Check what you have installed
A build video can be accurate and still give you the wrong advice for tonight's run. Its author may be using another branch, an older card version, or a mod you do not have. Before copying the deck, compare the version shown in your client with the guide's version note. If they differ, read the relevant card text before spending an upgrade on the interaction.
You do not need a full patch-history study session. Pick one character, one branch, and one guide that matches. Keep the main versus beta checklist open if you are unsure which installation you want to use. Avoid switching branches halfway through diagnosing a mod problem; that changes two things at once.
Separate shipped features from roadmap plans
Mega Crit's August recap lists Workshop support, the initial Bestiary framework, and the Badge/Score system among additions already made. It lists experimental modes, an alternate Act 2, and a new character as work in progress. September's update gives no specific next-patch date. Those announcements do not establish that a teased feature is available in your installation.
The next-update roadmap tracks announcement boundaries. For a practical first session, choose something you can use now: check the Bestiary preparation guide, or read the Daily Run scoring guide if the scoring screen is unfamiliar. You can leave future character speculation for after the run.
Give the first run a small job
Treat the first attempt back as a check of your decisions. A familiar character helps you notice changed wording instead of learning every system at once. Pick a difficulty at which you can stop and read without feeling obliged to protect a streak.
At each reward, ask what the card fixes in the next few fights. If you already have expensive damage, another expensive attack may leave the same awkward hands. If a setup card needs several turns, ask how you survive those turns before drafting it. The beginner build plans give you directions to recognize rather than shopping lists to force.
For this run, note one mistake when it happens. Was it an enemy intent you misread, an upgrade you expected to work differently, or a potion you saved past the fight it could have rescued? One specific correction is easier to carry into the next attempt than a vague promise to play better.
Keep your first route forgiving
Choose a route with a fallback if the first fights go badly. A planned elite fight is a decision you can revisit when your health, potions, and rewards become clearer. Do not take the harder branch merely because you remember winning there months ago.
Before the boss, name how the deck deals damage over a long fight and what covers an awkward opening hand. Use the boss preparation checklist if either answer is missing. This is editorial planning advice, not a promise that a particular route or archetype wins.
Bring mods and friends back separately
If you normally play with Workshop content, first establish that a new clean test run starts. Protect an existing modded run rather than loading it with its dependencies removed. The Workshop guide covers profile differences and installation checks.
For a returning group, agree on the branch before choosing builds. If joining fails, record the exact message and use the co-op mismatch checklist. Once everyone can join, stop changing settings and play. You can test optional additions after you have a working baseline.