elite wild cards pop up about once a week
You can’t earn elite wild cards from regular silver, gold, or giant chests, so don’t waste your gems opening those expecting to get them. I used to blow 100 gems a week on giant chests before I realized they don’t drop elite wild cards at all, so that’s a mistake you can skip. Clan war rewards sometimes include small batches of 20-30 elite wild cards if your clan finishes in the top 3 of your division, so it’s worth joining an active clan if you want to earn extra without extra work.
Paid players can get up to 2500 extra elite wild cards per season from the paid Pass Royale track, plus extra bundles in the shop that offer large batches at discounted rates. But even if you never spend a cent on the game, you can easily earn enough to upgrade one card to elite level every 2-3 seasons just by completing daily and weekly tasks.
Best Ways to Use Your Elite Wild Cards for Maximum Progression
Most new players who get their first elite wild cards waste them on meme cards they only use once a month, and then regret it when they can’t upgrade their main deck cards later. I’ve been there, I wasted 800 elite wild cards on a goblin barrel upgrade back when I was messing around with a log bait meme deck, and I had to wait two full seasons to get enough to upgrade my hog rider, which I use in 90% of my matches.
The first rule is to only use elite wild cards on cards that are in your main, most-used ranked deck first. Prioritize win conditions first, then supporting cards, then spell cards when you’re deciding what to upgrade. For example, if your main deck is hog cycle, upgrade your hog rider first, then your musketeer, then your fireball, then your skeletons. That way you get the biggest competitive boost possible for the cards you use every single match. The extra damage and hit points you get from an elite level win condition will win you way more matches than a small boost to a 1-elixir cycle card.
Also, don’t spread your elite wild cards across multiple cards at once. If you have 1000 elite wild cards, don’t put 300 in three different cards, save up enough to finish one upgrade first, so you get the actual stat boost immediately instead of having half-upgraded cards that give you no benefit. I started doing this last year, and I got my main deck fully maxed 3 months faster than when I was splitting resources across 4 different cards at once.
Never use elite wild cards on cards that are below level 14, because they won’t work. You have to get a card to level 14 with regular wild cards and gold first before you can apply elite wild cards to it, so don’t waste them trying to level up a low-level card faster. If you’re short on regular wild cards, focus on upgrading your main deck cards to level 14 first before you start worrying about elite upgrades.
Common Elite Wild Card Mistakes to Avoid
Even experienced players make mistakes with their elite wild cards, especially when they first unlock access to them at 6500 trophies. I’ve seen top 10k players waste thousands of elite wild cards on cards they never use just because they want to fill out their collection, and that’s a huge waste if you’re not already a fully maxed player.
The first big mistake is using elite wild cards on cards you only use for fun decks. If you only pull out your sparky deck once a week for casual 2v2 matches, there’s no reason to upgrade it to level 15 before your main ranked deck is fully maxed. Casual matches don’t give you the same level of rewards as ranked, so you’re just throwing away resources that could help you earn more elite wild cards faster by pushing higher in ranked.
Second, don’t hoard elite wild cards for too long. A lot of players think they should save them for future cards, but unless there’s a confirmed new card coming out that you know you’ll use in your main deck, you’re better off using them now to get a competitive boost. Hoarding elite wild cards for months gives you zero benefit, while using them on your main deck immediately helps you push higher trophies, earn more season rewards, and get even more elite wild cards faster.
Third, don’t waste elite wild cards on low-impact cards in your deck. For example, if you run a cycle deck, upgrading your 1-elixir skeletons to level 15 gives you a tiny stat boost, but upgrading your win condition gives you a way bigger advantage that will win you more matches. Also, don’t buy elite wild cards from the shop with gems unless they’re discounted by 70% or more. Gems are better spent on challenge entries or the free Pass Royale tier skip, which give you way more elite wild cards per gem spent than direct shop purchases.
At the end of the day, figuring out what are elite wild cards in Clash Royale and how to use them properly is one of the fastest ways to speed up your account progression and climb higher in ranked matches without spending money. You don’t need to grind 12 hours a day to get enough to upgrade your main deck, just focus on the reliable free sources we covered, avoid the common mistakes, and only spend them on cards you use regularly. I’ve used these exact strategies to max out 3 different main decks over the last two seasons, and I’ve seen my trophy count jump 800 points in that time just from the extra stat boosts from elite level cards. Try these tips out next season, and you’ll be surprised how much faster you can hit your progression goals.
