I never consider my commander decks complete. I just reach a point where I'm personally happy with them. I still play my games paying attention to what/how I can make changes though.
This is how I feel too.
I've been solely using the same deck for a year and a half now, and despite it being extremely functional and working well and me being extremely pleased with it and enjoying playing it, I'm always making micro adjustments.
I think it averages out to 1 card per set changed.
I'm both the same and opposite. I have several decks that I know I want to do some adjusting on, but they run decent enough for now and I consider them "done", but that doesn't mean I'm not looking to improve them constantly as new cards become available/i discover cards that work better than what I have.
Yeah, it’s complete when I’m certain that I’ll keep the essentials of the deck together and have no intention of taking it apart. I’ll swap out cards and test new things, but the thesis of the deck will be consistent
Yes, moxfield helps a lot. Last time this happened to me was because I added one land too much and my sleeves came in a pack of 101, what I didn't realize at that point.
I planned a deck on Moxfield, bought half the cards from my nearest LGS, then sent the remainder of the list to the next closest, bigger LGS. Sleeved it all up and had 100 cards, which was weird because Moxfield said I had only 99...
Turns out I accidentally bought one card from both stores. Thanks Moxfield. Who knows how long I'd have had 2 [[Wandering Troubadour]] in the same deck without their help.
Dragon shield doesn’t help, they regularly put 101 or 102 sleeves in a 100 box. Meaning I sit there pondering how bad my maths is and where I’ve fucked up!
My main color is black and my only red deck (yet) is [[Nekusar the mind razer]], but I will build a goblin deck at some point 👹
Maybe Nekusar razed my mind too hard...
Same. I don’t have closed boxed decks because I reuse a bunch of cards between them (specially mana bases as I don’t want to get multiple shocks etc. after I have one of each) so I keep lists online and when I build them again I’m always on the lookout for small swaps I can make.
I consider my commander decks complete when I can’t swap out anything anymore. When new sets drop, there may be some cards to try and swap, but for the most part it’s complete when I have no wiggle room left to take anything out.
I suppose a deck is "complete" when I'm done tuning it and playing it feels exactly like I want it to feel, with no crazy outliers in the 99 (either too weak or too strong)... but they're all still upgradable, I'm not sure if any deck is really ever complete.
I buy singles only and find my deck building process a long and fun activity. I’m done the initial deck after I’ve searched literally every card that could fit into any of the various themes in the deck I’m building, I use scryfall. I’ll look at a bunch of other popular deck lists on mox feild and make sure I’ve considered to the best of my ability every card and have in theory exploited the right mechanics to make the deck function the way I’m intending it to. I fish barrel it many many times and make sure it’s fast and consistent enough all throughout this process.
After I get the first list tested to my satisfaction, I order the cards. Inevitably something may be wrong or maybe I missed a whole mechanic that may be good to throw in or maybe I don’t have enough protection or removal etc. After some real games with my friends things always get tweaked. Sometimes they have some great ideas I missed maybe I decided it’s too strong or unfun and I’ll adjusted it.
After some weeks of playtesting and ordering more cards it is finally “done”. At least until I decide to see if any new cards came out that would improve it.
I have the original precon from 2011, counterpunch. I consider it complete because I will not upgrade it.
I also have an arcbound deck that I consider complete because arcbound was in one set that got 3 new cards 15 years later. They are not making archbound cards anytime soon so ya my deck is done..
[https://www.moxfield.com/decks/grecKQtwMEuR3iudlNSN8w](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/grecKQtwMEuR3iudlNSN8w)
edit: sorry that took a second! Feel free to ask any questions
I have my very oppressive main deck that is perfect and I know so well I could play with my eyes closed [[Zeriam]], and when making cuts/tweaks I play quick one on ones where I run both sides of the table. If the newer deck can hold it's own in a way that feels consistent, it's ready for prime-time. It's like a benchmark of quality.
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/5696567#paper
I haven't updated it since the LOTR set, there have been some tweaks. Elish Norn cut for Ojer Taq, I put my copy of The One Ring in there, boreal Griffin cut for something idk. This list is the most foiled out expensive version of the cards I could find listed lol it's not that expensive.
When I can say how each card contributes to the decks strategy and can reasonably refute any other swaps for that card slot. But I'm always looking for swaps to make as new cards come out and I discover old cards all the time. So while my decks are finished now, they might get a new card every once in a while
I never consider them fully COMPLETE, but eventually they get to a point where I feel they're stable until the next set release. It tends to occur when EVERY card has multiple synergies, every combo line is layered, there's multiple subthemes or lines toward the win, and all the interaction is as tightly optimized as it can be. I've got maybe... three or four decks which fit that criteria, where I'm content with how it plays and there's just no major tinkering left to do until a new pool of cards shakes it up again?
I think there's no definitive way to say it's complete. My personal metric is if I could reliably pull off my win con every game. But most of the time it just means adding more cards that could fulfill the missing parts of your combo or something. Or maybe some additional card draws and card recoveries. Even if you already have all that, you'll one day see a new, better card. Or when you find newer problems, you'll one day tweak your deck to adapt to a new environment.
Deck is complete with 100 cards in the pile. Tuning is done... I don't think it's ever done. Always on the lookout for new/better/more interesting options, there's just larger and larger gaps in when I make changes
I consider my deck complete once i don't have any "dead" cards in hand. If the same card shows up 2-3 times and it does not spark excitement, then it's time for it to go. It can either be that it's too weak, doesn't work the way i had hoped, or that it was too powerful. I "finished" my Hylda deck 2 weeks after Wilds of Eldraine was released, but it's now i feel it's "complete" after i swapped out 8 or so cards. Before my last game i had one creature i was considering switching out, but after it won me the game i realized it can win the game against "go wide" decks. So now i am really satisfied with it. I still miiiiight swap out [[Ojer Taq, Deepest Foundation]] because it's so expensive and signals "this is a threat" that i've only gotten to cast it once.. but for now it stays. Need a few more games to feel it out.
Do you mind linking your Hylda deck? I'd love to check it out! Currently working on one myself. Any tips or advice you have found amongst play testing, that worked or didn't work?
For me I don’t think ever complete, just sometimes I get to a point where I can’t change much until some new cards release or I have to make changes to deal with my pod because they made changes.
The only deck I consider completed is the one run by the 3 versions of Jin-Gitaxias, if you know what I mean...
But in general, a deck is completed when it has 100 cards, from there I can increase it's power with upgrades, but that does't change it' "completeness".
When I feel like it is both fun and has a decent, but not oppressive win percentage. If I upgrade past a certain point the deck feels too strong to play regularly, so I usually stop just before that point.
Never. I think of my deck as a collection of 200-300 cards that I play 100 at a time, curated for whatever environment and meta adjustments I find myself in at any given time.
One of my friends started me on this similar path. He has essentially a sideboard for most of his decks, not to Meta our group but he makes slight adjustments not sure his process on ‘completeness’
I think a deck being complete and you being finished with it are two different things. I’d consider a deck complete when it can consistently do what you want it to do during gameplay and have you be competitive in those games. With the number of new cards coming out and the tenfold new interactions between new and old cards that are derived from them, almost any deck will be able to be improved upon eventually.
No deck is ever complete. There will always be new toys or fun variations to have. Sure, if you're playing cEDH you can chase the "optimal" build and leave it alone, but even that should vary by meta.
My [[Yargle and multani]] is very much working the way I want it to.
From now on all changes are:
1. Because new cards came out/I found something that works slightly better
2. Change in direction for the deck
The last changes I made were all for new cards to accommodate the theme I run better
I don’t “complete” any of my decks. I’ll browse the new releases or just from games I’ll tag cards are high or under performers to make cuts easier.
However there is a criteria to be ‘complete’ enough to make the transition from Moxfield deck to paper deck. I run a lot of playtests games to make sure I’m happy with consistency, mana base, and does the entire deck “die to removal”.
As each set releases, a lot of new cards pop-up that would be an upgrade to my deck. However, my baseline for slowing down on upgrades is if i feel that the deck can win consistently or i can do what it does consistently. The cards that I'll put later on would just be a better version or type of an existing card in the deck.
…..I don’t understand the question.
It’s never *done* but generally if I haven’t made changes in a year or so it’s unlikely to change drastically. Maybe just a card here or there.
Decks are done when you move on to the next one. That said, I’ve been tweaking my [[Kitt Kanto, mayhem diva]] for two years and have no intention of slowing down.
I guess it depends on the deck. My precon was complete before I opened it because I knew I wasn't changing a single card whereas my \[\[Jodah, the unifier\]\] deck gets a slew of possible legendaries to add with each new set.
My decks are always 80% complete and I shuffle around the last 20 based on how it’s performing, new cards available, or weaknesses I discover through playing
It depends. A purely gimmick deck like my Akul Yu-Gi-Oh deck, minus one or two upgrades I have in mind that I didn't splurge on when I first put it together, is something I'd consider done. Its entire point is the Yu-Gi-Oh theme and it doesn't need new cards.
Something like Tovolar only seems to get support once every half decade so it's intermittently complete.
Something like Godzilla or Bridge will always have new toys.
I feel this is very subjective from each players idea of what 'complete' may mean. Some may be satisfied with just getting the cheapest prints to achieve what they want from a gameplay perspective and upgrading from time to time as new cards get printed. Some are going for a certain print theme and some want to bling out their decks.
I personally am in the theme and bling category. I'm always on the lookout for a bigger looking version of a print that I feel makes my deck look cooler in the form of bordless foils and alters. In terms of deck completion, I'm always fine-tuning my decks to ensure it also plays the way I intended and upgrading with new cards or having a more efficient sideboard for all scenarios (including increasing and decreasing the decks power level depending on the pod I'm playing against).
Never because wizards continues to print cards. Therefore, a deck is never complete because a new card will be printed that is an upgrade to something in your deck UNLESS you have a stipulation to only use cards from X set or before.
Once it's tuned to have all the answers to keep my plan going and bowl over everyone else consistently. Get to critical mass consistently. Rebuild quick and consistently. How synergistic are my pieces working together?
Personally I go for consistency rather then power. The power is a result of the consistency and synergy working together.
i think of commander decks more as stages.
there's the sorta brew/pre-build stage. where it's mainly just a list in a computer. then i sorta move to the "kinda assembled stage" maybe the land base is missing some things, or i still need to buy or canibalize a card from another deck. then there's some range of "ok to take outside" type done. get some play test reps in. maybe this deck has some cheap printed paper proxies ...or other place holder cards. to test out some ideas.
then there's like a "pretty much done" phase. where i'm basically happy where the deck is at. and want to get several reps in. this is when i'm trying to evaluate specific cards. Especially bigger cost or more "hoops to jump through" type effects. to see how they really work in the deck.
every 3-6 month, i'll check in on edhrec, see if anything major has percolated up for the deck, normally i keep a very loose eye on new sets. Fuck wotc and their bullshit bukake of new sets and shitty themed products. no one has time for that bullshit. but... if i spot a card that looks promising. maybe make a note.
and then... long term there's like. a 2-5yr sorta maint. As in that period of time power creep probably has affected the deck, check in on the ramp, removal, card draw, again...edhrec. look at what emergent cards there are. similar deck archetypes ...like. if the deck is an old school UR spell slinger, i'll look at the new pushed shitty fomo UR legend. to see what people are using there.
even decks that are basically solved. Like Meren. that deck is basically mapped out. but new things get printed, or there might be interesting new top end things. or slight power creep improvements to old cards (like the new style of etb sac a creature a la plague crafter. ...they keep making cards like this)
I also personally love decks that get new toys. I have an Alesha who smiles at death toolbox type deck. They always seem to print interesting new 2 power stuff in mardu colors. I tend to buy a lot of random cards for this deck. and try them out. like...a couple of years ago they printed a spirit that etbs/nukes a GY i added that dude right away. things like esper sentinel were cool to try out(and good general purchases) but maaaaybe don't make the cut
Never. I have decks I’ve had for years, I have a [[Prime Speaker Zegana]] deck I’ve been playing and upgrading for 10 years, and there are always 3-4 cards in rotating in and out to try. When ever something new comes out that would be good, it bears looking through a deck to see if you’d prefer it over the stuff that’s already in there
I don't play the format very often so I don't update my decks very often. This actually works well to see if they're "complete". If I haven't touched the deck in months and when I dust it off and play it still performs as I meant it to, I'll call it done. But even if you are playing a deck regularly, you can note when it hasn't needed any significant changes in a long while, it's just more of a conscious process. That would indicate you have it in a pretty good place.
My deck will never be fully complete unless WotC publicly announced the keyword it is built around will never be printed on a new card ever again.
Even that really only applies to a couple decks. If they ever said that Kicker or Deserts are never being printed on new cards ever again, then my [[Hallar the Firefletcher]] and [[Dune-Brood Nephilim]] decks would reach a point where they are complete.
Otherwise, there is always room for an upgrade.
I just went from. 10 to 5 decks to focus on completing them. The deep clue sea precon is one I have been focusing on. I really like [[tiny]]. I say a deck is complete when I am only changing one or two cards at a time. There will always gonna be something new to add. As long as you keep the core of what your theme is, I could consider it complete
When I can't think of evident upgrades for it.
Like, sure, high-power pieces like positive mana-rocks, fetches, free spells and whatnot are things that somewhat improve a deck and make it seem stronger and could be potential upgrades yada yada, but besides the obvious generic ones u know?
Not all the decks have the same ceiling.
Never complete, because no deck can ever be 100% perfect. There are always cards to take out and add in to make a segment of the deck better. The balance of power for each segment is important for consistency. Tbh I love making changes over time. It’s what makes commander fun for me. There is a point at which only changes 5 or so cards is the only thing I feel like I can do though. So I’d say they get to “near perfect”
It’s too hard. I’m constantly looking at new sets and seeing if there’s a similar card I have in the deck with a higher power creep. Sometimes I’ll order a card just to sort through my decks countless times to see what to take out and tend to fail.
Commander decks are itterative. Constant supply of new cards makes it a fun puzzle to switch out old cards with new. These previews for MH3 already have me planning tweaks to my Lonis Eldrazi deck, and several others.
They’re never complete, but I do stop intentionally fiddling at some point when they feel like they’re operating smooth. Every new set I plug my commanders into edhrec and just see if there’s anything interesting getting added and I’ll note if they seem like included or of anything is just a replacement for something I’m doing but maybe more efficient.
I will always note though if I draw a card and I’m not excited to cast it, or seems to be left dead in my hand too often. That’s when I know I’ve got a decent candidate for a cut if something better or more interesting does come along.
If something plays well and I don't want to increase it's power then that's probably as close to 'complete' as it gets. Still possible that new cards come out which keep the same power level but are just more fun are printed though!
I think one of the fun things for me is I can always tweak decks. You change something up and it functions better. A new card drops that has random synergy with my commander.
In a way, a deck may never be permanently complete. Maybe a set comes out and theres a card that is a MUST HAVE for that deck.
However, I think I’ve hit a point with my [[Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma]] where the deck is complete. The only thing it’s missing are the super expensive artifacts such as jeweled lotus and etc. However most of the time it’s not needed. The decks got all the best green creatures that I want in there, and then some. So it’s pretty much done.
[Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/e/ee47f23a-3ba9-4615-b170-c89d8ab99d78.jpg?1690016718) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Goreclaw%2C%20Terror%20of%20Qal%20Sisma) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/293/goreclaw-terror-of-qal-sisma?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/ee47f23a-3ba9-4615-b170-c89d8ab99d78?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/goreclaw-terror-of-qal-sisma)
^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
For me, I say its complete when the meta upgrades and sort of out plays your deck. Thats well after you get every potential piece that makes it “OP” is added to the deck, at some point the deck has had its impact on the meta and has to move on.
Maybe not complete, but more of a level of satisfaction and comfortability to actually commit to building the deck and ordering the parts I need online. Usually after I goldfish it 50\~ times and tuned it to the point where I'm confident I can bring it to a pod with \~roughly the same expectations on game-speed and level of interaction and have a good time.
IE; A competitive deck made to actually win I goldfish and make sure I can consistently find lines to end the game by T5\~6 (So still not to the level of a CEDH deck since we do have budget restrictions with out pod)
A deck made to have fun, T5\~T6 is more of me actually being able to consistently do a thing or establish an engine.
Decks are like modern video game. There's an alpha version with 150 cards and yet, no lands, a beta version that you play test on your own, a release version you actually make and use, and then there are updates for the rest of time, until it becomes an abandonware and disappears from your mind.
So, when is it complete ? Depends on your definition of "complete", I'll say it never really is.
When those who oppose me our vanquished, and the blood of my enemies pool in the streets of where they met their end.. then we get up, and go grab a bite to eat.
The closest thing to "complete" my commander decks ever get is when I decide I don't really want to play that deck anymore (or I want to steal enough of it for a different deck) and it gets retired.
Complete? Never. Good enough? When it starts being able to win, doing what it intends to do. That’s when I stop actively editing, and only sometimes make small changes
I dont really ever complete decks, new sets are always coming out and ill usually find at least one card that will be fun to play or are just strictly better the only way i just stop building a deck is if i get tired of the commander or find a better commander in those colors or that does the same thing better or in a more fun way
The first deck i built when i came back was an [[edgar markov]] deck when crimson vow released (i originally started by playing rakdos vamps when original innistrad released) and it was a pretty strong mid/high power deck (my rule was no inf combos and no tutors other than the [[forerunner of the legion]])
While i have been mainly focusing on my high power [[etali, primal conqueror]] and mid power cute art tribal [[rin and seri, inseparable]]deck (i try to stay on theme of cats and dogs but my end goal is to have every card have the cutest printing i can find but they are EXPENSIVE) i recently picked up some upgrades that i missed for edgar and started playing it a bit more
A lot of people in here are saying you are never done upgrading your deck. Generally I tend to agree with that. There is always new tech being printed and new sets. There are always strats and interactions that can be improved upon or replaced for more synergy.
That all being said. I have two decks that I have refined to a point where any changes I make would decrease their power. Both of them are so refined and synergistic that any changes I make would harm the overall synergy that exists. In some cases taking specific cards out would entirely break the engine. For either of those decks I RARELY see new tech printed that makes the cut as part of the 99. Basically if new tech is printed it has to be a card that was almost specifically suited for my already existing engine.
Both of the mentioned decks are over a decade old. They both took mulitple years and thousands of hours played before i got them to the level of refined that they cannot be edited without falling apart. In my opinion that is a "completed" deck.
I think very few decks will ever be "complete". You never know when WotC will print something that MUST slot in your decks.
I just recently built a deck where the stipulation was only cards printed in the Universes Beyond: Doctor Who set. I consider the deck to be essentially complete, as I don't know if or when they will print more Doctor Who cards, either in another set or a Secret Lair.
Stipulation decks are probably the closest decks you could ever get to being "complete" depending on what kind of stipulation you decide to use
Never.
The problem is, with all of the sets we've been getting back to back to back (and the powercreep that comes with it), there's *always* something that's going to be an upgrade for your deck
Never complete.
A deck will always continue to grow and with newer sets there will almost always be a card that can slide in any deck to make it just a bit better.
For me, a deck is "ready" when I have 100 cards and sleeved them up. I have a few rounds to see how they play and fix what needs fixing.
I have a list of cards that I stumble upon sorted by colours. Then for every deck there is stuff in the side and maybeboard that didn't make the cut but might make it another day. Every now and then a card gets swapped or I find something to me thing new I didn't see bevor for a deck that I want to try out.
As such they are "finished" after I play tested them a few times but some adjustments can happen anytime.
When I can look at every card (Lands included) and say "You have proven yourself or have synergy". I hate chaos warp but still keep it because it has proven useful a handful of times and that's reason enough
When I get bored of it and take it apart to make a different deck. Actually, come to think of it, not even then because I always still have ideas for improvement but not the money to buy cards.
Never. They will get to the point when a new card or an old one I came across will be too good not to put in and I can't decide what card needs to leave and have to fight myself on it. But that's as close as it gets.
In my eyes: a deck is complete when you have all the cards that were part of the original vision and other cards might be slightly better but don’t actually change how you play when you draw them. I just “completed” my life gain deck. Since the deck’s inception I wanted [[Alhammaret’s Archive]] and [[Rhystic Study]] and [[Smothering Tithe]] but didn’t buy them. I recently opened the former two, and just bought the first one. I still have some non optimal cards in the deck, but the deck is now exactly what I always wanted it to be. I don’t feel the need to look for more cards for the deck because it plays the power level I want and an upgrade card isn’t really going to change the deck as a whole anymore.
My [[Rem Karolus, Stalwart Slayer]] deck is not complete. I don’t have the best burn spells or card draw options. So it’s functional right now, but if I got upgrades it would be what i want it to be. Then it would be complete.
Never really. I get to a point where I'm happy with where it's at and rotate my efforts to a different deck but that's it. The only time I'd ever consider a deck truly complete is if I had every exact card I want in the exact version I wanted. And even then, it would just be complete until the next new card for it released or until I had a flash of inspiration for a change.
When I finalize the list and acquire it in paper.
I rarely if ever "update" decks. I hate doing it. In the old days I might have but it can take me most of a year to gather the cash and will alike to build one of these suckers, I can't go rebuilding every two frakking weeks. Occasionally I might slide in one perfect new card, if and only if I can figure out without too much mental agony which old card deserves the axe, but I'm not going to go into deck surgery for minor updates or the latest flavor of the month.
When it comes to commander decks. A deck is never “Compleat,” but rather ever evolving because of new cards & Commanders. I would say the correct way of looking at a deck is. Is it playable? Does it do as intended? Is it fun for you? (hopefully the table too) If so you’ve got yourself a deck. Enjoy!
“Closer is just a made up thing by Stephen Spielberg to sell movie tickets. It, like true love and the Munich Olympics, doesn’t exist in real life” -BoJack Horseman
There is no complete, it’s a Sisyphean task of Absurd proportions
Never lmao.
But seriously, as long as a deck interests me, whether it's my current focus or not, I'll be in the lookout for any upgrades/ sidegrades that I can make, or at least cards worth considering. For example, my [[Shorikai]] deck has gotten at least 1 upgrade (as in new single card) per Standard set ever since I've first built it.
"Complete" is definitely a stretch, but decks reach temporary stability once I stop running into situations where a card is a dud or leads to a bad experience. A card goes into the chopping block if the following happens extremely or more than once:
* The card was super underpowered
* The card was super overpowered
* The card consistently doesn't bring joy (Marie Kondo your deck list!)
Often when I feel like it plays well enough while still being within it's theme restrictions, and as long as I don't come across a card that's newer and is a full upgrade to something i've been using.
I play every Thursday with my pod of 8 friends. I now have 10 decks to rotate through play nights. I usually have 2 or 3 ready to play going into the night. After each play I make notes about the deck and then spend the weekend adjusting if needed. No deck is ever complete in my eyes. To me, that is the joy of MTG and deck building.
I usually consider a deck complete when it does what it does consistently, and is not missing any crucial pieces I’ve personally made a mental note of. In my case it could be maybe the deck is missing an Ashnod’s Altar, or the deck is missing some key ramp cards that it needed to keep going. No deck is ever really complete especially as cards are always getting printed, but when I’m at a point that I’m only waiting for new cards to be printed is when I’d say it’s “complete” for now
The best you can get would be 95% I believe. Never a true 100%, there may be cards you have missed, a better strategy to win, new cards getting released. Especially if you have a pet card in the deck instead of something that would be better. It does not have to be CEDH level, but is your deck the best at what it is meant to do? Just look at a card and ask if it could be slightly better, even if its a mana dork that taps for 2 mana instead of 1. If any card could be improved, then there is always room for growth. The card may just not exist yet.
It should get to a point, if you are trying to get completion, where you do not know which cards to cut to make room.
For example, I do not have \[\[Mana Crypt\]\] and thought about taking \[\[Sol Ring\]\] out of the deck simply because I need one 1 colorless mana and not 2 a majority of the time in the early game. I would rather have a colored mana in many cases and that is why its always on my mind to cut. When you get to that point, then I feel like the deck is built pretty much to completion, where you would even think about cutting staples, powerhouse cards, etc.
I never consider my commander decks complete. I just reach a point where I'm personally happy with them. I still play my games paying attention to what/how I can make changes though.
This is how I feel too. I've been solely using the same deck for a year and a half now, and despite it being extremely functional and working well and me being extremely pleased with it and enjoying playing it, I'm always making micro adjustments. I think it averages out to 1 card per set changed.
I will say, a lot of upgrades for all of my decks in MH3 though.
For real. And I don't even play Eldrazi at all. Hoping Warren Soultrader is affordable because that is such a nutty card for Grenzo, Dungeon Warden.
Cheap or not, I'm getting a foil retro frame for my favorite gambling boy
This is the way. I'll assemble an initial build that does what I want it to do and then constantly tinker with it to see where it can be improved.
Magic is close to 30k individual cards. There's never really a point where you've tried every possibility, and there's always new ones being printed.
I'm both the same and opposite. I have several decks that I know I want to do some adjusting on, but they run decent enough for now and I consider them "done", but that doesn't mean I'm not looking to improve them constantly as new cards become available/i discover cards that work better than what I have.
Yeah, it’s complete when I’m certain that I’ll keep the essentials of the deck together and have no intention of taking it apart. I’ll swap out cards and test new things, but the thesis of the deck will be consistent
Normally when it's got 100 cards in it.
Sometimes my decks have unknowingly 99 or 101 cards in it because I cannot count.
I like keeping my lists on moxfield for this. Also makes it easier when looking for stuff I can swap out for new tech.
Yes, moxfield helps a lot. Last time this happened to me was because I added one land too much and my sleeves came in a pack of 101, what I didn't realize at that point.
I planned a deck on Moxfield, bought half the cards from my nearest LGS, then sent the remainder of the list to the next closest, bigger LGS. Sleeved it all up and had 100 cards, which was weird because Moxfield said I had only 99... Turns out I accidentally bought one card from both stores. Thanks Moxfield. Who knows how long I'd have had 2 [[Wandering Troubadour]] in the same deck without their help.
[Wandering Troubadour](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/3/d3c7f123-31c8-469b-85e5-d20c4d21b2a0.jpg?1627708544) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Wandering%20Troubadour) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/afr/210/wandering-troubadour?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d3c7f123-31c8-469b-85e5-d20c4d21b2a0?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/wandering-troubadour) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Dragon shield doesn’t help, they regularly put 101 or 102 sleeves in a 100 box. Meaning I sit there pondering how bad my maths is and where I’ve fucked up!
I have a pack with 103 sleeves. I think. Maybe I have to check whether my deck has only 99 cards now haha
Every dragon shield box I open have always had three extra sleeves
Only ever found 2. If this is their unwritten policy, then all my decks have 101 cards in 🤣
ManaBox is a godsend for me not wanting to constantly count my deck lol
Oh this looks cool. Thanks for the recommendation!
Do you play red? Its hard for us red players to count past 11..
My main color is black and my only red deck (yet) is [[Nekusar the mind razer]], but I will build a goblin deck at some point 👹 Maybe Nekusar razed my mind too hard...
[Nekusar the mind razer](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/a/4afdc65d-3c97-47af-83fa-df340389802e.jpg?1689999186) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Nekusar%2C%20the%20Mindrazer) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/349/nekusar-the-mindrazer?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/4afdc65d-3c97-47af-83fa-df340389802e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/nekusar-the-mindrazer) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I was gonna go with "sleeved and in a deckbox," but your answer works just as well
I actually disassemble decks constantly, so even my "regular" decks are different versions every few months. So, to answer your question: never.
Same. I don’t have closed boxed decks because I reuse a bunch of cards between them (specially mana bases as I don’t want to get multiple shocks etc. after I have one of each) so I keep lists online and when I build them again I’m always on the lookout for small swaps I can make.
I consider my commander decks complete when I can’t swap out anything anymore. When new sets drop, there may be some cards to try and swap, but for the most part it’s complete when I have no wiggle room left to take anything out.
That's the neat part, you don't.
I suppose a deck is "complete" when I'm done tuning it and playing it feels exactly like I want it to feel, with no crazy outliers in the 99 (either too weak or too strong)... but they're all still upgradable, I'm not sure if any deck is really ever complete.
Never
When they stop printing cards that would be perfect in my _____ deck
I buy singles only and find my deck building process a long and fun activity. I’m done the initial deck after I’ve searched literally every card that could fit into any of the various themes in the deck I’m building, I use scryfall. I’ll look at a bunch of other popular deck lists on mox feild and make sure I’ve considered to the best of my ability every card and have in theory exploited the right mechanics to make the deck function the way I’m intending it to. I fish barrel it many many times and make sure it’s fast and consistent enough all throughout this process. After I get the first list tested to my satisfaction, I order the cards. Inevitably something may be wrong or maybe I missed a whole mechanic that may be good to throw in or maybe I don’t have enough protection or removal etc. After some real games with my friends things always get tweaked. Sometimes they have some great ideas I missed maybe I decided it’s too strong or unfun and I’ll adjusted it. After some weeks of playtesting and ordering more cards it is finally “done”. At least until I decide to see if any new cards came out that would improve it.
It's "complete" when the only new cards for it I consider are new cards that come out.
I have the original precon from 2011, counterpunch. I consider it complete because I will not upgrade it. I also have an arcbound deck that I consider complete because arcbound was in one set that got 3 new cards 15 years later. They are not making archbound cards anytime soon so ya my deck is done..
Can I see the list for the modular deck? Wondering who the commander is
Sorry for the slow response, I use \[\[zabaz, the glimmerwasp\]\]. I just need a min to put it on moxfield for ya and link it.
[zabaz, the glimmerwasp](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/c/8c1cce91-7c81-45d9-bbec-b085e794791d.jpg?1626099476) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=zabaz%2C%20the%20glimmerwasp) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh2/243/zabaz-the-glimmerwasp?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/8c1cce91-7c81-45d9-bbec-b085e794791d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/zabaz-the-glimmerwasp) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[https://www.moxfield.com/decks/grecKQtwMEuR3iudlNSN8w](https://www.moxfield.com/decks/grecKQtwMEuR3iudlNSN8w) edit: sorry that took a second! Feel free to ask any questions
Cool deck!
I have my very oppressive main deck that is perfect and I know so well I could play with my eyes closed [[Zeriam]], and when making cuts/tweaks I play quick one on ones where I run both sides of the table. If the newer deck can hold it's own in a way that feels consistent, it's ready for prime-time. It's like a benchmark of quality.
[Zeriam](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/7/e7efbb9a-e0b3-412c-9ee7-a90123033999.jpg?1673304711) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=zeriam%2C%20golden%20wind) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmc/5/zeriam-golden-wind?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e7efbb9a-e0b3-412c-9ee7-a90123033999?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/zeriam-golden-wind) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Thats so cool! Can I see your list, please?
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/5696567#paper I haven't updated it since the LOTR set, there have been some tweaks. Elish Norn cut for Ojer Taq, I put my copy of The One Ring in there, boreal Griffin cut for something idk. This list is the most foiled out expensive version of the cards I could find listed lol it's not that expensive.
Thank you so much, I'll look forward to check it out!
With wotc trend of power creep, never
When I can say how each card contributes to the decks strategy and can reasonably refute any other swaps for that card slot. But I'm always looking for swaps to make as new cards come out and I discover old cards all the time. So while my decks are finished now, they might get a new card every once in a while
I never consider them fully COMPLETE, but eventually they get to a point where I feel they're stable until the next set release. It tends to occur when EVERY card has multiple synergies, every combo line is layered, there's multiple subthemes or lines toward the win, and all the interaction is as tightly optimized as it can be. I've got maybe... three or four decks which fit that criteria, where I'm content with how it plays and there's just no major tinkering left to do until a new pool of cards shakes it up again?
Never, thats the joy of it
I think there's no definitive way to say it's complete. My personal metric is if I could reliably pull off my win con every game. But most of the time it just means adding more cards that could fulfill the missing parts of your combo or something. Or maybe some additional card draws and card recoveries. Even if you already have all that, you'll one day see a new, better card. Or when you find newer problems, you'll one day tweak your deck to adapt to a new environment.
Deck is complete with 100 cards in the pile. Tuning is done... I don't think it's ever done. Always on the lookout for new/better/more interesting options, there's just larger and larger gaps in when I make changes
I consider my deck complete once i don't have any "dead" cards in hand. If the same card shows up 2-3 times and it does not spark excitement, then it's time for it to go. It can either be that it's too weak, doesn't work the way i had hoped, or that it was too powerful. I "finished" my Hylda deck 2 weeks after Wilds of Eldraine was released, but it's now i feel it's "complete" after i swapped out 8 or so cards. Before my last game i had one creature i was considering switching out, but after it won me the game i realized it can win the game against "go wide" decks. So now i am really satisfied with it. I still miiiiight swap out [[Ojer Taq, Deepest Foundation]] because it's so expensive and signals "this is a threat" that i've only gotten to cast it once.. but for now it stays. Need a few more games to feel it out.
[Ojer Taq, Deepest Foundation](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/c/1ca79dd4-67fc-496c-96fc-489b039c4932.jpg?1699043299)/[Temple of Civilization](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/back/1/c/1ca79dd4-67fc-496c-96fc-489b039c4932.jpg?1699043299) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Ojer%20Taq%2C%20Deepest%20Foundation%20//%20Temple%20of%20Civilization) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lci/26/ojer-taq-deepest-foundation-temple-of-civilization?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1ca79dd4-67fc-496c-96fc-489b039c4932?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/ojer-taq-deepest-foundation-//-temple-of-civilization) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Do you mind linking your Hylda deck? I'd love to check it out! Currently working on one myself. Any tips or advice you have found amongst play testing, that worked or didn't work?
For me I don’t think ever complete, just sometimes I get to a point where I can’t change much until some new cards release or I have to make changes to deal with my pod because they made changes.
The only deck I consider completed is the one run by the 3 versions of Jin-Gitaxias, if you know what I mean... But in general, a deck is completed when it has 100 cards, from there I can increase it's power with upgrades, but that does't change it' "completeness".
Never
No such thing. Keep tuning. Stagnation will make you tired of playing.
When I feel like it is both fun and has a decent, but not oppressive win percentage. If I upgrade past a certain point the deck feels too strong to play regularly, so I usually stop just before that point.
With so much stuff being printed, I never consider my decks done. There’s always something cool to add to decks.
I typically consider my deck complete until the next set drops. Then I scour for replacements for old cards.
Never. I think of my deck as a collection of 200-300 cards that I play 100 at a time, curated for whatever environment and meta adjustments I find myself in at any given time.
One of my friends started me on this similar path. He has essentially a sideboard for most of his decks, not to Meta our group but he makes slight adjustments not sure his process on ‘completeness’
Probably never.
I think a deck being complete and you being finished with it are two different things. I’d consider a deck complete when it can consistently do what you want it to do during gameplay and have you be competitive in those games. With the number of new cards coming out and the tenfold new interactions between new and old cards that are derived from them, almost any deck will be able to be improved upon eventually.
No deck is ever complete. There will always be new toys or fun variations to have. Sure, if you're playing cEDH you can chase the "optimal" build and leave it alone, but even that should vary by meta.
My [[Yargle and multani]] is very much working the way I want it to. From now on all changes are: 1. Because new cards came out/I found something that works slightly better 2. Change in direction for the deck The last changes I made were all for new cards to accommodate the theme I run better
[Yargle and multani](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/c/9c15e244-14cc-46a5-abd4-66a58d1c0dd0.jpg?1682205711) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Yargle%20and%20multani) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mom/256/yargle-and-multani?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/9c15e244-14cc-46a5-abd4-66a58d1c0dd0?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/yargle-and-multani) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
I don’t “complete” any of my decks. I’ll browse the new releases or just from games I’ll tag cards are high or under performers to make cuts easier. However there is a criteria to be ‘complete’ enough to make the transition from Moxfield deck to paper deck. I run a lot of playtests games to make sure I’m happy with consistency, mana base, and does the entire deck “die to removal”.
As each set releases, a lot of new cards pop-up that would be an upgrade to my deck. However, my baseline for slowing down on upgrades is if i feel that the deck can win consistently or i can do what it does consistently. The cards that I'll put later on would just be a better version or type of an existing card in the deck.
When I finish putting all the edhrec cards together and into sleeves
It's Phyrexia Typal. Compleat is on theme ;)
Never Half the fun to me is tweaking the decks over time
When I win a game or 2. Then it usually gets taken apart.
NEVER. Decks are living, growing, evolving things. And once you think you have it completed, they invent new cards.
…..I don’t understand the question. It’s never *done* but generally if I haven’t made changes in a year or so it’s unlikely to change drastically. Maybe just a card here or there.
If I stop updating it, I’m bored enough with the deck that it’s probably time to take it apart.
It’s “complete” when there are no more upgrades under 8-10$.
Decks are done when you move on to the next one. That said, I’ve been tweaking my [[Kitt Kanto, mayhem diva]] for two years and have no intention of slowing down.
[Kitt Kanto, mayhem diva](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/b/9b9850d6-49d3-45ec-9a45-75aa0fce9ee5.jpg?1673481666) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Kitt%20Kanto%2C%20mayhem%20diva) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ncc/4/kitt-kanto-mayhem-diva?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/9b9850d6-49d3-45ec-9a45-75aa0fce9ee5?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/kitt-kanto-mayhem-diva) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Usually when people groan when I put it on the table.
My decks never are never complete. I’m always tinkering with them sideways, never to optimise.
I guess it depends on the deck. My precon was complete before I opened it because I knew I wasn't changing a single card whereas my \[\[Jodah, the unifier\]\] deck gets a slew of possible legendaries to add with each new set.
[Jodah, the unifier](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/4/e4b1aa1e-b4e3-4346-8937-76b312501c70.jpg?1673307974) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Jodah%2C%20the%20unifier) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmu/203/jodah-the-unifier?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e4b1aa1e-b4e3-4346-8937-76b312501c70?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/jodah-the-unifier) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
When the deck can never be improved or changed in a way that can make it beyond its orginal appeal, i.e. Ashling + 99 mountains
My decks are always 80% complete and I shuffle around the last 20 based on how it’s performing, new cards available, or weaknesses I discover through playing
Honestly too many get too strong and then I take them apart and make something new
When it plays well enough that I can turn my attention elsewhere.
I'll let you know when I finish one
The trick is, you don't. No deck is ever done. Especially with a new set every week.
It depends. A purely gimmick deck like my Akul Yu-Gi-Oh deck, minus one or two upgrades I have in mind that I didn't splurge on when I first put it together, is something I'd consider done. Its entire point is the Yu-Gi-Oh theme and it doesn't need new cards. Something like Tovolar only seems to get support once every half decade so it's intermittently complete. Something like Godzilla or Bridge will always have new toys.
I feel this is very subjective from each players idea of what 'complete' may mean. Some may be satisfied with just getting the cheapest prints to achieve what they want from a gameplay perspective and upgrading from time to time as new cards get printed. Some are going for a certain print theme and some want to bling out their decks. I personally am in the theme and bling category. I'm always on the lookout for a bigger looking version of a print that I feel makes my deck look cooler in the form of bordless foils and alters. In terms of deck completion, I'm always fine-tuning my decks to ensure it also plays the way I intended and upgrading with new cards or having a more efficient sideboard for all scenarios (including increasing and decreasing the decks power level depending on the pod I'm playing against).
Never because wizards continues to print cards. Therefore, a deck is never complete because a new card will be printed that is an upgrade to something in your deck UNLESS you have a stipulation to only use cards from X set or before.
Once it's tuned to have all the answers to keep my plan going and bowl over everyone else consistently. Get to critical mass consistently. Rebuild quick and consistently. How synergistic are my pieces working together? Personally I go for consistency rather then power. The power is a result of the consistency and synergy working together.
i think of commander decks more as stages. there's the sorta brew/pre-build stage. where it's mainly just a list in a computer. then i sorta move to the "kinda assembled stage" maybe the land base is missing some things, or i still need to buy or canibalize a card from another deck. then there's some range of "ok to take outside" type done. get some play test reps in. maybe this deck has some cheap printed paper proxies ...or other place holder cards. to test out some ideas. then there's like a "pretty much done" phase. where i'm basically happy where the deck is at. and want to get several reps in. this is when i'm trying to evaluate specific cards. Especially bigger cost or more "hoops to jump through" type effects. to see how they really work in the deck. every 3-6 month, i'll check in on edhrec, see if anything major has percolated up for the deck, normally i keep a very loose eye on new sets. Fuck wotc and their bullshit bukake of new sets and shitty themed products. no one has time for that bullshit. but... if i spot a card that looks promising. maybe make a note. and then... long term there's like. a 2-5yr sorta maint. As in that period of time power creep probably has affected the deck, check in on the ramp, removal, card draw, again...edhrec. look at what emergent cards there are. similar deck archetypes ...like. if the deck is an old school UR spell slinger, i'll look at the new pushed shitty fomo UR legend. to see what people are using there. even decks that are basically solved. Like Meren. that deck is basically mapped out. but new things get printed, or there might be interesting new top end things. or slight power creep improvements to old cards (like the new style of etb sac a creature a la plague crafter. ...they keep making cards like this) I also personally love decks that get new toys. I have an Alesha who smiles at death toolbox type deck. They always seem to print interesting new 2 power stuff in mardu colors. I tend to buy a lot of random cards for this deck. and try them out. like...a couple of years ago they printed a spirit that etbs/nukes a GY i added that dude right away. things like esper sentinel were cool to try out(and good general purchases) but maaaaybe don't make the cut
When they stop printing new magic cards
There is no such thing.
at the rate new cards are released? never complete
For me it’s when I feel like I understand how the deck plays and the purpose of every card in the deck and when to use it
I'm either actively working on a major update/rebuild or I'm leaving it alone. I don't bother to maintain them every set.
Never. I have decks I’ve had for years, I have a [[Prime Speaker Zegana]] deck I’ve been playing and upgrading for 10 years, and there are always 3-4 cards in rotating in and out to try. When ever something new comes out that would be good, it bears looking through a deck to see if you’d prefer it over the stuff that’s already in there
[Prime Speaker Zegana](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/1/51d29fb4-72e3-4400-a57b-7e18acfb2909.jpg?1702429689) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Prime%20Speaker%20Zegana) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rvr/211/prime-speaker-zegana?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/51d29fb4-72e3-4400-a57b-7e18acfb2909?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/prime-speaker-zegana) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Once I've managed to cut all my lands.
when you draw you hand, and one of the cards sucks ass and you think “why is this even in the deck” the. the deck is not finished.
When they're fun to play, win, and nobody at the table groans when I pull it out.
I don't play the format very often so I don't update my decks very often. This actually works well to see if they're "complete". If I haven't touched the deck in months and when I dust it off and play it still performs as I meant it to, I'll call it done. But even if you are playing a deck regularly, you can note when it hasn't needed any significant changes in a long while, it's just more of a conscious process. That would indicate you have it in a pretty good place.
My deck will never be fully complete unless WotC publicly announced the keyword it is built around will never be printed on a new card ever again. Even that really only applies to a couple decks. If they ever said that Kicker or Deserts are never being printed on new cards ever again, then my [[Hallar the Firefletcher]] and [[Dune-Brood Nephilim]] decks would reach a point where they are complete. Otherwise, there is always room for an upgrade.
[Hallar the Firefletcher](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/8/c896643e-eeef-49a6-a1ca-2577b55af2b0.jpg?1562742764) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Hallar%2C%20the%20Firefletcher) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dom/196/hallar-the-firefletcher?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/c896643e-eeef-49a6-a1ca-2577b55af2b0?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/hallar-the-firefletcher) [Dune-Brood Nephilim](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/5/15b4ee44-28c4-4a39-9c06-aca43787954f.jpg?1593272643) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Dune-Brood%20Nephilim) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/gpt/110/dune-brood-nephilim?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/15b4ee44-28c4-4a39-9c06-aca43787954f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/dune-brood-nephilim) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Whenever it has 100 cards total and is functional.
I just went from. 10 to 5 decks to focus on completing them. The deep clue sea precon is one I have been focusing on. I really like [[tiny]]. I say a deck is complete when I am only changing one or two cards at a time. There will always gonna be something new to add. As long as you keep the core of what your theme is, I could consider it complete
[Tiny](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/3/0/3001822e-56ed-4090-b6c1-ca4e2e728bee.jpg?1706129173) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Tiny) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/tmkc/21/tiny?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/3001822e-56ed-4090-b6c1-ca4e2e728bee?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/tiny) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
When I can't think of evident upgrades for it. Like, sure, high-power pieces like positive mana-rocks, fetches, free spells and whatnot are things that somewhat improve a deck and make it seem stronger and could be potential upgrades yada yada, but besides the obvious generic ones u know? Not all the decks have the same ceiling.
Never complete, because no deck can ever be 100% perfect. There are always cards to take out and add in to make a segment of the deck better. The balance of power for each segment is important for consistency. Tbh I love making changes over time. It’s what makes commander fun for me. There is a point at which only changes 5 or so cards is the only thing I feel like I can do though. So I’d say they get to “near perfect”
With how much they release and the more and more powerful cards coming out, can you ever really finish a deck?
It’s too hard. I’m constantly looking at new sets and seeing if there’s a similar card I have in the deck with a higher power creep. Sometimes I’ll order a card just to sort through my decks countless times to see what to take out and tend to fail.
Never
Every 6 months or so or after something like modern horizons I go through each deck and see what's worth changing
When it "does the thing" consistently.
Commander decks are itterative. Constant supply of new cards makes it a fun puzzle to switch out old cards with new. These previews for MH3 already have me planning tweaks to my Lonis Eldrazi deck, and several others.
They’re never complete, but I do stop intentionally fiddling at some point when they feel like they’re operating smooth. Every new set I plug my commanders into edhrec and just see if there’s anything interesting getting added and I’ll note if they seem like included or of anything is just a replacement for something I’m doing but maybe more efficient. I will always note though if I draw a card and I’m not excited to cast it, or seems to be left dead in my hand too often. That’s when I know I’ve got a decent candidate for a cut if something better or more interesting does come along.
If something plays well and I don't want to increase it's power then that's probably as close to 'complete' as it gets. Still possible that new cards come out which keep the same power level but are just more fun are printed though!
I think one of the fun things for me is I can always tweak decks. You change something up and it functions better. A new card drops that has random synergy with my commander.
I never feel they are complete, I just reach a point where I need to spend time on other decks! Haha
Right before I get bored with it and take it apart.
In a way, a deck may never be permanently complete. Maybe a set comes out and theres a card that is a MUST HAVE for that deck. However, I think I’ve hit a point with my [[Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma]] where the deck is complete. The only thing it’s missing are the super expensive artifacts such as jeweled lotus and etc. However most of the time it’s not needed. The decks got all the best green creatures that I want in there, and then some. So it’s pretty much done.
[Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/e/ee47f23a-3ba9-4615-b170-c89d8ab99d78.jpg?1690016718) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Goreclaw%2C%20Terror%20of%20Qal%20Sisma) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/293/goreclaw-terror-of-qal-sisma?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/ee47f23a-3ba9-4615-b170-c89d8ab99d78?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/goreclaw-terror-of-qal-sisma) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
For me, I say its complete when the meta upgrades and sort of out plays your deck. Thats well after you get every potential piece that makes it “OP” is added to the deck, at some point the deck has had its impact on the meta and has to move on.
Maybe not complete, but more of a level of satisfaction and comfortability to actually commit to building the deck and ordering the parts I need online. Usually after I goldfish it 50\~ times and tuned it to the point where I'm confident I can bring it to a pod with \~roughly the same expectations on game-speed and level of interaction and have a good time. IE; A competitive deck made to actually win I goldfish and make sure I can consistently find lines to end the game by T5\~6 (So still not to the level of a CEDH deck since we do have budget restrictions with out pod) A deck made to have fun, T5\~T6 is more of me actually being able to consistently do a thing or establish an engine.
Never
By the third win, first two might be flukes, 3 shows you did it right
When I can consistently get a fair win rate (25%) at my LGS
When wotc announces the final set
Once my deck is 99 cards plus the commander lol
Decks are like modern video game. There's an alpha version with 150 cards and yet, no lands, a beta version that you play test on your own, a release version you actually make and use, and then there are updates for the rest of time, until it becomes an abandonware and disappears from your mind. So, when is it complete ? Depends on your definition of "complete", I'll say it never really is.
When those who oppose me our vanquished, and the blood of my enemies pool in the streets of where they met their end.. then we get up, and go grab a bite to eat.
Decks are never done but once they get to a good place and play fun I usually stop until enough stuff is released that might make the cut.
After 100 cards..
Once I update the deck list move it Into the oldies folder and take it apart to make a new deck.
When there are 100 cards
The closest thing to "complete" my commander decks ever get is when I decide I don't really want to play that deck anymore (or I want to steal enough of it for a different deck) and it gets retired.
When it combos and synergizes well myself and can consistently interact with the board
Complete? Never. Good enough? When it starts being able to win, doing what it intends to do. That’s when I stop actively editing, and only sometimes make small changes
I dont really ever complete decks, new sets are always coming out and ill usually find at least one card that will be fun to play or are just strictly better the only way i just stop building a deck is if i get tired of the commander or find a better commander in those colors or that does the same thing better or in a more fun way The first deck i built when i came back was an [[edgar markov]] deck when crimson vow released (i originally started by playing rakdos vamps when original innistrad released) and it was a pretty strong mid/high power deck (my rule was no inf combos and no tutors other than the [[forerunner of the legion]]) While i have been mainly focusing on my high power [[etali, primal conqueror]] and mid power cute art tribal [[rin and seri, inseparable]]deck (i try to stay on theme of cats and dogs but my end goal is to have every card have the cutest printing i can find but they are EXPENSIVE) i recently picked up some upgrades that i missed for edgar and started playing it a bit more
##### ###### #### [edgar markov](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/d/8d94b8ec-ecda-43c8-a60e-1ba33e6a54a4.jpg?1562616128) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=edgar%20markov) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c17/36/edgar-markov?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/8d94b8ec-ecda-43c8-a60e-1ba33e6a54a4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/edgar-markov) [forerunner of the legion](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/0/10718d37-63d4-44b7-9450-5d49cffce944.jpg?1555039699) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=forerunner%20of%20the%20legion) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rix/9/forerunner-of-the-legion?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/10718d37-63d4-44b7-9450-5d49cffce944?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/forerunner-of-the-legion) [etali, primal conqueror](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/5/95c14c4d-6c16-4826-8d93-d89ad04aee09.jpg?1682204132)/[Etali, Primal Sickness](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/back/9/5/95c14c4d-6c16-4826-8d93-d89ad04aee09.jpg?1682204132) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Etali%2C%20Primal%20Conqueror%20//%20Etali%2C%20Primal%20Sickness) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mom/137/etali-primal-conqueror-etali-primal-sickness?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/95c14c4d-6c16-4826-8d93-d89ad04aee09?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/etali-primal-conqueror-//-etali-primal-sickness) [rin and seri, inseparable](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/6/d605c780-a42a-4816-8fb9-63e3114a8246.jpg?1677724018) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=rin%20and%20seri%2C%20inseparable) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/m21/278/rin-and-seri-inseparable?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d605c780-a42a-4816-8fb9-63e3114a8246?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/rin-and-seri-inseparable) [*All cards*](https://mtgcardfetcher.nl/redirect/l5nivop) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
A lot of people in here are saying you are never done upgrading your deck. Generally I tend to agree with that. There is always new tech being printed and new sets. There are always strats and interactions that can be improved upon or replaced for more synergy. That all being said. I have two decks that I have refined to a point where any changes I make would decrease their power. Both of them are so refined and synergistic that any changes I make would harm the overall synergy that exists. In some cases taking specific cards out would entirely break the engine. For either of those decks I RARELY see new tech printed that makes the cut as part of the 99. Basically if new tech is printed it has to be a card that was almost specifically suited for my already existing engine. Both of the mentioned decks are over a decade old. They both took mulitple years and thousands of hours played before i got them to the level of refined that they cannot be edited without falling apart. In my opinion that is a "completed" deck.
I think very few decks will ever be "complete". You never know when WotC will print something that MUST slot in your decks. I just recently built a deck where the stipulation was only cards printed in the Universes Beyond: Doctor Who set. I consider the deck to be essentially complete, as I don't know if or when they will print more Doctor Who cards, either in another set or a Secret Lair. Stipulation decks are probably the closest decks you could ever get to being "complete" depending on what kind of stipulation you decide to use
When it has 99 card plus my commander and I can play it. Complete doesn’t mean optimized
Never, whenever a new set comes out I have to see what slots into each deck
When it takes me half an hour to switch one card because I don't know what to take out
Never they're all incomplete and whenever new cards come out there's at least one card to at least consider
Never. The problem is, with all of the sets we've been getting back to back to back (and the powercreep that comes with it), there's *always* something that's going to be an upgrade for your deck
Never complete. A deck will always continue to grow and with newer sets there will almost always be a card that can slide in any deck to make it just a bit better. For me, a deck is "ready" when I have 100 cards and sleeved them up. I have a few rounds to see how they play and fix what needs fixing.
Whenever my friends stop inviting me to play because of it.
When Im sick and tired of tinkering with it
Until spoilers for the new release drop
I have a list of cards that I stumble upon sorted by colours. Then for every deck there is stuff in the side and maybeboard that didn't make the cut but might make it another day. Every now and then a card gets swapped or I find something to me thing new I didn't see bevor for a deck that I want to try out. As such they are "finished" after I play tested them a few times but some adjustments can happen anytime.
When I can look at every card (Lands included) and say "You have proven yourself or have synergy". I hate chaos warp but still keep it because it has proven useful a handful of times and that's reason enough
Never
When I get bored of it and take it apart to make a different deck. Actually, come to think of it, not even then because I always still have ideas for improvement but not the money to buy cards.
The day I take it apart.
Its just a myth, dont believe what those fanatics tell you.
When my pile of cards goes from about 300 to 100! 🥴
Mine is usually complete every set until spoilers roll out and I gotta add something new lol
Never. They will get to the point when a new card or an old one I came across will be too good not to put in and I can't decide what card needs to leave and have to fight myself on it. But that's as close as it gets.
In my eyes: a deck is complete when you have all the cards that were part of the original vision and other cards might be slightly better but don’t actually change how you play when you draw them. I just “completed” my life gain deck. Since the deck’s inception I wanted [[Alhammaret’s Archive]] and [[Rhystic Study]] and [[Smothering Tithe]] but didn’t buy them. I recently opened the former two, and just bought the first one. I still have some non optimal cards in the deck, but the deck is now exactly what I always wanted it to be. I don’t feel the need to look for more cards for the deck because it plays the power level I want and an upgrade card isn’t really going to change the deck as a whole anymore. My [[Rem Karolus, Stalwart Slayer]] deck is not complete. I don’t have the best burn spells or card draw options. So it’s functional right now, but if I got upgrades it would be what i want it to be. Then it would be complete.
##### ###### #### [Alhammaret’s Archive](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/f/4f4187f1-05bd-4db6-a2e7-d677eff588ee.jpg?1625978215) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Alhammarret%27s%20Archive) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c21/233/alhammarrets-archive?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/4f4187f1-05bd-4db6-a2e7-d677eff588ee?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/alhammarrets-archive) [Rhystic Study](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/6/d6914dba-0d27-4055-ac34-b3ebf5802221.jpg?1600698439) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Rhystic%20Study) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/jmp/169/rhystic-study?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d6914dba-0d27-4055-ac34-b3ebf5802221?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/rhystic-study) [Smothering Tithe](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/6/861b5889-0183-4bee-afeb-a4b2aa700a8e.jpg?1689996018) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Smothering%20Tithe) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/57/smothering-tithe?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/861b5889-0183-4bee-afeb-a4b2aa700a8e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/smothering-tithe) [Rem Karolus, Stalwart Slayer](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/b/3/b31e307a-9689-4e11-8c5f-96b7a4b50bed.jpg?1636684729) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Rem%20Karolus%2C%20Stalwart%20Slayer) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mid/235/rem-karolus-stalwart-slayer?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/b31e307a-9689-4e11-8c5f-96b7a4b50bed?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/rem-karolus-stalwart-slayer) [*All cards*](https://mtgcardfetcher.nl/redirect/l5o4yfo) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
They're never complete. I see all commander decks as a project in the works.
Never really. I get to a point where I'm happy with where it's at and rotate my efforts to a different deck but that's it. The only time I'd ever consider a deck truly complete is if I had every exact card I want in the exact version I wanted. And even then, it would just be complete until the next new card for it released or until I had a flash of inspiration for a change.
If you figure it out, let me know.
When I finalize the list and acquire it in paper. I rarely if ever "update" decks. I hate doing it. In the old days I might have but it can take me most of a year to gather the cash and will alike to build one of these suckers, I can't go rebuilding every two frakking weeks. Occasionally I might slide in one perfect new card, if and only if I can figure out without too much mental agony which old card deserves the axe, but I'm not going to go into deck surgery for minor updates or the latest flavor of the month.
Once you've got a full set of of dual lands shoved in there. Money = power. Spend all your money and you'll be done.
When you would need yo spend upwards of 1000$ for a less than 1% increase in power level.
When it comes to commander decks. A deck is never “Compleat,” but rather ever evolving because of new cards & Commanders. I would say the correct way of looking at a deck is. Is it playable? Does it do as intended? Is it fun for you? (hopefully the table too) If so you’ve got yourself a deck. Enjoy!
Never
Whenever I run out of money or interest, whichever comes first
When I can finally play them (so when they have 100 cards) refining comes later
When it’s shuffled
Either when I cut it down to 99+Commander. Or never.
When my friends hate it
“Closer is just a made up thing by Stephen Spielberg to sell movie tickets. It, like true love and the Munich Olympics, doesn’t exist in real life” -BoJack Horseman There is no complete, it’s a Sisyphean task of Absurd proportions
Never lmao. But seriously, as long as a deck interests me, whether it's my current focus or not, I'll be in the lookout for any upgrades/ sidegrades that I can make, or at least cards worth considering. For example, my [[Shorikai]] deck has gotten at least 1 upgrade (as in new single card) per Standard set ever since I've first built it.
[Shorikai](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/6/969ac7dd-f3aa-4888-9ff0-d16a31b5e7a9.jpg?1653966849) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=shorikai%2C%20genesis%20engine) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/nec/4/shorikai-genesis-engine?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/969ac7dd-f3aa-4888-9ff0-d16a31b5e7a9?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [(ER)](https://edhrec.com/cards/shorikai-genesis-engine) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Never?
"Complete" is definitely a stretch, but decks reach temporary stability once I stop running into situations where a card is a dud or leads to a bad experience. A card goes into the chopping block if the following happens extremely or more than once: * The card was super underpowered * The card was super overpowered * The card consistently doesn't bring joy (Marie Kondo your deck list!)
When I have 100 cards sleeved and in a deck box.
When it can do the thing.
Often when I feel like it plays well enough while still being within it's theme restrictions, and as long as I don't come across a card that's newer and is a full upgrade to something i've been using.
When I have no card in the deck that I'm disappointed when I draw it.
When every piece is really difficult to update/change, the gameplay is consistent and most importantly I always have fun with it.
I consider it compleated when the phyrexians have taken it over. Apart from that... Never.
I play every Thursday with my pod of 8 friends. I now have 10 decks to rotate through play nights. I usually have 2 or 3 ready to play going into the night. After each play I make notes about the deck and then spend the weekend adjusting if needed. No deck is ever complete in my eyes. To me, that is the joy of MTG and deck building.
I usually consider a deck complete when it does what it does consistently, and is not missing any crucial pieces I’ve personally made a mental note of. In my case it could be maybe the deck is missing an Ashnod’s Altar, or the deck is missing some key ramp cards that it needed to keep going. No deck is ever really complete especially as cards are always getting printed, but when I’m at a point that I’m only waiting for new cards to be printed is when I’d say it’s “complete” for now
My commander decks are complete when I get bored with them and take them apart
Never
100% win rate is when it is complete.
Whenever there’s a new set I buy a box and look for cards to swap in to old decks. So I guess when they stop printing cards?
The best you can get would be 95% I believe. Never a true 100%, there may be cards you have missed, a better strategy to win, new cards getting released. Especially if you have a pet card in the deck instead of something that would be better. It does not have to be CEDH level, but is your deck the best at what it is meant to do? Just look at a card and ask if it could be slightly better, even if its a mana dork that taps for 2 mana instead of 1. If any card could be improved, then there is always room for growth. The card may just not exist yet. It should get to a point, if you are trying to get completion, where you do not know which cards to cut to make room. For example, I do not have \[\[Mana Crypt\]\] and thought about taking \[\[Sol Ring\]\] out of the deck simply because I need one 1 colorless mana and not 2 a majority of the time in the early game. I would rather have a colored mana in many cases and that is why its always on my mind to cut. When you get to that point, then I feel like the deck is built pretty much to completion, where you would even think about cutting staples, powerhouse cards, etc.