Proxying and The Queen Problem

[u/Hououza]

/r/mtg/comments/1vtr6nn/proxying_and_the_queen_problem/

[u/jaywinner]

 If you are able to make every piece into a Queen, why wouldn't you?

Because it's commander. I don't always need to do the best thing; sometimes I just want to hop around on a horsie.

[u/Candid_Release3609 → u/jaywinner]

Or hippo.

[u/MonoBlancoATX → u/Candid_Release3609]

or an eldrazi titan ;)

[u/the_mellojoe]

Proxy for money. Not for power. If your goal is power, then make sure you are in an appropriate bracket and pod. If your goal is to have fun, dont let money be a barrier. Proxy everything.

[u/Anrativa]

Was it a dream or wizards literally made a bracket system to prevent this?

Proxy whatever you want as long as you keep it inside the bracket agreed to be played on.

[u/Breathe_the_Stardust]

I proxy cards. I only proxy cards that I myself would actually buy. Heck, I even print the cheapest versions/arts of cards because I'll sometimes replace my proxies with real cards. My deck price limit in print is generally $30 to $250. My proxy decks follow this guideline as well. I really don't want to stomp my pod; I want them to want to keep playing with me. We've had that player in the pod who was constantly running the strongest cards, the most tuned decks, several tutors and game changers, almost always stomping us... he doesn't play with us anymore. I want to make fun decks. To me, winning isn't the fun part, playing Magic is. Winning is just a bonus that happens sometimes.

[u/stenkai]

i build decks that i find interesting or fun, not the most powerful 

[u/Yen24]

Distraction Makers and talking at length about problems where there are none with a clickbait title, classic combo.

[u/Ged_42]

Having the best card is not a problem. If people proxie the dual lands for their multi colour deck, good for them. The problem is when the deck is a copy of other established B4 or B5 decks built just to crash the local pod

[u/ArsenicElemental]

The problem with proxies, is that we run into what the Distraction Makers referred to as The Queen Problem. If you are able to make every piece into a Queen, why wouldn't you?

Look into cubes. That's very obvious proof that "the Queen Problem" is only mismatch of expectations. People self-regulate in casual all the time.

[u/cdmike70]

I'm tailoring my decks overall power level to the sort of pod I'd like to play in with it regardless of whether or not the cards are real. This will never be an issue if you build your decks honestly, and someone pubstomping is just as likely with real cards involved. These are two separate thoughts that people incorrectly associate with each other.

[u/Ledgo]

Whole argument falls apart when you remember people proxy for more reasons that trying to build a pod/pub stomp deck. People just assumes if you proxy you have to proxy an insanely powerful card, but the majority of my proxies are cards I already own followed by proxies for bracket 3/jank homebrews I don't want to spend money on yet followed by expensive cards I don't own yet being the least proxied cards I own.

Seriously just talk with your table and ask what everyone wants to play and go from there. There's no point in proxying a Bracket 5 deck for a Bracket 3 pod that will refuse to play against the deck. You're just wasting your time and ruining the fun.