Making a good deck from multiple expansions-any ideas?

[jandz]

We have a TON of expansions added into our base game. (apocalypse, dragons, Easter, cheat with both hands, deranged, dungeons, super, Halloween). Wondering if there is any advice on how to make sure things stay balanced and distributed. Just played for 2 hours with no wandering monsters... (Yes, we shuffled!). But had to take out 50% of class/races. Took out monsters under level 4 to keep it interesting. New to this, so wondering if folks have ideas for us of what they have done? What have others taken out or reduced numbers of? What makes for interesting game play? Don't want to feel like see same card all the time, nor never see our favorites...

Thanks!

[ThisisDog]

I play with everything in my sig, plus every released booster and a lot of promo cards, in one big game - obviously not with every card in every game, there's about 5,000 cards there, but with all sets constantly mixed into one big set, and I have very few problems as to what you describe.

Wandering Monsters are a rarity, but I like it that way, they aren't too over saturated and getting one feels like a real tactical advantage. I haven't removed anything from the game (besides Portals and Seal Openers, as we don't always play with these mechanics), but I have added via blank cards more half breeds, as they are grossly outnumbered by Super Munchkins. Everything that might be an alternative to a Race, or Class, is consolidated into the appropriate category for simplification, such as Birthrights, Factions, Mojos, Loyalties, Accents, and the Hipster and Princess cards. I'm currently in the process of adding more of some of the under-represented ones (such as Barbarian and Hipster, that have been favourites when drawn). You could do the same with Wandering Monsters, or simply buy another used base set online, and cherry pick what you wish from it.

The main problem we had was with weapons having usage restrictions, and none of them ever being usable, so I (somewhat upsettingly for some players I fully understand) have written on the cards other Races and Classes that should logically also be able to use them (the example I always give is Star Munchkin's Tail Gun, which is only usable by Felines, but could also be used by Centaurs and Lizard Guys, because they also have tails). If you don't want to mark your cards, then another rule we use is that if you can convince the table that you should be able to use an item, then it goes, which caused a debate at our table recently over whether Alchemists are Wizards.

Hope you have fun with it, that's all that really matters. Every game I get into I have to tinker with, it drives my wife mad!