Best MTG Proxies for Testing a New Deck Before You Buy

TLDR

The best proxy for a new deck is the least elaborate version that can answer your current testing question. Use handwritten or basic printed inserts for uncertain cards and early solo testing. Move to a readable, fully sleeved deck when you need realistic shuffling, repeated table sessions, or matchup work. Preserve each decklist revision, separate supporting pieces from the shuffled deck, and test one printed page at 100% scale before committing to the full job.

If you searched for “best MTG proxies playtesting new decks,” the useful answer is not a particular finish, cardstock, or company. It is a staged workflow. A gorgeous proxy of a card you cut after one game is still a beautifully produced mistake.

Start by naming the question you want the deck to answer. Can the mana support a new splash? Does the replacement threat improve a matchup? Does a Commander deck still function after removing an expensive staple? Your proxy method should be just durable and complete enough to answer that question.

What makes the best MTG proxies for playtesting new decks?

Choose the proxy format by the maturity of the list. Early decks change rapidly, so speed and easy replacement matter more than polish. Stable decks benefit from consistent sleeves, complete game pieces, readable card text, and enough durability for repeated sessions.

Testing stage	Best practical proxy format	What it should help you learn
Idea or solo goldfishing	Handwritten slips or simple paper inserts in sleeves	Whether the curve, mana, and basic sequence make sense
First table sessions	Readable printed inserts for uncertain cards	Whether individual swaps work during real interaction
Complete new brew	A full, consistently sleeved playtest deck	Whether the deck functions as a coherent physical deck
Matchup or gauntlet testing	Versioned full decks with sideboards and support pieces	How a specific list performs against a defined field

This applies to both Commander and 60-card formats, but the testing emphasis differs. Commander brewers often need to evaluate isolated flex slots, mana acceleration, or a package of synergistic cards. Competitive 60-card testing usually needs exact quantities, a preserved sideboard, and a clearly identified matchup environment.

Proxy the uncertainty first

You do not automatically need to proxy the entire deck. If most of the shell already exists, print only the cards responsible for the current decision. This keeps revisions fast and prevents your testing pile from becoming an archaeological site containing four contradictory versions of the same brew.

Good first candidates include:

Expensive cards you are not ready to purchase
Newly released cards whose role is still uncertain
Alternative lands or mana sources for a splash
Flex slots competing for the same deck position
A small synergy package that may not survive contact with an actual game
Sideboard cards intended for one specific matchup
Extra copies needed to test a different quantity

Print the full deck when handling and hidden information begin to matter. A complete proxy deck is useful when you need realistic shuffling, opening hands, mulligans, sideboarding, repeated games, or a clean loaner deck for another tester. For help keeping that larger job under control, use the full proxy-deck organization workflow.

Create a decklist snapshot before producing anything

A changing digital list is not yet a print specification. Preserve the original Arena, MTGO, deck-builder, or copied list, then make a separate working copy. LetsProxy’s digital decklist guidance recommends keeping the source export and using dated snapshots as the list changes. The Arena and MTGO export workflow covers the cleanup process in more detail.

Give every printable revision a label that will still make sense later. A useful name might be “Modern-Jeskai-v3-2026-03-24” or “Muldrotha-Reanimator-r2.” If matchup context matters, add it to your notes rather than cramming a short novel into the filename.

Each snapshot should record:

Format and deck name
Revision number or date
Source, if the list came from an event, creator, or deck site
The specific question being tested
Main-deck or Commander card count
Sideboard and companion, where applicable
Tokens, emblems, trackers, and double-faced-card references needed for play
Any intentional placeholders or unresolved card choices

Common list formats include quantity-plus-name lines, “2x” shorthand, and Arena-style entries. Headings and separate sideboard or token sections can also be handled deliberately rather than left mixed into the print list. Review the finished import before printing; automated parsing is useful, but it cannot know whether a maybeboard card represents a serious test or a thought you had at 1:14 a.m.

Separate the deck from its supporting pieces

The shuffled deck should contain only cards that belong in that zone at the start of the game. Keep everything else physically and digitally separated. LetsProxy’s organization guidance specifically supports separating the main deck from sideboards, tokens, and other supporting pieces before printing.

Commander or commanders: label them and keep them visually distinct from the shuffled library.
Companion: include it as a separate game piece, not an accidental extra card in the main deck.
Sideboard: preserve exact quantities and label the revision it belongs to.
Tokens and emblems: print only the types the deck can reasonably create, with multiples where the board state requires them.
Double-faced cards: decide whether you will use a reversible proxy, a front-face reference with a checklist system, or separate labeled pieces.
Counters and trackers: keep them outside the deck unless they are represented by actual cards in the list.

For a competitive gauntlet, retain the source, date or event context, sideboard, tokens, and auxiliary pieces. That turns the deck into a time-bound matchup snapshot instead of an unlabeled approximation. The matchup-testing deck workflow is useful when you are building several opposing decks rather than one brew.

Make the paper version playable before making it polished

A playtest card needs a recognizable name, mana cost, type line, and readable rules text. It also needs to behave consistently in the deck. Put thin paper inserts in opaque sleeves with uniform backing cards so a tester cannot identify a proxy by its back, stiffness, or curled corner.

Before printing an entire deck, print one representative page using actual size or 100% scaling. LetsProxy’s print-settings guidance recommends a test sheet before a larger home-print run. “Fit to page” may quietly resize the layout, which is convenient when printing a tax form and less charming when your playtest cards emerge in an exciting new format.

Print one page containing cards with small rules text, dark artwork, and visible borders.
Confirm the print dialog is set to actual size or 100%, not fit or shrink.
Cut one card and place it over the backing card you intend to use.
Sleeve it, shuffle it with several normal cards, and check that it is not identifiable from the back.
Read it at normal table distance under the lighting where you play.
Only then print the remaining pages.

Physical size and image resolution are separate issues. Scaling controls how large the card prints. Image quality controls how clearly its details reproduce at that size. A high-resolution image printed at the wrong scale is still the wrong size; it is merely wrong with impressive sharpness.

Use a revision loop instead of silently swapping cards

Testing becomes much more useful when every session starts with a defined question. Avoid changing five unrelated variables and then trying to decide which one fixed the deck.

State the question: for example, “Does the third color create too many awkward opening hands?”
Choose the smallest set of proxy changes that can answer it.
Play in the relevant context: solo sequencing, casual pod, sideboarded matchups, or a gauntlet.
Record observations, not just wins and losses. Note dead cards, missed colors, awkward sequencing, and cards that were never cast.
Create a new named revision for accepted changes. Keep the previous snapshot instead of overwriting it.
Remove obsolete inserts from the deck immediately so old and new versions cannot mix.

There is no universal number of games that proves a card belongs. A narrow interaction may appear quickly; a matchup-dependent sideboard card may require more opportunities. Revise when the tests are answering your stated question, not when an arbitrary game counter reaches a pleasingly round number.

Keep casual testing distinct from sanctioned play

Ask the store, organizer, and other players before using playtest cards. Casual groups and unsanctioned events can set their own expectations, so clear communication matters. Make the proxies obviously unofficial and explain that the deck is being tested.

For sanctioned play, consult the current Magic Tournament Rules. The April 21, 2025 rules document says authorized cards used in sanctioned events must be genuine Magic cards and does not permit player-created proxies as deck cards. It describes limited circumstances in which a Head Judge may issue a temporary proxy. Because tournament documents change, check the current version before attending an event.

Legality is also format-specific. Wizards’ Banned & Restricted list states that a banned card cannot be included in a sanctioned deck or sideboard for that format. Proxies are excellent for discovering that a card is wrong for your deck; they do not make that card legal for an event. See the guide to proxies in tournaments and casual events for the fuller distinction.

Choose the next step based on list stability

If the deck is still changing every session, keep the proxies cheap, readable, and easy to replace. If only a few slots are uncertain, proxy those slots rather than rebuilding the stable shell. Once the list has settled and you want a consistent full physical deck, you can prepare a final reviewed file for home production or printed MTG playtest cards.

Before printing, freeze one named revision, verify every count, separate the sideboard and support pieces, and run a one-page scale test. That small preflight catches more problems than arguing about premium finishes for cards that may not survive the next round of cuts.