9, Apr, 24

Major T.V. Star Shows Off MTG Proxy, Causing Massive Confusion

Magic: the Gathering is an incredibly far-reaching TCG. With 30 years of history, the amount of depth this card game offers is completely unrivaled by its peers. Not only has Magic been around for longer than many of the people who play it, but its popularity is practically unmatched. It’s estimated that 20 million people currently engage in the world’s best trading card game.

Given Magic’s immense scope and popularity, it should come as no surprise that there are quite a few celebrity players. Arguably the most famous of these is Post Malone, who collects MTG like no one else. Not only does Post Malone have an $800,000 Black Lotus but they also own The One Ring.

Making headlines, Post Malone purchased the One-of-One for a staggering $2 million back in 2023. While this undeniably increased the spotlight on them, Malone is far from the only celebrity MTG player. Cassius Marsh, Xolo Mariduena, and Jacob Bertrand, for instance, are all major names who each love MTG. Some of these famous faces have even appeared on MTG shows like Game Knights!

In a similar vein, it appears that Deal or No Deal host Joe Manganiello is also a massive MTG fan! That now seems to be a given, following what they recently posted to Twitter.

Joe Manganiello, Island Host

If you didn’t know, the current Deal or No Deal series airing takes place on an island. This seems a little odd, but it does make for a nice settling, at least. Beyond some nice scenery, this unique setting also apparently makes for the perfect MTG card.

For some strange reason, Deal or No Deal host Joe Manganiello recently posted a custom MTG card on their Twitter to promote the show. As you can see above, this depicts them lounging on a beach with one of the show’s famous briefcases. Beyond potentially promoting the show to a new audience, it’s unclear why Manganiello did this, outside of their apparent interest in MTG.

After being spotted online, it’s safe to say that MTG players were baffled by this unique-looking card. Thanks to the rise of Universes Beyond releases recently, many players were left wondering if this was a legitimate crossover with NBC. For better or worse, it’s not, as this card is just a custom proxy that Manganiello commissioned themselves.

This all-important detail was confirmed by @nerdofthecoast on TikTok, as well as on the image itself. Should you wish to look at Joe Manganiello’s face a little bit more, a digital render is available on nerdofthecoast’s Instagram. Beyond this unique piece of artwork, nerdofthecoast has also been creating a series of Kingdom Hearts inspired proxies which all look amazing.

Read More: MTG Combo Piece from 2014 sees 462% Price Increase Thanks to Thunder Junction

Tons of Confusion

Universes Beyond expansions have been getting more and more difficult to keep track of as the crossover series has expanded. Everything from The Walking Dead to Princess Bride has appeared as a real Universes Beyond crossover in the form of a Secret Lair.

Considering that some other T.V. shows and cult classic movies have appeared in Magic, it’s not entirely unbelievable that a Deal or No Deal crossover could come to MTG. It’s certainly a very different flavor from the fantastical crossovers we usually get, but this post was, nonetheless, surprisingly convincing.

The Twitter post from Manganiello was very professional-looking, which certainly makes things even more confusing. Many players like @PheanoBlack on Twitter stated that they “can’t tell what is or isn’t a real card anymore.” Many other users like @DerCryptaxis were asking for clarification, stating “It’s just a custom, isn’t it?” @cranehuntingdog was curious if this was a “new Secret Lair” that could be coming in a future expansion.

With how effective this advertisement was for targeting the Magic community, more ads like this could be coming in the future. We already know that a massive collaboration with Marvel is in the works for next year. Who knows what could be coming next?

Read More: Four Breaking News Cards Receive Preemptive Ban on MTG Arena!

The Celestial Toymaker

Joe Manganiello’s proxy depicts The Celestial Toymaker, a crossover card from Doctor Who. This appears in the Doctor Who: Regeneration Secret Lair. As a note, this Secret Lair is currently in its shipping phase, so a lot of players have proxied these cards in the meantime. The Secret Lair went for sale back in December 2023.

The Celestial Toymaker is an incredibly flavorful option for a Deal or No Deal host. This card is all about making choices by sorting cards into piles. Alongside this unique ability, The Celestial Toymaker also drains an opponent whenever an opponent groups, guesses, or piles cards. Given the Toymaker forces an opponent to make one of those decisions, they can be quite a unique and deadly threat!

If you’re looking to support this unique theme, consider Intrude on the Mind. This Fact or Fiction-esque card has an interesting twist: creating a Thopter as large as the cards you drop in your graveyard. This can create some unique situations where you want to arrange your piles (you separate these cards instead of your opponent) in an incredibly lopsided manner.

An Incredibly Detailed Proxy

At the end of the day, the detail on this proxy, combined with this incredibly professional-looking Twitter post was enough to confuse some MTG fans and have them asking questions. Fortunately, who any who do not want reality T.V. crossovers into the world of Magic, this is just a proxy. If you’re looking for a particular proxy for your Commander deck, do consider reaching out to nerdofthecoast. Their work appears to be very high quality.

Read More: Gorgeous Limited-Run MTG Secret Lair Sells Out in 10 Hours!

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