At some point, every Magic player has the same intrusive thought: “What if I just… didn’t pay rent for this mana base?”
That’s where MTG proxy cards come in. Done right, they let you play more Magic, test decks faster, protect pricey cardboard, and keep your game nights about gameplay instead of wallets. Done wrong… they create arguments, marked decks, and a very tense conversation with an LGS owner.
Let’s make sure you’re in the first category.
TLDR
- Sanctioned events require real cards. The only “proxy” allowed there is a judge-issued proxy for a card damaged during the event.
- Casual play is a social agreement. Your pod (or organizer) decides. Ask first.
- Good proxies are readable and consistent in sleeves. “Pretty” is optional. “Legible” is not.
- Do not make counterfeits. If your proxy could be mistaken for a real card in a trade binder, you’re playing with fire.
- If you want the printing side simplified: use our MTG proxy print settings cheat sheet and our How to Order guide.
What counts as an MTG proxy card
People use “proxy” to mean three different things. This is where a lot of drama starts.
Playtest card
The classic. A basic land with “Mana Crypt” written on it. Ugly, honest, and surprisingly effective. Wizards has explicitly said they’re not interested in policing personal, non-commercial playtest cards.
Proxy (casual use)
A stand-in card used for casual play. Usually printed, usually sleeved, ideally clearly marked as a proxy. The goal is to play the game, not fool anyone.
Counterfeit
A fake card made to look authentic. If it’s intended to pass as real, or could plausibly be sold or traded as real, that’s not “proxying.” That’s the thing everyone hates, including Wizards, stores, and basically every player who’s ever bought a single.
Rule of thumb: If your proxy is distinguishable at a glance outside sleeves, you’re probably fine. If it’s trying to be “1:1 indistinguishable,” stop.
Where MTG proxy cards are allowed
Here’s the cleanest mental model I know:
The Proxy Permission Ladder
1) Sanctioned tournament
No. Bring real cards. The tournament rules are very explicit here.
2) Prize event that’s unsanctioned
Maybe. Organizer decides. Many events allow proxies to make high-cost formats possible. Some do not.
3) Casual play at an LGS
Maybe. Store policy decides, even if it’s casual Commander night.
4) Private playgroup or kitchen table
Usually yes. Your group decides.
If you only remember one sentence: Tournament rules are rules. Casual rules are consent.
Quick matrix
| Where you’re playing | Are proxies usually ok? | Who decides? | What matters most |
|---|---|---|---|
| RCQ, Store Champs, Prerelease, any sanctioned event | No | Tournament rules + judge | Authentic cards only |
| LGS casual Commander night | Sometimes | Store + pod | Ask first, be consistent |
| Unsanctioned Legacy/cEDH night | Often | Organizer | Proxy limits and quality rules |
| Home games, friends, cube night | Yes | Your group | Readability and vibes |
| SpellTable / webcam games | Often | Your pod/lobby | Readability + glare control |
The Rule 0 talk that actually works
You do not need a speech. You need a 10-second permission check.
The 10-second opener
“Hey, quick Rule 0: I’m running some proxies in this deck for testing. They’re all readable and consistent in sleeves. Everyone cool with that?”
If you’re at an LGS
“Hey, before we start, what’s the store’s proxy policy for casual Commander night?”
If they say “no,” your correct move is:
“Got it. No worries. I’ll swap decks.”
Not: “Let me explain why capitalism is the real villain.”
If you’re joining an event
“Are proxies allowed for this event? If yes, do you have a limit or quality requirements?”
The golden rule
Don’t surprise people. Most proxy blowups come from “I didn’t know you were doing that,” not from the proxies themselves.
How to make MTG proxy cards that play well
You don’t need museum-grade printing. You need clean in sleeves.
Good, Better, Best
Good: Sharpie playtest
- Fastest and cheapest
- Best for goldfishing, testing lines, and early brews
- Downside: hard for opponents to parse if you do it lazily
Better: Home print in sleeves
- Print the card face, slip it in front of a bulk common/basic land
- Best for most casual tables
- Downside: printers love default settings that quietly ruin your day
Best: Consistent pro printing
- Best for cubes, multiple decks, or “I want it to feel normal”
- Downside: costs more than a home sheet, costs less than your time
If you’re home-printing, do yourself a favor and start here: MTG proxy print settings. It’s the one-page version of everything your printer driver is trying to sabotage.
And if you want to skip file prep and just print from a decklist: How to Order walks through the “paste list, review, print” flow.
The proxy print checklist that prevents the classic mistakes
Printers can sense confidence and punish it. Translation: print one test page.
Before you print 99 cards
- Scaling is 100% (Actual Size). Turn off “Fit to page.” This is the #1 failure point.
- Text is readable at arm’s length. If you have to squint, the table will hate it.
- Use opaque sleeves (and be consistent). Consistency matters more than perfection.
- Use a backing card. Slip the print in front of a basic land or bulk common so thickness stays uniform.
- Avoid ultra-gloss if you play on camera. Glare turns your board state into modern art.
- Keep key info clear: name, mana cost, type line, rules text.
- Make proxies clearly non-authentic. Tiny “PROXY” text, different back, or a distinct frame goes a long way.
If you’re a print nerd: yes, we could talk about DPI and compression artifacts. But the practical rule is simpler: crisp text beats pretty gradients.
Avoiding the two real proxy problems
People argue about proxies for moral reasons. In practice, games get ruined for two practical reasons:
1) Marked cards
If one card is thicker, glossier, cut weird, or a different size, it becomes a marked card. That’s a real gameplay issue.
Fix: sleeve everything the same, use backing cards, keep thickness consistent.
2) Surprise power mismatches
A table that brought precons is going to have a bad time if you sit down with a fully proxied cEDH list and call it “casual.”
Fix: tell people what the deck is trying to do. Proxies are not the issue. Expectations are.
How many proxies is too many?
There’s no universal number. “Too many” usually means “we didn’t agree what kind of game this is.”
Do proxies have to be color and perfect quality?
They don’t have to be fancy. They do have to be readable and consistent in sleeves so you don’t create marked cards.