CARD GAMES– WHY NOT PROXY?

I love board games, and among all the different varieties and mechanics, card games (CCGs) are my favorite format.

But with hundreds of card games available, not to mention all the categories like TCG, LCG, and so on, how do I know which one is worth investing in before I'm sure I truly enjoy it?

From a casual player's perspective, investing in card games can really break the bank.

The deck-building mechanic is what draws me in—it creates endless possibilities for me to use my creativity to break the pre-existing rules. That’s where the fun is, especially when my deck outperforms my opponents'.

But before I can even get to the deck-building process and enjoy the game, there are so many barriers to consider:

• What products should I buy?
• Where can I buy the products?
• Whom can I play with?
• ...
• And most importantly, is it worth paying before I actually get to play?

Let me explain this with two examples. 

TCG is a BLACKHOLE! 

Magic: The Gathering (MTG) is popular. I can buy it almost anywhere and easily find someone to play with. But it just has way too many products!

Let’s count the sets MTG has already published this year: Ravnica Remastered in January, Murders at Karlov Manor in February, Universes Beyond MTG Fallout in March, Outlaws of Thunder Junction in April, Modern Horizons 3 in June, MTG Assassin’s Creed in July, and Bloomburrow this month. It’s only August, and there are already seven sets released! 😱

They introduce new mechanics, which is nice and keeps the game fresh and exciting. But it also means I need to keep buying to keep my deck relatively up-to-date.

I know, I know, in TCGs, you don’t have to buy every single set to play. You don’t even need the latest releases. But at the very least, you need a playable deck, which means having some modern mechanics so that your deck doesn’t feel too outdated to compete against others. I wouldn’t enjoy the game if I kept losing just because my deck lacked the latest mechanics, rather than due to my creativity or deck-building skills.

But how much does a playable deck cost? Well, a casual playable deck in MTG can vary from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Even if I look into a less costly TCG option, like the Digimon Card Game, it could still be around $70 per deck. Not bad, right? But I wouldn’t be satisfied with just one fixed deck over time, and eventually, I’d end up spending more and more.

My point is, if I want to get into TCGs but play casually—meaning I’m not participating in tournaments—there are too many things that could drain my wallet.

LCG is DYING!!!

In my opinion, LCGs are a better format than TCGs. Less luck, less expense, and the mechanics and gameplay are often more fun.

One of my all-time favorite games, Android: Netrunner, is the best card game I’ve ever played. Unfortunately, it officially died. Although there is a community called NISEI still designing the game and offering a PnP option, it’s not an official game.

This situation has happened to many LCGs, like Legend of the Five Rings and A Game of Thrones: The Card Game.

It’s unfortunate because I still see new players interested in these games, but they have no way to get into them.

I know, I know, there are still some available in the second-hand market. I can find some on eBay or community forums, but they’re either expensive or in bad condition.

This situation builds a wall that makes it harder for new players to explore these games.

WHY NOT PROXY?

These two examples are personal experiences, but I know they apply to others as well—I’ve seen many people express similar frustrations on forums.

So I started to wonder, why not proxy?

Thankfully, most card games are generous enough that either they share images themselves or some players contribute their own scans. This way, players like me can find them, print them, play them, and enjoy them.

Is it shameful to play with proxies? For me, NO. It’s an easy way to get into a card game, explore it, and decide if it’s for me before I risk my wallet to invest.

But don’t get me wrong—I’m not justifying playing with proxies all the time. It’s only okay if I’m playing casually with someone who doesn’t mind and I NEVER play in any tournaments (besides Netrunner, where NISEI allows proxies 😝).

And it’s essential to recognize that buying official products from local game stores is the right way to support the games we love and our local communities. So, I treat proxies as a way to explore games, test my deck-building, and enjoy them in a very, very casual setting.

Conclusion

Now it comes to conclusion. I like proxies, I enjoy playing with proxies, I’m not ashamed to play with proxies—but I play restrictively, with respect for the official products.

In my opinion, it’s THE best approach to getting into a card game. If you don’t want to risk your wallet like me, maybe proxies could be an option for you too.

So, why not proxy? 😆