How to win at Clash Royale without spending a penny

Clash Royale is a pretty generous free to play game, so you shouldn't find yourself under pressure to spend too often.

There's no energy system, for instance, which means you can play for as long and as often as you like without spending a penny.

But if you want to get the upper hand without buying IAPs, you have to play smart.

For starters, you should take a look at our guide on how to win at Clash Royale for general strategy tips.

All done? Good. Here are a few tips to lead you to Clash Royale greatness without reaching for your credit card.

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When all your chest slots are occupied, meaning that you can't earn any more until at least one of them's unlocked, the temptation is to either leave the game for a few hours or unlock one immediately using Gems.

This is just basic player psychology - we hate the idea of wasting our time, or losing out on a reward.

However, if you're serious about playing Clash Royale without spending money, you'll have to get past this.

Even if you can't bag new chests, you can still earn trophies - and these are what show the world your ability as a player, unlocking new arenas and cards along the way.

So don't get bogged down in the bonuses, and keep slogging away.

Achievements are a great way of earning Gems free of charge, and some of them are spectacularly easy to complete.

You can bag a few for watching a replay on TV Royale (you only need watch a few seconds before quitting back to the main menu) and a whopping 100 Gems is up for grabs simply for joining a clan.

Keep an eye on these, and you should be able to accrue a decent Gem haul without resorting to IAPs.

Not only does joining a clan trigger a hefty reward, but it can also help you to get cards for free.

Make yourself a member of the group, respond to some of your fellow clan-members' card requests, and often they'll respond in kind.

Not only that, but Supercell has made it in everyone's interests to share cards and help each other out by giving generous gold and XP rewards for every donation.