So. Many. Expansions.

[mandor1784]

So, of course an expansion or two ago I hit the "Uber-Deck of All-Conquering-ness" but kept playing with it. Now, I just think it's untenable, for a number of reasons, most especially because of the depth-dilution (of hitting any specific card in a given game).

I've considered just culling through them all and picking out a certain number of cards (while trying to retain proportions) and make a single, smaller deck only of the cards I really love, but then that really diminishes the point of the expansions. I've also considered keeping proportions and dividing the deck into equally sized sub-decks that each person would have as his or her own each game, but that brings in new issues, not the least of which is card-theft.

What have you done to rectify this? Ideas on how to fix it? Do you care? What are your opinions?

[Solelron]

It really depends how you were mixing.

If you were mixing for the 'uberdeck' (all 2500+ Cards) then just splitting it back up is about the best solution.

If you are talking in regards to fantasy. I really can't answer that. you can adjust the amount of 7 to put in and not include 6..that only leaves you 1-5 plus a few, and the cards added with each set are pretty similar.

I'm actually in process of breaking down my uberdesk and re-purposing it as a reference book (you realize that a full set of cards takes 4 2 inch binders??) and noticing that most of the 2-5 expansions are actually pretty balanced in and of themselves and including them all doesn't offset too much as long as shuffled properly (which is a project you do the day before an event LOL.)

[Nerftw]

Originally Posted by Solelron

as long as shuffled properly (which is a project you do the day before an event LOL.)

That's why automatic card shufflers were invented. Or, I'd assume. I've been meaning to get a cheap one. Has anyone tried that before?

[RevBob]

Originally Posted by Nerftw

That's why automatic card shufflers were invented. Or, I'd assume. I've been meaning to get a cheap one. Has anyone tried that before?

The problem with card shufflers is that they are set up for wider cards, meaning that several cards get thrown off to the side of the deck rather than being mixed in.

I'm a fan of targeted blending - take two sets and any expansions they have, and just mix those. I generally look for compatible mechanics when doing this; Cthulhu and Bites have no common character aspects, but the Powers and Races from Bites mix well with the Classes in Cthulhu. For similar reasons, I want to mix Bites and Super sometime.

As for the Huge Fantasy Deck problem, my solution is to surgically divide the combined 1-5 deck in half (removing a couple of troublesome cards in the process), add a set of boosters and the M6 portal cards to each deck, and...well, I had to get creative with More Good Cards. Since I had two copies on hand, I split one in half and set aside any unique or odd-number cards. I looted the other MGC set and some promos to even up those numbers, then added one of each resulting slightly-over-half expansion to each deck.

I may take some time next week, while the office is closed, and compile an exact list. I've been quite happy with these half-decks so far; each is a little bigger than a regular base set with one expansion, but every set is well represented...so it plays like the complete set. It just shuffles more easily. ;)

[Nerftw]

Originally Posted by RevBob

The problem with card shufflers is that they are set up for wider cards, meaning that several cards get thrown off to the side of the deck rather than being mixed in.

Ah, thanks. Saved me from buying one and being disappointed.

[johndoc]

My wife and I bought all of the expansions last week while on our honeymoon and were overwhelmed when we realized just how many cards there were to shuffle. Being the determined/stubborn people that we are we decided to buy a card shuffler. We picked up the cheap $6 one at Wal-Mart and it works wonderfully. All of our Munchkin cards are pre-19th edition (so they are not the new colored in cards) and the shuffler works wonderfully, but the Munchkin Bites cards are the new colored ones and it doesn't shuffle those very well at all.

PS First time poster, have been playing Munchkin at least once a week, usually 3-6 times in a week for the past 2 months.

[Blu]

Originally Posted by RevBob

As for the Huge Fantasy Deck problem, my solution is to surgically divide the combined 1-5 deck in half (removing a couple of troublesome cards in the process), add a set of boosters and the M6 portal cards to each deck, and...well, I had to get creative with More Good Cards. Since I had two copies on hand, I split one in half and set aside any unique or odd-number cards. I looted the other MGC set and some promos to even up those numbers, then added one of each resulting slightly-over-half expansion to each deck.

This is what I did (thanks the good Rev) and having two seprate fantasy decks is kind of nice, it works great.

[RevBob]

Originally Posted by Blu

This is what I did (thanks the good Rev) and having two seprate fantasy decks is kind of nice, it works great.

Glad to help. It's also nice to have one set to shuffle while you're playing with the other - really cuts down on reset time. :)

[bob2cow]

Originally Posted by mandor1784

So, of course an expansion or two ago I hit the "Uber-Deck of All-Conquering-ness" but kept playing with it. Now, I just think it's untenable, for a number of reasons, most especially because of the depth-dilution (of hitting any specific card in a given game).

I've considered just culling through them all and picking out a certain number of cards (while trying to retain proportions) and make a single, smaller deck only of the cards I really love.

I like this idea. Mabye 300 cards a deck.