Next Week's Tournament (4/24): Vintage with Proxies!

I hope everyone's having a good Friday as they read this first real update in nearly 2 weeks (gosh, 2 weeks nearly!? I'm glad school's almost over for the Spring. Ugh...)

Our next tournament, coming up a week from tomorrow, is Vintage format with Proxies!!!

We've never done a Legacy tournament where the Power 9 have been available, so here are the rules we're using:

1) Follow the Vintage Restricted List found here: Wizards of the Coast Official Vintage Restricted List

2) You are allowed up to 9 (Nine) proxy cards. For those unfamiliar with the term, it's one card used to stand in for another. For example, if you're using a Plains and you write "Black Lotus" on it, you're signifying you're using that card as a Black Lotus.
    * Proxies can take most any form. They can be as simple as Basic Lands with the intended card's name written on it (along with most all information, abbreviated of course for room), or they can go as high as full-color printouts used in a sleeve over another card.
    *What you cannot use as Proxies: non-Magic cards (you can't say a Hitmonchan from the Pokemon card game is really a Goblin Lackey), singleton cards whose only purpose is a proxy for another card but with no identifiable information for the card really being used (for example, a lone Mountain being used as a Mox Ruby with no writing signifying it's a Mox Ruby).

3) As a courtesy, we ask that you not build any FTK (First-Turn Kill)/FAST Kill decks. FTK decks will just get you hated and make you feel unwelcome in our crowd. We do like to play the game, but not a whole match inside of 10 minutes due to your wicked 1- or 2-turn combo. However, since there's no way to enforce a "no FTK decks" rule, I can't make this a hard-and-fast rule.

4) Even though Rise of the Eldrazi releases the day before the tournament no Rise of the Eldrazi will be allowed. This is a fairness thing to those who couldn't pre-order cards and because our area generally doesn't get product in until a week after release.

5) Entry Fee and Prize: $2 entry fee, prize split can either be Worldwake this week or in 2 weeks be Rise of the Eldrazi. We'll take our pick the day of the tournament.


For those unfamiliar with the Vintage format, I want to clue you in on a few cards you might want to proxy for your decks.

The Power 9 cards are regarded as the 9 most powerful cards in Magic the Gathering history. They can go into almost any deck (since their color requirements are minimal to non-existant), and almost always they'll turn the tide of a game in your favor. They all were printed in Alpha, Beta, and Unlimited before being cut from the reprint lineup. It's very hard to get a single copy of any Power 9 card as each goes for roughly $600 on the low end. That's what makes these cards decent choices for inclusion in almost any deck.

Introducing your Power 9!!!!
(NOTE: All images come from magiccards.info)

 

There's one more card that kind of slots in as the "10th piece of the Power 9" because of how ridiculous it gets with a big hand...

Library of Alexandria sees use for its first-turn draw ability. If you're starting on the draw, you'll start with 8 cards in hand. Play Library of Alexandria, you're now down to 7. Tap to use its "Draw a card if you have 7" ability and you're back up to 8 and you got a land in play! Next turn, you'll be up to 9 cards, play a land, cast a spell, then Alexandria again! I got mine at $160, but magiccards.info is showing over $200! With a price tag that high, you can't ignore the power behind it.

If you're either A) running Blue or B) can afford to splash for it (like maybe making proxies of certain expensive blue-producing dual lands) it wouldn't be a bad idea to use a couple of the blue Power 9. Or if you need more along the lines of free mana fixing, use all the artifacts (I especially like the free ones. ;)  ). Card draw? There's more than one "Library" in this game, if you catch my drift.

Another tip on what you might proxy: If there's anything you've wanted to use but couldn't afford (that final Tarmogoyf, that one Baneslayer Angel, etc.), feel free to use those too. Just don't exceed your 9 proxy limit!


I'm looking forward not so much to the decks people make but what proxies they've chosen. How much more powerful than the Power 9 can you get? We'll see next Saturday!