Deck Analysis

• ❌ npm run analyze <deck-file> without running npm run dev first
• ❌ Any analysis command that assumes cache already exists
• ❌ Skipping the cache generation step

Why this matters:

• npm run dev is the ONLY way to generate the card cache that all analyzers need
• npm run analyze WILL FAIL with cryptic errors if cache doesn't exist
• This is the #1 mistake made during deck analysis

Cache file location: cache/decks/<format>/<deck-name>/<variant>/<filename>-cache.json

Analysis Commands Reference

Pre-Generated Analysis Files Structure

After running npm run analyze, these files are generated at cache/decks/<format>/<deck-name>/<variant>/:

<deckfile>-combined.json contains:

• metadata: timestamp, execution times, cache stats
• summary: deck name, card counts, status, description
• bracketAnalysis: bracket rating, confidence, reasoning, indicators (fastMana, tutors, valueEngines, avgCmc, interactionDensity), expectedTurnsToWin
• gamechangerAnalysis: total gamechangers, estimated bracket, list of gamechangers with categories
• bannedAnalysis: legality status, banned cards list
• pricingAnalysis: total price, average price, breakdown (commander/nonland/land), mostExpensiveCards (top 10)
• colorValidation: commander identity, violations, validation status

<deckfile>-cache.json contains:

• Card name → {mc, cmc, type, text, colors, ci} mapping
• Oracle text for understanding card interactions

Answering Deck Questions Using Pre-Generated Data

When User Asks About a Specific Deck

1. Check if the deck folder exists in decks/ directories
2. Check for pre-generated analysis in cache/decks/<format>/<deck-name>/<variant>/
3. If cache exists, READ THE PRE-GENERATED FILES before answering
4. If no cache exists: Run npm run dev <deck-file> first, then npm run analyze <deck-file>
5. Read the generated cache files to answer questions

Comprehensive Analysis Output Format

When user runs analysis or asks about a deck, present:

## 📊 Comprehensive Deck Analysis: [Deck Name]

### Overview
- **Bracket**: X (description)
- **Legality**: ✅/❌
- **Total Value**: $X.XX USD
- **Cards**: X total (X unique)
- **Gamechangers**: X high-impact cards

### Power Level Analysis
- Tutors, value engines, combos
- Average CMC, interaction density
- Expected turns to win

### Gamechangers (X cards)
- By category with explanations

### Top 10 Most Expensive Cards
- With prices and strategic importance

### Mana Curve & Composition
- Average CMC, curve distribution, card types

### Strategic Insights
- What makes the deck work, win conditions, vulnerabilities, upgrade paths

Upgrade path recommendations MUST:

1. Fetch real prices: npm run price-cards "Card 1" "Card 2" ...
2. Validate color identity: npm run fetch "Card Name"
3. Check collection: npm run collection find "Card Name"
4. Group by budget tier: Budget (<$5), Mid-range ($5-30), High-end (>$30)

Known Deck URLs

• blood-rites: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/DebJHvH3Uku9JZqBOpBvOg
• tricky-terrain: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/gmj06aiKMEaNLgGOD1ooUg

Cache Troubleshooting

If you encounter "Cannot read properties of undefined" errors:

1. Remove the problematic cache file: rm cache/decks/<format>/<deck-name>/<file>-cache.json
2. Re-run: npm run dev <deck-file>
3. This fetches fresh data and creates properly formatted cache

Cache Locations:

• cache/scryfall.json - Global card data cache
• cache/pricing.json - Card pricing cache (24-hour expiration)
• cache/decks/<format>/<deck-name>/<variant>/<file>-cache.json - Per-deck card data
• cache/card-categories.json - Bracket analyzer reference data (tracked in git)
• cache/banned-<format>.json - Format-specific banned lists (24-hour expiration)