The BoBA Deck Balancing Score (DBS) system beta is now live!
The BoBA DBS will act like a “salary cap” for your Playbook in competitive gameplay. Some plays will be a higher hit to the salary cap, while others are "cheap" to use.
The goal is not to take away your favorite plays. The goal is to keep the game fun and healthy.
DBS keeps the meta healthy by making powerful combos come with real trade-offs.
It’s currently in BETA, and active players are helping refine it in real time.
Explore the tool and find out more below!
What is DBS?
DBS is a matchmaking framework for BoBA Playbooks
DBS is a dynamic, point-based balancing system used to regulate the strength of Plays and Bonus Plays in a competitive BoBA deck and to facilitate matchmaking.
Each Play in your Playbook adds a specific number of DBS Points to your deck and adding up the DBS Points for all of your plays gives you a Total DBS.
NOTE: DBS only applies to Plays (of all types) and does not impact which Heroes or Hot Dogs can be in your deck.
Your Deck’s Total DBS is used to determine your eligibility in different competitive formats.
Think of DBS as a “salary cap” for your deck where every Play card has an associated “cost” (i.e. its DBS Points).
Playbook Construction
A standard Playbook contains 30 Plays (PL-) + any number of Bonus Plays (BPL-)
Your DBS Score must be ≤ 1,000 for officially sanctioned BoBA Playmaker format events (unless otherwise specified).
What Receives a DBS Score?
All Plays that enter a Playbook get a DBS Score:
PL- cards (standard Plays)
BPL- cards (Bonus Plays)
HTD- cards (Home Team Discount Play versions)
DBS Score Philosophy
DBS Scores reflect a Plays impact on consistency, recursion, lock, resource engines, and game manipulation, not just raw Power or cost.
The DBS limit for competitive events ensures powerful decks still require real tradeoffs.
Why DBS Works
DBS prevents:
1. Unlimited recursion loops
2. Draw-the-deck storm turns
3. Lock-down non-games
4. “All the best cards” Playbooks
5. Resource engines stacking unchecked
Players can include powerful cards, but cannot combine every top-end effect into a single 150-DBS Playbook.
Summary/TLDR
Every Play has a DBS Score
Standard Playbooks must remain ≤1,000 Total DBS
Plays with stronger effects = higher DBS points
Card with random elements (coin flips or dice rolls) stay "cheap"
The system enforces healthy deck-building choices and strategic diversity