Building on Your Schedule
If you're anything like me, you don't build Magic decks on a strict schedule.
Some weeks you're busy with work or family and you don't touch a card, and other weeks maybe a new set just dropped or you finally found a free Saturday where you brew five different Commander decks in a single sitting.
I built DeckCheck to help all of us (myself included) build better decks and enjoy this beautiful game more. However, as one often does this time of year, reflecting on this past year has identified a few rough edges I'd like to smooth over going into the new year. One of which is this: My subscription model, the way I chose to monetize the site to keep the lights on and development rolling, is not aligned with how we play Magic.
The "Use It or Lose It" Problem
Up until now, subscriptions gave you a set allowance of credits per day. It worked like a gym membership: if you didn't show up on Tuesday, your Tuesday credits vanished.
That created two problems:
- The Binge Block: On the days you actually wanted to brew heavily, you'd hit a daily cap and get stuck and either have to buy more credits (DeckCheck Mana) or just come back another day—both of which suck.
- The Wasted Value: On the days you were too busy to log in, you felt like you were "losing" money.
I don't run ads on DeckCheck. I don't sell user data. So I opted for subscriptions, but I never wanted the subscriptions to feel like a "tax" you pay even when you aren't using it and I most certainly don't want them to feel like wasted money.
Monthly Credits & Rollover
Starting Today, I am changing how subscription credits work.
Daily Caps are Gone
Instead of getting 15 credits a day, a Spellslinger subscriber will now get their entire monthly allowance upfront. If you want to use all 150 credits in one marathon session on a Saturday afternoon? Go for it.
Rollover
This is the big one. If you have a busy month and don't build any decks—or maybe the latest MTG set just doesn't appeal to you—I never want you to feel like you've wasted money.
Unused credits will now roll over to the next month (up to your tier's limit). This means you can "vault" your credits during the quiet months and have a massive reservoir ready for when the next big set releases.
The Rollover Rule (Please Read)
I want to be transparent about the one condition attached to this: Your vaulted credits are attached to an active Spellslinger, Sage, or Archmage subscription.
Think of your subscription as the "vault" where these credits are stored safely. As long as you are a subscriber, your credits are safe and waiting for you. However, if you cancel your subscription, the vault closes, and your vaulted credits will expire.
Why do it this way? I debated this for a long time, but here is the reality: If users could vault up months of credits and then cancel while still keeping them, it would make DeckCheck's revenue wildly unpredictable. Since I don't run ads or sell your data, I rely on steady subscriptions to plan, pay the bills every month, and fuel development.
This rule ensures that the system works for everyone: You get to keep the value you paid for, and I get the stability needed to keep DeckCheck running for years to come.
I'm hoping this offers "the best of both worlds." I just really don't want to run ads. Ever. Ads suck.
Specifics
Spellslinger
- Monthly Credits: 150
- Rollover Cap: 450 (Vault up to 3 full months)
- A Note on the Math: You'll notice that 150 credits is less than the old "15 credits per day" (which totaled 450/mo). Yes, the theoretical max is lower, but the usable amount is way higher. Nobody used 15 credits every single day for 30 days.
- Need more? If you ever hit your cap, you can still instantly top up with DeckCheck Mana. You are never stuck.
Sage
- Monthly Credits: 300
- Rollover Cap: 900 (Vault up to 3 full months)
Archmage
- Monthly Credits: 600
- Rollover Cap: 1800 (Vault up to 3 full months)
- Wait, no more unlimited? Correct. I'm doing this for 2 reasons: Most people who bought this tier would use it for one month and then cancel it (which is their prerogative but creates challenges I did not forsee) which I did not intend for this teir to be used for. Secondly, in this new system, an unlimited tier feels unfair to everyone else since the ROI is far greater than the other tiers.
Transition & Common Questions
1. When does this change happen?
It already has. As of today, everyone has received a full "monthly credit drop" based on their tier, regardless of billing dates. Then, on your next billing date, you'll receive your full monthly credits.
Consider it a "housewarming gift" for the new system.
2. What if I change tiers?
I don't want you to feel "locked in" just to protect your vault.
- If you upgrade: Your vaulted credits come with you, and your cap increases immediately.
- If you downgrade: You keep your vaulted credits. You won't lose what you've already saved. However, you won't accumulate new credits until your vault drops below your new tier's cap.
3. Can I "pause" my subscription instead of cancelling?
Yes. I'm introducing the "DeckCheck Stasis" plan for just $1/month.
- How it works: This allows you to "freeze" your account. You keep your "Vault" of credits safe, but you won't receive a monthly allocation and you cannot spend vaulted credits while in Stasis. Effectively, it's just like a free account (where you get 3 free daily credits) except you keep those vaulted credits.
"Why Subscribe Instead of Just Buying Mana?"
You might be looking at the new system and thinking: "If I can just buy credits when I need them with DeckCheck Mana, why should I commit to a monthly subscription?"
Here is the honest answer: Predictability.
Using state-of-the-art AI (which DeckCheck uses) is expensive, but the costs are variable. When you buy Mana, you are paying for flexibility—you want to build a deck today and maybe not come back for two months. That's totally fine, but because it's unpredictable for me, the price per credit has to be higher.
When you Subscribe, you are giving me predictability. Knowing I have your support every month allows me to keep the lights on for everyone, develop new features with confidence, and plan for new horizons.
So, I'm passing that value back to you. If you stay subscribed, you are effectively buying credits at a discount (compared to Mana prices) and vaulting them for whenever the next big wave of inspiration hits you.
- Choose Mana if you only build once or twice a year.
- Choose a Subscription if you want the best possible experience and build a library of credits ready for anything (or you just want to support the site since I don't do Patreon or anything else like that).
Why I'm Doing This
I want DeckCheck to feel like a natural extension of your experience with MTG—and that starts allowing you to build exactly how you want.
My goal is to grow DeckCheck and make it an incredible platform that deeply enriches all of our MTG experiences. I hope these changes make you feel like you're getting more value for your hard-earned money. As always, I'll closely listen to your feedback and I actually do read each and every email/DM, so if there's something you'd like to tell me, please do so. If you read all of this and decide you want a refund on a subscription you just purchased or otherwise decide you don't like this new system and want to cancel, I fully understand.
Happy brewing,
Anthony
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