deckthinning

Deckthinning is a strategic concept in collectible card games and other TCGs that refers to the practice of constructing a deck with the minimum possible number of cards allowed by the game's rules. The primary goal of deckthinning is to increase the consistency and efficiency of a player's deck. By reducing the total card count, players aim to draw their most powerful or essential cards more frequently.

The core principle behind deckthinning is probability. A smaller deck means that each individual card has a higher chance of being drawn at any given time. This is particularly important for combo decks, which rely on assembling specific combinations of cards to achieve victory. For such decks, drawing the right cards at the right time is crucial, and a thinner deck significantly improves the odds of this occurring.

While the minimum deck size is often 40 or 60 cards depending on the game, players might choose to run slightly more than the absolute minimum if certain cards are less impactful or if there are strategic reasons to diversify the deck's draw pool. However, the general philosophy remains to keep the deck as lean as possible without sacrificing necessary utility or power. This strategy requires careful consideration of card advantage, mana curves, and the overall game plan to ensure that thinning the deck does not also thin out essential resources or answers.