Keep character design, color palette, and illustration style coherent across multiple cards ideal for fan-made expansions, birthday sets, and custom deck artwork
Dont overload the rules text If your custom card needs 11 lines of text, consider one of these options: tighten wording use existing keyword phrasing where it makes sense split it into two cards accept that you are making a commander that is also a short story Keep readability as the goal Custom cards live on a table, not in a zoomed-in screenshot
The story is similar, though on a smaller scale, for more recent products that US and UK collectors can easily verify on platforms like TCGPlayer, eBay Sold listings, and StockX
I also prepared for the mirror by only running two field spells, because a) I didn't want to set up field spells on the chance that my opponent got Balerdroch in the GY and I didn't have an answer to it b) If I ever needed field spells, I could either search Vampire Kingdom with Vampire Takeover or Vampire Retainer or let my opponent activate a field spell instead, while allowing myself to use that deck space on more useful cards