all right, WTF @ deckbuilding

[Norm4eva]

I've just never been much of a deckbuilder.  I'm not a strict netdecker, but I cannot for the life of me come up with something original that works.

I don't mean original as in like.... like what The Deck was to deck design, I'm not looking to break into exciting new territory.  But just once, I'd like to be able to look at a metagame and look at the cardpool and go, "Oh, I know how to foil this."

Some of us are admittedly better pilots than mechanics; a question to the mechanics, then - those of you who may or may not have contributed an actual list to the format but who can do exactly what I don't seem to be able to do... what's the secret here?

[T00L]

Being a good deckbuilder is actually a gift from god. I can't build a deck to save my life in any format. Hence why I get all my decks from Brassman

[Webster]

Compromise by breaking the metagame. It's more efficient.

Breaking the format requires killing off too many brain cells; and no, I'm not joking.

Baby steps.

[Anusien]

Everytime I've scouted the metagame, I've basically ended up with "shit, it's a little bit of everything, with only slightly more X or Y".  When the number of opponents you play is a large proportion of the size of the turnout (most tournaments smaller than a PTQ), it's hard to really get a handle on a metagame.

[Webster]

Everytime I've scouted the metagame, I've basically ended up with "shit, it's a little bit of everything, with only slightly more X or Y".  When the number of opponents you play is a large proportion of the size of the turnout (most tournaments smaller than a PTQ), it's hard to really get a handle on a metagame.

For large tournaments, if you test well enough with the proper people, you'll be able to figure out what you need to play.

For small local tournaments, you should know what everyone will be likely to play, and thus, plan accordingly.

For small non-local tournaments, you just need to play the best deck and hope.

[TopSecret]

Disclaimer: The below specifically addresses Vintage, though it may have some significance for some other formats.

If you are trying to find out how to make the best deck, without regard to the metagame,
look at the card pool,
find the cards with the most raw power,
find the cards that most efficiently enable and/or protect the powerful cards,
and then build the deck that can most efficiently use the cards you've found to win the game.

This is the "best deck".
There can be more than one "best deck", depending on the card pool.

* Note: The above method does not account for card "synergies" which are more notable in some other formats.
   Example: This method does not account for decks like Affinity in Standard, pre-bannings.

If you want to find a deck that foils a metagame, then it gets more complicated.

If you cannot accurately predict the metagame, play the "best deck".

If you can accurately predict the metagame,
define the decks that will see the most play in the metagame.
These are the "decks to beat".

Find a commonality between the "decks to beat",
find the cards that most efficiently take advantage of this commonality,
find the cards that most efficiently enable and/or protect these cards,
find the cards that have the most raw power given the limitations of using the cards you have already found,
find the cards that most efficiently enable and/or protect the powerful cards given the limitations of using the cards you have already found,
and then build the deck that can most efficiently use the cards you've found to win the game.

* Note: If there are no commonalities between the "decks to beat" and/or there are no cards that can efficiently take advantage of the commonalities,
           then play the best deck.

The above is an oversimplification,
so I'd be happy to answer questions about specifics and/or omissions.