This application for the Windows environment allows deck construction for The Call of Cthulhu Collectible Card Game.

It contains a list of all published cards at this time, with all their characteristics. Many filters are available to quickly search within the card database and build an efficient deck.

The application also contains import and export functions, lists printing, validity checking and statistics calculations for the constructed deck. This application is a Freeware, you may use it and distribute it freely provided you do not make any alterations to the files of the original distribution.

For more details, please take a look to the following quick-start guide and to the version history and list of distributed files into the Readme.txt file.

Main screen - Cards list - Stories list - Deck screen - Collection manager - Configuration screen - Cards display

The DeckBuilder's main screen permits to show or hide the different windows and access utility screens. It is the software's main menu, described below:

1. User interface language selection (english/french)
2. Minimize the application in Windows' task bar
3. Close the DeckBuilder
4. Show/Hide the cards list (shortcut : CTRL+ALT+C)
5. Show/Hide the stories list (shortcut : CTRL+ALT+S)
6. Show/Hide the deck screen (shortcut : CTRL+ALT+D)
7. Display the collection manager (shortcut : CTRL+ALT+Q)
8. Display the software configuration screen (shortcut : CTRL+ALT+O)
9. Display informations about the software (shortcut : CTRL+ALT+A)
10. Show/Hide internal text card display (top button, shortcut CTRL+ALT+T) or the card image display (bottom button, shortcut CTRL+ALT+I)

Note: The screen position, shown or hidden screens and selected user interface language are saved while exiting the software. These parameters are then restored on the next start of the DeckBuilder.

Note: if a screen does not display after activating its button, it generally means that he was moved in a position outside of your monitor's boundaries. To solve this issue, you can use the CTRL+ALT+L shortcut anytime to reset all screens positions and sizes to their default values, thus making them accessible again.

Tip: All the software windows can be positioned anywhere on the screen by holding the left mouse button anywhere there is not a sensitive element on them (buttons, grids, etc...).

The cards list show all existing cards of the game, except the story cards which are handled in a separate screen described in the next chapter.
The list can be sorted and filtered to find the desired cards for the deck construction. Adding cards to the deck is performed from this screen. Detailed statistics table and graphs give a good insight of the game balance for the displayed cards.

1. The buttons in the Actions column are used to add the selected card, or change its quantity, into the current deck. The "sp" button adds the selected card to the Scratchpad. The last button removes the card from the deck. A green indicator appears in the background of the 1 to 3 values to show the card's quantity present into the deck, if any.
2. Navigation menu through the different pages of the screen.
3. Clicking on the column's headers that show a small triangle indicator permits to select which data is displayed into the column. The columns settings are common with the Deck screen's card list and Scratchpad.
4. Listed cards counter.
5. Hide the screen.

Note: The size and position of the screen, the selected columns, the list's sort order criteria and the extensions filter selections are saved while exiting the software. These parameters are then restored on the next start of the DeckBuilder.

Below, you will find a preview of the different pages and parameters screens for the cards list.

1. Reset all filters.
2. Filters navigation submenu. You can switch between the different pages of filters with these buttons.
3. Local reset buttons for the associated filter only.
4. Filters input area.

The following screen captures show the different filters available:



You can sort the list using different criteria in upward and downward order, to your preference:



On this page are displayed detailed statistics table and graphs, for the selected cards:


Note: Move the resizing bar, located between the table and graphs, to change their respective width on screen.

All stories available in the game are listed in this screen.
The list can be sorted and filtered to find the cards that will be included into the player's stories deck. Adding and removing stories can be performed from this screen or, in a quicker way, directly from the stories page of the Deck screen.

1. The '+' button add a story to the deck's stories list. The '-' button removes it and shows which stories are already into the deck.
2. Navigation menu through the different pages of the screen.
3. Clicking on the column's headers that show a small triangle indicator permits to select which data is displayed into the column. The columns settings are common with the Deck screen's stories list.
4. Hide the screen.

Note: The size and position of the screen, the selected columns, the list's sort order criteria and the extensions filter selections are saved while exiting the software. These parameters are then restored on the next start of the DeckBuilder.

The following screen captures gives an insight of the other pages:

1. Reset all filters.
2. Filters navigation submenu. You can switch between the different pages of filters with these buttons.
3. Filters input area.
4. Listed cards counter.

You can sort the list using different criteria in upward and downward order, to your preference:

1. Sort criteria selection.
2. Sort order selection.

The deck screen is used to assemble the different cards and informations that constitute the player's deck. It contains places to input the player's cards, the stories cards, general informations about the deck and a scratchpad to keep track of potential cards for alternative versions of the deck. From the deck screen, you can search in multiple deck files, sort cards, check, export, print and make a drawing test on the deck. Detailed statistics and card drawing probabilities will help the player finely tune the deck's balance.

1. Buttons in this column permit to change the cards quantities in the deck ('-' and '+' buttons), delete the card from the deck ('recycle' button) and to add the card to the scratchpad ('sp' button).
2. Navigation menu through the different pages of the screen.
3. Creation of a new deck (resets the current deck, after proposing to save the current deck if it is modified).
4. Open an existing deck file. Use the triangle button to open a list of the recently used deck files or to call the deck finder screen.
5. Save the current deck.
6. Save the current deck with another file name.
7. Sort the deck list.
8. Check the deck.
9. Open the deck drawing simulator to test the deck and look at detailed drawing probabilities.
10. Export deck contents in several formats.
11. Preview deck printout.
12. Deck total cards count, excluding stories and domains.
13. Cards quantities and total costs, grouped by card types.
14. Clicking on the column's headers that show a small triangle indicator permits to select which data is displayed into the column. The columns settings are common with the cards list screen and scratchpad list.
15. Hide the screen.
16. Indicator showing a modified deck (empty if deck is unaltered or brand new).
17. Deck file name.
18. Indicators of FAQ or reeditions informations.

Note:The size and position of the screen, the selected columns, the list's sort order criteria, the export format selection and the extensions filter selections are saved while exiting the software. These parameters are then restored on the next start of the DeckBuilder.

The following screen captures gives an insight of the other pages and screens related to the deck screen:

1. Delete a story from the stories deck.
2. Stories count in the list.
3. Domains cards selection.
4. Complete clear or quick selection of the stories from the differents stories sets of the game.

Note: Move the resizing bar, located between the table and graphs, to change their respective width on screen.
Note: This page displays a condensed version of the cards drawing probabilities. The 'See more...' link opens the deck drawing simulator, displaying the detailed probabilities page directly.



Note: For more details about the actions buttons, please read the cards list screen description.



The image on the left shows the search criteria input page for deck search.
The image on the right shows the deck search results page. The right part of this screen shows the complete contents of the deck selected in the list of the left part. From this contents list, one can import all or part of the informations or cards of the deck, clicking on the differents buttons and quantity indicators. Clicking on the button of a section header (Information, stories, etc...) will import the whole contents of the corresponding section at once in the current deck. One may also directly open the selected deck file. In such case, the DeckBuilder will first prompt the user to know if the current deck requires to be saved. Then, the selected deck will be opened and the search deck screen will automatically close.

Note: Only the search path is saved while exiting the DeckBuilder and restored on the next session. The other search criteria, along with the last results list, are kept in memory for the current session only.







The first image shows the cards drawn in text mode (faster display, for slower computers).
The second image shows the cards drawn in picture mode (slower display).
The third screen shows the detailed card drawing probabilities table, taking into account the already drawn cards.



Note: Selections made in this screen are saved when one validates the deck export. They are restored the next time one calls the export function.

The collection manager permits to set the owned quantity of each card in your collection. You can also use it to defined how many of each card you need, thus generating a card trading list.

1. Make a complete backup copy of your collection.
2. Build a card trading list into the clipboard, using the owned and wanted quantities of the collection. The list will contain only cards available for trade, or cards you actually need.
3. Filters criteria. The filters limit the listed cards, to quickly find a card or set of cards.
4. Global operations. These apply to all the listed cards at once. You can use the filters to limit the scope of these operations.

The configuration screen is used to set the general parameters of the DeckBuilder. It contains several pages to access print options, default values for new decks, deck file naming format, image library folder and user interface graphic theme. The following screenshot shows the user interface graphic theme selection page.

1. Navigation menu through the different pages of the screen.
2. Preview area for selected graphic theme.
3. Built-in graphic themes list.
4. User interface language selection buttons, equivalent to those present in the main screen.

Cards can be displayed either using their image, or using an internal text display that does not require to download additional card image packs. The following screenshot shows the internal text display screen.

1. Current card data export in different selectable formats.
2. Hide the screen.