{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/tabletop-systems--t175","type":"mechanic","id":"tabletop-systems--t175","lang":"en","title":"Pre-game deck construction","summary":"Decks are built before play under format constraints, setting tool ratios and the likelihood of useful combinations.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/tabletop-systems--t175/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/tabletop-systems--t175.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/tabletop-systems--t175.md","aliases":[],"tags":["Cards, dice and tabletop mechanics","Mechanics and variants"],"sourceIds":["source-eceba0e40b661634","source-1701f69d697ae522","source-bca404420c00fc3e"],"sources":[{"id":"source-eceba0e40b661634","title":"PuzzleScript: Rules","url":"https://www.puzzlescript.net/Documentation/rules.html","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-1701f69d697ae522","title":"Wizards of the Coast: Magic rules","url":"https://magic.wizards.com/en/rules","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-bca404420c00fc3e","title":"Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/1449850/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"Decks are built before play under format constraints, setting tool ratios and the likelihood of useful combinations."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Mechanic variants\n\n<a id=\"t175-variants\"></a>\n\n- Copy limits restrict repeated powerful cards. <a id=\"t175-v1\"></a>\n- Cost curves determine early-turn tempo. <a id=\"t175-v2\"></a>\n- Sideboards change composition between games. <a id=\"t175-v3\"></a>\n- Leader rules restrict eligible card choices. <a id=\"t175-v4\"></a>"},{"id":"example","title":"Design example","body":"A fast deck adds cheap responses at the expense of powerful finishing cards.\n\nPrototype check: Test opening hands and the share of games lacking a meaningful first action with a legal starting deck."},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"Tabletop mechanisms allocate limited actions and hidden information through cards, dice, positions and commitments. Each overview separates player actions, state changes and alternative rules. Examples are hypothetical design scenarios, not claims about a named game. A prototype check states an observable question for the next iteration. Existing detailed references remain separately linked from the direction map."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"tabletop-systems","id":"t175","title":"Cards, dice and tabletop mechanics","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/tabletop-systems/#t175","categoryIds":["mechanics"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Pre-game deck construction","description":"Decks are built before play under format constraints, setting tool ratios and the likelihood of useful combinations.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/general-yugioh-master-07.webp","width":1440,"height":810,"game":"Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel","sourceUrl":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/1449850/","originalUrl":"https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/1449850/ss_3c0f0434fcbbe2f552f3f7978754e980d26cb686.1920x1080.jpg?t=1788064919","credit":"KONAMI / KONAMI","rights":"Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Publisher-distributed screenshot from Steam; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.","caption":"A deck editor assembles a deck from the available collection","alt":"A deck editor assembles a deck from the available collection","markers":[{"x":42,"y":45,"label":"The main deck contains the selected cards"},{"x":86,"y":43,"label":"The collection and filters help locate the desired card"}]},"tips":["Show format restrictions and deck composition before the match begins."],"examples":[{"title":"Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/1449850/"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Original bilingual editorial overviews authored for gamemechanics.pro on 2026-10-20 and reviewed on 2026-10-21. Scenarios are hypothetical design examples; prototype checks describe work to perform, not completed playtests. Primary sources support the stated techniques and implementation context, not every proposed variant.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/tabletop-systems"}}