Why does my Azuki TCG deck run out of cards?
You draw one card a turn but cheap decks play two or more, so a 7-card opening hand is gone by about turn 6. Play cards that bring a card with them, like Benzai the Merchant, Link or Alpine Prowler, and stop playing entities that will not attack or defend soon.
Having zero cards on turn 6 is the worst. It’s like eating all your snacks before the movie even starts. Don’t be me.
How to tell
- Your hand is empty or down to one card by turn 5 or 6.
- You lose games you led early, once their board outlasts yours.
- Late in the game you draw a card, play it and pass, turn after turn.
Example: Two cards a turn, going first
You start with 7 cards and the first player skips their first draw. Playing two cards every turn empties your hand on turn 6:
| Turn | Draw | Played | Hand after |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Each card that draws one when played, like Benzai the Merchant, costs you nothing from your hand. Two of them by turn 4 and you still hold two cards on turn 6.
How to fix it
- Count the cards in your deck that put a card in your hand. Searchers count: Link, Mizuto, Ruby, Treetop Scout and Elder Hoshin each find a card of their subtype from the top 5.
- Prefer cards that bring a body and a card. A 1-cost searcher is an entity in play and a card in hand.
- Add a refill for long games: Maho draws at the end of your turn whenever you hold 2 or fewer cards, and Alpine Prowler turns itself into 3 cards and keeps 1.
- Play out only what will attack, defend or pay off soon.
