TLDR: Build Dragon Ball Super Fusion World proxies as clearly marked casual playtest cards, not imitations of tournament-legal cards. Start with one readable Leader and a legal 50–60-card main deck, keep every card within the Leader’s color restrictions, and respect the normal four-copy limit by card number. Sleeve paper fronts over spare cards for an inexpensive first draft. Record opening hands, Energy choices, combo spending and Life progression before paying for a cleaner printed version.
The point is not to make a test deck look collectible. It is to answer a player question: does this list actually function before you chase every card? A good proxy needs to communicate the game information quickly, shuffle consistently and remain unmistakably unofficial.
Build for Fusion World, not Dragon Ball Masters
Fusion World is distinct from the older Dragon Ball Super Card Game Masters line. Under the official Fusion World rules, the game has Leader, Battle and Extra Cards. A deck contains exactly one Leader plus a 50–60-card main deck made from Battle and Extra Cards. Main-deck colors must match the Leader, and the normal limit is four copies of the same card number unless a card skill changes deck construction. Bandai’s Fusion World comprehensive rules are the source to check before finalizing a list.
That distinction matters when gathering a list or preparing files. Confirm that every entry belongs to Fusion World and identify cards by card number, not name alone. Similar character names, alternate art and products from another Dragon Ball game can otherwise create an impressive-looking pile that is not a usable Fusion World deck.
| Component | Quantity | What the test version must show |
|---|---|---|
| Leader Card | Exactly 1 | Both sides or states, including readable skills and power |
| Main deck | 50–60 cards | Card number, color, cost, power, combo information and skills as applicable |
| Energy Marker | 1 for setup | A clearly distinguishable marker; it is not part of the main deck |
| Life area | 8 cards at setup | Enough table space to keep Life visible and separate from Energy |
Do not force a universal Battle-to-Extra ratio. Battle Cards can enter the Combo Area to add Combo Power, so changing a Battle count can also change how often the deck has usable combo material. Treat the ratio as something to test, not a formula to copy.
Make the cheapest useful prototype first
For an initial test, print simple fronts on ordinary paper, cut them out and sleeve each one over the same kind of spare card. Matching sleeves and uniform backing cards matter more than premium paper because players should not be able to identify a card from its thickness, stiffness or back.
Every front should be readable across the table and prominently marked “PLAYTEST” or “NOT FOR SALE.” Avoid official card backs, rarity treatments and other details that make the object easier to mistake for a genuine card. If you use card imagery or game text, use only material you have permission to reproduce. Bandai’s Fusion World products site states that unauthorized reproduction or reprinting of its images, text or data is prohibited. The official Fusion World products site provides that notice alongside current product information.
This first version does not need collector-level color. It needs legible costs, power, combo values, skills and card numbers. If preparing custom fronts is unfamiliar territory, the distinction between custom cards, proxies and playtest cards helps clarify what you are actually making.
Test decisions, not just wins
A few unstructured games can tell you whether a deck is fun. They are less reliable for diagnosing why it fails. Fusion World begins with six cards, allows one complete redraw and places eight cards into Life. The second player starts with an Energy Marker, while the starting player cannot attack during the first turn. Swap seating positions so one player does not receive the same structural advantage in every game.
Use a short log for each game:
- Opening hand and whether you took the full redraw
- Cards placed into Energy and any choice you later regretted
- Turns when you lacked a playable curve or the right color
- Life progression and cards gained from Life
- Battle Cards spent as combo material
- Extra Cards that were useful, stranded or too situational
- The turn and cause of the loss, including reaching zero Life or running out of cards
Change only a small group of cards after each batch. If you replace twelve cards at once, a better result tells you almost nothing about which change helped. Begin with copy counts: move an essential card toward four copies, trim a situational effect, or exchange an Extra Card for a Battle Card when the deck repeatedly lacks combo options.
Prepare a clean printing handoff
Once the list survives several games, freeze a version and prepare one folder containing the deck list, copy counts, ordered front files and a proof sheet. Give files stable names such as card number followed by quantity. State the intended finished size in the printer’s requested units, but use that printer’s current template rather than guessing bleed, safe-area or resolution requirements.
Print one calibration sheet before committing to the entire deck. Put a cut sample into the sleeves you plan to use and check text size, cropping, orientation, opacity and handling beside a genuine card. The broader card-printing quality checklist can help you inspect consistency without specialist equipment.
Before sending fan-made files to any print provider, verify that its current ordering workflow accepts the file type, quantity and content involved. For general background on custom printing, materials and production terminology, Printiverse is a useful starting point. A provider’s ability to print ordinary custom products does not automatically mean it accepts copyrighted TCG artwork or offers a Fusion World deck workflow.
Keep proxies out of organized play
Casual substitutes should not be presented as tournament-legal cards. Bandai’s tournament rules prohibit custom cards as supplementary objects, while its floor rules prohibit counterfeit cards, including photocopied or handmade substitutes, in tournaments. Event and regional rules can add further requirements. Bandai Card Games floor rules
Even presentation details are regulated: published Fusion World rules say a Leader must be unsleeved or in a sleeve transparent on both sides, while an Energy Marker must be unsleeved or use sleeves different from the main deck. A sealed-event rule allowing an Energy Marker substitute does not grant general permission to replace constructed-deck cards.
Use Fusion World proxies at a kitchen table or in a testing group that has agreed to them. Label them, keep them out of sales and trades, and replace them with genuine cards before entering organized play. The best test deck is not the prettiest one; it is the version that reveals which cards deserve a place in the real list.