Deck versions

What this surface is

Deck versions is where a deck’s history lives. Each version is a snapshot of the deck list at a point in time with an intent label explaining why it was saved. Versions enable structured comparison (via Compare) and rollback when a swap underperforms.

Where to find it in the app

From any deck in Deck Lab, open the Versions tab — URL pattern /decks/<id>/versions.

Screenshot pending /img/docs/reference/deck-versions-overview.png

A deck's version history reads as a story — each label explains why the version exists.

Layout

Region	Purpose
Timeline rail	Vertical list of versions, newest first
Version detail	Selected version’s card list + intent label + author + timestamp
Compare picker	Top-bar “Select two versions to compare” affordance
Action toolbar	Promote / archive / delete / export for the selected version

Fields and controls

Version entry

Field	Type	What it shows	Editable	Notes
Version number	auto	v1, v2, v3 …	no	Monotonic per deck
Intent label	text	Free-form explanation	yes	Best practice: describe WHY (e.g. “more starters”, not “test”)
Timestamp	datetime	When the version was saved	no	Local timezone
Author	user chip	Who saved it	no	Useful in shared decks (future)
Card count	integer	Main / extra / side totals	no	Computed from list
Status badge	enum	active / archived / current	derived	Only one current per deck

Action toolbar (selected version)

Action	Effect
Promote to current	Makes this version the active one for analysis and acquisition
Save as draft	Creates a new version from the selected list (for editing without losing the source)
Compare with…	Opens the compare picker pre-filled with this version
Archive	Removes from default view (still recoverable)
Export YDK	Downloads this version as a .ydk file

Compare picker

Field	Type	Notes
Left version	dropdown	Defaults to current
Right version	dropdown	Pick any other version
Open compare	action	Navigates to Compare view

States and badges

Badge / state	Meaning	When you see it
current (green dot)	The version analysis and acquisition use	Always exactly one
archived (gray)	Hidden from default timeline	Still findable via filter
draft (amber)	Created but not yet promoted	Reverts cleanly if you decide against it
Stale-analysis indicator	Analysis predates the deck list	Re-run Quick Analysis

Interactions

• Click a version → loads it in the detail panel
• Shift-click two versions → activates the compare-pair shortcut
• Right-click → “Compare with current” → fast-path comparison
• Promote → sets current and forces a re-analysis run
• Keyboard ↑ / ↓ → navigate timeline; Enter → open in compare

Edge cases

Caution

• Generic version names (“v3 test”, “v4 new”) become useless three months later. Label by intent: “v3 swap Maxx C → Ash”, “v4 post-banlist”.
• Promoting an old version triggers a re-analysis but does NOT roll back inventory commitments — they stay with the deck identity, not the version. Manually verify the active commitments after promotion.
• Archiving every “failed” version is a mistake — those are records, not failures. They explain why the current version is shaped the way it is.
• Version proliferation (50+ versions on one deck) makes the timeline hard to scan. Periodically archive versions whose lessons are folded into newer entries.

Related workflows

Manage deck versions When and how to snapshot deck state before changes.

Compare and improve decks Use version pairs as the input to compare.

Related references

• Compare — the surface that consumes version pairs
• Quick Analysis — re-runs automatically on promotion
• Deck Lab — the parent surface