What are the penalties for bad proxies at this event? As this usually differs from venue to venue, not that I will have bad proxies if I attend or anything. I just don't like playing against players using bad proxies. I want to know if my opponent is playing with proxied duals and fetch lands scribbled on the backs of pokemon cards and I have to spend most of the game trying to keep up with his mana and less on the game state, what will be done?

Thank you for the prompt and precise responses. I see how this works now.

My question is whether or not Gorilla Shaman can destroy a Pithing Needle naming Gorilla Shaman while the needle is still on the stack.
For example, I cast Pithing Needle naming Gorilla Shaman. My opponent then in response taps the appropriate mana for the Shamans ability and targets the Needle.
What happens from here?

Personally I really like the way Empyrial Archangel has a near-vigilant ability of redirecting damage from you to itself. So I would run the Angel over this. Although I can see being unblockable handy as well. Seems to be personal preference from here with these two. Maybe just use both?

Since Aether Vial avoids Chalice altogether (and not to mention Standstill) sounds like a winner to me!

Clearly I don't see enough of Mindcensor in my meta to even remember the ability correctly. Blah! I still think Krosan Grip is better then Regrowth in that slot though. Chalice, Pre-board Oath, Platz, Naught and other random pesky enchantments/artifacts (back to basics, bitterblossom, ensnaring bridge, etc.) all fall beneath the Krosan Grip. Split second is the nuts btw.
Opposing Explosives- no prob. Powder Keg- same. Sensei's Top- haha. Time Vault- you thought so. The versatility of the grip cannot be ignored.
Deglamer is good as Colossus protection. Definitely.

Edit- Props for rescuing the thread!

Since Chalice @ 2 hurts so much and the Oath match up seems like it will really suck, how about throw the grip in the main? You can even tutor for it in a pinch if mindcensor isn't online. Although explosives could work, again if the disynergy with the rods weren't present.

I agree with storm that sanctioned proxy events wouldn't be too difficult to imagine, although I don't think we need sanctioned proxy events to attract that FNM crowd. If need be, Star City Games already has an extensive guidline system for acceptable proxies:

There are two types of acceptable proxies for use in the Star City Games Power 9 tournament series. The first and most basic is taking a basic land card and writing the details of the card on it. The second method is to take a card that shares some of the characteristics with the card that is being proxied and erase any characteristics that do not match, replacing them with the correct characteristics.

All proxies must have the following text neatly printed, using a extra fine point sharpie. Ball point pens may not be used:
• The full name of the card (no abbreviations or nicknames)
• Correct casting cost of the card including all colored mana symbols
• All relevant/game effecting text

When choosing what card to use as the base for an erased proxy players must follow these rules:
• The mana cost of the base spell must be the same as the card being proxied.
• The type of the card being proxied must be the same as the base card.
• The P/T of a creature being proxied must be the same as the base creature P/T
• When proxying a creature it may be difficult to find a creature where all characteristics match. In this case, mana cost is the most important, followed by the P/T, followed by the subtype. Any characteristics that do not match must be erased and corrected.
• The art box, card name, and text box must be totally erased. White out may not be used for this as it affects the stiffness of the card and may mark it.
• When adding text to the card do not use a ball point pen. A extra fine point sharpie is the best thing to use. A ball point pen can cause indentations on the card marking it.
• For clarity reasons, the use of cards with the new card frame is strongly encouraged

Examples:
• Welding Jar or Spellbook can be used for a Mox or Black Lotus
• Disarm could be used for an Ancestral Recall
• Train of Thought for a Time Walk
• Counsel of the Soratami for a Timetwister.

How to Erase a Card:
Acetone and a cotton ball or q-tip works well, as does a pencil/ink eraser (the white/grey split type) using the grey side. Before erasing the card, take masking tape and tape off all the areas that you don't want erased for a clean edge. It will take time, but it will come off.

Look they even illustrate how to properly erase a card.
With penalties for bad proxies administered, I don't see a great deal of problems with sanctioned proxy events.

I'll go out on a limb and guess that "new angel" is in reference to Empyrial Archangel.

I'm not sure this would fly either, as this sounds awfully similar to the Five Color Invitational card; Mox Crystal. Now I'm not certain if this card constitutes as "power", so I don't know how many folks would be upset if this were to take place, but...

With those redic abilities this matters no too much, but any word on his loyalty?

Upon closer inspection of the wording on the card, I see how this works. Wow, Heretic is a badass. I thought the artifact needed to be destroyed for damage to be dealt. My bad, guess I would have made the same mistake.

When your opponent TRIED to blow up your Colossus, you should have laughed and beat his face in for 11. Darksteel Colossus is indestructible.

I'm Scrooge this year because I couldn't win a game if my opponent was blind and playing a deck of 60 basic lands.
So Bah-Humbug, ya cheery bitches! Shamalamma dingdong and I hope ya'll have a spurting, slimey, mud butt and beer farting, new year! Take that Yule Log and shove it you-know-where for all I give a damn. All ya merry mules and GELDED reindeer can burn!
How’s that for holiday cheer?

That's right, Tendrils of Agony reads: Target player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life. Storm.
There are two things here really.
First there is no damage only loss of life.
Secondly, as Lord said, storm copies can only target a player, not a creature.
You can't target a Platinum Angel to have it lose 2 life.
That does not work, I'm sorry for your loss.

Traitor's Clutch may help achieve something here.
Shadow nearly means unblockable. Just a quick thought.

Chalice counters the split second spells, as those spells do not prevent triggers (chalice)from occuring. chalice Split second spells only prevent players from playing spells and activated abilities while they are on the stack. Spells played from your yard with flashback are considered to have the same casting cost at the top right of the card for all purposes other then actually casting the card from your grave.
Hope that helps.

The "fangs" card is Dragon Fangs, a green enchantment from the Scourge set. Scourge has an enchantment of every color that all begin with the word Dragon and they all grant the enchanted creature an ability associated with the color. Green trample, blue flight, and so on. More importantly they can jump out of the graveyard and enchant a creature with converted mana cost 6 or greater.
So if you loaded up on these Dragon Wings, Dragon Fangs, (and maybe Dragon Breath for haste) and Oathed up your Avatar...
Or Phage (provided Stifle of course)...

I like where your head is at with the Avatar. Seize the day maybe worth a look. Although I'm not sure how you would work that in yet with the avatar? I see the flashback cost on the charge  is a bit pricey too. I would agree about the Scourge dragon enchants, prob your best bet. Gamble may find a spot in here too, being as ballsy as this is. Have you looked into the russian roulette version of Oath? You may find some more inspiration there. I can’t find a link or decklist, anyone have that? That deck used Phage and stifles, sounds like it's right up your alley.

My first attempts at proxying cards were sloppy and hurried at best. I used mostly ball-point pen and white out. I didn't learn to take the time and tape off borders til just recently.I would just use sharpies to blacken the borders and scribble in name and text. A lot of the time, I would just leave the set symbol of whatever the original card was even if it was wrong. Tacky I know.
This was mostly because i only half way cared how they looked. I more so just wanted to be able to recognize what the card was right away by the art.









Some improvements were made along the way:







I am still honing my skills and hope to share some better proxies and better pics in the future (a scanner would help a great deal ;p):

Yes, I'll also echo the distance here as well. That is most important to me. I long to attend a large event but most are too far or are held on a Sunday that I can't get off work for. One day...
As this thread is titled a perspective on the health of Vintage, I may add that I think Gunslinga is right in that more people are rotating out than rotating in. I have a suspicion that more players would rotate in if they didn't see the format as an exclusive circle of lofty jerks. I know this to not be true, with some individual exceptions aside.
I have been trying to get my wife to play Vintage, but when she accompanies me to local tourneys on occasion, she witnesses isolated incidents of condesending remarks and haughty attitudes. With her unusually bad temper, she has all she can do to keep from making a scene. For these reasons I suspect she opts not to play. I can't help but to think maybe she is not alone.
I fear a select arrogant few are spoiling the format for the rest of us.

With my steady work schedule and a weekly Vintage tourney only 20 minutes away. I have little excuse for "not a day for Vintage" other then having a real bad day. Even then I'll try to pull it together and make it there.
However larger events are more difficult to make for a number of reasons. The first and foremost reason being those pesky family and friends. Scheduling trips out to TX, CO, and NY always seem more important then a trip to a Vintage event (or so thinks my wife).
Scheduling work around larger events becomes difficult for me because I work every weekend and those events are usually scheduled on Saturday (which I can swing) and on Sundays (cannot happen at all).
So I am sad to say that I have not yet made it out to a larger Vintage event in the area yet.

This happened during a weekly vintage event at Something2Do in KY. My opponent was playing Deeznoughts I was playing Gilded Claw or some Stax variant thereof. My opponent manages to keep artifacts out of the grave after seeing my welder. I play a chalice @ two to keep bobs and masks off the table. I land a trike and am getting ready to start the beatdown when she stifles in a dreadnought.
Blast! I can't weld it out...but I am holding a balance and another welder. No prob, I can do this, right?
So ON MY TURN I remove counters and weld away, churning out the damage to rid my side of creatures and triumphantly play my Balance. When she points to the chalice still sitting on two I go to frown town.
Gotta love countering your own bombs. 

Hi all.
The name's Will. I have been playing the game for about as long as most others on here. Although, until recently I haven't played very competitively. I am on TMD to gain a better understanding of the finer points of the game.