TCG Card Shop Simulator Deck Building Guide
The rules of a legal deck
| Deck size | Exactly 50 cards |
|---|---|
| Where you build | Workbench → interact with the tabletop → Deck Edit |
| Workbench unlock | $1,000 in MY DIY at shop level 10; the developer's 1.0 note says the rulebook and deck editor come online around shop level 7 onward |
| Sharing | Copy your deck to a text list and paste a friend's list back in |
| Cosmetics | Deck box and playmat choices are limited to the licenses you have already bought |
The ratio that actually matters
Deck building here has one hard constraint and everything else follows from it: an evolution card cannot be played onto an empty board. It has to go on top of its matching Basic. A deck stuffed with the highest elemental numbers is usually a deck of evolutions, and it draws dead.
| Slot | Copies | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Core Basic line | 4 copies | You cannot place an evolution onto an empty board, so the opening hand has to contain a Basic or the turn is dead. |
| First evolution | 1-2 copies | Two is enough. Three or more and you draw evolutions with nothing underneath them. |
| Second / third evolution | 1 copy each | These only matter once the line is already on the board. |
| Standalone strong Basics | 4 copies | Cards with no evolution line hit harder than a bare Basic and keep early turns from being wasted. |
Sort the editor by type before you start adding. It groups evolution lines together, so you can see the whole chain — Basic, first evolution, second — and pick the line whose Play Effects you actually want.
Reading Play Effects
Every card carries a one-line Play Effect that fires the turn it is placed or evolved. Draw effects and discard-to-search effects are what refill a stalled hand; raw power on a card with no effect is worth less than it looks. When two cards of the same element have similar numbers, the effect is the tiebreaker.
Elements and the shop economy
Elements do double duty. In a duel they are the four damage columns on every card. Out of the duel they are what your play table events move: each elemental Cup lifts one element's market price and pushes another down.
| Element | Market effect when you run its Cup |
|---|---|
| Fire | Fire Cup lifts Fire prices and pushes Earth down |
| Earth | Earth Cup lifts Earth and pushes Water down |
| Water | Water Cup lifts Water and pushes Wind down |
| Wind | Wind Cup lifts Wind and pushes Fire down |
Pre-built battle decks (the ones you sell)
These are stock, not player decks — you cannot open them, only shelve them. They are worth knowing because they are steady mid-game revenue and each one is gated behind its own license.
| Deck | Shop level | License cost |
|---|---|---|
| Fire Battle Deck | 9 | $1,000 |
| Earth Battle Deck | 14 | $1,000 |
| Water Battle Deck | 17 | $1,000 |
| Wind Battle Deck | 22 | $1,000 |
| Fire Destiny Deck | 33 | $5,000 |
| Water Destiny Deck | 39 | $5,000 |
| Earth Destiny Deck | 45 | $5,000 |
| Wind Destiny Deck | 50 | $5,000 |
A box holds 18 decks; a shelf compartment holds 9, a small cabinet 12, a wide shelf 15.
Four mistakes that cost matches
- Stacking the highest elemental numbers with no regard for stage. A 50-card pile of evolutions draws dead.
- Building one pure element. Each card carries a value in all four elements, so a narrow build throws away damage rather than concentrating it.
- Ignoring Play Effects. Draw and discard effects are what turn a stalled board back into a hand.
- Selling your last copy of a card you want in the deck. Once it leaves the shop it leaves the binder too.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards are in a deck?
Exactly 50. The editor will not let you start a match with more or fewer.
Where do I build a deck?
At the Workbench. Interact with the tabletop and choose Deck Edit. The Workbench costs $1,000 from MY DIY and unlocks at shop level 10.
Why does my deck keep drawing unplayable cards?
Too many evolutions. An evolution card can only be placed on top of its matching Basic that is already on the board, so a hand of evolutions with no Basic does nothing. Four Basics for every one or two evolutions is the working ratio.
Can I share a deck with a friend?
Yes. Version 1.0 added deck copy and paste — export your deck as a text list, send it, and they paste it back into the editor.
Deck data checked: