If you’ve spent any amount of time grinding Clash Royale matches, you’ve definitely noticed the shiny gold stars attached to some opponents’ cards when they’re played. You might have even unlocked a few Star Points of your own after hitting a higher king level, and found yourself wondering what do star levels do in Clash Royale, and if they’re worth spending those hard-earned points on. A lot of new players assume they give secret stat boosts, while long-time players often see them as just a flex for dedicated fans. The truth is somewhere in between, and there’s more to these little gold stars than you might think at first glance.
What Do Star Levels Do in Clash Royale, Exactly?
At their core, star levels are cosmetic upgrades for your cards that add golden details, unique animations, and special particle effects to cards you’ve invested heavily in. A common misconception new players spread across clan chats and social media is that higher star levels give small boosts to damage, hit points, or even spell radius. That’s completely false. Star levels do not give any competitive stat advantages in standard matches, so you never have to worry about losing a match because your opponent had a higher star level on their P.E.K.K.A than you. Supercell has repeatedly confirmed that star levels are strictly for cosmetic purposes, to reward players who put time into maxing their favorite cards.
The only thing a higher star level changes is how the card looks when you place it, its attack animations, and the particles that come off it during fights. For example, a max star level Wizard will have golden robes and leave gold sparkles behind when he fires fireballs, instead of the standard red ones. A max star level Hog Rider will have gold accents on his hog and hammer, and leave golden hoof prints as he runs towards the opponent’s tower. These changes are purely visual, but they make playing your favorite cards feel a lot more rewarding after months of grinding to upgrade them.
How to Unlock and Upgrade Star Levels for Your Cards
You won’t be able to access star levels or earn Star Points until you hit King Level 7, which is when the game starts converting excess experience from maxed cards into Star Points. Before that point, any extra card copies you earn go towards upgrading your card levels, so you won’t have any excess XP to turn into points. Each star level has a specific card level requirement and Star Point cost, and you have to unlock them in order from level 1 to level 4 for each card.
The current requirements for each star level are:
You can only earn Star Points once you have at least one card maxed out or reach King Level 7, so don’t stress about hoarding resources for them early on in your playthrough. I’ve spent years playing Clash Royale casually and competitively, and I still remember wasting my first 1,000 Star Points on a Goblin Barrel star level back when I only used the card once every 10 matches. I regretted it for months, because I had to wait ages to earn enough points to unlock the star level for my main Hog Rider card. Take it from me, don’t spend points on cards you don’t use regularly, no matter how cool their star skin looks.
Unexpected Perks of Maxing Star Levels for Your Favorite Cards
Even though star levels don’t give stat boosts, they come with a few small perks that a lot of players don’t know about. First, they act as a clear signal to opponents and teammates that you have a lot of experience with a specific card. High star levels can signal to your opponents that you have a lot of experience with that card, which can sometimes give a tiny psychological edge in close matches. If you drop a level 4 star Hog Rider in the first 30 seconds of a match, your opponent will immediately know you’re familiar with how to play the card effectively, and they’ll adjust their playstyle accordingly.
Another perk is that star levels make your gameplay clips look a lot more polished if you share them on social media or streaming platforms. I’ve had opponents message me after clan war matches asking how I got the golden effect on my Royal Giant, which is a fun little bonus of having maxed star levels. Many competitive players max star levels for their main deck cards to create a recognizable personal brand when streaming or competing. Fans can easily spot their favorite player’s deck just by the golden effects on their cards, which helps them stand out from other players in tournaments.
You also get small profile badges for the number of max star level cards you own, which is a fun way to show off how long you’ve been playing the game. A lot of clans look at these badges when accepting new members, because they signal that you’re a dedicated player who puts time into upgrading your cards consistently.
Should You Spend Star Points on Star Levels, or Save Them?
The answer to this question depends entirely on your playstyle and what you care about in Clash Royale. First, it’s important to note that Star Points are completely separate from the gold and card copies you use to upgrade card stats. Spending Star Points on star levels will never set back your core card upgrade progression, because they only come from excess experience that you can’t use for anything else. You don’t have to choose between upgrading your card’s hit points and getting a golden skin for it, which is a common worry for new players.
If you’re a casual player who cares more about having fun and showing off your favorite cards than climbing to the top of the leaderboard, you should absolutely spend your Star Points on whatever cards you use the most. It makes every win feel a little more special when your cards have unique golden effects, and it’s a nice reward for all the grinding you do to upgrade them. If you’re a free-to-play player, you’ll earn Star Points a lot slower than players who spend money on the game, so it’s even more important to prioritize your main deck cards first. That means if you main a log bait deck, spend your points on the Princess, Goblin Barrel, and Log before you even think about upgrading a Hog Rider or Giant that you never use.
If you’re someone who likes to collect all limited edition cosmetics, you might want to save your Star Points for special event skins that pop up every few months. These skins often have unique effects that you can’t get from regular star levels, and they’re only available for a limited time. Just don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need to have all star levels maxed to be a good player. Some of the top 100 players in the world have zero star levels on their cards, because they don’t care about cosmetics at all, and just want to focus on winning matches.
At the end of the day, what do star levels do in Clash Royale? They’re a fun, low-stakes way to show off your dedication to the cards you love, without breaking the competitive balance of the game. You don’t need them to climb ranks or win tournaments, but they’re a nice little bonus for putting in the hours to max your favorite cards. If you have extra Star Points lying around, don’t hesitate to splurge on the cards you use every match – it’ll make every time you drop that card on the battlefield feel a little more satisfying.
