How to build a 40-card deck that has a plan
Move from a pile of strong cards to a coherent list by defining the win condition, turn structure, card roles, and revision rules first.
Start with the official construction rules
A standard deck uses 40 cards from your selected class and Neutral cards. Cards from other classes cannot be included. The official Deck Portal can create a list from scratch, copy popular decks, search shared decks, and inspect the live card library.
Write the deck in one sentence
Use this format: “I stabilize or pressure with ___, convert that into ___, then win through ___.”
If the sentence needs several unrelated “and then” clauses, the list probably contains competing plans. A precise sentence also makes cuts easier: a card that supports no blank is a candidate to remove.
Give every card a visible job
Spend early play points and contest the first board.
Answer followers, amulets, or tempo swings that stop your plan.
Draw, search, generate, or otherwise reach the pieces you need.
Connect the early turns to your payoff without surrendering the board.
Convert setup into a large advantage or lethal pressure.
Rebuild after a clear, heal, or regain cards when the first push fails.
Build turns, not a pretty curve chart
A curve matters because empty play points lose games, but cost alone does not prove a deck functions. Lay out the first five turns and ask what each hand is trying to accomplish.
- What are the acceptable opening keeps?
- Which turn unlocks the central mechanic?
- Which cards require a target, setup piece, or cemetery count?
- What happens if the opponent clears the first board?
Create a mulligan plan with conditions
A useful mulligan guide is not one flat keep list. Write rules such as “keep this only with an early play,” “keep this against slow decks,” or “send this back when going first.” Conditional notes force you to connect the opening hand to the first turns.
Change cards from evidence, not frustration
- Play at least several games without changing the list after every loss.
- Record the actual failure: board, cards, defense, tempo, or finish.
- Identify cards that were repeatedly stranded or too narrow.
- Replace one role with the same role where possible.
- Test again before making a second wave of changes.
Patch-sensitive: exact card recommendations belong in a dated meta report. Use the live Deck Portal for current legal cards and popular shells.
Deck size, class restrictions, and Deck Portal capabilities are official. The role model, deck sentence, mulligan template, and revision loop are editorial teaching tools.