Cards To Judge a Deck By

[Carla]

I always look for Queen of Swords, the positions of majors 8 and 11, and the 'cosmos cards'--Sun, Moon, Star, World. I then check out the minors to see how narrowly they are focused by a deck creator's personal agenda.

[janie144]

In the majors I usually check the Hermit the Moon and the Death card, I like to check out the courts too but mainly the Queen and King of Swords.

[JadoreHauteCouture]

for me it is majors... and then where minors are only chalices and coins everywhere or whether there are completely new and interesting ideas and scenes incorporated...

[Oddity]

I want to see all the cards, because just like for BeyondtheVeil, one "bad" card can ruin the whole deck for me.
I have a broad taste in decks, and I can work with decks that have a couple of cards that I don't particularly like, but... I know that if there is one card in the deck that I really, REALLY dislike, the deck will not be used at all.

The Lovers can be tricky that way.

[WyrdRaven]

Originally Posted by BeyondtheVeil

I do look at some of the cards here in the cards section and if I like those.. I try to find images of the entire deck online. I don't like getting 'surprises' with the decks as they are always ones that I don't like

AMEN! Back in the days when my favorite shops had tons of sample decks, I was always able to see it all and get just what I wanted. I never once had a unwelcome surprise. I have held onto all these decks and will never trade any away. Some cards are less inspiring than others, but at least I knew about them ahead of time! I still want to see ALL the cards, and this is getting harder and harder to do. I like to see the courts, as these are often the cause for disappointment in a deck. I want to look at Death (Death is Death-- please don't insult my intelligence with "Transformation" or the like). I want to see the Lovers and the Two of Cups (the two cards most likely to be nauseatingly insipid). Finally, I want a look at the Pentacles; hopefully this won't be the suit that sinks the deck out of sheer tediousness. That's just me. I have a friend who always wants to see the Six of Swords. For her, that is the card that makes the deck and solidifies her decision to buy.

[Chiska]

I really don't have a particular card or cards that will make or break the deck. I look at the overall theme of the deck. If I don't like the theme or "feel" of the deck, I don't like it. There are cards in almost every deck that I have that I don't care for - but it doesn't change how I feel about the deck as a whole.

[hunter]

4 of Pentacles

I always check out the 4 of Pentacles first. If the card meaning is obviously nothing but stingy I know the deck isn't going to work for me. 4 of P means SO much more to me than money issues and shaming.

I always do look further before giving up on a deck, but the 4 of P is a pretty good indicator of the rest of the deck.

[Alta]

I am with hunter in the sense that I have one card that suggests to me if the artist's vision is rather limited or more expansive. For me it The Sun. Most tarot artists cannot seem to get past the surface meaning of this card, and if I see a deck where The Sun card shows some of the depth and complexities of this card, I am more willing to buy. It is like a benchmark card.

The courts are also very important. One of the reason I loved the Robin Wood for years was because of her amazing court cards, loaded with clues for a days when I was just not in the flow. The courts have to be not just pretty pictures of people but have to convey a sense of personality and/or meaning, in whatever fashion the artist chooses. But it needs to be there.

[Chronata]

I always like to check out the Magician card, to gauge if I like the style of the art.

But the Hanged Man is a deal breaker...any deck that shows a violent hanged man is not the deck for me...no matter how beautiful the rest of the cards are!

[EricthoDeSalamander]

The High Priestess is usually one of the cards that I look to first, then on to Death, and then the Moon. The courts and/or pips can usually make or break a deck for me.