MTG Proxy Power Level Problems: Proxies Don’t Pubstomp, Decks Do

This post helps Commander and casual MTG players avoid miserable games by separating “proxy drama” from actual power-level mismatches, so you can get better games with fewer awkward conversations.

TLDR

Proxies don’t create pubstomps. Power mismatches do. Proxies just make strong decks easier to assemble.
The real issue is usually speed, consistency, and win condition density, not whether the cards are “real.”
If your pod wants fewer blowouts, talk about turn-to-win range, tutors, fast mana, and combos, not price tags.
The fix is boring (and effective): a quick Rule 0 check and a couple of clear proxy etiquette rules.

You’ve probably seen the scene.

Someone drops a proxied mana base so smooth it could sell skincare, and suddenly the table starts treating “proxy” like it’s a banned word in a children’s book. Then the game ends on turn five, everyone sighs, and the post-game discussion becomes a moral tribunal about printer ink.

That, in a nutshell, is MTG proxy power level problems: confusing access with intent, and blaming the cardboard substitute instead of the deck that just did a light-speed backflip into a win.

Proxies don’t pubstomp. Decks pubstomp. And yes, real cards pubstomp too, they just do it with a more expensive receipt.

Pubstomping is a behavior, not a cardstock choice

“Pubstomp” is basically bringing a deck built for one kind of game (fast, tuned, ruthless) into a table expecting another (chill, swingy, chatty). It’s the mismatch that hurts, not the method of card acquisition.

A proxied cEDH list will crush a precon pod.
A fully authentic cEDH list will also crush a precon pod.
One just costs more and comes with the added benefit of making you sweat when someone reaches for a drink.

So when people say, “Proxies are ruining Commander,” what they often mean is:

“I’m playing against stronger decks than I agreed to,” or
“I didn’t realize we were playing fast combo tonight,” or
“I miss when your mana base entered tapped and gave me time to develop a personality.”

All fair feelings. None of them are fixed by banning printers.

Why MTG proxy power level problems keep happening anyway

Proxies get blamed because they’re visible. A deck’s real power levers are harder to see at a glance.

Here’s what actually changes when someone proxies:

Consistency goes up (better lands, better rocks, better redundancy).
Speed can go up (fast mana, cheap tutors, compact win lines).
Card quality becomes less correlated with budget, so the “wallet check” stops working as a power gauge.

That last one is the psychological bomb. People were used to price acting as a weak, unreliable “power filter.” Proxies remove the filter, and suddenly everyone has to communicate like adults. Tragic, I know.

How To Have a Great Commander Rule Zero Discussion (Without the Awkward Vibes)

How to Build a Competitive Magic: The Gathering Deck

Power level is not a number, it’s a promise

If your group is stuck in “it’s a seven” purgatory, try measuring power the way games actually end. Use these four levers.

The 4-lever power check (steal this)

1) Speed (when can you win if unbothered?)

“If nobody interacts, what turn can you realistically win?”

2) Consistency (how often do you do the thing?)

Lots of tutors, redundant combo pieces, and draw engines means you “do the thing” every game, not every third game.

3) Interaction (how hard is it to stop you?)

Free counterspells, protection, stax pieces, and recursion make your wins stick.

4) Win pressure (how compact is the win?)

Two-card combos, commanders that are win conditions, and “oops I win” lines raise power more than a fancy land ever will.

Notice what’s not on the list: “How glossy is the card stock?”

The proxy problem that actually matters: table expectations

There is a proxy-related issue that’s real, but it’s social, not mechanical:

Proxies make it easy to accidentally build past your playgroup.

If you used to run budget constraints, you probably made (unintentionally) slower choices:

tapped lands instead of fetch-shock duals
clunkier removal instead of hyper-efficient answers
“big fun spells” instead of compact win lines

Proxies remove that friction. If you upgrade without recalibrating your table, you get a power spike. Then people blame proxies because they can’t exactly ban “your deck got 30% more consistent.”

So here’s the practical truth:

A proxied deck can be casual.
A real deck can be oppressive.
Any deck can be a problem if it’s built for a different game than the pod wants.

That is the heart of MTG proxy power level problems.

How to proxy without becoming the villain of someone’s group chat

You don’t need to “power down” forever. You just need to match the room.

Proxy etiquette that prevents 90% of drama

Make proxies readable.
If someone has to squint to tell if your card is a tutor or a toaster, you’ve already lost the moral high ground.

Mark proxies clearly.
Not because you’re guilty, but because clarity avoids suspicion. Nobody likes playing “spot the counterfeit” mid-game.

Proxy for access, not ambush.
If your goal is “I want to play the cards I like,” great. If your goal is “I want to surprise-kill strangers,” you’re not a proxy player, you’re a jump scare.

Match the pod’s “speed limit.”
If your table is winning around turn 9 to 12, don’t show up with a deck that’s goldfishing turn 4 wins, even if it’s made of authentic cardboard blessed by angels.

A simple “proxy dial” for tuning up or down

If your group wants proxies but hates blowouts, try one of these house rules:

No fast mana beyond Sol Ring-level norms (whatever your group agrees on).
Limit tutors (for example, “one or two max” or “no cheap universal tutors”).
No compact infinite combos, or disclose them and keep them rare.
Pick a target win turn range and build toward that.

These rules can apply whether the cards are proxied or real. That’s the point.

The 30-second Rule 0 script for proxy decks

Here’s a script that communicates intent without launching a courtroom drama:

“I’m running proxies for accessibility/testing. They’re readable and clearly marked.”
“This deck usually threatens a win around turn X to Y if nobody stops it.”
“It wins by combat / synergy grind / combo (pick one). Any infinites?”
“I’m running (no / a couple / a lot of) tutors and (no / some / lots of) fast mana.”
“Is that the kind of game we’re trying to play?”

If someone says “no,” the correct response is not a debate club audition. It’s:

“No worries, I can swap decks,” or
“All good, I’ll find another pod.”

That’s not losing. That’s choosing to have fun on purpose.

If you got pubstomped, here’s the post-game fix that works

After the game, don’t argue about proxies. Ask one question:

“What did your deck do that made it feel like a different tier?”

Then map the answer to the four levers:

Was it speed (turn-to-win)?
Was it consistency (tutors, redundancy, draw)?
Was it interaction (protection, stax, free counters)?
Was it win pressure (compact combo, commander-as-wincon)?

That turns salt into actionable feedback. Also, it’s harder to yell at “consistency” than it is to yell at “printers,” which is probably why people avoid it.

Sanctioned events vs casual play, quick reality check

Most proxy arguments get messier because someone quietly assumes tournaments are involved.

Sanctioned events (run under official tournament rules) generally require authentic cards, with narrow exceptions for judge-issued proxies in specific situations.
Casual, unsanctioned play is where groups and stores set their own expectations, and where proxies or playtest cards often live.

So if someone says “proxies aren’t allowed,” the correct follow-up is:
“Are we talking about an official sanctioned event, or are we talking about our Tuesday night Commander pod where Chad’s sleeves are older than some Standard formats?”

FAQs

Are MTG proxies legal in Commander?

Commander as a format is usually played casually, and many pods allow proxies by agreement. The key is that your group decides for casual games. For sanctioned play, different rules apply.

Can I use proxies at my local game store?

Often yes for casual tables, sometimes no for store-run events, and it depends whether the event is sanctioned. The clean move is to ask the store or organizer what their policy is before you sit down.

Are proxies allowed in sanctioned tournaments?

Generally, you must use authentic cards in sanctioned events. There are limited cases where a head judge may issue a proxy for a card that becomes damaged during the event, under tournament policy.

How many proxies is “reasonable”?

There is no universal number. “Reasonable” is whatever keeps the pod aligned. Some groups allow any number but expect you to match power. Others cap proxies to keep decks closer in consistency. The best policy is the one your group can explain in one sentence without starting a speech.

How do I talk about power level without the cursed 1 to 10 scale?

Use concrete traits: expected win turn, win method (combat vs combo), tutor density, fast mana, and “feel-bad” categories (stax, extra turns, mass land destruction). Specific beats numeric vibes every time.