this post was submitted on 20 Oct 2025
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Hi everyone, I’m trying to build decks for a custom format using this card pool (f:standard tix<=0.1 usd<=1). I have a deck here: deck link.

I know legality is ultimately whatever rules you define for a custom format, but I’m looking for a practical way to check a deck automatically against a specific pool, rather than checking each card one by one. For reference, Penny Dreadful has a deck legality checker. I’m wondering if there’s something similar for generic card pools, or if manual checking is the only option.

Is there an easy way to check if the deck is legal for this pool and identify any cards that aren’t allowed? Also, I’d love tips or strategies for making deckbuilding simple in a custom format like this. Thanks!

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[–] counterspell@mtgzone.com 0 points 9 months ago (1 children)

When I try to validate a deck, I only see the message “Loading data, please wait…” and nothing happens. So I’m not sure if it’s a problem with my JSON export, the file path, or the validator itself.

[–] counterspell@mtgzone.com 0 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

I exported the Standard Penny collection from Moxfield to JSON using a Python script:

import csv
import json

input_csv = 'moxfield_haves_2025-10-21-1123Z.csv'
output_json = 'standard_penny.json'

sets = set()
cards = []

with open(input_csv, newline='', encoding='utf-8') as csvfile:
    reader = csv.DictReader(csvfile)
    for row in reader:
        name = row.get('Name')
        edition = row.get('Edition')
        if name:
            cards.append(name)
        if edition:
            sets.add(edition.upper())

sets = sorted(list(sets))

output_data = {
    "sets": sets,
    "cards": cards
}

with open(output_json, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as jsonfile:
    json.dump(output_data, jsonfile, indent=2)

print(f"JSON saved to {output_json}")

I saved the JSON file as validator/formats/standardpenny.json and added it to the validator’s config:

{ "name": "Standard Penny", "key": "standardpenny", "datafile":"formats/standardpenny.json" },

Then I tried to validate this deck exported as Plain Text from Moxfield and got the error.