Intro

Hello! This article is my attempt at creating a helpful structure for maintaining a large collection of decks. I hope to help others, including myself, track, update, and build new and existing decks without becoming overwhelmed.

tldr; Categorize your decks into differing states, then create a time plan to maintain them. Use a tool like Notion to track the decks, their states, and any updates needed. Focus on quick updates for polished decks and deeper reworks for those that need more attention.

Tracking

You'll need a place to track everything. Don't just keep it in headspace, as that can lead to forgetting about decks or losing track of what needs to be done. Instead, use a tool that allows you to easily categorize, update, and track your decks. Use a spreadsheet, Notion, or any other tool that works for you. Some of the items I suggest tracking include:

• Deck Name
• Last Updated Date
• Commander(s)
• Category (e.g., Precon, Polished, Needs Work, New Deck)
• Short Description (Abzan Sac, Mono-Red Aggro, etc.)
• Colors

Some items that aren't necessary but could be helpful if you want to go deeper:

• Bracket Number
• Updates (List of card changes)
• Link to Decklist (Moxfield, Archidekt, etc.)
• Deep Description (The Plan, Key Cards, Combos, etc.)
• Notes (Helpful notes to decide on changes, or what to look for)

Really it's "the more the merrier" over here. The more you track, the easier it will be to maintain your decks. The key is to find a balance between tracking enough to be helpful and not so much that it becomes overwhelming. Remember to stick with it! As soon as you start making updates, or building new decks, it's very easy to forget to track them. So, make it a habit to update your tracking tool whenever you make changes or build new decks.

Categorizing Decks

Before deciding how to maintain you decks, you'll want to categorize them. Categories should relate to the decks state and how much work it needs. Here are some examples:

• Precon - Does not need maintenance, ever.
• Precon of Theseus - Deck is largely precon, but you allow a specific number of card swaps. Usually 10 in, 10 out.
• Polished - Deck is in a good state, but could use a few card swaps. Usually 1-5 cards, and only when a new set comes out.
• Needs Work - This category is for decks that need a rework, refocus, or an upgrade.
• New Deck - This is a deck that you want to build, but haven't started yet.

Maintenance Plan

Now that each of your decks have a category, you can start to think about how to maintain them. The goal is to keep the decks fresh, fun, and relevant without overwhelming yourself with constant upkeep.

Create a plan for how often you'll update each category of deck. Keep in mind the amount of time you have available. Obviously if you have more free-time you can jam through these fairly quickly. Here's a suggested cadence:

• Precon: No updates needed, but check in once every 6 months to decide if you'd like to upgrade it, or take it in another direction. Or to possibly upgrade it to a Precon of Theseus. Most precons tend to have a slight secondary focus, so you can swap out cards to make it more focused.
• Precon of Theseus/Polished: Update these decks whenever a new set comes out. If these decks are already in a good state, spend about an hour or two swapping out cards.
• Needs Work/New Deck: Spend about 3 weeks on these decks. Alternating between reworking a deck and building a new deck should help that "new deck itch" while also keeping your existing decks fresh. That should be enough time to weed out any issues and get plenty of playtesting in to upgrade the state to Polished.

Now, figuring out timelines can be very difficult. This is where tracking the "last update" date comes in handy. In addition to tracking decks in a spreadsheet, you should also use a board or kanban system to visualize the state of each deck. This way, when you find that you have time, you can easily see which is the next deck to work on.

For every 5 Polish decks you've updated, you can then focus on a Needs Work/New deck.

New Sets

As a strategy to make your life easier, you'll want to have a plan for new sets. In whichever tool you use to track your decks, create a section for new sets. Call it "New Considerations" or something along those lines.

This will create a clear list of cards that you may want to add to a deck. Not only will this help you figure out which cards you'll actually use, but buying singles instead of packs will save you $$$$.

Cutting Decks

Now, personally I like to "justify" a decks existence to prevent myself from creating decks that essentially do the same thing, or have the same strategy. To vet a new deck, I like to ask myself three questions:

1. Is this deck unique? - Meaning that any single deck shouldn't share more than 20 non-land cards with any other deck.
2. Does this deck do something different? - I don't need multiple Blink, Sacrifice, or Aggro decks unless their putting a unique spin on the strategy. (Rackdos Sacrifice vs. Abzan Sacrifice - Rakdos forces opponents to sacrifice via forced combat, or token creation while Abzan focuses on Myrkul turning my sacrificed creatures into enchantments)
3. Is the deck fun? - Sure I want to branch out of my comfort zone and try other color combos, but if the deck isn't fun for me to play, then what's the point?

Outro

I hope this article helps you maintain your decks and keep them fresh. Remember to track your decks, categorize them, and create a maintenance plan that works for you. Don't be afraid to cut decks that don't meet your criteria, and always be on the lookout for new cards that can improve your existing decks. Happy deck building!