Serra Angel | Illustration by Jodie Muir
Proxies have become ever-more common with the rise of Commander as the most popular Magic format. Players use proxies to sub in a few cards, or they even proxy entire decks. With Commander’s ever-growing influence over MTG, I bet you’ve played against proxies – you might not have even noticed!
But why are players doing this, and what’s the use of it? Should you accept proxies in your play group? Let’s consider it for a moment.
What Do We Mean By “Proxy Acceptance?”
Arcane Proxy | Illustration by Kekai Kotaki
“Proxy acceptance” refers to the act of consenting to playing with others who use proxies, or non-official representations of real Magic cards. These might be truly fake Magic cards, printed on cardboard and such, or slips of printer paper tucked into a sleeve over a basic land.
Proxies are primarily used as a budget-friendly avenue to playing the game; Magic is an expensive hobby, after all. Proxies aren’t allowed in officially sanctioned WotC events, like Store Championships or FNM, so you almost always see them in a casual setting like Cube or Commander.
Personally, I’m pro proxies for the simple fact that they allow more players to enjoy the game. I’ve proxied most of my Commander decks and plan to proxy an entire Vintage Cube in the future. As long as the proxies are legible, I have no issue with them——please don’t scribble on a card back with Sharpie.
Some players dislike proxies, which is totally fine; enjoy Magic as you like! And I certainly wouldn’t insist that anybody must play with them. But it’s good that proxies attract players; one LGS I attended has a casual Legacy night entirely contingent on proxies for attendance.
There’s a common argument I see against proxies that I want to refute before moving on. I’ve seen people (mostly online, but also at different game stores) complain that proxy players wreck the balance of their play group by proxying expensive, game-warping EDH staples like Rhystic Study and Smothering Tithe.
The fault in this argument is that proxies aren’t to blame; that player could have just as easily picked them up off TCGplayer. If you have budget restrictions or power level restrictions, then you must make it clear that having proxies doesn’t make you exempt from it. Nobody is forced to proxy expensive MTG cards. Somebody using a proxy to game the pod doesn’t make the tool evil; the blame lies in the hand that cast it.
Benefits to Using Proxies
The number one benefit to proxy use is cost. Using proxies saves loads of money as opposed to buying singles; it was the only way that I, and many of my friends could play Commander in the first place.
Proxying also invites greater self-expression. The space of proxies and card alters often overlap. That’s especially appealing for Commander players, who can take deck personalization to a new level.
Proxies are also handy for players with a more competitive edge; you can whip up a batch of proxies and play test multiple Modern or Legacy decks before investing in real singles. You don’t want to dump $500 in cash or trades into a Ruby Storm deck just to learn you’ve always been a Boros Energy player at heart.
Downsides to Using Proxies
The biggest downside to using proxies is that they aren’t allowed at officially sanctioned WotC events; you can’t compete for those Cowboy Bebop promos with a proxied Standard deck. That’s why they’re so popular for Commander play and casual game nights of formats like Legacy and Vintage.
Even playing in EDH, you’ll encounter players who just don’t want to play against proxied decks, which just limits the range of players you can battle.
Where Can You Get Proxies?
There are tons of places you can get proxies from, but a prominent store is this article’s sponsor, PrintMTG.
They offer nice, legible proxies on real cardboard with a variety of art options at competitive rates. They also offer almost unmitigated access to whatever proxies you might need. There are limitations of course, but odds are if you're looking to proxy a large chunk of your next Commander deck, you can do so with PrintMTG.
If you want to learn more, check out our PrintMTG review!
If you want to check out multiple avenues for proxy-printing, we recommend Proxy King as well.
Proxy King offers a much more specialized shopping experience than PrintMTG. Instead of creating a list of cards and purchasing them based on per-card pricing model, Proxy King is a marketplace with high-end proxies available for purchase.
Think about it this way: PrintMTG is great for a customized proxy order, and Proxy King is great for premade proxied versions of expensive and highly sought-after card. The former is preferable for larger orders of cheaper, individual cards, whereas Proxy King is ideal for getting that one big-ticket card you've always wanted in your deck. And hey, we've completely reviewed Proxy King as well!
Are Proxies Legal?
I’m not a lawyer, but proxies generally fall within the WotC Fan Policy. When discussing proxies, it’s important to draw a distinction between proxies and counterfeit cards.
A proxy is a replica game piece you’re using for your own benefit. Counterfeits are cards printed and sold under the guise of being real Magic cards, often valuable ones like Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer or dual lands. Those aren’t legal.
Wrap Up
An Offer You Can't Refuse | Illustration by Dallas Williams
I’m a huge fan of proxies given that they’ve been an avenue for me and my friends to participate in Commander, and in a community larger than ourselves, and I appreciate that they make the game more welcoming to players of many backgrounds.
But I’m obviously a little biased from my experience, so I want to hear from you all. Do you play with proxies? Does anybody in your playgroup? Let me know in the comments below or on the Draftsim Discord!
Stay safe, and thanks for reading!
This post is sponsored by PrintMTG. We will never work with a brand we don't love and trust, and by supporting them you also support Draftsim.
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