u/AnimeTiddyExpertAya

This is a follow-up to a previous post.

I gave every card in a 52 card Poker deck simple effects and easy to remember stats. This way, anyone with two Poker decks (literal cents) can play this game without the need of sleeves. You only have to remember 13 effects to play and teach Weiß Schwarz.

My design philosophies:

1. Simple effects. Level 0s, 1s and 2s all have 2 effects and Lever 3s (your wincons) have 3 effects. Climaxes (called A/X for Ace/Ten) have the 2 most common triggers/effects.
2. Card number must equal to card power/level (3 has 3 Power, ez to remember). Power increments not in halfs (easy to keep track of with dice).
3. The deck is designed to only be played against itself and effects are balanced around that.
4. Some cards are supposed to be better than other cards. Good draws must still feel exciting.
5. Choices must matter. The better player has to win slightly more often but not too much or else the game will feel unfun for worse players.
6. Effects with costs are optional, effects without are mandatory.
7. Effects must be keywordable and short enough to fit the card as if you were to write the effects on the card, so people can bring little printouts of the effects to remember.

A few Rule 0s:

1. Before the game starts, you get to remove any two characters from your deck to get to 50 cards. I wanted to use this to make decks a bit adjustable to one's playstyle.

2. No colour requirements.

3. ON PLAY and ON DEATH happen at the same time.

4. Looking from Surveil, Observe and Direct put cards in a private zone that is still part of your Deck (during the effect, the Deck size is still the same until it fully resolves).

5. You may fail Searches.

That said, I am not good at the game. I don't know how to balance cards. I don't know what makes a good game a good game. I don't know the PSCT of this card game. So I'd appreciate any kind of feedback.

I've tested this idea many times with many different people and this is what I ended on:
(A/X means Climax, 0/0-1 = Level/Cost-Soul)
(Short version in bold is followed by full text)

A
A/X - Comeback Trigger
CONT +1 Power & +1 Soul.

Full Text: While this card is in your A/X Area, Characters you control have +1 Power and +1 Soul.
If this card is Triggered: Add 1 Character from your Waiting Room to your Hand.

2
Character 0/0-1 Power: 2
CONT Q has +2 Power.
REST [P1] or [D1] Brainstorm 5/1.

Full Text: While this card is on the Field, Characters with 'Q' in their name on your Field have +2 Power.
During your Main Phase: You may either Pay 1 Stock or Discard 1 card from your Hand, and Rest this card; reveal the top 5 cards of your Deck (they are treated as in the Resolution Zone while revealed) and put them into your Waiting Room, then Draw 1 card for each A/X among the revealed cards.

3
Character 0/0-1 Power: 3
ON HAND PLAY [P1 & D1] Deck Search 1 Character.
ON DEATH Surveil 1.

Full Text: If this card is put into Play from your Hand: You may Pay 1 Stock and Discard 1 card from your Hand; Search your Deck for 1 Character, then reveal it, put it into your Hand and shuffle your Deck.
If this card is sent from the Field to the Waiting Room: Look at the top card of your Deck, then you may either put it into your Waiting Room or on top of your Deck.

4
Character 0/0-1 Power: 4
A/X PHASE Opp plays A/X, put this at Deck Bottom.
ON DEATH [P1 & put this at Deck Bottom] Salvage 1 Character.

Full Text: During your opponent's A/X Phase, if an opponent puts an A/X into Play: Put this card at the bottom of your Deck.
If this card is sent from the Field to the Waiting Room: You may Pay 1 Stock and put this card from your Waiting Room to the bottom of your Deck; add 1 Character from your Waiting Room to your Hand.

5
Character 0/0-1 Power: 5
ON PLAY Observe 1.
ON REVERSE Reverse this.

Full Text: If this card is put into Play: Look at the top card of your Deck, then put it on top of your Deck.
If this card Reverses a Character by Attacking it: Reverse this card.

6
Character 1/1-1 Power: 6
FRONT ASSIST +1 Power.
REST [D1] Draw 1.

Full Text: While this card is in the Back Stage, Characters in front of this card have +1 Power.
During your Main Phase: You may Discard 1 card from your Hand, and Rest this card; Draw 1 card.

7
Character 1/0-1 Power: 7
CONT +1 Power while A/X in own A/X Area.
ON REVERSE A/XC (X) Deck Search 1 Character.

Full Text: While an A/X is in your A/X Area, this card has +1 Power.
While 'X' is in your A/X Area, if this card Reverses a Character by Attacking it: Search your Deck for 1 Character, then reveal it, put it into your Hand and shuffle your Deck.

8
Character 2/1-1 Power: 8 - Soul Trigger
BACKUP [P1] +2 Power.
A/X PHASE A/XC (A) [P1 & D1] Change into J from Waiting Room & give J +1 Power.

Full Text: During your opponent's turn, if an opponent declares a Frontal Attack while this card is in your Hand, and your Level is 2 or higher: You may Pay 1 Stock; Discard this card from your Hand, then target 1 Character you control; it gains +2 Power until the end of this turn.
During your A/X Phase, while 'A' is in your A/X Area: You may Pay 1 Stock and Discard 1 card from your Hand; put 1 'J' from your Waiting Room as Standing on the Zone this card is on (this card is put into your Waiting Room), then it gains +1 Power (permanently).
If this card is Triggered: The Attacking Character gains +1 Soul until the end of this turn.

9
Character 2/1-1 Power: 9 - Soul Trigger
CONT +1 Power per Character in own Back Stage.
CONT OWN TURN +1 Power per Character in own Back Stage.

Full Text: While this card is on the Field, it has +1 Power for each Character in your Back Stage.
During your turn, while this card is on the Field, it has +1 Power for each Character in your Back Stage.
(both effects can be active at the same time)
If this card is Triggered: The Attacking Character gains +1 Soul until the end of this turn.

X
A/X - Gate/Soul Trigger
CONT +1 Power & +1 Soul.

Full Text: While this card is in your A/X Area, Characters you control have +1 Power and +1 Soul.
If this card is Triggered: Add 1 A/X from your Waiting Room to your Hand.
If this card is Triggered: The Attacking Character gains +1 Soul until the end of this turn.
(both effects are activated at the same time, you may choose the order)

J
Character 3/2-2 Power: 10 - Soul Trigger
CONT +1 Power while 8 in own Waiting Room.
ON PLAY Heal 1.
ON HAND PLAY Blindstock 1.

Full Text: While '8' is in your Waiting Room, this card has +1 Power while on the Field.
If this card is put into Play: Put the top card of your Life into the Waiting Room.
If this card is put into Play from your Hand: Put the top card of your Deck into the Stock (the card remains face-down and unrevealed to all players during this effect).
(both effects can be activated at the same time, you may choose the order)
If this card is Triggered: The Attacking Character gains +1 Soul until the end of this turn.

Q
Character 3/2-2 Power: 10 - Soul Trigger
CONT +1 Power per Lv0 in own Back Stage.
ON PLAY Heal 1.
ON REVERSE [D2] Restand.

Full Text: While this card is on the Field, it has +1 Power for each Level 0 Character in your Back Stage.
If this card is put into Play: Put the top card of your Life into the Waiting Room.
If this card Reverses a Character by Attacking it: You may Discard 2 cards from your Hand; Stand this card (it may attack again during this Battle Phase).
If this card is Triggered: The Attacking Character gains +1 Soul until the end of this turn.

K
Character 3/2-2 Power: 10 - Soul Trigger
CONT +3 Power while 3+ A/X in own Waiting Room.
ON PLAY Direct 2/1.
ON ATTACK A/XC (A) [P1] or [D1] Burn 1.

Full Text: While 3 or more A/X are in your Waiting Room, this card has +3 Power while on the Field.
If this card is put into Play: Look at the top 2 cards of your Deck, then add 1 card among them to your Hand, and put the rest at the bottom of your Deck in any order.
While 'A' is in your A/X Area, if you declare an Attack with this card: You may either Pay 1 Stock or Discard 1 card from your Hand; deal 1 Effect Damage to your opponent (this effect happens before this card's Attack).
If this card is Triggered: The Attacking Character gains +1 Soul until the end of this turn.

Jumpstart is a MTG mini format where you get two 20 card half-decks, shuffle them up and start playing. These half-decks come in various themes from a huge pool of MTG's strategies and cards. Non-constructed Pokémon play is a bit challenging to make feel balanced. I made 8 themes under certain restrictions (no more than 2 of the same name, no multi-prizers or ace specs, every deck has to include certain generic cards, cards must all be accessible/cheap etc.) I'm planning to make more and host mini tournaments at my local game store.

Feel free to try them out, post your own themes and give me feedback!

You can also suggest a theme/card for me to build something around.