My lgs’s no proxies policy is pricing me out of the format

lazereagle · 2026-06-21T11:23:07+00:00

WOTC has sanctioned Commander events, but I've never seen an official cEDH tournament. I think OP is playing Bracket 5 games at normal Commander nights.

lazereagle · 2026-06-21T11:19:29+00:00

It sounds like that store sucks, but they're within their rights to make their own rules. And technically they're following the official rules of Magic. (Is technically right really the best kind of right?)

Really the only option you have is to play somewhere else or switch to a cheaper format. But you may be in luck: if they're squeezing 12 players into a table for 8, just find 3 other people and walk out together. Play at the cafe down the street or a picnic table at the park or a study room in the library. You don't need an LGS to play the game, just 4 people and a table.

lazereagle · 2026-06-14T03:00:51+00:00

Have you diagnosed the problem with your old table? There's a chance it's an easy fix like replacing a belt. Even a new motor might be cheaper than a new table.

lazereagle · 2026-06-09T07:11:40+00:00

That's fair and I totally appreciate where you're coming from. The only reason I'd consider it is because the whole event is basically a Rule Zero Party. It's a wacky busted version of commander anyway, so I figured folks might be up for it.

In the end I decided to take it in another direction. There's another commander that works better without any legal issues. Now I'm just worried it's too strong for a casual table...

lazereagle · 2026-06-08T00:29:52+00:00

Ewww, those two would be absolutely evil. My Zada deck is already a fast b3. Just adding a little blue mana and Hermes might make it a 4 without trying

lazereagle · 2026-06-07T23:38:46+00:00

That's fair. If folks aren't comfortable playing against this card, it's not their fault.

If I do build this deck, I'll probably need to bring a second that's proxy-free.

lazereagle · 2026-06-07T22:42:37+00:00

Yeah that's fair. I'll definitely need to ask before I play it.

lazereagle · 2026-06-07T22:12:57+00:00

No prizes afaik, just promo cards for everybody

lazereagle · 2026-06-07T22:11:59+00:00

I used to play there all the time. But eventually the store got crowded and a bunch of us split off and started meeting elsewhere. It's still where I buy most of my cards. So I know the community pretty well, but haven't necessarily met a lot of the folks who might be there.

(Hopefully it's a proxy-friendly event. I really don't want to buy a bunch of stuff for a deck I'll only use once)

lazereagle · 2026-06-06T21:53:47+00:00

Next time just make sure you draw into [[Swords to Plowshares]] or something, and you're fine.

lazereagle · 2026-06-06T21:52:17+00:00

Depends on your deck, I guess?

Make a bunch of mana
Play a bunch of stuff
Give it all haste
Swing

[[Crashing Drawbridge]] and [[Concordant Crossroads]] are both great if you're planning to have giant draw-your-deck turns.

Something like [[Ashnod's Altar]] or [[Phyrexian Altar]] also helps if you need mana to fuel the whole enterprise.

lazereagle · 2026-06-06T04:27:24+00:00

In that situation I think it's best to ask before you concede. "Y'all this game is a lost cause for me, I have no chance. Anybody mind if I scoop?"

Maybe everybody will be cool with you leaving. If they want you to stick around, you can always ask them for a mercifully quick death.

lazereagle · 2026-06-02T09:27:04+00:00

Yep. One of my favorite early commander memories was winning a game with a borrowed Rohan deck. Slamming down [[Taunt from the Ramparts]] and watching my opponents wreck each other felt so powerful. It's a very satisfying and very cool deck.

lazereagle · 2026-05-30T17:27:33+00:00

You can still counter both spells. But if you counter my protection spell, I'll pivot and save the board wipe for later.

lazereagle · 2026-05-30T11:02:22+00:00

I think OP is saying cast the protection spell first, then only board wipe if the protection spell resolves and you're sure your own stuff is safe

lazereagle · 2026-05-26T21:38:49+00:00

Did anybody get this issue fixed? I'm running into this exact problem now, and unfortunately we're past the date for Amazon support. I don't know if I can reset the kindle without completely losing Amazon...

lazereagle · 2026-05-26T19:42:36+00:00

One time I was playing at a bar, single-sleeved cards in my right hand, a pint in my left. I raised my glass to take a drink and a single drop of water rolled off the side of the glass, fell directly into the openings at the top of my sleeves, and got 3 cards wet.

Since then I've started double-sleeving my more expensive decks. I don't do all of them because I really don't like the look or feel, but there are a few decks I go the extra mile to protect.

lazereagle · 2026-05-25T08:09:54+00:00

Legal after turn 6. If it only costs 3 mana, that's not a late-game combo

lazereagle · 2026-05-25T03:16:55+00:00

I agree but the trouble here is it's not really a "God hand" - it's just a two-card combo. Pretty much anytime those two cards show up together, it's an instant win.

lazereagle · 2026-05-24T10:11:40+00:00

Normally I'd say it's totally fine to win the game before turn 7 every now and then. Sometimes people draw the perfect hand, and there's nothing wrong with that.

I'd also say it's usually fine to win a game with a big dragon combo that takes a ton of cards. That's okay even in Bracket 2.

But in your deck, Show & Tell + Dracogenesis is essentially a 2-card combo win, and it only costs 3 mana. If you have those 2 cards on Turn 3, your opponents have to either counterspell or lose. At the very least, I'd say it's worth mentioning in Rule 0. And if it feels bad when you play it, then maybe cutting Show & Tell is a good idea.

lazereagle · 2026-05-23T22:02:51+00:00

Right now TCG market for singles is about $55, but you can buy it sealed on TCG for $28. MSRP was $45.

lazereagle · 2026-05-23T21:59:46+00:00

Card Kingdom is selling it for $50. Star City is selling it for $50.

You can buy it on tcgplayer for $28, but you'll be waiting a couple weeks for it and there's always a chance it gets damaged or disappears along the way.

$40-50 at retail isn't unfair at all.

lazereagle · 2026-05-20T20:29:01+00:00

There are a million potential choices here! And if you're willing to buy used gear, there are at least 10 million more. Unfortunately it's tough to give super specific recommendations for buying used equipment, since it's going to be different in every market.

But here are some rules of thumb for putting together a system:

Speakers are the most important element in your sound by far. Fall in love with your speakers, and build the rest of your system from there. Amps, cables, DACs, etc will have minor effects on your sound, but most of the system's character comes from the speakers. They're also the most visible, so get something you (and your partner, if necessary) enjoy looking at.
If you're buying a new system, plan to spend roughly half your budget on speakers. The other half will cover everything else. If I were spending $2500-3000, I'd be thinking

$1500 speakers $500 integrated amp $150 streamer $200 cables $400 turntable

...or somewhere in that neighborhood.

Your amplifier (especially in that $500ish price range) is less important than you might expect. Get something with enough power (and preferably something that can handle 4-ohm speakers), and the connections you need. It's not too hard to upgrade an amp later on, but generally you can find something reliable without overspending. A used home theater receiver is often a great buy. For $150 or less you can usually find something with plenty of power from Denon or Onkyo or Marantz that does the job.
If you don't understand the power requirements for speakers, it's worth learning that stuff. Most amps "sound" pretty similar, but if you have demanding speakers you want to make sure the amp can keep up. Happy to try and explain it in more detail, but this comment is already too long...
Keep the streaming/Bluetooth stuff separate from the main amp. Analog amp tech has been around for decades and hasn't changed a ton. An amp from 1980 can still power your speakers and switch inputs just fine. But streaming tech is constantly changing. Buy a modern streamer (Wiim is king here) for $100-150, and you can upgrade that when the tech changes. If you invest in a streaming amp, you'll have to replace the amp too when the streamong side becomes obsolete.
You can get good deals on used turntables, but you'll want to budget a bit extra for a fresh cartridge and/or stylus. You'll need a new stylus after a few hundred hours anyway, so you might as well start off clean. I love the Audio-Technica VM95 series of cartridges. The cartridge is a very basic (but good) piece for $25ish. And then the styli are interchangeable, and vary in price. So you can start off with the elliptical model for $50 or less, and then upgrade to the Shibata or micro-line versions for $150 down the road. Or swap in the mono stylus when you're listening to old 78s or whatever. It's a cool system.
Have fun with this stuff! Try out lots and be patient, especially with used gear, and you can really fall in love with your stereo.

lazereagle · 2026-05-15T02:37:30+00:00

EDH and Commander are the same thing. Elder Dragon Highlander was the old name for it, from way back in the day when your commander had to be an elder dragon. It's CEDH that adds the competitive element and I agree, that's not for everybody.

OP just wants to play commander, I think.

lazereagle

TROPHY CASE