Tips for Building a Winning Deck in Popular TCGs

With so much of our world going digital and so many of us feeling so disconnected, the allure of low-tech hangouts with friendly rivalry and storytelling has never been stronger. Trading card games can pack a punch when it comes to lore and storytelling, celebrating a favorite franchise, and variety without taking up tons of space.

Even if you prefer casual gaming rather than competitive tournaments, here are a few tips and tricks based on two popular games to inspire you to build your own unique, winning deck.

For Any TCG

No matter your favorites, any card-carrying TCG player should remember:

• Build around what you like. Fundamentally, the best deck you build is one you actually enjoy playing.
• Variety is the spice of life. What comprises your specific deck should be a combination of different kinds of cards to make for a well-balanced game.
• Keep overall game mechanics in mind. There is such a thing as going too far into the “rule of cool.” If you only bring high-powered Pokemon to your fights that need a ton of energy cards, you may not actually be able to land the hits you need.
• Even though all wins depend on plenty of savvy long before the first card is drawn, a good deck is not a guaranteed win. Even tournament-winning hands rely on luck and other things out of a player’s control. What your opponent literally brings to the table also matters, as well as the sheer order of the shuffle, roll of the dice, turn order, and more.

Don’t Reinvent the Deck

Invest in some trading cards online, focusing on pre-built decks. This takes away almost all the guesswork, leaving you with an already well-balanced deck that gives you room to explore and swap around as you feel more confident in customizing.

While ideal for beginners, even experienced players love booster decks for their cost-effectiveness and for keeping their competitive edge in tournaments. Bonus: most decks come with extra merch and other collectibles!

Check The Rules

This is especially important if you’re either returning after a break, or if you play a game where the only constant is change to the rules. Check with your local game store or other gaming community before splurging on things you can’t use or playing a card best set aside for display!

Find Your Mana with Magic: The Gathering

MTG is one of those games that keep putting new spins on classic mechanics. It means there are a variety of ways to jump in.

Choose Your Play Style

MTG offers a variety of game styles, so start by building a deck that suits your preferred play style. For your first decks, try:

• Standard: This is the most common format and requires 60 cards and includes a sideboard
• Limited: Similar to standard, but one big difference is that deckbuilding has more limited and randomized options because players draw from the same pool of cards.
• Commander: Great for multiplayer formats, this is a 100-card strong game with no sideboard cards, and where only one card can have one duplicate (other than basic lands), and you choose your “commander” card to lead it. Recent rules have expanded who you can choose for your commander, making this an especially legendary option.

From there, you want to be sure of these elements, as they are what fuel your moves and interrupt your opponent’s actions. Land Cards are especially crucial so you can produce enough mana; these, along with other support cards, make all the difference between winning (or having fun trying!) and frustration.

There is a lot of variety with MTG, which means there can be a lot of liberty in how you specifically build your deck. This also means there is plenty of trial and error, so be patient with yourself, find a friendly group, and enjoy!

For Pokemon Trainers

A standard Pokemon game is 60 cards, and there are two main ways to build a winning deck: by type and by a specific Pokemon. A general rule of thumb for any deck is:

• 20-25 Pokemon
• 10-20 Trainer/Support/Item Cards
• The rest are energy cards

Just My Type

You need to have enough of the right energy cards for your Pokemon’s attacks and retreats. Just as you never want to be out of mana in Magic, your energy cards can be the sneaky tickets to becoming a Pokemon Master. There are tradeoffs, as each type is both stronger than one type and weaker against another. For example, a fire-type Pokemon, which generally needs at least some fire energy, will do more damage against a grass-type but has a tougher battle ahead against a water-type.

The most successful decks use no more than two types, with the exception that “colorless” Pokemon can use any energy and therefore also can make appearances.

Who’s That Pokemon?

Many successful decks are built around one very strong Pokemon. For example, a promising Charizard EX-themed deck contains sufficient amounts of Charmanders, Charmeleons, and other Pokemon and support cards that boost Charizard’s abilities. Also, it’s worth noting that some trainer cards are specifically designated for certain Pokemon.

Ultimately, the same guidelines for building around Pokemon types apply when building around a specific Pokemon. Whether you build by type or specific pocket monster is more a matter of preference and inspiration.

Build Onto Your Fun

Whether you’re getting hooked in and building your very first decks or you’re nostalgically longing to get back into the fray, there has never been a better time to try your hand at deck building. Considering the number of fun and popular franchises and the ability to find the right trading cards online for your winning deck, there is truly a TCG game for everyone to pick up and enjoy. However you stack it, just make sure you have fun!