The *Extra* Deck in Card Games

[3XXXDDD]

Should there exist *Extra Decks* in CCGs? Extra Decks are decks you can play cards from by some interaction of the cards you draw (which are drawn from your main deck). A current example is the Extra Deck in YGO which uses Fusions/Synchros/Xyzs or another example would be any game with a *Summoner* class character who has the ability to call cards from the deck.

Do Extra Decks go against the general idea of CCGs being compact? Should everything in your own deck, be only in your own one deck and not require any necessary cards?

[Malagar]

short answer: im against extra decks.

but my vision of ccgs is somewhat strict, so this might not be a objective point of view. i cant even explain properly, i just dont like handling 2+ decks during a match, in my eyes it makes no sense to divide "event cards" from "creature cards" or have "spoils" deck or split your deck in several decks.

[Kevashim]

Obvious counterpoint, L5R. A game that makes very good use of a 2 deck system with no significant causes of delay in a game.

[DavidChaos]

To make another counterpoint, my game uses a 2-deck system; one deck you draw from, and one deck you play straight from the top of every turn to get your resources out.

It really depends on the game, I think, as to whether an Extra Deck is good or bad.  In the example of Yu-Gi-Oh, I think use of the Extra Deck got a bit overboard.  In other games, the Extra Deck is used in harmony with the normal deck.

[Turonik]

Obvious counterpoint, L5R. A game that makes very good use of a 2 deck system with no significant causes of delay in a game.

I beleive he meant like sideboards/ side decks like in magic, yugi-oh, and WoW. L5r's "2 decks" equal out into one play deck since one has your personalities and holdings(creatures and land) and the other has your strategy cards( spells and instants and equipment.)

[Dan55]

I don't think there's anything wrong with multiple decks, specially if there is a game mechanic that makes them work smoothly.  However, I personally prefer a "pure" style of ccg, where everything is contained in the one deck.

[3XXXDDD]

Obvious counterpoint, L5R. A game that makes very good use of a 2 deck system with no significant causes of delay in a game.

I beleive he meant like sideboards/ side decks like in magic, yugi-oh, and WoW. L5r's "2 decks" equal out into one play deck since one has your personalities and holdings(creatures and land) and the other has your strategy cards( spells and instants and equipment.)

Actually, no I meant both active in the same game. However with the L5R point is one deck something close to energy/mana/X Resource and the other deck closer to your Characters that actually do something?

[Kevashim]

Not really, L5R has a deck full of what are effectively "spells" and the other full of "creatures" and "lands" to throw MtG terminology at it. It's a bit more complicated but essentially it boils down to that. You place 4 cards in front of you from one deck at the start of a turn and flip them face up, these are your available "land/creature" buys for the turn. You have a hand of "spells" drawn from the other deck to perform actions at various stages in your turn and your opponents turn.

[yudencow]

This game has a very fun 2 equal deck system. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire:_The_Eternal_Struggle