The three tiers of deck design

[Paul Carpenter]

As I look at decks, ponder designs and think about things I might try in the future, I wonder what strikes your fancy most? I classify decks 3 ways:


1. Bicycles (or similar standard brands that we all know. The "standard" in everything.)
2. Things like the Fantastique, Arcane, Monarchs. Fancy backs, nice boxes, custom AoS but standard faces with perhaps just coloring differences.
3. Fully custom, with every element changed, like the Artifice, Seasons, Tendril ( ) and the like. All elements are redone, redrawn, recolored.


Seems like the market is very biased towards #2 these days, as that's almost all that comes out of the big names and most of the smaller guys. #3 is a rare beast indeed. Your thoughts and feedback just maaaaay influence some decisions in the future from certain people. Maybe.

[Evan]

Fully custom ftw! 
Fully custom decks are where its at. If I see a deck with a cool back design but standard faces, (cough, cough... skulkor) I am not in any hurry to buy it if I buy it at all. When I see a fully custom deck, I want to buy it so bad and rush to buy it.

I'm also fine with semi custom. I am very pleased with custom court cards put not custom pips.

[digipunk]

I chose #2. I don't really need fancy face design.

[Frost]

I pick #3 for me it makes card collecting worth it and plus it takes playing cards to a whole new level , and as a card flurisher i want to stand out and what better way than with a full custom deck of cards . 

[hazofhorsham]

I like fully custom decks - and I appreciate the work put in, but for me it's variation. What I like is Bicycle Cards (mainly, I have a few others) and whilst the bicycle brand isnt vital - I like to at least have a recognizable signature, fully custom decks have a lot of work and look amazing but they become very stand alone and are sometimes awkward for a collection. If someone brings out a line of fully custom decks they start to become the norm... As in if you were to make a load more decks after Tendril that had similar faces and similar backs (the asymmetical symmetry, dark and colorful thing) all that would happen is after a few decks we'd be like - ah it's just another Encarded deck, variation. So yeah, variation - #2

[moonexe]

Full custom all the way. But as stated above, don't make your custom courts become standard. Variation is the key.
I love Artifice court cards but I don't like the Infinity ones nearly as much. They're basically the same. Don't make that mistake.

[loldudex2]

I prefer number three as way. If you don't go all the way, then why even sell it. Eh not finish what you started. This is just how I feel about it, and that is why decks like Tendril and Vortex have gone so far!

[NathanCanadas]

I prefer #3, but sometimes, I would rather have 2 #2s than 1 #3, seing as 2 #2s are worth the price of 1 #3 and last twice as long. However I really strongly support the fact that we should have more #3 decks.

[Paul Carpenter]

For the record, I do like #3 (duh) but also do very much like a lot of the #2 decks that I have.

I agree that going full custom and then just doing variations on that original is lame, and not really something I personally plan on doing. If you are going to go full custom, then step out and do something really new each time. My next one will follow that path, though maybe someday I'll focus on a really interesting back and keep traditional faces as a Bicycle branded deck. Who know?

[Kanped]

I've seen a few comments about how companies are favouring #2 'these days'... didn't they ALWAYS have more of that kind of deck?

Personally, I like a lot of standard decks but for me it's that or full custom.  I'm not a fan of half-custom decks at all (with some exceptions; V6, Hornets... probably others).

[Emmanuel]

There are a lot of #2 decks in my collection, but #3 is where my heart is at.

[dmbaggs]

I'm a fan of #3 obviously but a well done version of #2 can be awesome as well. I love the Fantastique deck! I think it's a great deck and the recolored court cards are great! The same goes with the Mana deck. So I would lean towards #3 but #2 isn't always horrible.

I'm a big fan of "redesigned" Bicycle decks. Where it is essentially a Bicycle deck but it's been redesigned to fit a theme or something. If that makes sense.

[Lara Krystle "Lane"]

I chose #2 because it said, Buy and Use. I use the number 2s because my preferred decks are the pastels and I love the colors and the quality is also really good.

I love Full Custom Decks, but I would not really use them, but collect them.

[kensei777]

Seems like the market is very biased towards #2 these days, as that's almost all that comes out of the big names and most of the smaller guys.

I chose #2. Well IMO, the most likely reasons why #2's are more popular are the price tag and the availability. I mean sure if you can afford to buy a brick of fully custom cards, the next problem you're going to have to face would be that they're not there forever so it kind of makes you think twice about using them.
If the big names would, however, print more than a 10k run of a fully custom deck and keep it in production then I wouldn't hesitate at all.
Unless that happens, then I'm sticking with #2 or go with the ever so popular Tallys. 

[moonexe]

If the big names would, however, print more than a 10k run of a fully custom deck and keep it in production

You mean like Artifice and Infinity?

[Don Boyer]

I love all three levels of design.  Who doesn't enjoy cracking open a brand new deck, even if it's Tally Ho or Bikes?


There are many decks in my collection of all three tiers.  But I have to admit that the ones that tend to stand out the most in my mind are the full-custom jobs.


I think that the collector end of the market, judging from comments I've read around here, is actually biased AGAINST "semi-custom" and leans more toward custom.  But custom is far more labor-intensive to create and more expensive for the designer.  It makes it hard to put out a "labor of love" custom deck but have people bash it for costing too much.  So designers would naturally lean towards releasing a less time-consuming semi-custom.


Then there's also the nostalgia effect.  White Arrcos are practically identical to the black ones, with reversed white and black on the back.  But people love them.  It's nostalgia, it's handling, it doesn't need to be a full custom to be well-received by the market.


Semi-customs can do well if they have an exceptional design in addition to premium handling and stock/finish.

[digipunk]

I love all three levels of design.  Who doesn't enjoy cracking open a brand new deck, even if it's Tally Ho or Bikes?

You sound like a politician 

[Don Boyer]

I love all three levels of design.  Who doesn't enjoy cracking open a brand new deck, even if it's Tally Ho or Bikes?

You sound like a politician 

But an honest one!

I'm just good at seeing more than one side of things.

[RandyButterfield]

Definitely #3 for me. Fully custom cards are what opened my eyes to this unique and fun world of playing card collecting!

thanks, Randy

[kensei777]

If the big names would, however, print more than a 10k run of a fully custom deck and keep it in production

You mean like Artifice and Infinity?

Touchè 
But I really hope that there will be more than that. I know it's hard since independent designers doesn't have unlimitied funds. Much like what Don said, if independent designers do have the funding for it then we'd all be enjoying more fully custom decks out on the market.

[Don Boyer]

If the big names would, however, print more than a 10k run of a fully custom deck and keep it in production

You mean like Artifice and Infinity?

Touchè 
But I really hope that there will be more than that. I know it's hard since independent designers doesn't have unlimitied funds. Much like what Don said, if independent designers do have the funding for it then we'd all be enjoying more fully custom decks out on the market.

That end of the market will end up costing a bit more, particularly when looking at four-color fronts and backs.  Even if a designer is able to realize a gorgeous full-custom deck, get used to the idea that it may cost a bit more than a semi-custom (and way more than a basic deck)!

The trends I want to see end are spending more focus on designing the box rather than the cards, and "version 2" releases that only have a fancier box.  A pretty box is nice, but it's the contents of the box most of us actually give a crap about in the end.  Unless someone invents tuck box flourishing, naturally...    Then perhaps De'vo would just release the boxes instead of the cards for his April Fools' deck that no one's allowed to see!  Not that he is or isn't planning to do that anyway...

[digipunk]

I love all three levels of design.  Who doesn't enjoy cracking open a brand new deck, even if it's Tally Ho or Bikes?

You sound like a politician 

But an honest one!
I'm just good at seeing more than one side of things.

Now I am 100% sure you are a politician. 

[Don Boyer]

I love all three levels of design.  Who doesn't enjoy cracking open a brand new deck, even if it's Tally Ho or Bikes?

You sound like a politician 

But an honest one!
I'm just good at seeing more than one side of things.

Now I am 100% sure you are a politician. 

I'm really more of a negotiator...