Posted 3 November 1999 to lbsinfo mailing list.
You want probably 15-20% holdings, so you can do what you need. Of course, some decks need less (Senpet Jinn, Dahab Madness), and some need more (Qabal anything). But some Omens count as holdings (Goods from the East) as well as offering counter-Omen capability. The fact that you can blow up your own holdings in LBS also awards decks with higher holding percentages, as you can blow up your own and then replace it with ones you draw. 25% holdings is a fine beginner point to start with, maybe even 30% if you're really worried. Yes, you might end up playing with Copper Mines - don't worry. Copper Mines are actually useful. I've won games with a Copper Mine being destroyed at the right point.
You have to have Heroes. You could, feasibly, win with a Hero-less deck in LBS, but that would require your opponent to be playing one as well. So get a nice set of Heroes, and don't be too scared by their prices - most of the really effective Heroes are set up to cost so they'll appear on turn three or later. Weenie Heroes will need considerable boosting up by a hand full of battle or duel actions, and that's a viable tactic as well... until you come across a bunch of beefy Heroes that yours can't handle, due to immunity. So at least 25% heroes, probably even more.
The rest of the deck is up to your tactic. If you have sahir, get some spells. Pick Actions that support your theme. Make sure to have some sort of Omen defense, or enemy Omens will rob you dry - the easiest form of Omen defense, of course, is your own Omens. Maybe put in a story or three to help you out in duels or in things your deck does well. A Pantheon if one helps your deck style. And so on. If you're playing with a lot of turn 2-3 Heroes, make sure to pack defensive cards. Of course, defensive Action cards are useful in battle even for quick-attack decks.
Items are generally not used often in LBS, but there are exceptions. Of course, an Item that greatly helps your strategy should always be included. The "clan Items" for each Faction are usually worth including. And Items tend to have a very high Fate value, which is also helpful (there's multiple reasons Assassin decks used to include Shielded Armor).
LBS is a remarkably robust game, and you have a wide lenience in putting in cards you have questions about into a deck and still see them work very well. So don't be afraid of trying out some new Hero or Item.