Elo and matchmaking guide
Void Scourge rates decks, not accounts. Elo records how one ordered six-card list performs against other decks in its event, while matchmaking decides which eligible opponent appears next.
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A K-factor 32 rating update
After a validated normal battle, the system calculates the expected result from both deck ratings and applies K = 32. Beating an equal-rated opponent is worth about 16 points; losing the same match costs about 16. An upset against a higher rating moves more, while an expected win moves less.
Both participating deck ratings are updated and the new values are stored in deck history. The five-minute battle expiry rule counts an unfinished battle as a loss for player one, preventing unresolved matches from remaining open indefinitely.
- Elo measures results relative to opponent strength, not raw card level.
- One result can move the score but cannot establish long-term deck quality.
- Battle validation protects the rating update from an untrusted client result.
Every deck and event keeps its own context
Changing the active deck means playing with a different Elo history. Season, Draft, and Legacy also have separate event pools, so a rating is meaningful only beside the deck composition and event in which it was earned.
A rebuilt deck keeps its deck record even when cards or order change. For a radically different concept, creating another deck gives the comparison a clearer history and preserves the established list.
- Do not present deck Elo as a permanent skill score for the player.
- Compare ratings inside the same event and rule set.
- Keep a reference deck when testing a major alternative.
Opponent selection changes by mode
For the first three completed battles of a player in an event, onboarding first seeks a more accessible opponent. After that, Season and Legacy build a pool around active-deck Elo, randomize within it, and use a short memory to reduce immediate rematches.
After the same introduction, Draft selects a random active eligible opponent with a non-empty deck. Ascension does not use PvP matchmaking: it supplies the solo opponent for the current stage.
- Matchmaking filters to the current event and excludes the player’s own decks.
- A nearby pool is not a promise of an identical rating or card level.
- Random selection prevents a player from choosing a favorable public opponent directly.
How decks become leaderboard entries
The global leaderboard keeps each player’s best qualifying deck after recorded play. Race tables accept mono-race decks only. Level tables require every card to remain at or below level 2, 3, or 4 for Rare max, Very Rare max, and Epic max.
A ranking position is therefore a combination of rating and eligibility. Improving an open deck with a higher-level card can raise its combat strength while removing it from a restricted table.
- Check the event shown on the ranking page before comparing positions.
- Use separate decks for categories with incompatible constraints.
- The best eligible deck prevents one player from filling the same table with every variant.