Proxy Dragon is a staple, early-Link-era card that still teaches great fundamentals: zone management, resource trading, and protecting your most important pieces. In the TCG, it’s best known as an Ultra Rare from 2017 Mega-Tins with the card code CT14-EN003.
Stat-wise, Proxy Dragon is a LINK-2 LIGHT Cyberse/Link/Effect monster with 1400 ATK, and it’s summoned with a very flexible requirement: 2 monsters. That generic summoning condition is a big part of why it fits into so many decks—any strategy that can put two bodies on board can make it.
Proxy Dragon also has collector appeal across regions and languages. In the OCG, its Japanese name is プロキシー・ドラゴン, and it appears in Japanese product releases as well. In the TCG, it has localized names in multiple languages (German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese), which is handy for collectors tracking variants.
Understanding Proxy Dragon’s Abilities
Proxy Dragon’s defining effect is a destruction-replacement mechanic:
If a card you control would be destroyed by battle or card effect, you can destroy one of the monsters Proxy Dragon points to instead.
Key practical implications:
- It can protect any of your cards from destruction (not just monsters), as long as you have a monster in a zone it points to.
- It’s a trade, not a free negate: you’re swapping “lose my key card” for “lose a linked monster I can afford to lose.”
- It only helps against destruction. It does not stop non-destruction removal like banishing, bouncing, tributing, or sending without destroying.
Building a Deck Around Proxy Dragon
If you want Proxy Dragon to feel like a real plan (and not just “a random Link-2”), build around two goals:
- Summon it consistently (make two monsters reliably).
- Fuel it consistently (keep at least one monster in its linked zones).
That usually means your deck should include:
- Starters + extenders that put multiple bodies on board.
- Monsters you don’t mind losing (tokens, floaters, “already used their effect” bodies).
- Payoffs worth protecting (boss monsters, continuous engines, key backrow pieces).
A good Proxy Dragon setup isn’t just “I have protection”—it’s “I know exactly what I’m willing to sacrifice, and what must survive.”
Choosing the Right Cards to Pair with Proxy Dragon
Proxy Dragon doesn’t demand a specific archetype, but it loves specific types of cards. Here are the best partners by role:
1) Disposable monsters (best fuel)
These are monsters you’re happy to destroy:
- Tokens created by your engine
- Monsters that replace themselves when destroyed (“floaters”)
- Monsters whose value is already spent (searched, used their on-summon effect, etc.)
Your aim is to turn the replacement effect into a favorable exchange: you lose something cheap so your win condition stays intact.
2) Monsters that benefit from being destroyed
Some decks actively want their monsters destroyed by effects. Proxy can convert opposing destruction into an advantage by choosing to destroy a monster that triggers value.
3) Cards that make your opponent’s removal awkward
Once your opponent knows Proxy can shield a key card, they may:
- waste destruction-based removal into a bad trade, or
- hold removal until they find a non-destruction answer.
Both outcomes buy you time and improve your odds of sticking your best threats.
Deck Archetypes that Utilize Proxy Dragon
Because it’s “2 monsters” to summon, Proxy Dragon can appear in a wide range of shells, especially:
- Cyberse/Link-focused decks that naturally ladder through Link monsters
- Swarm decks that constantly produce spare bodies (so Proxy is always “online”)
- Control decks that want an insurance policy for a key continuous card
- Midrange combo decks that want a generic Link-2 that also provides protection
The more your deck produces extra monsters, the more “free” Proxy Dragon’s protection feels.
Strategies for Playing Proxy Dragon
Place it where the arrows matter
Proxy Dragon only replaces destruction by destroying a monster it points to. Summon it so it points to zones you can realistically occupy, and try to populate at least one linked zone immediately.
Protect your most important turn, not random cards
The best Proxy activations protect the card that makes your entire turn work:
- your boss monster that threatens lethal,
- your engine piece that guarantees follow-up,
- your control piece that shuts off the opponent’s plan.
Convert removal into tempo
Proxy often turns the exchange into: “they spent a card, I lost a low-value monster, my key card lives.” That’s frequently a tempo win—especially if your surviving card now threatens damage or interaction.
Make your sacrifice intentional
Before you replace destruction, check whether destroying the linked monster will cut you off from your next play. Sometimes it’s correct to let a card be destroyed if the replacement would prevent you from developing your board.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Summoning Proxy Dragon with no monster in its linked zone
If it points to nothing, it protects nothing. - Sacrificing the wrong monster
Players often destroy the one extender they needed to continue their turn. - Relying on it against non-destruction decks
If your opponent mostly banishes/bounces/sends, Proxy may do very little. - Overcommitting to keep Proxy alive
Proxy is a tool. Your win condition is the priority.
Countering an Opponent’s Proxy Dragon
1) Remove Proxy without destroying it
Use lines that ignore destruction: bounce, banish, send, tribute, etc.
2) Negate its effect
If Proxy’s effect is negated, destruction-based removal sticks cleanly.
3) Remove the “fuel”
Clear the monsters in its linked zones first. With nothing to point at, Proxy’s protection disappears.
Tips for New Players
- Practice zone planning: summon Proxy, then deliberately place a cheap monster where it points.
- Learn the difference between destroy vs banish/bounce/send by reading cards carefully.
- Decide your protection priorities: what card matters most this turn?
- Start with simple game plans and gradually add complexity as you get comfortable choosing the “best sacrifice.”
The Impact of the 2017 Mega Tins Release
The 2017 Mega-Tins release made Proxy Dragon easy to access, and because it was a generic Link-2 with a protective effect, it became a handy option for many players’ collections and early Link toolboxes. Even now, it remains a clean, teachable card that can still swing games when you plan your linked zones and sacrifices well.
References
Yu-Gi-Oh! Neuron (Official OCG Card Database), “プロキシー・ドラゴン” (Japanese) — Japanese name, OCG effect text, and Japanese set listings. db.yugioh-card.com
Yu-Gi-Oh! Neuron (Official TCG Card Database), “Proxy Dragon” (English) — effect text, stats, and CT14-EN003 set/rarity listing. db.yugioh-card.com
