What is your favorite tarot deck of all time?

I thought I would open this up and see. We are all attracted to the "young, new thing"- but what is your absolute favorite, go-to deck that you could not live without?

For me- it used to be only the Giants Tarot. I love working with runes, and this was the only deck I had found that had the "personality" of a rune set. The card stock is not that great, the images are variable- but it reads like a dream and has the northern heathen influence that I practice. http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/giants/

Then- well, I found the Maroon tarot. And what the Giants tarot lacked in card stock and imagery- it well makes up for. And it reads incredibly well- though it can get pissy if you or the querent asks stupid questions- similar to the runes. http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/maroon/

Of all the decks I have owned- these two are the ones I cannot live without. What are yours?

Well, although it IS going to be a young new thing, I am 90 percent sure my future go-to favorite deck is going to be the Mary-el - the 10 percent is cardstock permitting.

I have the LE, and it is a favorite, although I don't use it much because it's an LE.

Now, somewhat in order, are the Gaian, Gilded, Thoth, Universal RWS, Flornoy Noblet and the Aquarian. When I want decks I can slip into like that favorite pair of slippers, I go there.

edit to add - although if pressed, I would say probably the Gilded above the others. Old Reliable, although sometimes a bit on the blunt side.

Bill's Tarot.

http://www.tarotgarden.com/database/images/b-decks/billwolfcards.jpg

Soprafino.

A more perfect deck does not exist!

All the images are just right, and most of them are better than just right.
It's so simple, yet remarkably elegant.
It has no agenda, except to be lovely and charming and exquisite.

The unlaminated cardstock and square corners feel good in the hand. The handmade box with a wax seal is delightful.

It reads like a dream.

It opened up a whole world of historical decks to me. It was also the first deck I'd ever ordered from a far off place, but despite that, I still couldn't understand the unusual levels of excitement I felt while I waited for it to arrive in the mail. My stomach fluttered as I opened the package from Italy, and as soon as I unwrapped it I understood why I'd felt such anticipation..

*swoon*

I don't have an absolute favorite that I could not live without, I don't think. But when I can't decide what deck to use, my instinct is always to grab Morgan Greer. I guess that is the true meaning of 'go-to' deck!

I would have to include two decks as all time favorites, one from each of the two major schools of Tarot design: the historical decks, and those influenced by the Golden Dawn society. Of the former, my present favorite is the CBD version of the Conver Marseille. Of the latter, it is the Universal Waite version of the Rider-Waite-Smith.

So far, it is still Liber T for me, although a good close companion when I use duo-decks would be the Etruscan Tarot to go with it. I find the Etruscan deck more straightfoward than Universal Tarot even if the Etruscan is a RWS derivative.

Hoi Polloi and Conver Marseilles and at the moment my favourite Conver is the CBD version because it's just so expressive.
I'm leaning very heavily towards reading with TdMs at the moment and I can't see that changing for a very long time.

I love the Cloisters, really speaks to me.

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/tarot-of-the-cloisters/

If the question is: "which decks would I absolutely replace if, god forbid, all my decks were damaged beyond use/destroyed/lost?"

My answer would have to be: 1) Alchemical, 2) International Icon, 3) Postmark Lenormand and 4) Madame Endora's Fortune cards. Then I'd start in on all my MRP sets.

However, if I have to pick JUST ONE, without a doubt: International Icon. It's simple, evocative, to the point and it speaks to me.